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Director's Message
Dear Colleagues,
This week's research highlight is a little different from our usual format. Rather than a single paper, I want to draw attention to a guest editorial by Daria Smirnova and Jagadish on a special collection of papers on quantum metamaterials, published in Applied Physics Reviews as part of the 2025 International Year of Quantum Science and Technology. The collection spans from fundamental studies of quantum light generation through to energy harvesting and quantum sensing, with contributions covering strongly interacting atomic systems and organic and hybrid framework materials. It is a great snapshot of a rapidly developing field. The editorial can be found here.
A reminder that this Wednesday, 17th June, we have a Director's Colloquium from Dr Tony Murphy of CSIRO on using plasmas to protect the ozone layer and reduce global warming. It sounds like an interesting talk and I hope to see as many of you there as possible. These colloquia are a key part of our school culture and a great opportunity for students and staff from across the school to connect, so please do come along.
I am also pleased to welcome Holly Zervos to our physics admin team this week. Her office is just around the corner from Nikki's. Please do pop in and introduce yourself and make her feel welcome.
For those with an interest in spectroscopy, our colleagues at RSES are hosting a tour of their spectroscopic equipment on Monday 22nd June at 1pm. The tour will cover a range of instrumentation including Raman, PiFM, handheld instruments, Vis-NIR-MIR microscopy, ATR, DRIFTS, and environmental cells. It looks like a great opportunity to see what is available across the College, and anyone interested should get in touch with Penny King at penny.king@anu.edu.au.
Finally, I want to draw attention to an opportunity that several people in our school have found genuinely valuable. Applications for the CSIRO ON Prime program are now open, with this round closing on 8 July. ON Prime is a structured program that helps researchers explore the real-world potential of their work, and there is a strong chance we could run the program locally here in Canberra if we can reach around ten teams from this round. I would encourage anyone who is curious to apply soon, and please feel free to reach out to me if you have questions. Applications can be submitted here.
Jodie |
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Join The RSPhys IDEA Committee
The IDEA Committee works to foster a culture of inclusiveness and fairness across RSPhys, advising on practices that ensure equal opportunity for all staff and students. Members help shape school policies, raise awareness of equity and diversity issues, and contribute to positive change - making RSPhys a place where everyone feels valued and supported.
If you’re passionate about equity and diversity and want to help make Physics at ANU a more inclusive and welcoming place for people of all backgrounds, we invite you to join the IDEA Committee. To express your interest, please email us at equity@physics.anu.edu.au with a few sentences about yourself and why you’d like to contribute. We look forward to hearing from you! » read more
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ANU Staff Card Printing And Collection
New and replacement staff cards will now be printed and collected from different locations.
New staff cards are printed and collected from the Provisioning Team at Chancelry 10B (Lower Ground Floor) by appointment.
Replacement cards are printed and collected from ANU Security in the Fulton Muir Building (Building 95). Staff can just drop-in.
For building access enquiries, please email security@anu.edu.au. » read more
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ANU Agrifood Webinar | 18 Jun
'Extreme heat and the future of agrifood: Global insights from Australian researchers'
Join ANU Agrifood Innovation Institute for an engaging webinar with ANU researchers who recently participated in the 47th New Phytologist Symposium, Extreme Heat: Extending the Thermal Limits of Life to unpack global research on extreme heat’s impact on natural and agricultural landscapes.
The webinar will bring together researchers working across plant science, climate science, and ecology to explore emerging research, key themes and future directions discussed at the international symposium, with a particular focus on what these developments mean for Australian environment, agriculture, and food production systems.
Designed for those working across climate and agrifood systems, the webinar aims to foster interdisciplinary dialogue and strengthen connections between research, policy and practice.
When: Thurs 18 Jun, 3:30pm - 5pm AEST
Where: Online webinar
Registration |
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Physics In The Pub - Call For Presenters
It’s the season for Physics in the Pub! The call for presenters is open now, so get ready to share your secrets about the universe, be they small, large, and/or present at some intermediate length scale.
To register as a presenter, click here.
Physics in the Pub is your opportunity to get your creative hat on and dream up a fun way to engage a pub crowd with all things physics that take your fancy.
