AIP Condensed Matter & Materials ECR awards

The 49th Condensed Matter & Materials Conference (Wagga2027) by the Australian Institute of Physics, as part of the 12th International Conference on Advanced Materials & Nanotechnology (AMN12), is proud to offer up to 10 competitive awards to attend in Auckland. These will be in the form of NZD940 discounts on registration and trivia night attendance for students and/or early career researchers. 

Eligibility 

·         Be either a PhD student, or an early-career researcher (ECR) less than 5 years post-PhD (career interruptions will be considered). 

·         Live in and study/work in Australia. 

·         Be a current financial member of the Australian Institute of Physics (AIP). [The Australian Institute of Physics - Membership] (PhD students: membership is only $50.) 

·         Be working in condensed matter physics or a closely related area. 

·         Submit an abstract (oral or poster) to AMN12-Wagga 2027 in the Condensed Matter Physics theme: https://iconevents.eventsair.com/amn12/call-for-abstracts 

How to apply 

Apply in conjunction with submitting your abstract via the AMN12- Wagga 2027 abstract submission website.  Please select “Condensed Matter Physics” for your topic. During the abstract submission process, you will be prompted to provide your contact details, your AIP membership number, and to please submit a single PDF curriculum vitae (max. 2 pages) containing the following: 

1.       Name, current position (HDR, postdoc, etc.), supervisor name, university/organisation; year of PhD award (for ECRs) or year of enrolment (for students). 

2.       A brief publication list and any invited talks, prizes, or relevant service. 

The award application deadline is identical to the abstract submission deadline (11.59pm NZT, 23 August 2026). 

Offer

Up to 10 awards will be given, with a discount of NZD940 on conference registration (including trivia night attendance of $20). 

The distribution of support between students and ECRs will be decided by the selection panel based on the applicant pool. 

Expectations of Awardees 

1.                  Attend and present their work at the conference.   

2.                  Provide a brief post-conference report (approx. 1 page with a photo) describing their experience and the impact of the support. 

Outcomes 

Applicants will be assessed by a selection committee comprising representatives of the AIP condensed matter physics community. We strongly encourage applications from diverse backgrounds and institutions across Australia. 

·         You will receive an email by late September 2026, around the same time as your abstract acceptance, notifying you of the outcome of your application.  

·         Please do not register until you receive confirmation of your abstract status and travel bursary award. 

·         Successful applicants will receive a special registration link or discount code to use during the registration process. 

·         Registration deadline: Friday 16 October 2026. 

Since 2008, the National Measurement Institute has celebrated the innovators and leaders defining the future of measurement science. The Measurement Awards recognise individuals and teams whose work strengthens Australia’s measurement system and delivers real world impact. Each award highlights the world-leading and world-changing measurement science happening inside Australian laboratories.

Key dates:

• Nominations close: 5.00 pm AEST, Wednesday 20 May 2026.
• Finalists announced: Saturday 1 August 2026
• Awards event: Online event during National Science Week 2026 (15–23 August 2026) (date/time to be confirmed).

More Information

On 20 April, the AIP NSW Branch proudly hosted its annual Physics Research Poster Presentation Network Event, bringing together Higher Degree by Research (HDR) students from across New South Wales and the ACT to showcase the breadth and depth of their work. The event provided a dynamic platform for emerging researchers to present projects spanning the full research lifecycle—from early-stage thesis proposals to advanced, published investigations—while fostering valuable connections between academia and industry.

The standard of presentations was exceptional, reflecting both the innovation and rigour of contemporary physics 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.

These achievements, alongside those of other recipients, underscore the remarkable talent and potential of the next generation of physicists. The event not only celebrated research excellence but also highlighted the critical importance of supporting early-career researchers and strengthening collaborative networks across institutions. It stands as a testament to the vibrancy and future promise of the physics community in New South Wales.

Generous sponsors of the awards were the Sydney Quantum Academy ($1000 PhD  first prize), Boson Engineering ($500 PhD second prize) and Diraq ($1000 Masters prize).

Left: Farrel Separgo (University of Technology Sydney), Right: Claudia Fava (Macquarie University)

The Association of Asia Pacific Physical Societies (AAPPS) and the Asia Pacific Center for Theoretical Physics (APCTP) have jointly established the AAPPS-APCTP Chen-Ning Yang Award (C.N. Yang Award).

The C.N. Yang Award honors young researchers with prominent research achievements and promotes the development of leaders in physics in the Asia Pacific region.

As a member of the the AAPPS and the APCTP, the AIP is able to make nominations to this award. The prize consists of a US$1000 monetary prize and a certificate for each recipient. Please note that self nomination is not possible. 

Nominations close 31 May 2026

More information

The Fondation L’Oréal and UNESCO invite nominations of eminent woman researchers  for the 2027 L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science International Awards.

The 2027 Awards will designate five outstanding researchers in Physics, Mathematics, Computer and Information Sciences, Chemistry, Earth & Related Environmental Sciences, each working in one of the following regions:

• Africa and the Arab States
• Asia and the Pacific
• Europe
• Latin America and the Caribbean
• North America

Since 1998, the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science programme has recognized and celebrated eminent women in science throughout the world. To date, the L’Oréal-UNESCO partnership has awarded 142 eminent women at the height of their scientific careers and supported more than 5000 promising women scientists from more than 140 countries at doctoral and postdoctoral levels.

