Dear {Contact_First_Name},
With the AIP Congress 2026 just weeks away, we'll release the program later this week, and it will be a fantastic gathering that brings together Australian and international physicists to exchange ideas and shape the future of our field. I encourage all members of our community to join us at the University of Sydney from 7–11 December.
Right now, we are confronting an existential crisis in high-performance computing (HPC), which could significantly impact the physics community. Current supply chain constraints and skyrocketing costs mean that national facilities may only be able to afford a small fraction of the hardware they have procured in the past. If our computational capacity is reduced to a tenth of what we are used to, what computational physics will we be able to undertake? What impact will it have on our community?
We need to use our collective influence to advocate for the research sector and encourage increased funding. I encourage you to use the upcoming Congress as an opportunity to discuss this with your peers, and to consider how we as a community can raise awareness of this vital issue within our institutions and networks.
Other notable activities include:
- International Standards: We have completed our first accreditation review in Papua New Guinea, supporting the PNG University of Technology to assess its Applied Physics degree.
- Outreach: Dr Karelle Siellez has completed an extraordinary Marie Curie Lecture tour, reaching around 2,500 people. The full lecture is now available online.
- Public Lectures: Nobel Laureate John Martinis will speak in Perth and Sydney, and in Melbourne Professor Ray Volkas will unpack the science behind the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics.
- Physics in Industry: Dr Cathy Foley will join our Physics in Industry Day in Sydney to explore how physicists contribute to government and national capability.
Recently we have become aware of the passing of AIP lifetime member Ron Tainsh and AIP Honorary Fellow and former AIP Registrar David Booth. We send our condolences to their families, friends, and former colleagues.
Finally, 2027 membership renewals opened on 1 November, with a $10 early-bird discount available until 31 January. Thank you for being part of the AIP community. As always, keep using your position, influence, and enthusiasm to advocate for Australian physics, and keep reminding your organisations why they need a Chief Physicist! |
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Dr Stuart Midgley President, Australian Institute of Physics |
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AIP Congress 2026
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The program for the 26th AIP Congress and ANZCOP will be available on Friday, and we look forward to welcoming the physics community to the University of Sydney from 7–11 December 2026.
This month is your last chance to register. If you haven't yet, now is the time to secure your place. Registrations close on 20 November, and we encourage you to join us for this important gathering of the physics community.
If your abstract has been accepted, we cannot guarantee your place unless you register. Explore the program and register via the Congress website.
Reminder: affordable accommodation options are available through the Congress website.
See you in Sydney.
View the full program and focus sessions. Registrations close 20 November. |
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Calling all employers of physicists
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Exhibit at the Australian Physics Career Fair
The Australian Physics Career Fair returns to the AIP Congress on Friday 11 December, connecting employers with the next generation of physics talent.
With 450 student physicists already registered, the Career Fair offers organisations an opportunity to meet students and early-career physicists, discuss employment opportunities and showcase the diverse career pathways available to people with physics skills. Registration Form: please complete to show your interest
Enquiries: registration@congress.aip.org.au |
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AIP community highlights
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AIP expands accreditation support to PNG The AIP has completed its first accreditation review in Papua New Guinea, assessing the PNG University of Technology’s Applied Physics degree against international standards. The milestone extends AIP’s regional education partnerships and supports high-quality physics teaching across the Asia-Pacific. Read more. |
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Painting the Universe now available online |
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Missed Dr Karelle Siellez’s 2026 Marie Curie Lecture tour? Watch Painting the Universe: A Visual and Musical Exploration of Space-Time online to explore multi-messenger astronomy, gravitational waves and the cosmic collisions that forge heavy elements. The national tour reached 2,500 people through public lectures, school visits, breakfasts and research talks. Watch the full lecture now. |
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Pictured front: Ross Young, James Zanotti. Back: Atsushi Hosaka, Makoto Oka, Anthony Thomas, Ayse Kizilersu, Joan Thomas, Silvana Santucci. |
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International workshop explores subatomic physics Around 50 scientists from Australia, Japan, China and the United States gathered in Cairns in September for the CSSM-hosted International Workshop on Fundamental Problems in Subatomic Physics. Discussions spanned lattice QCD, hadron spectroscopy, nuclear structure and neutron stars. Presentation slides and further information. |
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In brief: events, opportunities & updates
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Australian physicists are encouraged to submit research and review articles to the AAPPS Bulletin, the open-access journal of the Association of Asia Pacific Physical Societies. Eligible authors at participating Australian universities may publish without article processing charges under the Springer Nature–CAUL agreement. Learn more and submit.
Vicphysics Teachers’ Network is seeking women in physics and engineering to speak at its 2027 Girls in Physics Breakfasts across Melbourne and regional Victoria. Speakers will share their careers, research and experiences with Years 10–12 students. Honoraria, travel and accommodation are provided. Nominations close 6 November. Apply now.
Help put Australian women physicists on Wikipedia. Join our Sydney Edit-a-thon on 9 November to learn from Wikimedia Australia and improve profiles of women in physics. Thanks to our sponsors: University of Sydney School of Physics, gemaker, Wikimedia Australia and the AIP NSW Branch. Register now.
Hear 2025 Nobel Laureate in Physics John Martinis trace quantum computing’s journey from superconducting qubits to scalable machines. He will explore his prize-winning experiments, the remaining hardware and engineering challenges, and how semiconductor technology could help build useful quantum computers. Free public lectures, 10 November, Perth and 17 November, Sydney.
