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We encourage students, postdocs, faculty, and staff to attend national conferences focused on expanding identities included in STEM. Below are some examples of conferences and societies where scientists can connect with and celebrate different aspects of their identities. Our goals for attending these meetings, and becoming members of these societies, are: to learn, to connect with resources to help scientists with marginalized identities thrive, and to build stronger relationships with people and institutions working to support underrepresented persons in astrophysics and planetary science. 

• The Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) serves as gathering “to equip, empower, and energize participants for their academic and professional paths in STEM…College-level through professional attendees are immersed in cutting-edge STEM research, professional development sessions, motivational keynote speakers, and the Graduate School & Career Expo Hall, as well as multicultural celebrations and traditions, and an inclusive and welcoming community of peers, mentors, and role models.” 

Time of year: Conference is held annually in late October. Registration is due in September. Applications for student travel scholarships or research presentations are due in April or July. 

• The is “the largest and most recognizable organization devoted to the growth, development, and advancement of the African-American physics community. Founded in 1977 at Morgan State University, the mission of the National Society of Black Physicists is to promote the professional well-being of African American physicists and physics students within the international scientific community and within society at large.”

Time of year: Conference is held annually in early November. Mentoring, workshops, internships and seminars are held year round. 

• The ) focuses on “substantially increasing the representation of Indigenous peoples of North America and the Pacific Islands in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) studies and careers.” AISES “offers academic scholarships, internships, professional development and career resources, national and regional conferences, leadership development summits, and other STEM-focused programming.”

Time of year: Conference is held annually in September or October.

• The aims to “(i) promote the study of physics among Hispanic students, (ii) identify and herald the accomplishments of Hispanic faculty and students, (iii) provide a forum through which Hispanic faculty and students can come together and celebrate not just the pursuit, and passion, of science but also sharing a rich and vibrant culture, work with the larger physics community to transform the physics community into a more inclusive and diversified one.”

TheTime of year:  Conferences are held jointly with the SACNAS and NSBP meetings described above.

• The aims to “help undergraduate women continue in physics by providing them with the opportunity to experience a professional conference, information about graduate school and professions in physics, and access to other women in physics of all ages with whom they can share experiences, advice, and ideas.”
  Time of year: Conference are held annually in early January, either regionally or online. 

APS students can apply for scholarships to attend these conferences from the APS department or the university, through the Professional & Academic Conference Fund (/pace/). If you’re not funded by a grant or other institutional funds and would like support in attending conferences, please contact the APS R^3 committee.