Nominations are open for the following awards by the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics:

• 2026 IUPAP Early Career Scientist Prize in Computational Physics
  
• 2026 IUPAP Early Career Scientist Prize in Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics
  
• 2026 IUPAP Early Career Scientist Prize in the field of Symbols, Units, Nomenclature, Atomic Masses and Fundamental Constants
  
• ICPE Medal – C14 for contributions to physics education should have extended over a considerable number of years;
  
• Sunamco Medal – C2 to recognise senior persons or laboratories for outstanding contributions in physics 
  

Find out more at IUPA Calls for Nominations.

The 48^th Annual Condensed Matter and Materials Conference (known as the Wagga meeting) in conjunction with the 6^th Asia-Pacific Conference on Condensed Matter Physics (known as AC2MP) was held as a residential conference at the Charles Sturt University campus, Wagga Wagga NSW, from 9^th to 13^th February. The conference attracted around 110 delegates including trade exhibitors. This included international researchers from twelve countries (Taiwan, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, India, Hong Kong, China and Bangladesh, UK, Germany, USA, and NZ), plus Australian-based scientists from all states and territories except WA and TAS. 

The scientific program for the week encompassed 70 talks including five plenaries, plus 30 posters accompanied by two invigorating poster slam sessions. Topics covered included superconductivity, magnetism, ferroelectrics, 2D, topological, amorphous and nano materials, devices and fabrication, as well as aspects of spectroscopy. On the social side, Wagga-AC2MP 2026 featured activities such as the trivia night, wine tasting, plus excursions to the local Halocell photovoltaic manufacturing facility, Wagga zoo and botanic gardens… and endless rounds of table tennis on the patio (a professor emeritus from Los Alamos National Lab was a particularly strong player). To cap the week off, there was the conference dinner. Dr Zoe Burdikis (an Aussie condensed matter alumna who studied at UWA) from Nature Publishing gave an entertaining after-dinner speech titled The whys and hows of scientific publishing, which prompted a very lively Q&A! 

The condensed matter community came together over lunch for a wonderful careers panel discussion, which featured speakers working in academia, scientific instrumentation, vacuum science and technology, photovoltaics, and scientific publishing. Furthermore, around a dozen early-career researchers and students were supported to attend the conference with thanks to the ARC Georgina Sweet Laureate Fellowship, the Association of Asia Pacific Physical Societies Division of Condensed Matter Physics, and the Australian Academy of Science Theo Murphy Amplify Initiative. The organising committee would like to thank all sponsors and supporters of Wagga-AC2MP 2026: it was a fantastic week of physics and materials science! A more detailed report on this successful event will be published in future editions of Australian Physics and the DCMP Newsletter.

Nominations are now open for the 2026 AIP Awards, celebrating excellence across research, leadership, education, communication and service to physics in Australia.

Senior Research Awards

• Walter Boas Medal
• Harrie Massey Medal and Prize (biennial)
• Alan Walsh Medal for Service to Industry (biennial)

Early Career & Student Awards

• Ruby Payne-Scott Award for Excellence in Early-Career Research
• Bragg Gold Medal
• TH Laby Medal

Service, Leadership, Communication & Education Awards

• AIP Award for Outstanding Service to Physics in Australia
• Women in Leadership Medal (biennial)
• AIP Women in Physics Lecturer
• Physics Communication Award (biennial)
• AIP Education Medal (biennial)

Help recognise the researchers, educators, communicators and leaders shaping Australia’s physics community. 

Nominations close 1 April 2026 and must be submitted online.

At the end of 2025, the Quantum 100 list was announced. This was one of the last activities by the international steering committee of Unesco’s International Year of Quantum Science and Technology.

According to their website: “Representing people at every stage of their professional journey, the Quantum 100 spans academia, industry, education, art, culture, journalism, and policy, reflecting a breadth of skills and specialization.”

The list promotes the wide range of jobs related to quantum science, including intellectual property lawyers, education specialists, technologists, engineers and researchers.

The Australian Institute of Physics congratulates the many physicists in the Quantum 100 on their important honour.

People on the Quantum 100 list that are based in Australia include:

• Kerstin Beer, Macquarie University – quantum neural networks researcher; rural outreach expert

• Michael Biercuk, Q-CTRL – CEO and founder of company with quantum navigation applications

• Andrew Dzurak, Diraq – founder and CEO of quantum computing company

• Lachlan Rogers, University of Newcastle – quantum diamonds researcher and lecturer; Clear As Quantum podcaster

• Jacquiline Romero, University of Queensland – quantum entanglement academic; diversity champion

Image: Dr Lachlan Rogers speaking to a sell-out crowd during National Science Week 2025 (Newcastle, NSW).

On behalf of colleagues in UK particle and high-energy theory, we invite members of the Australian Institute of Physics to consider supporting an open letter to UK ministers and funding bodies urging reconsideration of government funding decisions affecting particle physics, astrophysics and nuclear physics - significant cuts are anticipated.

The reductions would affect the full spectrum of the field, from collider phenomenology and cosmology to astroparticle physics and formal string theory. You can view and sign the open letter here.

IUPAP Commission C18 (Mathematical Physics) calls for nominations for the IUPAP Early Career Scientist Prize, formerly known as Young Scientist Prize, in Mathematical Physics.

The prize recognizes exceptional achievements in mathematical physics by scientists at relatively early stages of their careers. It is awarded triennially to at most three young scientists satisfying the following criteria:

• The recipients of the awards in a given year should have a maximum of 8 years of research experience (excluding career interruptions) following their PhD on January 1 of that year (in this case that is 2027).