Year 10 girls planning to study Specialist Maths in Years 11–12 can apply for the Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute (AMSI)’s Specialist Maths High School Scholarships for Girls. Recipients receive $3,000 annually, specialist support and access to AMSI programs, university maths students and industry partners. Applications close 11 November.
Discover the science behind the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics with particle physicist Ray Volkas. This public lecture explores Francis Halzen’s IceCube Neutrino Observatory and its discovery of high-energy cosmic neutrinos. 12 November, RMIT, Melbourne.
Where can physics take you in government? Join former Australian Chief Scientist Dr Cathy Foley AO PSM at the AIP Physics in Industry Day to explore careers, quantum and nuclear capability, public policy and how scientists can influence Australia’s future. 12 November, CSIRO Lindfield, Sydney. Register now.
WA physics students from undergraduate to PhD are invited to present at the free AIP WA Student Conference at Curtin University on 19 November. Share a talk, three-minute thesis or poster, and meet researchers and industry professionals. Abstracts close 6 November.
Travel to a leading research centre in Australia or overseas with the 2027 CSIRO Alumni Scholarship in Physics. The $6,000 scholarship supports promising young physicists and mathematicians to build research experience, connections and career opportunities. Applications close 27 November. |
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#Physics Got Me Here
From asking ‘but why?’ to exploring quantum materials: How physics took Kirrily Rule around the world and back home Professor Kirrily Rule was always the child asking, “but why?” That curiosity led her from an Arts/Science degree at Monash University to experimental physics and an international career spanning Canada and Germany. Today, Kirrily is a Senior Principal Instrument Scientist at the Australian Centre for Neutron Scattering at ANSTO and an Honorary Professor at the University of Wollongong. She helps researchers use neutron scattering to investigate everything from quantum magnets to materials for new low-energy technologies. For Kirrily, working with scientists from different countries and backgrounds is one of the joys of physics. “I feel like I learn something new every day.” Read Kirrily’s #PhysicsGotMeHere story and discover how curiosity became a career in physics.
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Physics in the news
Francis Halzen’s vision transformed a cubic kilometre of Antarctic ice into the IceCube Neutrino Observatory. Its light sensors capture elusive high-energy neutrinos from cosmic events, opening a window on the universe and earning Halzen the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics. Meet five start-ups turning quantum science into practical solutions: securing critical infrastructure, reducing quantum computing errors, improving iron testing, optimising logistics and protecting communications. Discover Quantum Lock, GridState Photonics, FeBI Technologies, QFactorial and Space CoLAB in Quantum Australia's Startup Spotlights. Physicist, aerospace engineer and astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg could deliver more than inspiration. Sending the University of Sydney physics and aeronautical engineering graduate to the ISS may generate skilled jobs, advanced manufacturing and technologies for remote healthcare, disaster response and communications. The General Conference on Weights and Measures has voted to retire the leap second and allow official time to drift by up to one hour from Earth’s irregular rotation. The “leap hour” aims to simplify timekeeping. More from ABC News on the Australian perspective. Nanomagnets, rainbows and glowing mushrooms: physics is everywhere. Hear A/Prof Karen Livesey discuss science, surprising physics careers and Ghost Fungus Tours on the Citizen Science Show. Listen to the episode. An international team led by TMOS at ANU has developed a way to reprogram optical components using laser light to rotate liquid crystals. The tunable photonic device could support faster, more energy-efficient telecommunications, signal processing and quantum technologies.
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AIP Membership
Join or renew for the 2027 Calendar Year
Not yet a member of the AIP? Join the AIP between 1 November and 31 January to receive a $10 EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT on your 2027 membership fees, and free membership for the rest of this year!
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If you are already a member, thank you for supporting the Australian Institute of Physics! Renew your membership between 1 November and 31 January to receive the $10 EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT on your membership fees for 2027. If you are renewing a lapsed membership, please email aip@aip.org.au once you have renewed your membership and we will amend your renewal date.
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Free Teacher Associate Membership The AIP has launched a free Teacher Associate membership category for Australian school teachers. Find out more.
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Careers
Jobs board
The AIP is partnering with Physics World Jobs to deliver a dedicated jobs board for physics-related roles. Employers can post both paid listings and complimentary ads, with free postings featured for up to two weeks. Find out more.
Australian Physics World Careers 2026 guide
The Australian Physics World Careers 2026 guide showcases the diverse career pathways available to physicists, highlighting the breadth of work undertaken across industry, research, government and beyond. This year's edition features leaders from UK intelligence agency GCHQ, explores careers in nuclear energy and offers practical career advice. Read the 2026 guide here.
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Thank you to our supporters
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The Australian Institute of Physics, PO Box 73, Parkville 3052, VIC Australia.
You are receiving this bulletin from the Australian Institute of Physics because you are a valued stakeholder. Would you like to become a member, or renew your membership with the AIP? Members receive discounts to events, online and physical copies of the Australian Physics magazine, be able to be nominated for prizes and awards, have access to travel money, support physics in Australia and more! Join Australia's leading physicists today here. To renew your AIP membership, click here
Sent by Science in Public, on behalf of the Australian Institute of Physics, aip.org.au. Send enquiries and contributions by the 20th of each month to physics@scienceinpublic.com.au. |
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