Request for Proposals: Dr. Gerald A. Soffen Memorial Fund (US)

Deadline: 09-Oct-2026

The Dr. Gerald A. Soffen Memorial Fund offers travel grants to full-time undergraduate and graduate students in the United States who are conducting research in aerospace-related sciences or engineering and want to present their work at professional conferences. The Fund awards up to $2,000 in total, with individual grants capped at $1,000, and supports participation in both virtual and in-person conferences. The Dr. Gerald A. Soffen Memorial Fund Travel Grants are designed to encourage the next generation of researchers in aerospace-related sciences and engineering. The programme helps students share their research with the broader scientific community through professional conferences and meetings. By supporting conference participation, the Fund aims to help students gain scientific exposure, build professional networks, exchange knowledge with researchers, and contribute to developments in space science. Travel Grants support students who want to present their research at professional meetings and conferences.

Eligible conference participation may be:

The grant is intended for students presenting research in aerospace-related scientific and engineering fields.

Research areas can include:

The Soffen Fund will award up to $2,000 in total through the Travel Grant programme. Individual awards cannot exceed $1,000. The final number of grants awarded will depend on the needs of eligible applicants and the available funding. An important condition is that awards are contingent upon acceptance of the recipient’s conference abstract. Applicants should therefore have their research presentation or abstract accepted before the grant can be confirmed. The grant is intended to help students participate in professional research meetings where they can present their work. Depending on the conference format, this can support participation in: Applicants should ensure that their requested funding is directly connected to their participation in the professional meeting. Applicants must meet the programme’s student and institutional requirements.

Eligible applicants must:

Students of all nationalities are eligible, provided they meet the required U.S. enrollment conditions. The Travel Grants are open to both undergraduate and graduate students. This allows students at different stages of their academic careers to gain experience presenting research to professional scientific audiences. Students should demonstrate that their proposed conference presentation is directly connected to their aerospace-related research. Grant awards are contingent upon acceptance of the applicant’s conference abstract. Applicants should therefore clearly identify: Abstract acceptance is an important condition for receiving the award. The programme recognizes both traditional and online forms of scientific communication. Students can use the Travel Grant to participate in: This allows eligible students to share their research and engage with the scientific community regardless of whether the professional meeting is held physically or online. Presenting research at professional meetings can help students develop valuable academic and professional experience. The programme aims to provide opportunities for students to: These experiences can support students as they progress toward future research and engineering careers. The Soffen Fund does not provide supplemental funding beyond the amount awarded. Recipients cannot request additional funds above their approved grant amount. Applicants should therefore prepare a realistic estimate of their conference-related needs before submitting their application. Students who receive a Travel Grant have specific recognition and reporting responsibilities.

Recipients must:

Applicants should be prepared to meet these requirements if selected. Applicants should clearly demonstrate the connection between their research, academic programme, and proposed conference presentation.

A strong application should:

Applicants should also ensure that their proposed conference participation falls within the Fund’s intended areas of support. It is a student travel grant programme that supports undergraduate and graduate researchers in aerospace-related sciences and engineering who want to present their research at professional conferences. The Fund will award up to $2,000 in total, with no individual award exceeding $1,000. Full-time undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at accredited institutions of higher learning in the United States can apply, provided they are conducting research in an eligible aerospace-related field. Yes. Students of all nationalities are eligible as long as they meet the requirement to be enrolled full time at an accredited U.S. institution. Yes. The Travel Grant can support participation in both virtual and in-person professional meetings. Yes. Receipt of the Travel Grant is contingent upon acceptance of the recipient’s conference abstract. No. Supplemental funds above the awarded amount cannot be requested from the Soffen Fund. The Dr. Gerald A. Soffen Memorial Fund Travel Grants provide undergraduate and graduate students with an opportunity to present aerospace-related research to professional scientific audiences. With individual awards of up to $1,000, the programme supports participation in virtual and in-person conferences while helping students gain research exposure, develop professional networks, and contribute to the wider space science and engineering community. For more information, visit Dr. Gerald A. Soffen Memorial Fund.