Director's Message

Dear Colleagues,

I hope you shared the thrill of seeing snow flurries in the ‘burbs over the weekend. Apologies for the delay in getting the EH to you this week, there were unexpected issues with our web.

My congratulations to A/Prof Cormac Corr (MP) on nicely landing a place in new Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) as well as a 3 year research contract with French propulsion company, ThrustMe, all in the same week! The Heavy Industry Low-carbon Transition (HILT) CRC aims to be Australia’s leading collaboration transforming heavy industry into the low-carbon economy of the future. Cormac will apply his knowledge of plasma-aided reduction to special metals. This image above is taken from the ANU media release, shows an electrothermal plasma thruster developed in Cormac’s lab and part of the contribution to the three year partnership with ThrustMe, a successful company in which some of the founders have spent time working in our School over the years.  

The next captivating instalment of our critical part in the detection of interstellar 60Fe and 244Pu in deep sea crust material was published in Science last week. Literally, this work has gone supernova! I urge you to look at this beautiful article, which even includes that now iconic image by Tim Wetherell of Dr Nikolai Lobanov standing at the -15MV end of the accelerator. 

Last chance: Please take a look at the current list of symbols for the new building decals.  This is your last chance to add your favourites, forever to be etched in the ethos of Australia’s greatest physics building! I'll send the list to the architects on Wednesday morning and circulate the graphic when it returns.

Materials for the time capsule will still be received for another two more weeks. Anyone, from group leaders to students are welcome to include something (see EH #27 for details).

Just a reminder there will be a School morning tea to commemorate our transition into the new Department structure on Thursday 29th at 1030, Oliphant tea room.

Have a great week,
Tim

PS: Please note the time of the School seminar this week has changed to Friday 12pm.

When you think of science, health and medicine, what do you see? The micro-world at the end of a microscope? The flora or fauna outside your office window? Maybe it's the ANU bush campus or the starry night sky. We would like to see it, As You See It!

Submissions are welcome from ANU alumni, students and staff, and it must be your original photo.

» read more

Introduction to Personal Consultancies at ANU

ANU Enterprise is presenting a series of information sessions beginning with one on consultancies, on Thursday 5 August, 3-4PM.

This event is for academic staff at ANU who have little or no consultancy experience and are interested in becoming a consultant.

The event is also relevant for staff who have prior experience in 52 Day Rule consultancies. The presentation will cover how, when, and where to notify ANU of your consultancy pre-existing arrangements and information on how and where ANU Enterprise can support future consultancies.

» read more

You are invited to provide written submissions for consideration and response for the 2021 review of the Privacy Policy.

» read more

Influential Conversations - Women in STEM Online Workshop

Thursday 29 July 12pm – 2pm

You may be the best at what you do, but can you influence others to accept your ideas? What happens when you can't?
When people reject your ideas, you become dissatisfied, frustrated, ineffective and lose business. When competition is intense, everyone needs to be an exceptional communicator.

» read more

Quantum Next Generation 2021

Army is seeking Australia’s next generation of Quantum Technologists for 
Quantum Next Generation 2021: Quantum Camouflage

The Australian Army is Calling for Proposals to Quantum Next Generation 2021 (QNG21). QNG21 is a technology challenge specifically targeting Australia’s talented postgraduate students, early career researchers and early-stage start-up entrepreneurs. QNG21 aims to embolden, network and develop this next generation whilst also solving an important Army problem.

» read more

The School will be offering locally organised workshops to all prospective or current supervisors of higher degree students. These workshops will meet the training requirement for the Higher Degree Supervision Annual Registration Renewal. Note that this is an alternative to workshops being offered centrally, as such they are not compulsory. Our aim in having locally run workshops is that they can be tailored to our needs.

Information on what is required for supervisor registration is available here.

Questions/Enquiries; Please email vince.craig@anu.edu.au

» read more

Domestic Postgrad Scholarship Opportunity -  the Westpac Future Leaders

Scholarship (worth up to AU$120,000 for Masters/PhD study). There are two of these scholarships allocated to ANU, and applications close 2 September 2021. 

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You can recycle:

• Batteries
• Mobiles and Small Electrical Devices
• Computers
• Toner Cartridges and Photocopier Bottles
• Comingled Glass, Hard Plastic, Aluminium and Steel
• E-waste             
• Paper and Cardboard (secure and non-secure) collected weekly through the blue bins located around the school

» read more

3MT: Three Minute Thesis (College final)

The College of Science and College of Health and Medicine are hosting a 3MT Final on Tuesday 20 July from 1pm-3pm.

The event will be held in the China in World Auditorium and will be followed by afternoon tea in the atrium.

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1. SAAFE Research Internship Program – applications are open (applications close 15 September 2021)
2. AINSE 2021 Early Career Researcher Grants (ECRG) – applications are open (applications close 31 July 2021)

» read more

Need to Schedule a Meeting with the Director?

For ANU Outlook users
Open a new invite for Director.Physics@anu.edu.au, and use Scheduling Assistant to propose a mutually convenient time and send.  

For all others
Please send an email request to Director.Physics@anu.edu.au 

Tim will reply to any meeting requests ASAP

Building and Room Security Access

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

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

Professor Susan Coppersmith - 22 July
Quantum stochastic resonance of individual Fe atoms
» read more

Professor Alberto Vecchio - 22 July
Gravitational wave observations of compact objects at all mass scales
» read more

Mr Matthew Crabb - 26 July
Complex KdV theory
» read more

From Previous Weeks...

National Graduate Innovation Forum (NGIF)