Dear {Contact_First_Name},
There’s been a strong start to the year for the physics community, with plenty of opportunities to get involved. The 2026 AIP Congress in Sydney has now opened its call for abstracts and focus sessions, an opportunity to contribute to Australia’s premier physics event – get submitting!
The Quantum Australia conference was held in Adelaide, which brought together academia, industry and government to see the latest developments in the industry, share ideas and build networks.
The conference was a flurry of activity in quantum computing with discussion of potentially huge advances in error correction by Iceberg (Australian) and Google, that massively reduce the number of physical qubits necessary to do meaningful calculations. Another recent preprint publication demonstrates provable exponential speedup for a number of algorithms (including optimisation, machine learning and simulation of physical systems) over classical computers. Combined, these have the potential to dramatically accelerate the expected emergence of useful quantum computers. I look forward to verification of the results.
I note that the ANU and Defence have recommissioned the T2 free-piston shock tunnel – which has been out of action for over 20 years. I remember with great fondness the shock tunnel at the ANU while I was an undergraduate and the wonderful people and friends that worked on it. Great to see this technology back in action.
Disappointingly the Australian Government is withdrawing from its association with the European Southern Observatory. This will prevent access to the world’s biggest optical telescopes both for astronomers and for engineers designing new instruments. The announcement came the same day that Artemis reengaged us all with space.
But in good news, earlier in March, the Prime Minister announced that Australia will begin treaty negotiations on association to Horizon Europe, which will give Australian organisations access to the world’s largest pooled research fund in 2027. This represents an enormous opportunity for Australia’s research community, and the AIP supports the move. More on both announcements below.
As a community, I encourage all members to use their influence to promote physics and fundamental research. Our collective voice and advocacy supports a sustainable research ecosystem with abalance of resources that will continue to shape the future of physics in Australia. |
|
|
Stuart Midgley
President, Australian Institute of Physics
|
|
|
AIP Congress
|
|
|
Call for abstracts We are pleased to open the call for Abstract Submissions and Focus Sessions for the 26th co-hosted AIP and ANZCOP Conference.
Submit your Abstract or Focus Session proposal here. Hosted by the University of Sydney, this event will showcase the breadth and depth of outstanding Australian and international physics. This is your opportunity to contribute to the program that will feature world-leading international plenary speakers, parallel sessions, and engagement with industry, government, and education sectors. The program has been inspired by input from across the Australian physics ecosystem, including, for the first time, sessions dedicated to Australia's strength in astronomy. Save the date Be in Sydney for Australia's premier physics conference 7 - 11 December 2026. Submit now: submissions will close on 26 June. Keep an eye out for registrations - opening soon. Click here for more information. |
|
|
|
|
How to build a solid (material physics) career
There is no single “right” career path, and uncertainty is part of the journey. That was a key takeaway of a careers panel at the Wagga meeting. The panel, supported by the Australian Academy of Science’s Theo Murphy Amplify Initiative, brought together experts across academia, industry and publishing to share candid insights on navigating physics careers.
Attendees also toured Halocell Energy’s facility, seeing research translated into real-world applications in their new technology solar cells, highlighting the breadth of opportunities in condensed matter and materials physics. Read more.
‘Wagga’, the AIP’s annual Condensed Matter and Materials Conference, continues to bring together leading researchers across the region. Following its recent collaboration with the Asia-Pacific Conference on Condensed Matter Physics, the 49th event will be held in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland from 8–12 February 2027, alongside AMN12, hosted by the MacDiarmid Institute. Save the date; abstracts opening soon.
|
|
|
Delegates visiting the Halocell Energy manufacturing facility.
|
|
|
Awards and prizes
Nominate an emerging physics leader today for the AAPPS-APCTP Chen-Ning Yang Award . The award recognises outstanding young researchers in the Asia Pacific region. Each AIP Group may submit one nomination annually. The award includes US$1,000 and a certificate. Nominations close 31 May 2026, further detail here.
Know someone making a real impact in physics outreach? Nominate them for the 2026 NSW Community Outreach to Physics Award. Open to individuals across NSW, the award recognises excellence in education and community engagement, with $1,000 and a certificate. Nominations close 30 July 2026.
Nominate an outstanding woman in science today. The Fondation L’Oréal and UNESCO are calling for nominations for the 2027 For Women in Science International Awards, recognising five leading researchers across physics, mathematics, and computer science, one from each of five global regions. Past Australian winners include: Lidia Morawska for air quality, Michelle Simmons AO for quantum science and Jillian Banfield for earth science. Nominations close 30 June 2026.
Celebrating innovators shaping the future of measurement science, the NMI Measurement Awards recognise individuals and teams delivering real-world impact and strengthening Australia’s measurement system. Nominations close 20 May 2026.
On 20 April, AIP NSW branch hosted the annual Physics Research Poster Presentation Network Event, bringing together HDR students to showcase their work, from thesis proposals to published research. Among the award recipients, PhD candidate Farrel Separgo (University of Technology Sydney) was recognised for his outstanding poster, Heterogeneity of Upconversion Bioconjugates Revealed by Single Nanoparticle Spectroscopy, while Masters student Claudia Fava (Macquarie University) received top honours for her compelling work, Secrets in Stardust: Unravelling the Origin of Chemical Diversity in Evolved Stars. Pictured below.
