Dear {Contact_First_Name},
Quantum effects
have now been engineered at larger scales. The Nobel Prize in Physics for 2025
was awarded to Prof John Clarke, Em/Prof Michel H. Devoret, and Prof John M.
Martinis for experiments demonstrating quantum tunnelling on a macroscopic
scale.
This
phenomenon and more will be discussed at Prof Jared Cole’s Physics Nobel Prize
lecture in Melbourne on 7 November. More info in the events section below.
QUT is the third university to announce
cuts to physics, with their Faculty of Science merging multiple Schools and
laying off staff. They join the University
of Newcastle and UTS in a
worrying trend of deprioritising physics at a time where Australia needs to be
investing in science, says the Australian Academy of Science’s recent Australian
Science, Australia’s Future: Science 2035 report. There will be a forum
on the future of Australian physics at the Summer Meeting. More below.
Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, our 1999
Women in Physics Lecturer and legendary astrophysicist who discovered pulsars
in 1967, has received an honorary doctorate in science at The
University of Sydney.
AIP member Jamie Erak, an 18-year-old theoretical
physics student at Curtin University, has
been awarded a Rhodes Scholarship. He only just turned 18 and already has a
first-author paper in Physical Review A and recently won the first
poster prize at the POSMOL meeting in Japan.
There is just one
month until the AIP Summer Meeting in Wollongong. The program is available here. Read more
about it below. Registration is
still open, so don't miss out!Stu Midgley
President, Australian Institute of Physics
president@aip.org.au |
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UWA undergrad designs more efficient quantum state preparation
Josh Green was presented the 2025 Thomas H Laby award for his thesis addressing the challenge of encoding information in the amplitudes of quantum systems.
He explored how tensor networks and machine learning can help prepare these quantum states efficiently.
Read more about Josh’s achievements here.
He received his prize from Ben Travaglione, WA Branch Chair, at a recent Centre for Quantum Information, Simulation and Algorithms (QUISA) meeting before moving to the UK. The other AIP 2025 awards will be presented at the Summer Meeting.
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Quantum Enrichment Days enhancing quantum outreach in SAFlinders physicists designed and delivered hands-on
workshops to make complicated quantum concepts more tangible for Year 9-12
students.
Prof Maria Parappilly, Prof Gunther Andersson, Dr Darryl
Jones, and Dr Pankaj Sharma – recipients of the AIP’s Quantum Year grant – led
activities such as measuring Planck’s constant, polarising light to investigate
how to interact with quantum objects, and splitting water into hydrogen.
“I have been given a valuable opportunity to attend the
Quantum Enrichment Day today … and I feel encouraged to pursue identified
interests such as nuclear physics,” one participant said.
Read more about the
events here.
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The future of Australian physics: Summer Meeting forum
The recent downsizing of physics departments at universities
and national labs is a concerning trend with some universities reducing or
removing physics education entirely.
We want to hear your ideas at the Summer Meeting on how
physics may be recognised for its critical importance to Australia – today and
into the future.
Students,
schoolteachers, academics, and industry partners are encouraged to engage in
this conversation. The ‘Future of Australian Physics’ forum will be hosted by
Prof Martin White, University of Adelaide, on 2 December at the Summer Meeting.
Read more.
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Nominate for the 2026 Committee: AIP Branch AGMs
All members of the AIP WA Branch are invited to attend their
branch’s Annual General Meeting on 27 November.
They are calling for nominations to join their committee,
especially students and early career physicists. Send nominations to secretary@wa.aip.org.au.
Prof Michael Tobar will present ‘Superconducting Quantum
Technology to enable the discovery of New Physics’ as part of the WA AGM and
dinner. Read more.
The TAS Branch will also hold their AGM on 27 November. Check here for updates.
The QLD Branch AGM
will be held on 10 November in Brisbane.
The NSW Branch AGM will be held on 3 December
at the Summer Meeting in Wollongong.
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Early bird discount for 2026 memberships
Thank you for supporting the Australian Institute of Physics
this year.
Renew from 1 November to 31 January to receive a $10 early bird
discount on your membership fees for 2026. This discount is automatically
applied to your membership level during this period.
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News and opportunities
If your group would like to arrange a lunchtime meeting at
the Summer Meeting (e.g. your topical group AGM), please email the organisers with your
preferred day and expected number of participants by 15 November to secure a
room.
Abstract submissions for Wagga/AC2MP2026 have been
extended to 15 November and registrations are now open. The AIP’s annual
condensed matter physics conference “Wagga” will be joined by the 6th
Asia-Pacific Conference on Condensed Matter Physics in Wagga Wagga, NSW 9-13
February 2026. Register here.
Jane Street Graduate Research Fellowships are for PhD
students in physics, maths, computer science, electrical engineering, or
statistics. The award covers one year of tuition fees and $US45,000. Apply
by 21 November.
The 2026 CSIRO
Alumni Scholarship in Physics is open for applications until 28 November.
The $6000 award can be used for travel costs to visit or conduct research in an
overseas institution within 18 months. Apply
now.
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Physics in the news
Australia’s universities may win in global rankings, but
they’re failing teachers and students (Crikey)
Australia's dark matter experiment construction nears
completion (ABC
News)
Billions in private cash is flooding into fusion power. Will
it pay off? (The
Conversation)
Understanding the universe: what is the standard model of
particle physics? (ConnectSci)
ConnectSci: CSIRO’s
new home for Cosmos magazine (ConnectSci)
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Physics World Careers is an annual guide aimed at helping those with a physics background make informed decisions about their career path. Download a copy of Physics World / APS Careers 2025.
If you have a physics-related job or PhD opportunity, let us know and we can provide a free link. For a small fee, we can advertise your job as a feature with more details and a picture. Email Michael Schmidt for more information. Need help? Contact aip@aip.org.au.
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Thank you to our supporters
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mailing address is:
Australian Institute of Physics
PO Box 73, Parkville 3052, VIC Australia |
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Thank you for supporting the AIP.
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please contact, aip@aip.org.au. |
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