Applications for the 2026 Propel program are currently open  Propel will award 3,000 two-year undergraduate scholarships, providing students with access to education and career opportunities associated with AUKUS.

Propel provides:  

• Financial support to study tertiary studies in priority STEM subjects
• Connections and engagement with students, the Australian Submarine Agency, and the Nuclear Powered Submarine enterprise
• Awareness of ASA and Defence entry-level workforce programs

Applicants are required to meet three eligibility criteria:  

• Be enrolled as a domestic student at an Australian university. 
• Be studying one or more STEM bachelor (undergraduate) degrees, as listed in the application guidelines.
• Have at least 2 years of full-time or equivalent study remaining in their degree.

Applications close at 11:59am (AEDT) Monday 10 November 2025.

More information

The AMSI Female Specialist Maths Scholarships for 2026/7 are now open to current year 10 female students Australia-wide, who intend to study Specialist Maths in year 11 in 2026 and year 12 in 2027.

This program aims to address the persistently low participation rates of female students in specialist mathematics by providing these scholars with vital resources and mentoring support. Scholarships are for two-years (valued at $3000 per year).

Closing at midnight, Friday 14 November 2025.

The AIP is offering a limited number of travel awards for students presenting papers at the Summer Meeting in Wollongong in December. Read more and apply by 31 October.

The Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering (AINSE) are also sponsoring flights for students to attend the meeting. Apply by 9 October.

The presentation types have now been allocated and the early bird registration has been extended to 9 October to accommodate this.

Applications are now open for the 2026 CSIRO Alumni Scholarship in Physics.

The $6,000 travel scholarship aims to connect the brightest young physicists or mathematicians to a leading research centre overseas or in Australia.

Research in physics and mathematics is fundamental for Australia’s future. The founders of this scholarship know that early experience in leading overseas laboratories greatly benefits the graduate embarking on a research career and Australian science.

Applications close: Friday 28 November 2025

Apply Now

Read about our former winners

Registration opens 20 October 2025 for the 48th Annual Condensed Matter and Materials Meeting (CMM), co-hosted with the 6th Asia-Pacific Conference on Condensed Matter Physics (AC2MP). The meeting will be held 9–13 February 2026 at Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW.

Known as “Wagga,” this flagship meeting brings together the condensed matter and materials physics community — and in 2026 will also welcome colleagues from across the Asia-Pacific region.

Key Dates

• Abstract submissions close: 1 November 2025

• Registration opens: 20 October 2025

• Registration closes: 8 December 2025

Expect an exciting scientific program plus socials in true Wagga style, including wine tasting, a trivia night, and a site visit to Halocell Energy.

Details, abstract submission, and registration: www.aip.org.au/CMM-Conference

The 2025 Year 12 Physics Participation Report Card, released today by the Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute (AMSI) and the Australian Institute of Physics (AIP), reveals a long-term decline in secondary school physics participation across Australia, and persistent gender gaps.

Key findings:

1. The proportion of students studying physics at Year 12 level has dropped to 12.1%, the lowest level recorded. 
2. Male and female participation in physics have both declined.  Over the period 2015 – 2023, male participation declined from 23.5% to 18.9%, while female participation declined from 7.0% to just 5.8%.
3. No progress has been made in closing gender gaps. One quarter of Year 12 physics students are female, a ratio which has remained unchanged for many years.

These concerning trends mirror patterns observed in Year 12 advanced-level mathematics, which is of foundational importance for the physical sciences.

Physics underpins occupations as diverse as engineering, defence, finance, healthcare and advanced computing, and helps develop critical analytical and problem-solving skills. The ongoing decline in Year 12 physics participation is expected to exacerbate skills shortages in areas essential for Australia’s economy.

Media release: https://www.aip.org.au/resources/Documents/Advocacy/Y12_Physics_report_media_release.pdf

Full report: https://www.aip.org.au/resources/Documents/Advocacy/year-12-participation-physics-2025.pdf

Toby Walsh to give public lecture at the Summer Meeting.

Laureate Fellow and AI author, Scientia Professor Toby Walsh, will be giving the public lecture for the AIP’s Summer Meeting in Wollongong. Walsh will be presenting on the impact that AI will have on future science research. Please share widely and register for this free public event here.

The Summer Meeting will be held from 1 to 5 December. Early bird registration has been extended until 24 September. Before registering, check out the “choose your own adventure” options for Wednesday 3 December. They include a visit to ANSTO, a physics in industry day, and a grant writing workshop.

The AIP publishes one or two outstanding Year 12 articles in the final issue of Australian Physics each year.

If you know a Year 12 physics student, please encourage them to submit an engaging research article or essay that demonstrates excellent critical thinking and research skills. One will be published in the Oct-Dec 2025 edition.

For more info or to submit an article, please contact the editors by 19 September: editors@aip.org.au

The AIP is also offering free back issues of Australian Physics magazine to schoolteachers who wish to recognise and reward students who excel in or are passionate about physics. Read more.

AIP members can contribute a technical article to Australian Physics any time of the year by emailing editors@aip.org.au.

Image: CC0 from https://www.maxpixel.net/Education-School-Physics-Student-Mathematics-Learn-1996845