This award aims to recognise an excellent communicator who, through effective communication, is able to share the outcomes of their work to a broader audience, including the general public. This outstanding communicator is someone who makes the public aware of the excitement and importance of physics.

The award consists of a plaque and a certificate, and is awarded biennially.

The winner will be invited to write an article related to the work for which the award was presented that will be published in Australian Physics.

Eligibility requirements

Nominees must:

• not previously have received the Physics Communication Award;
• be nominated by a Proposer who is a member of the AIP; self-nomination by an AIP member is also acceptable.

Nomination Material and Process

The online Physics Communication Award nomination form requires the Proposer to provide:

• a one sentence citation capturing the nature of the work, as well as a longer citation (no more than 300 words) that briefly summarises the nominee’s contribution in relation to the award application. This is to be written for a scientifically literate lay person. This will be used for promotion/certificates if the nominee is successful;
• a description of innovation or novelty in the communication approach used (process or design or technology);
• the names and contact details of three (3) referees to support the nomination. To show evidence of communication impact that is wider than the nominee’s immediate scientific community, it is recommended that one of the referees be outside the field of Physics in which the nominee works/researches;
• a summary of any collaboration, with external agencies, researchers, industry, or international partners and how collaborative efforts have been communicated to a wider audience;
• relevant publications list (where appropriate) or pictures of nominee’s output including copies of written work (if in media) or hyperlinks to website(s) where their work is recognised or placed.

Nominations close: 1 April each nomination year

Nominations, including all supporting documentation, should be submitted via the online Physics Communication Award nomination form, by the advertised closing date. Referees should submit their letters of reference using this submission form, independently of any correspondence from the nominee, also by the advertised closing date.

Assessment Criteria

The focus of the award is the effective communication of Physics relative to opportunity. Nominations should specifically address how the work entered meets the following assessment criteria:

• Effectiveness and originality of communication mediums and/or methods – to what extent is the nominee breaking new ground in the communication of science? Is there evidence of innovation or novelty in communication approach (process or design or technology)?
• The breadth, diversity and depth of the public engagement undertaken – is there significant engagement with the broader community or a broader audience? (e.g. the innovation/university/industry/schools sector). Have a variety of media been used to engage with the public? Evidence of public communication may be in the form of written, video, or other acceptable forms of communication, including links to freely available information. It is recommended that for paid published work that may be difficult to access, a sample of these materials should be provided to assessors. 
• Evidence your communication activities have increased the Australian public ’s understanding and appreciation of science – is there evidence of public/community interest in the communication for example, reviews or comments on published works, communication records in social media platforms.
• Evidence of wide reach of the communication and the communication methods used.

Previous Winners

• 2024 Associate Professor Suzie Sheehy, University of Melbourne
• 2022 Professor Geraint F Lewis, University of Sydney