Prizes & Awards

DSOFT Future Investigator Travel Award Call

DSOFT is awarding travel grants to students who are presenting their soft matter research at the 2026 APS Global Physics Summit. Each travel award will cover the cost of meeting registration and (if needed) APS and DSOFT membership.

Eligible applicants must:

1. be a DSOFT member

2. be an undergraduate, postbac, or graduate student (MS or PhD)

3. have submitted an abstract to present their research in-person at the 2026 APS GPS in Denver, CO.

5. submit their application by January 15, 2026.

6. not have already received a DSOFT travel award in the last 365 days.

We encourage applications from groups typically underrepresented in physics. We will award 20 applicants and will notify all applicants with our decision by January 31, 2026.


To apply:

1. Complete this application by January 15, 2026.

2. Request a recommendation from your research mentor / PI. You will provide contact information for your recommender in the application. They will receive an email requesting the recommendation. It is your responsibility to ensure that your mentor submits the recommendation by January 15, 2026. Applications without a recommendation will not be considered.


Within 30 days following the conference submit the following via this form: https://forms.aps.org/t/pHUL8bvvCPus

1. Copy of poster/talk that the funding supported

2. Description of experience (200 words or less)

3. Photo from conference or graphic of research with a caption and credit

4. permission for DSOFT to use any of these materials in their newsletter, website, and/or Facebook page


Questions? Contact Laura Gray at laura.gray@syensqo.com

Recent Awardees

Sasha Toole, Mount Holyoke College

While at APS March Meeting 2023, I presented a poster on my soft matter research. The learning and networking opportunities I had during the conference were invaluable to my experience.

– Sasha Toole, Mount Holyoke College, FIT grant awardee

Ignaas Jimidar, Vrije Universiteit Brussel and University of Twente

The FIT grant allowed me to attend the APS March meeting where I presented our work in a DSOFT session I organized on contact electrification, which was my first chance to chair a session at an international conference.

– Ignaas Jimidar, Vrije Universiteit Brussel and University of Twente, FIT grant awardee

Nominees for and holders of APS Honors (prizes, awards, and fellowship) and official leadership positions are expected to meet standards of professional conduct and integrity as described in the APS Ethics Guidelines. Violations of these standards may disqualify people from consideration or lead to revocation of honors or removal from office.