The IOP in Scotland aims to promote the role of physics in education, health, the environment, technology, and scientific literacy.
We work with a range of partners to support and develop the teaching of physics in schools; we encourage innovation, growth and productivity in business including addressing significant skills shortages; and we provide evidence-based advice and support to policymakers across Scotland.
Our members come from across the physics community whether in industry, academia, the classroom, technician roles or in training programmes as an apprentice or a student. However our reach goes well beyond our membership to all who have an interest in physics and the contribution it makes to our culture, our society and the economy.
Newsletters
Publications
Education support
Support for teachers
IOP Scotland’s learning and skills manager and physics coaches provide a range of support for teachers, including workshops, day meetings and online forums. For further information or education-related queries, please contact our learning and skills manager Stuart Farmer at [email protected].
Details of upcoming events organised by IOP Scotland physics coaches can be found on IOPSpark.
Physics teaching resources can be found on IOPSpark. Further details of IOP’s wider support for teachers can be found on the IOP education page. And resources to support inclusive science teaching can be found on the Limit Less resources for educators page.
In Scotland we hold two major annual career-long professional learning (CLPL) events for physics teachers:
- The Stirling Physics Teachers Meeting is the must-attend event of the year and is usually held in May. This year, IOP Scotland will be hosting the 49th Stirling Physics Meeting on Thursday 23 May 2024. Get more information about the programme, including the workshops and keynote speakers;
- The joint IOP Scotland/SSERC Physics Teachers Summer School also takes place in May and is a residential event with high-quality physics education professional learning.
Support for students in Scotland
We organise a range of events and activities and offer IOP membership.
Public engagement
Public engagement programme
Learn about and get involved with our diverse portfolio of activities, ranging from early-years storytelling to pop-up physics busking and beyond.
Support and grants
IOP Scotland public engagement grant
Find out more about how to apply to receive up to £2,500 for physics-based events and activities.
Kelvin Maxwell Fund
Support for physics outreach exclusively in Scotland, to reach new audiences and inspire Scotland’s future physicists.
Member activities
ReMNet (Scotland)
REMNet (Scotland), previously known as Scottish Seniors, is part of the IOP’s national REMNet (Retired Members Network). This group is intended for members of IOP Scotland who have ceased full-time employment and who are over 60 years of age.
The primary objective of the group is to facilitate members to contribute to the professional activities of the IOP in ways that are normally different from those associated with full-time employment. In particular, the seniors group provides a means of exchanging information between members about relevant professional activities. Members are encouraged to make a contribution to the community in various ways, including:
- support of organisations such as the James Clerk Maxwell Foundation.
- serving on IOP panels, such as the fellowship panel.
- becoming a science and engineering ambassador through STEMNET.
Lunchtime rendezvous
The main social activities of the seniors group are visits or lectures followed by lunch. At present these meetings are on hold due to the pandemic, but there are online talks being hosted monthly.
For further information, contact our REMNet Scotland representative Gail Millar at [email protected].
Policy in Scotland
IOP Scotland’s policy manager and committee aim to influence government policy and decisions in Scotland, regarding the funding of scientific research, physics education at all levels, the public perception of physics, and regarding physics in industry.
To this end, members of the Institute of Physics Scotland Committee sit on influential committees and advisory boards where possible.
We are keen to ensure that the views of the members are well represented and so would be delighted to hear from anyone who would be interested in giving feedback on drafts being prepared. If you would like to be kept on an email listing for this purpose or just have physics issues which you would like to raise, please contact policy manager Derek Young at [email protected].