You have eight minutes to do it anyway you like - in the past we’ve had demos, rhymes, stand up, quizzes and even interpretive dance (and damn good powerpoint talks). What will you do?
MC Dr Phil Dooley will make sure the packed crowd will be warmed up and ready to listen, learn and laugh. We’re committed to showcasing the full diversity of the physics community in these events - everyone is invited to take part.
If you want a taste of the event - 2025’s show is on YouTube.
If you are interested please fill in the google form below. Any questions, ping Phil Dooley phil@philuponscience.com.au |
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Ideas On Tap | June 18
A night of big ideas and great conversations
Ideas on Tap is a relaxed, cross‑sector pitching and networking event bringing together researchers, manufacturers and industry organisations working at Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 2–5 across space, quantum and cyber. The event focuses on early‑to‑mid stage ideas with clear potential for collaboration, translation or commercial impact. This event is perfect for researchers, industry advocates and working professionals to meet and connect in a laid-back atmosphere.
Date: Mon 18 June 2026
Time: 4:30-6:30pm
Location: Work Club Two24 Bunda, 224 Bunda Street #Lvl 13
Register » read more
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Defence Trailblazer | Commercialisation Bootcamp
As part of the DINAMIC Innovation Program from Defence Trailblazer, applications are now open for live Commercialisation bootcamps. » read more
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Call For Presenters - College of Science & Medicine 3MT Competition 2026
Take your research to the College, the University and the world!
The Three Minute Thesis (3MT) is an international competition for HDR candidates to showcase their research. Using plain language and with only a single PowerPoint slide, candidates have three minutes to present to a non-specialist audience on what their research is and why it is important.
3MT is a great opportunity for you to develop presentation skills that are crucial for your future careers, regardless of whether they are inside or outside of academia.
Eligibility
To participate in this competition, please check if you meet the following criteria:
- You have completed your Confirmation of Candidature (CoC) or Thesis Proposal Review (TPR). If you are unsure, please contact our office on hdr.cosm@anu.edu.au.
- You haven't won the CoSM 3MT Competition in the past.
- You are available to present at the COSM 3MT event, Wednesday 25 June, 10.00–12.00pm, noting this is an in-person event and there is no option to present virtually.
It’s a great opportunity to showcase your thesis in just 3 minutes!
If you are interested in participating in this competition, please speak to your primary supervisor before registering your interest here. » read more
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College Hot Desking In Physics
HR, RM & Finance Teams
Thursday Mornings
Lv2 Tearoom, Bldg 160 |
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University Travel
- When booking travel for any type of University business, it is mandatory to use ATPI - » read more
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Director's Colloquium - 17 June
Using plasmas to protect the ozone layer and reduce global warming
- Dr Tony Murphy » read more
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Know your administrators...
Nikki Azzopardi, Belinda Barbour, Petra Rickman & Holly Zervos » read more
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Know your HDR Convenors...
Dr Michaela Froehlich
Dr Lilli Sun
HDR Convenors
A/Prof Vanessa Robins
Associate Director HDR |
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Know your Student Reps...
Lingxiao Li, Lakshmi Raja, Jessica Wierbik, Sheil Sequeira, Luke Johnstone & Taskil Dastoor
hdrsreps.physics@anu.edu.au |
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HR Support For CoSM SharePoint
The People and Culture division have re-aligned work within functional teams to improve consistency and quality of advice across the University. » read more
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CoSM Academic Promotions Intranet Page
Academic promotion underpins the University's goal to recognise academic staff achievements in research/creative activity, education, service and leadership.
Please 'read more' for key dates and information. » read more
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Free Flu Vaccinations
The University is committed to supporting staff health and wellbeing during the upcoming flu season. Free vaccinations are available this year, with three options to choose from:
1. On campus at the ANU Medical Centre (appointment bookings are available from 31 March 2026)
2. On campus at the ANU Pharmacy – book via the QR code on the Safety and Wellbeing webpage or attend as a walk-in
3. Off campus at a Terry White Chemist. Access the TWC voucher code in HORUS (valid until Friday 31 July) » read more
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