Frequently Asked Questions

The APS Conferences for Undergraduate Women in Physics (CUWiP) are three-day regional conferences for undergraduate physics majors. The 2020 conferences will be held January 17-19. 

The primary goal of the CUWiP conference is 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.

The 2020 program at The University of Chicago will include research talks, panel discussions about graduate school and careers in physics, workshops and discussions about women in physics, student research talks and poster session, and laboratory tours.

Any undergraduate student with an interest in physics may apply to attend a CUWiP.  For the last decade, Conferences for Undergraduate Women in Physics (CUWiP) has helped undergraduate women thrive in physics by providing them with a unique opportunity to engage with and learn from other women in physics at all stages of their physics careers. At CUWiP, budding physicists will experience a professional conference, learn about graduate school and professions in physics, and share invaluable experiences, advice, and ideas with other women. Undergraduate students are eligible to apply and register for the conference, and we encourage non-undergraduate students or interested faculty/mentors to complete this registration form to arrange attendance.

Most people say “Cue-Wip”.

Any undergraduate student attending a US college/university may apply.

It is very important to complete all parts of the application and to write a thoughtful Applicant Statement. If conferences are oversubscribed, priority will be given to applicants who:

1. Are undergraduate physics or engineering physics majors
2. Have never attended an APS CUWiP

There is no formal application or registration process for non-undergraduate students and interested faculty/mentors. We encourage you to email cuwip2020@uchicago.edu for details about attendance and participation.

No. You apply to attend CUWiP, the CUWiP leadership directs you to a site, the site reviews your application and you are accepted, wait-listed or declined according to the priorities listed above. Application is free, and the deadline is Friday, October 4th, 2019 at midnight ET. After you have been accepted, you then you register to attend the conference to which you have been accepted to confirm that you will actually be attending. There is a one-time registration fee of $45, which helps offset some of the cost of the conference. The conference provides all lodging and meals.

As CUWiP is so popular, we need to carefully balance the loads across the sites to minimize travel costs and maximize the number of students who can attend CUWiP.  We will aim to follow the distribution described by the APS CUWiP map, but we many need to deviate from that, so please do not book travel until you receive an acceptance email from, and complete registration for, a specific site.

No, but you should have an estimate of the cost. If you are traveling by air, or long distance train or bus, and your travel cost is not covered by your department, your travel agenda and cost must be approved by the conference site organizers before you book your travel. Email us at cuwip2020@uchicago.edu for approval.  Due to the limited nature of our travel funds, we ask that you find the most economical means of transportation to and from the conference. For example, reach out to others in your department and see if carpooling is an option.

First, make sure you submit your application by the deadline. Second, make sure you put some thought into why you want to attend and what you want to get out of the conference. Please answer all questions on the application fully and honestly. Offering to present a talk or a poster, or indicating interest in travel support, will not affect your chances of being selected to attend.

Students who are accepted to attend the conference must pay a one-time registration fee of $45, which helps offset some of the cost of the conference, including all lodging and meals.  If you cannot afford the registration fee and your department/college is unable to help, you may request a fee waiver by submitting a statement attesting to your financial need and verifying that department or university funds are not available.  Further details will be provided when you are invited to register for the conference. You must request a fee waiver from women@aps.org at least seven days before the registration deadline.

Lodging (for non-local students) and food will be covered by the conference; you do not need to pay for your hotel room or food at the conference.  We expect that your travel expenses will be covered by your home department or college. However, if they are not able to cover these expenses, travel funding is available. Please see our section on Travel and Accomodations, and email cuwip2020@uchicago.edu if you have further questions.

Please talk to your department chair, manager, or director of undergraduate studies before registering for CUWiP. You might ask an academic advisor, faculty member you know, or other mentor for guidance about who to ask if you are unsure.  You can also contact us if you would like guidance in asking your department for travel funds.

No. While we encourage you to present a talk or a poster if you have been involved in research, you are welcome simply to attend the conference and participate in the activities.

The content of this year’s conference will not be exactly the same as last year’s, and you are welcome to apply to attend again. However, if more students apply than we can accommodate, preference will be given to students who have never attended a CUWiP.

Yes, all attendees must register by the deadline.

Yes, undergraduate students at any U.S. college or university may apply.

