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Nuclear & Plasma Sciences Society

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NPSS Foundation Fund

The NPSS Foundation Fund aims to provide continuity of funding for NPSS mission-driven educational, outreach, diversity and humanitarian activities. Click here or on the button to the right to make a donation.

About the Fund

  • History: The NPSS Foundation Fund was established in 2021. Priority is currently focused on building the Fund through donations and other means to a level at which it can support approved projects consistent with the IEEE and NPSS mission and vision.
  • Mission: The Fund’s mission is to support the Society’s educational, outreach, diversity, and humanitarian efforts, inspired by the IEEE’s mission “to foster technological innovation and excellence for the benefit of humanity.”
  • Governance: The Fund is administered by the NPSS Financial Committee (FinCom) and reports to NPSS Administrative Committee (AdCom), and the IEEE Foundation. It is managed by a Management Committee comprising a Chair, the NPSS Treasurer, and two other members responsible for process development and communications.

Projects

The Fund aims to provide continuity of funding for NPSS mission-driven educational, outreach, diversity and humanitarian activities. This is critical because the Society’s costs and operational revenues from publications and conferences are sensitive to many external factors beyond its control. Continuity of funding will allow continued support for demonstrably successful projects established under the NPSS initiatives Program that would otherwise be discontinued at the end of their 3-year IEEE initiative funding cycle. Examples of such projects include:

Supporters

Our supporters: The NPSS Foundation Fund is funded through a portion of NPSS’ annual operational surplus (when available) and individual donations. Without such donations it could not fully achieve its goals. The IEEE Board of Directors and the US financial rules for non-profit organizations like IEEE restrict the ability to put available operational surpluses into the fund unless substantially matched by external donations. Essentially your donation  is at least doubled.

Making a Difference

Your donation to the NPSS Foundation Fund will help drive educational, outreach, diversity, and humanitarian projects of significant and lasting benefit to those who need them most. Below are some examples of projects that the Fund has been established to support.

NPSS Schools

NPSS has a proud history of sponsoring wide-ranging education activities, including international schools on instrumentation and medical  imaging topics. The NPSS Education Committee, established in 2022, now coordinates these activities in a consolidated manner. NPSS Schools such as the NPSS School on Advanced Topics in PET/CT and PET/MR held in Thailand in January 2023 (pictures below), deliver major benefits to young scientists from developing regions at very modest cost, and at the same time raise awareness of the IEEE and NPSS.

The number of NPSS International Schools that can be run each year is limited by available funding. Donations to the Foundation Fund allow this program to be expanded. We have volunteers to undertake the activities, but we need ongoing funding.

Figure 1. Students and NPSS teachers at NPSS international school on Advanced topics in PET/CT and PET/MR imaging in Nan, Thailand, January 2023.

 

 

 

 

Figure 2. Coffee table discussion during a break.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 3. Hands-on workshop on deep learning in medical imaging, Nan, Thailand, January 2023.

 

Women in Engineering

IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE) is one of the largest international professional organizations dedicated to promoting women engineers and scientists and inspiring girls around the world to follow their academic interests to a career in engineering and scientific endeavors. NPSS sponsors several worthy WIE initiatives including opportunities for leadership training and networking, travel grants to provide leading edge professional development for women in mid- to senior-level career stages, events at NPSS conferences and schools to enhance networking opportunities, provide opportunities for career mentoring, and to promote life/work balance.  See more at NPSS Women in Engineering.

 

 

Figure 4. Three generations of local speakers at the Women in Engineering event held in conjunction with the NPSS School on Advanced Topics in PET/CT and PET/MR at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, January 2023.

 

 

 

 

Student and Early Career Fellowship Awards/Grants

NPSS-sponsored Conferences that have Short Courses offer Paul Phelps Continuing Education Grants that are intended either for tuition in NPSS Sponsored Short Courses or for partial or total travel expenses to attend NPSS Short Courses. These grants are available for outstanding Student Members of NPSS and unemployed members of NPSS who need assistance in changing career directions.

Jordanov Travel Grants provide support for travel expenses for the Nuclear Science Symposium and Medical Imaging Conference. These grants are offered to graduate students or individuals who have obtained their highest degree less than five years prior to the start of the NSS/MIC in a given year.

Humanitarian projects

IEEE Smart Village is improving the lives of people in remote parts of the world with support from NPSS, for example by providing reliable solar power for schools, and electric lighting and internet access for students in their homes. Below are just two examples:

Green Village Electricity (GVE) – Nigeria

GVE is a highly successful enterprise that was founded in Nigeria in 2010 with support from NPSS and IEEE Smart Village. Its mission is to lead Africa’s sustainable energy transition through home-grown innovation and global strategic collaborations, in order to accelerate sustainable energy access to unlock social and economic opportunities.

Some of the innovative projects that GVE has been able to execute thanks in part to the startup funds provided by NPSS can be found here.

Figure 5. A 46kW PV solar based mini-grid pilot project in Kolaku community in Gombe State, Nigeria. The project created 42 direct and indirect jobs and is estimated to offset about 438.7 metric tons of CO2 annually in the community thereby preserving the natural environment while enhancing the living standards of the inhabitants.

 

 

Electricity to Combat Deforestation – Chaco, Argentina

After almost three years of mentoring by IEEE Smart Village, Mr. Juano Chalba of the “Asociación Civil Monte Adentro” (ACMA), is ready to kick off an “Electricity to Combat Deforestation” initiative. This enterprise has been made possible with funds from NPSS, with technical support from Prof. Guillermo Catuogno of San Luis University. Over a period of two years, ACMA will deploy solar photovoltaic (SPV) systems to generate electricity for domestic and productive use for income generation, as an alternative to employment in illegal deforestation activity in the El Impenetrable region of the Chaco Province, Argentina.

Figure 6. Solar panels used in the “Electricity to Combat Deforestation” initiative in northern Argentina.

 

 

 

 

Donor impact

Read inspiring stories of people who have donated to the IEEE Foundation and the people and causes to which their donations are dedicated.

 

 

Donation Options

FAQs

  • Is my gift tax deductible?: Only if you are a U.S. taxpayer.
  • Can I direct my gift to a specific kind of project?: Apportioning relatively small donations to specific initiatives is difficult. It may be possible with larger donations over $10k. If you want to make a substantial donation and to have it directed toward a specific area, please contact the Chair of the NPSS Foundation Fund committee, Roger Fulton (roger.fulton@sydney.edu.au).
  • Will my gift be acknowledged?: Yes unless desired to be anonymous.