Director's Message

Dear Colleagues,

Welcome back after a nice long weekend.  

On Friday we’ll celebrate Prof Ken Baldwin’s longstanding contributions with a School morning tea. Please join us at 1030 in the Oliphant Tea Room for cake and fruit. As an additional highlight, Ken has a very special gift for the School. Without giving the secret away, it is something from the dawn of quantum optics. Remember to bring a mug and that we’ll be observing a COVID-safe tea time. The image above is from the ANU Archives showing Ken in the early 90’s (image credit).

Last week the older of the solar thermal dishes, operated by the College of Engineering and Computer Science (CECS), along Sullivan’s Creek was removed (see below). It had been the source for novel steam turbine and collector developments but after the 2008 hail storm was irreparably damaged. The dish is a reminder of the solar energy research that had its genesis in the Department of Engineering Physics in the 70’s culminating in 1983 with Australia’s first solar thermal plant powering the town of White Cliffs, NSW. These developments were focussed into the Energy Research Centre, led by Professor Steve Kaneff which operated until 1991 when activities were ultimately taken up by the Research School of Information and Systems Engineering (1994) and now School of Engineering, CECS.

Have a good week,
Tim

Parkes Way Fence Banners

We're making use of the fences along the building site on Parkes Way to get passing motorists thinking about physics, with some big ads - hope you have noticed them! 

There is a link from the RSPhys website home page to some more info about the banners, with links through to more info - check it out here https://physics.anu.edu.au/research/explore/new_era.php.

We'll be updating the content regularly - if you'd like to propose a banner, please email Phil Dooley.

ANU Researcher Development coordinates and facilitates workshops, events, and competitions to develop your skills even further. 

» read more

National Library of Australia 2022 Fellowships

Apply for a National Library Fellowship
The National Library has diverse collections that support, inspire and transform research. Fellowships enable scholars, writers and researchers to conduct intensive research into our collections in a supportive, intellectual and creative environment.

» read more

1. AINSE 2021 Winter School (Online): 5-9 July 2021
2. Call for Proposals at the Australian Centre for Neutron Scattering and National Deuteration Facility
3. AINSE 2021 Postgraduate Research Awards (PGRA)
4. 2021 AINSE Honours Scholarships
5. New ANSTO FutureNow Plus Scholarships
6. 2021 United Uranium Scholarship

» read more

Yuri Kivshar has been interviewed by Chinese Laser Press as “one of the distinguished scientists in photonics community”, and the interview entitled “Journey from solitons to nanophotonics: an interview with Professor Yuri Kivshar” has been just published in the SPIE flagship research journal Advanced Photonics https://doi.org/10.1117/1.AP.3.1.010502

STAFF MOVEMENTS

Lee Philip will be acting Facilities and Services Manager 8/3/21-5/4/21

Building and Room Security Access

Please note that the school now has a general access restriction of 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.  

Only those people that have been approved by the WHS team (updated risk assessment, training and safe work procedures in place) will be granted additional access (24/7).

If you need to complete a new after-hours risk assessment, please see the new top section here: https://physics.anu.edu.au/intra/whs/

EVENTS

Departmental seminars

Mr Farshad Daraei Ghadikolaei - 12 March
Understanding the influence of pore-scale structural heterogeneity in CO2 geo-sequestration
» read more

Policy Library Update - February 2021

Updates for HDR students

» read more

HDR Career Development Framework

The College of Science, and College of Health & Medicine would like to remind all HDR students that the “Science, Health & Medicine Career Development Framework” is a great tool for HDR students to develop and get recognition for transferable skills, discipline-specific training, industry connections and experiences undertaken during your candidature at the ANU.

» read more

NHMRC schemes opening in 2021 (Q1)

The College of Science Research Office (CRO) is now inviting notices of intent (NoI) to submit applications for the following schemes opening in 2021.

From Last Week

PhB Mentors Needed