IUPAP Commission C18 (Mathematical Physics) calls for nominations for the IUPAP Early Career Scientist Prize, formerly known as Young Scientist Prize, in Mathematical Physics.

The prize recognizes exceptional achievements in mathematical physics by scientists at relatively early stages of their careers. It is awarded triennially to at most three young scientists satisfying the following criteria:

• The recipients of the awards in a given year should have a maximum of 8 years of research experience (excluding career interruptions) following their PhD on January 1 of that year (in this case that is 2027).

• The recipients should have performed original work of outstanding scientific quality in mathematical physics.

• Preference may be given to young mathematical physicists from underrepresented groups and geographical regions.

The awards will be presented at the ICMP in August 2027 in Da Nang (Vietnam). A nomination should include a brief description of the achievements of the candidate that support the nomination, a CV, and a list of publications (or current links to that information online).

The deadline for nominations is October 15, 2026.

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The 2026 IUPAP Early Career Scientist Prize has been extended to March 1st, 2026, at 12:00 PM CET. Please submit nominations to https://iupap-ecsp.desy.de/

The Commission on Particles and Fields (C11) of IUPAP solicits nominations of outstanding young experimental or theoretical particle physicists for the two 2026 Early Career Scientist Prizes.

The prizes, each consisting of an IUPAP medal and a cash (CHF1000) award, will be presented at the 43rd International Conference on High Energy Physics, Natal, Brazil, on July 30th - August 5th, 2026.

Candidates for the prize should have a maximum of 8 years of research experience (excluding career interruptions) following the PhD.

Nominations for the IUPAP Particles and Fields Early Career Scientist Prizes:

• can be made by experimental or theoretical particle physicists who know the work of the nominee well and include a citation statement.

• should consist of a minimum of two and a maximum of three letters explaining the nominee's qualifications and scientific achievements, a complete CV, and a list of publications. In addition, if the nominee is a member of a large international experiment with a long list of publications signed by all or a large part of the collaboration, a list of up to 20 papers that demonstrate the work the candidate has done either as a leader or strong participant should be provided.

• must include a proposed award citation of 50 words or fewer describing the contributions of the nominee.

Recipients of IUPAP Awards are expected to meet the commonly held standards of professional ethics and scientific integrity. Nominators should include a statement saying that, to the best of their knowledge, there are no concerns that IUPAP should be aware of regarding the nominee satisfying this expectation.

Nominations are now invited for the 2025 David Syme Research Prize. The Australia-wide prize recognises the best original research in Biology, Physics, Chemistry or Geology produced* in Australia during the past two years (1 January 2024 - 31 December 2025).

*Produced – e.g. published, received patents

The David Syme Research Prize is managed by the Faculty of Science at the University of Melbourne.

Summary details are:

Value: approx. $10,000, and a medal

Closing date: 30 April 2026

• The prize is made by nomination only. Senior members of the academic or research community such as co-authors or co-researchers, heads of department or deputy vice-chancellors (research) are invited to nominate eligible colleagues. Self-nominations are not accepted.
• Researchers associated with any Australian university and researchers without university connections are eligible for nomination, noting that the following are not eligible:

- Professors or researchers who will have attained the position of professor at the time the award is made;

- Researchers outside universities who will have attained a level of seniority comparable to a university professor at the time the award is made (LEVEL E);

- Researchers who have not spent the equivalent of at least 5 full years of the last 7 in Australia.

• The award is made on the basis of the research quality within the discipline and its likely impact and value in the industrial and commercial interests of Australia.

Full details and the nomination form are available at: https://ricunimelb.smartygrants.com.au/DS25

Enquiries should be directed to: science-research@unimelb.edu.au

For a list of past recipients please visit: https://science.unimelb.edu.au/research/awards-grants-and-support#david-syme-research-prize

Over 50 postgraduate students from nuclear and particle physics came together in January for the NUPP Postgraduate Summer School, which returned to the AIP events schedule for the first time in two decades. Hosted at the UNSW Kensington campus, with thanks to the UNSW Nuclear Innovation Centre as Platinum Sponsor. Students attended a week‑long program of lectures and workshops delivered by Australian experts across topics in theory, experiment, technology and simulations.

