Director's Message

Dear Colleagues,

This week Dr Dige Wang (PEC) thanked the first year lab demonstrators and “Academics of the week” for all their time, expertise and humour this semester. Above, Logan Davis (MP/CGA) demonstrates a robotic system to the undergraduate students. Below, the results of the infamous “chicken drawing challenge” issued by Dige to all demonstrators.  

Another great article is up on the school homepage, with thanks to Dr Phil Dooley. Prof Patrick Kluth (MP) and Dr Shankar Dutt (MP) have collaborated with New Frontier Technologies, a member company in Momentum, our school tech company incubator and employing the space test beam line in HIAF.

As the weather turns chilly it’s again time for the Vinnies Sleepout fund raiser. For the past couple of years members of our School Executive have contributed a night sleeping rough to raise awareness and funds to support some of Canberra’s most needy. If you would like to support your local Physics team (at this stage Prof Hoe Tan and I) please visit;

https://www.ceosleepout.org.au/fundraisers/physicsanu

This year’s sleepout will be in the environs of Old Parliament House on Thursday, 19th June.

Every donation will make a material difference for someone this winter.

Have a good weekend,
Tim

3 Minute Thesis Competition 2025

Preparations have begun for this year’s Three Minute Thesis competition – the time when ANU’s PhDs are challenged to engage, entertain and inform you with the gist of their thesis in three short minutes (and not a second more!) supported by just a single PowerPoint slide.

3MT allows our PhDs to showcase not only the amazing research that we do here at ANU, but also to show off their research communication skills. To see a good 3MT presentation can be an incredibly informative, entertaining and even quite moving experience.

Training for the year begins with the launch/information session next Monday and the carries on through to the College heat on 1 July and ultimate Grand Final on 11 July. Students can attend the training without competing if they just want to brush up on their communication skills with the pressure of competition. With oral exams now very much ‘in the mix’, 3MT training has become much more relevant to our HDRs.

Please register here if you are interested.

» read more

Are you a researcher or part of a research team looking to maximise the impact of your work?

CSIRO's ON Innovation Program is now offering a free training opportunity — the Research to Value workshop — to equip researchers with practical innovation and engagement skills to transform their research into real-world impact.

Date: Mon 16 June
Time: 12pm-4.30pm
Location: Canberra Innovation Network, Level 4, 1 Moore Street

Registration here

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'Microbial manipulation may help safeguard the future of coral reefs'
Professor Madeleine van Oppen
^{Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, Australian Institute of Marine Science, School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne}

Date: Wed 18 June 2025
Time: 5pm
Location: RN Robertson Lecture Theatre, Bldg 46 or via Zoom

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Call For Applications | The Boswell Technologies HDR Award For Space Exploration, Moon and Mars - Closing Date 30 June 2025

Applications are being sought for the Boswell Technologies HDR Award for Space Exploration, Moon and Mars. This award is intended to aid higher degree research students undertaking research in the area of space exploration and technology, Moon and Mars.

Funding is provided by the Boswell Technologies Endowment fund, established by Prof Roderick Boswell. The award could be used towards travel, acquiring of equipment or collaboration activities. The value of the award is up to $4000 that can be shared between more than one recipient.

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College Hot Desking In Physics

Finance, HR & RM Teams
Thursday Mornings
^{Lv2 Tearoom, Bldg 160}