Nominations close 30 June 2026.

More Information

At the recent Wagga-AC2MP condensed matter and materials meeting, one of the most popular sessions was the careers panel discussion. This was enabled by the Australian Academy of Science Theo Murphy Amplify Initiative, which aims to support activities for early- and middle-career researchers as part of bigger conferences. The panel featured an accomplished line-up of Australian and international scientists working across universities, start-ups, industry, publishing, research facilities and government agencies – all of whom had a wealth of experience in condensed matter and materials physics and its applications. What does a solid career look like? It turns out perhaps there is no such thing, as everyone had contended with uncertainty calculations along the way! Wide-ranging topics were discussed with generosity and frankness:

• On the importance of mentors: look for those who combine patience with pedagogy while also being honest with what they do not know. It’s important to be trusted to try something for yourself.
• Career off-ramps and pivots: making a change can be intimidating, but it’s always worth asking yourself what would you do if not your current job?  Change can also be a huge positive.
• Be open to mindset shifts between academia and industry: in academia, you often seek to understand why something didn’t work, whereas in industry there is usually no time or profit in that – on to the next thing to try!
• Skills development beyond a PhD: experimentalists were encouraged to acquire versatile practical skills, to be hands-on with electronics and instrumentation, and to learn about engineering standards.
• Soft skills: during a PhD, you can evolve as a project manager, not just as a scientist. Treat projects and research papers like mini-business challenges where you are producing output for a client on a deadline! Think ahead about your supply chain and deliverables.
• Publishing: early-career researchers should strive to develop their communication and writing skills. One avenue for this is Nature Reviews Physics ‘Tools of the Trade’ and ‘Journal Club’ series, which are short pieces authored exclusively by ECRs, supported by a professional editorial team. Find out more here.
• Developing business within a university: one panellist had started a business selling their custom-built instruments to other researchers internationally – not only was this a commercial success, but it added add vibrancy and capabilities to their research community, thus expanding that area of science worldwide.

As for the worst part of pursuing a career in this field? “One day my experiment exploded!” was the slightly gleeful answer of one panellist, the drama of that moment now an entertaining memory years later and a classic example of why we’re advised not to tie our sense of self-worth to physics.

The fantastic panellists were:

• Stephan Rachel (University of Melbourne)
• Marion Geltinger (Halocell Energy)
• Paul Moonie (Halocell Energy)
• Zoe Burdikis (Nature Publishing)
• Laurens Willems van Beveren (Australian Vacuum Systems)
• Hiroyuki Nojiri (Tohoku University).

Careers advice being shared at Wagga-AC2MP.

Following the panel discussion session, attendees were able to go on a tour of Halocell Energy’s photovoltaic manufacturing facility. It was a brilliant opportunity to see the pipeline from research to device, and the diversity of applications for Halocell’s recyclable, flexible perovskite cells from drones to smart sensors and resilient medical devices. Thankyou to Halocell Energy for hosting us!

The session was chaired by Siobhan Tobin (ANSTO). The Australian Academy of Science Theo Murphy Amplify Initiative grant also supported the two poster slam sessions, the tour of Halocell, and five bursaries for PhD students and post-docs to attend Wagga-AC2MP 2026. We thank the Academy for its generous support, and we would encourage other EMCRs working in Aussie physics to apply for the Theo Murphy Initiative next round!  

Delegates visiting the Halocell Energy manufacturing facility.

Dr Xanthe Croot, the Director of the University of Sydney's Superconducting Quantum Circuits Laboratory, has been awarded a prestigious 2026 Westpac Research Fellowship to tackle some of the central challenges in quantum computing: reducing errors and increasing efficiency. The announcement in March acknowledges the importance of her work in "accelerating the potential of quantum technologies across medicine, security, advanced manufacturing and national capability."

Xanthe says “This Fellowship will support my scientific efforts to solve the problem of error in quantum computers, as well as my growth as a researcher through leadership training and professional development."

Westpac Research Fellows are early career researchers and receive a minimum of $400,000 over 3-5 years, plus access to mentorship and leadership development.

Xanthe is also one of the drivers of University of Sydney's Physics Unboxed - a free one-day event for high school girls interested in physics and STEM careers.

The global Pint of Science festival runs 18-20 May 2026. Pint of Science is a non-profit that gets scientists out of their labs and into casual conversations in local, independent venues.

In 2026, there are 16 cities/regions with over 50 events around Australia! Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at pintofscience.com.au.

Physicists and astronomers are speaking in most regions. Topics include accelerating particles near the speed of light, Helium microscopes, patent law, dark matter, the geometry of the universe, gravitational waves, biological cells in space, brewing clothes and more!

Sign up to get updates and to nominate as a speaker or as a volunteer in 2027.

Join Australia’s largest quantum careers event connecting students, graduates, and career changers with industry and universities. Discover study and career pathways, network with potential employers, and explore the job-ready skills shaping Australia’s $6B quantum industry. Organised by the Sydney Quantum Academy. The NSW branch of the AIP will be there. Free to attend! Register now 

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 must be submitted online.

The 2026 closing date has been extended to 8 April. Please note that no further extensions will be given.