As part of the program, participants also travelled to ANSTO for an immersive full‑day excursion that showcased some of Australia’s world-class nuclear technology. Guided by the ANSTO Discovery Centre team, students toured major facilities including the OPAL reactor, Mo-99 Manufacturing Facility, Neutron Scattering Hall and Centre for Accelerator Science. The visit offered a rare behind‑the‑scenes look at how large‑scale nuclear capabilities support research, medicine and industry nationwide.

Beyond the classroom, the summer school focused on fostering a strong sense of community. Students networked with peers from institutions across the country, exchanged research ideas, and met with early career researchers and established leaders in the field. Social events, including a welcome reception and a student‑led poster session, created an inclusive environment that encouraged collaboration and future research partnerships.

The successful return of the NUPP Postgraduate Summer School highlights the growing momentum of Australia’s nuclear and particle physics community and its commitment to supporting the next generation of researchers.

Image credit: Georgia Barrington-Smith, Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering

The AIP Executive is seeking enthusiastic members to join our leadership team. We’re currently seeking to fill the role of Honorary National Secretary.

The Honorary Secretary helps guide the AIP’s strategic direction and is a company Director of the AIP. Supported by our Operations Manager, who oversees day-to-day tasks such as membership queries, this role involves coordinating executive and branch meetings including the annual Council meeting and Annual General Meeting (AGM), managing governance reporting, and liaising with key partners such as STA, AAS, IUPAP and AAPPS. Whilst the Secretary role does not have a constitutionally limited tenure, it is expected that secretaries will usually perform this role for around 2-3 years.

If you’d like to make a difference and help shape the future of physics in Australia, we’d love to hear from you!

Submit your nomination or expression of interest (with a brief statement about your background and motivation) to executive@aip.org.au by COB Friday 13 February.

The AIP Executive

The poster abstract submission deadline has been extended to 5 December 2025.
There is still time to submit your abstracts for the 48th Annual Condensed Matter and Materials Meeting (CMM) and the 6th Asia-Pacific Conference on Condensed Matter Physics (AC2MP), taking place 9–13 February 2026 at Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW.

We are pleased to share that AC2MP2026 presentation awards will be offered. Outstanding presentations by students and young researchers will receive an AC2MP Award, which includes a certificate and a travel award (AUD 200–500). Young researchers are strongly encouraged to participate.

The Wagga/AC2MP 2026 organising committee now have some travel grants and ECR scholarships available!  Please find the details, eligibility criteria and application forms at this website:  https://www.aip.org.au/CMM-scholarships The closing date for applications is 15th December.

The list of plenary and invited speakers is now available on the conference website, featuring leading researchers from across Australia, New Zealand, and the broader Asia–Pacific region.

Early-bird registration is open until 31 December 2025

Speakers, registration & abstract submission: www.aip.org.au/CMM-Conference

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.

If your group would like to arrange a lunchtime 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.

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.

Josh 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 for a Masters in Machine Learning and Machine Intelligence at the University of Cambridge.

Josh was a research associate at QUISA.

The other AIP 2025 awards will be presented at the Summer Meeting in Wollongong on 3 December.

The QUISA meeting where Josh Green was presented his Thomas H Laby award.

Registration is now open 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 from 9–13 February 2026 at Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW.

This year’s joint meeting will bring together Australia’s condensed matter and materials physics community with colleagues from across the Asia-Pacific region for five days of science, networking, and collaboration — in true Wagga style!

Key Updates:

• Abstract submission deadline extended to 15 November 2025
• Registration now open

Submit your abstract and register here: www.aip.org.au/CMM-Conference  

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.

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