• The recipients should have performed original work of outstanding scientific quality in mathematical physics.

• Preference may be given to young mathematical physicists from underrepresented groups and geographical regions.

The awards will be presented at the ICMP in August 2027 in Da Nang (Vietnam). A nomination should include a brief description of the achievements of the candidate that support the nomination, a CV, and a list of publications (or current links to that information online).

The deadline for nominations is October 15, 2026.

More information

The 2026 IUPAP Early Career Scientist Prize has been extended to March 1st, 2026, at 12:00 PM CET. Please submit nominations to https://iupap-ecsp.desy.de/

The Commission on Particles and Fields (C11) of IUPAP solicits nominations of outstanding young experimental or theoretical particle physicists for the two 2026 Early Career Scientist Prizes.

The prizes, each consisting of an IUPAP medal and a cash (CHF1000) award, will be presented at the 43rd International Conference on High Energy Physics, Natal, Brazil, on July 30th - August 5th, 2026.

Candidates for the prize should have a maximum of 8 years of research experience (excluding career interruptions) following the PhD.

Nominations for the IUPAP Particles and Fields Early Career Scientist Prizes:

• can be made by experimental or theoretical particle physicists who know the work of the nominee well and include a citation statement.

• should consist of a minimum of two and a maximum of three letters explaining the nominee's qualifications and scientific achievements, a complete CV, and a list of publications. In addition, if the nominee is a member of a large international experiment with a long list of publications signed by all or a large part of the collaboration, a list of up to 20 papers that demonstrate the work the candidate has done either as a leader or strong participant should be provided.

• must include a proposed award citation of 50 words or fewer describing the contributions of the nominee.

Recipients of IUPAP Awards are expected to meet the commonly held standards of professional ethics and scientific integrity. Nominators should include a statement saying that, to the best of their knowledge, there are no concerns that IUPAP should be aware of regarding the nominee satisfying this expectation.

Nominations are now invited for the 2025 David Syme Research Prize. The Australia-wide prize recognises the best original research in Biology, Physics, Chemistry or Geology produced* in Australia during the past two years (1 January 2024 - 31 December 2025).

*Produced – e.g. published, received patents

The David Syme Research Prize is managed by the Faculty of Science at the University of Melbourne.

Summary details are:

Value: approx. $10,000, and a medal

Closing date: 30 April 2026

• The prize is made by nomination only. Senior members of the academic or research community such as co-authors or co-researchers, heads of department or deputy vice-chancellors (research) are invited to nominate eligible colleagues. Self-nominations are not accepted.
• Researchers associated with any Australian university and researchers without university connections are eligible for nomination, noting that the following are not eligible:

- Professors or researchers who will have attained the position of professor at the time the award is made;

- Researchers outside universities who will have attained a level of seniority comparable to a university professor at the time the award is made (LEVEL E);

- Researchers who have not spent the equivalent of at least 5 full years of the last 7 in Australia.

• The award is made on the basis of the research quality within the discipline and its likely impact and value in the industrial and commercial interests of Australia.

Full details and the nomination form are available at: https://ricunimelb.smartygrants.com.au/DS25

Enquiries should be directed to: science-research@unimelb.edu.au

For a list of past recipients please visit: https://science.unimelb.edu.au/research/awards-grants-and-support#david-syme-research-prize

Over 50 postgraduate students from nuclear and particle physics came together in January for the NUPP Postgraduate Summer School, which returned to the AIP events schedule for the first time in two decades. Hosted at the UNSW Kensington campus, with thanks to the UNSW Nuclear Innovation Centre as Platinum Sponsor. Students attended a week‑long program of lectures and workshops delivered by Australian experts across topics in theory, experiment, technology and simulations.

As part of the program, participants also travelled to ANSTO for an immersive full‑day excursion that showcased some of Australia’s world-class nuclear technology. Guided by the ANSTO Discovery Centre team, students toured major facilities including the OPAL reactor, Mo-99 Manufacturing Facility, Neutron Scattering Hall and Centre for Accelerator Science. The visit offered a rare behind‑the‑scenes look at how large‑scale nuclear capabilities support research, medicine and industry nationwide.

Beyond the classroom, the summer school focused on fostering a strong sense of community. Students networked with peers from institutions across the country, exchanged research ideas, and met with early career researchers and established leaders in the field. Social events, including a welcome reception and a student‑led poster session, created an inclusive environment that encouraged collaboration and future research partnerships.

The successful return of the NUPP Postgraduate Summer School highlights the growing momentum of Australia’s nuclear and particle physics community and its commitment to supporting the next generation of researchers.

Image credit: Georgia Barrington-Smith, Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering

The AIP Executive is seeking enthusiastic members to join our leadership team. We’re currently seeking to fill the role of Honorary National Secretary.

The Honorary Secretary helps guide the AIP’s strategic direction and is a company Director of the AIP. Supported by our Operations Manager, who oversees day-to-day tasks such as membership queries, this role involves coordinating executive and branch meetings including the annual Council meeting and Annual General Meeting (AGM), managing governance reporting, and liaising with key partners such as STA, AAS, IUPAP and AAPPS. Whilst the Secretary role does not have a constitutionally limited tenure, it is expected that secretaries will usually perform this role for around 2-3 years.

If you’d like to make a difference and help shape the future of physics in Australia, we’d love to hear from you!

Submit your nomination or expression of interest (with a brief statement about your background and motivation) to executive@aip.org.au by COB Friday 13 February.

The AIP Executive