Only undergraduate students who will be over 18 at the time of the conference may apply to CUWiP. Other interested participants can register here to arrange attendance.

Yes, students of all genders are welcome to attend this conference. If you have questions, or concerns about the housing for this conference, please contact us at cuwip2020@uchicago.edu. 

Students from Canada are encouraged to apply to the Canadian site. Students from Canada may apply to U.S. CUWiP if desired. However, Canadian students accepted to U.S. sites are not eligible for reimbursement of travel expenses from the conference or for waiver of the registration fee.

APS is only able to fund students attending universities in the U.S. We welcome students attending non-U.S. institutions to email our site at cuwip2020@gmail.com or another CUWiP site to ask if you can apply to attend. CUWiP sites will not be able to reimburse students attending non-U.S. institutions for accommodations or travel.

Students are responsible for arranging their own travel to the conference.  We encourage students to coordinate with other attendees from their institution. Please be in communication with your local chair or faculty member if your department is reimbursing you for travel costs.

We expect that your travel expenses will be covered by your home department or college. However, if they are not able to cover these expenses, travel funding is available. Please email cuwip2020@uchicago.edu with your costs and itinerary to secure reimbursement approval before purchase. All travel ticket costs must be pre-approved. Significant costs which are not pre-approved may not be reimbursed.

Because your travel costs are reimbursable, it is expected that you will attend all of the conference events as scheduled. If you have special circumstances, please contact us to discuss them.

The lab tours that take place on Friday are optional. All students are given the choice of taking a tour of either Fermilab or Argonne National Lab. Space is limited on these tours, and busses to each location will leave from the hotel. Students are not allowed to meet the group at either national lab.

Students will be accommodated at The Hyatt Place Hyde Park. Please visit our Travel & Accommodations page for more information. If you are driving to the conference, you may park at the hotel. Do not make your own hotel reservations.

Public transport or rideshare is recommended between major airports and the Hyatt Place.

We will request dietary restriction information on the registration form. If your dietary needs are not addressed by the form, please contact us and we will work to accommodate you.

The conference has no dress code, and we encourage students to be comfortable. There will be a plated banquet on Saturday evening, and many students enjoy dressing up for this event.  You may wish to look at photos of previous conferences to see what students typically wear.

We will request information on disability status on the registration form.  Please contact us  at cuwip2020@uchicago.edu in advance if you have unusual requirements, and we will work to accommodate you.

If you are comfortable, please contact us at cuwip2020@uchicago.edu so that we are aware. We will encourage you to try your best during the networking opportunities, but if you need to be paired up with someone you know (either in rooming or meals), please let us know so we can try to accommodate you. We hope that you will be able to comfortably attend the conference and get something from it, but we understand that everyone needs to go at their own pace.

Please contact us to discuss your needs at cuwip2020@uchicago.edu.

The pronoun that a person chooses to use for themself.
For example: If Xena’s preferred pronouns are she, her, and hers, you could say “Xena ate her food because she was hungry.” She, her, hers and he, him, his are common examples of pronouns. Some people call these “female/feminine” and “male/masculine” pronouns, but many avoid these labels because, for example, not everyone who uses he feels like a “male” or “masculine.”

There are also lots of gender-neutral pronouns in use. Here are a few you might hear:
– They, them, theirs (Xena ate their food because they were hungry.) This is is a pretty common gender-neutral pronoun…. And yes, it can in fact be used in the singular.
– Ze, hir (Xena ate hir food because ze was hungry.)
Ze is pronounced like “zee” can also be spelled zie or xe, and replaces she/he/they. Hir is pronounced like “here” and replaces her/hers/him/his/they/theirs.
–   Just my name please! (Xena ate Xena’s food because Xena was hungry) Some people prefer not to use pronouns at all, using their name as a pronoun instead.

Never, ever refer to a person as “it” or “he-she” (unless they specifically ask you to.) These are often used as offensive slurs.

Based on the information here and resources linked therein.

CUWiP seeks to be a safe space for all participants.  By asking for preferred pronouns, we are ensuring that we don’t accidentally misgender any of our participants or make harmful assumptions based off of appearance. Even if you have never considered this in relation to yourself, by including your preferred pronouns on your name badge you can help to make other CUWiP participants comfortable. We hope you will consider this.