Thanks to award sponsors, Sydney Quantum Academy, Boson Engineering and Diraq.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The 2026 Page Medals for excellence in amateur astronomy were awarded by the Astronomical Society of Australia last month, for discoveries that have guided humanity’s big telescopes. Chris Stockdale co-discovered over 100 planets including several potentially Earth-like planets. Jonathan Bradshaw, Renato Langersek and past Page Medallist John Broughton discovered a giant ring that shouldn’t be, around dwarf planet Quaoar.
|
|
|
|
|
In brief: opportunities and updates
Celebrating women in STEM: The AIP Queensland Branch supported UQ’s Women in Science, Mathematics and Physics event, featuring researchers sharing insights from atomic physics to protein folding, alongside candid reflections on academic careers, helping foster a more inclusive and connected physics community. Congratulations to Dr Xanthe Croot on receiving a 2026 Westpac Research Fellowship to tackle key quantum computing challenges, including reducing errors and improving efficiency to advance technologies with impact across medicine, security, manufacturing and national capability.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Taryn has a clear message, “For those questioning whether they’re good enough for physics: you don’t need to be top of the class to belong, curiosity is what counts. Say yes to opportunities, especially the ones that feel out of reach, and remember that knowledge alone isn’t enough if you can’t communicate it.” Read the full article. If you would like to be featured, or to nominate a colleague for an upcoming #PhysicsGotMeHere profile, please contact our editors.
|
|
|
Physics in the news
Australia has ruled out a $500 million European Southern Observatory membership, drawing criticism from astronomers who warn it may hinder research and innovation. While alternative telescope partnerships are possible, no clear plans are in place for future international collaboration. Read more from STA President Jas Chambers.
Australia and the EU announced treaty negotiations on Australia’s association to Horizon Europe, a $155 billion funding pool on key research priorities including supply chain security, advanced computing, critical technologies, critical minerals, health, climate, and clean energy.
A new agreement has been signed to strengthen collaboration between ANU’s Heavy Ion Accelerator and the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams at Michigan State University. Supporting joint research, staff and student exchanges, and shared expertise, it will help maintain Australia’s heavy ion accelerator infrastructure at a world-class level.
Quantum simulations have for the first time matched real-world experimental data. As reported in Nature, two independent teams modelled material properties and energy responses with results aligning to experiments, a breakthrough that could set a new standard for applying quantum computing in materials science.
New photonic materials could drive the next quantum revolution. A review in Nature Photonics highlights how programmable photonic platforms may enable technologies like quantum neural networks and distributed computing, but challenges remain in integrating and efficiently controlling existing components on silicon chips.
What excites or concerns you about the future of science? In The Guardian, physicist Brian Cox highlights the promise and uncertainty of AI and quantum computing, noting their revolutionary potential but unpredictable trajectory, posing both opportunities and challenges for how science and society evolve.
How strong is gravity? Nature reports that a decade-long experiment to measure the gravitational constant, Big G, has produced conflicting results, deepening the mystery. Despite extensive efforts, scientists still cannot agree on its precise value, highlighting ongoing challenges in understanding fundamental physics.
|
|
|
Australian Physics magazine out nowFrom interstellar travel and the properties of light to AI in education, condensed matter research, and radiation physics, the Jan-Mar issue spans the full breadth of modern physics. We reflect on PHYSCON 2026, celebrate the AC2MP conference in Wagga, and share an inspiring #PhysicsGotMeHere journey from Botswana to Australia. Become an AIP member to read the full issue at aip.org.au |
|
|
Join AIP today
Financial members of the AIP have access to benefits including discounts to AIP events, our quarterly magazine Australian Physics , and financial support for students.
|
|
|
If you are an AIP member and forgot to renew, your membership is now unfinancial and you may have been moved to our stakeholder mailing list as of 31 March. Renew now to continue receiving the benefits of being a financial member of the AIP. |
|
|
|
|
Jobs board
The AIP is partnering with Physics World Jobs to deliver a dedicated jobs board for physics-related roles. Employers can post both paid listings and complimentary ads, with free postings featured for up to two weeks. Find out more.
|
|
|
Thank you to our supporters
|
|
|
Our mailing address is: Australian Institute of Physics, PO Box 73, Parkville 3052, VIC Australia.
You are receiving this bulletin from the Australian Institute of Physics because you are a valued stakeholder. Would you like to become a member, or renew your membership with the AIP? Members receive discounts to events, online and physical copies of the Australian Physics magazine, be able to be nominated for prizes and awards, have access to travel money, support physics in Australia and more! Join Australia's leading physicists today here. To renew your AIP membership, click here. Sent by Science in Public, on behalf of the Australian Institute of Physics, aip.org.au. Send enquiries and contributions by the 20th of each month to physics@scienceinpublic.com.au.
|
|
|
If you no longer wish to receive these emails you can unsubscribe at any time. |
|
|
|
