Wagga2026 was held jointly with the 6th Asia‑Pacific Conference on Condensed Matter Physics (AC2MP2026) as Wagga/AC2MP 2026, a residential meeting at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga (9–13 February 2026). The combined event brought together over 100 researchers from Australia and abroad.

With support from Professor Yun Liu (ANU) through the ARC Georgina Sweet Australian Laureate Fellowship the Organising Committee launched the Women in Condensed Matter Physics Award (WiCMP). The award supported women PhD students and women early‑career researchers (within five years post‑PhD, with career interruptions considered) by covering full residential registration (including accommodation and meals) within the overall funding cap; seven awardees were supported.

Awsaf AlSulami (University of Melbourne) wrote: “The meeting also enabled me to network with researchers across Australia and internationally, including participants from Taiwan, China, and Japan. I particularly appreciated meeting many more women in the field than I would typically encounter in my day-to-day academic environment.”

Hanh Duong (CSIRO) similarly emphasised the value of connection and collaboration: “One of the most rewarding aspects of attending Wagga/AC2MP was the opportunity to connect with both established researchers and early-career scientists. I had several productive discussions that may lead to future collaborations, particularly in the areas of superconducting device fabrication and quantum sensing applications.”

The WiCMP award proved to be a valuable initiative, helping to lower barriers to participation and strengthen pathways for women HDR and early-career researchers. We sincerely thank the ARC Georgina Sweet Australian Laureate Fellowship scheme for making this inaugural award possible.

Recipients of the Women in Condensed Matter Physics Award: pictured above, left to right: Hanh Duong, Awsaf AlSulami, Qurat Ul Ain, Simone Cunzolo, Maria Sanchez, Juliana Avtarovski, and Lei Chen.