Committee (from 1 October 2024)
| Category | Name | Start | End |
|---|
| Chair | Dr Iain Moore, MInstP | 2023 | 2025 |
| Vice-chair | Miss Karen Haughian, MInstP | 2023 | 2025 |
| Secretary | Dr Kate Macdonald, MInstP | 2024 | 2028 |
| Treasurer | Professor Anton Edwards, CPhys FInstP | 2024 | 2028 |
| Retired Members Representative | Mrs Gail Millar, CPhys FInstP | 2024 | 2028 |
| Inclusion and Diversity Representative | Dr James Howarth, MInstP | 2021 | 2025 |
| Ordinary Member | Dr Ashleigh Barron, CPhys MInstP | 2022 | 2026 |
| Ordinary Member | Dr Dawn Beddard, MInstP | 2021 | 2025 |
| Ordinary Member | Ms Kathleen Culyer, MInstP | 2024 | 2028 |
| Ordinary Member | Mr Lachlan Dufort-Kennett | 2021 | 2025 |
| Ordinary Member | Professor Giles Hammond, FInstP | 2021 | 2025 |
| Ordinary Member | Dr Katherine Kirk, CPhys FInstP | 2023 | 2027 |
| Ordinary Member | Professor David McGloin, CPhys MInstP | 2023 | 2027 |
| Ordinary Member | Mrs Julia Paterson, MInstP | 2021 | 2025 |
| Ordinary Member | Dr Peter Sneddon, MInstP | 2024 | 2028 |
| Ordinary Member | Ms Eleni Veniamidou, MInstP | 2024 | 2028 |
| Ordinary Member | Dr Tom Vettenburg, MInstP | 2021 | 2025 |
| Ordinary Member | Dr Alan Walker, MBE FInstP | 2023 | 2027 |
Events
View upcoming events for Scotland on our events site.
IOP Scotland education committee
The IOP Scotland education committee is a sub-committee of the IOP Scotland committee. The chair of the IOP Scotland education committee is an ex-officio member of the IOP Scotland committee.
Members of the IOP Scotland education committee 2023-24
| Role/Job title | Name | Organisation |
|---|
| Chair | Bruce Sinclair | University of St Andrews |
| One of five State School Teachers | Drew Burrett | Stewarton Academy |
| One of five State School Teachers | Connor Cunningham | Shawlands Academy |
| One of five State School Teachers | Alexander Littley | e-Sgoil |
| One of five State School Teachers | Colin Oates | Kinross High School |
| One of five State School Teachers | Heather Stark-Langlands | Carluke High School |
| Independent School Teacher | Ann Griggs | Hutchesons’ Grammar School, Glasgow |
| One of two HE Representatives | Christopher Berry | University of Glasgow |
| One of two HE Representatives | Aurora Sicilia-Aguilar | University of Dundee |
| One FE Representative | Jane Manson | UHI Inverness |
| One Outreach/Engagement Representative | Jean-Christophe Denis | University of Edinburgh |
| One Scottish Schools Education Research Centre (SSERC) Representative | Norman Bethune | SSERC |
| One of two Industry Representatives | David Greig | Leonardo |
| One of two Industry Representatives | Aileen Hamilton | STEM Ambassadors, SSERC |
| One ITE Representative | Nicola Jones | University of Glasgow |
| One Technician Representative | Irene Brand | Robert Gordon’s College, Aberdeen |
| | | |
| Learning and Skills Manager (Scotland) | Stuart Farmer | IOP |
| Head of Scotland | Alison McLure | IOP |
| Policy Manager (Scotland) | Derek Young | IOP |
| Support Coordinator (Scotland) | Samiha Sehgal | IOP |
| Head of Education | Hari Rentala | IOP |
| Chair of IOP Scotland Committee | Iain Moore | University of Strathclyde |
| Chair of Stirling Meeting Committee | Christine Sneddon | Stewarton Academy |
| IOP Vice-President for Education and Skills | Lisa Jardine-Wright | University of Cambridge |
Noted physicists
Blue plaques in Scotland
The IOP has erected blue plaques in various locations in Scotland to celebrate physicists who lived or worked in the locality.
Area policy
It is important to note that the IOP Scotland branch has to abide by the Lobbying (Scotland) Act 2016, which aims to increase the level of public transparency in relation to direct, face-to-face contacts made between certain individuals or organisations and the Scottish parliament or Scottish government.
In Scotland the PVG disclosures run by Disclosure Scotland are in place instead of DBS checks. For more information on applicable checks see mygov.scot.
Contact us
You can contact us by emailing IOP’s Head of Scotland Alison McLure at [email protected] or [email protected].
