IOP Wales

IOP Wales aims to promote the role of physics in society, covering education, health, the environment, and technology. Its membership is wide-ranging and multidisciplinary, including the educational, industrial, medical, and general public sectors.

The IOP seeks common purpose with other organisations to promote science and science-based learning and to influence science policy. Special emphasis is placed on supporting physics teachers by promoting in our schools the value, joy and benefits of a knowledge of physics and its applications.

Events

Visit our events site to view IOP Wales events.

Newsletters

• Wales Newsletter November 2023 – Welsh and English
• Wales Newsletter July/August 2023 – Welsh and English
• Wales Newsletter June 2023 – Welsh and English
• Wales Newsletter May 2023 – Welsh and English
• Wales Newsletter April 2023 – Welsh and English
• Wales Newsletter March 2023 – Welsh and English
• Wales Newsletter February 2023 – Welsh and English
• Wales Newsletter January 2023 – Welsh and English

Awards

IOP Wales presents annual awards to students and teachers in Wales.

• Teachers of Physics award - Celebrates the success of secondary school physics teachers who have raised the profile of physics and science in schools.
• The Goronwy Jones prize - Awarded annually to the top-scoring A-level candidate in physics (WJEC).

Publications

The role of physics in supporting economic growth and national productivity in Wales

Read the introduction and download the report

Education support

Stimulating Physics Network Wales

The Stimulating Physics Network in Wales is a Welsh government-funded project that supports teachers teaching physics in schools to improve their subject-specific knowledge for teaching, their confidence, and their autonomy to teach physics with passion and flair. With an established network that reaches across the whole of Wales, we provide free targeted coaching to early career teachers and those working outside of their own subject discipline, whilst supporting teachers in the implementation of the new Curriculum for Wales.

Whole School Equity and Inclusion Network

Through our Welsh government funding, the Whole School Equity and Inclusion Network supports schools to use the Science Capital Teaching Approach at primary and secondary level to promote and improve inclusion and equity through improving representation, engagement and motivation. We meet online half-termly, recent topics of focus have included ‘poverty-proofing the school day’, exploring advice and guidance on offer to schools through the Price of Pupil Poverty Project led by Children in Wales.

For more information and to join these programmes, please contact [email protected].

Studying physics in Wales

You can become a member of the Institute of Physics if you are enrolled on a physics-related course at a university or institute of technology. For a nominal fee you can become a member for the duration of your undergraduate degree with full benefits of membership.

The student wing of IOP is called Nexus and provides a communication channel for the student community throughout the UK and Ireland.

Active physics societies in Wales

Aberystwyth University - PHYSOC
Cardiff University - CHAOS
Swansea University - PHYSOC

To contact any of the societies above, please email [email protected] and your email will be forwarded accordingly.

Higher education representatives in Wales

Representatives exist in most departments in the UK and Ireland to promote the IOP and the benefits it offers to its students. They maintain the notice boards and distribute membership information.

Aberystwyth University – Rafaela Gubas
Swansea University – Shimra Ahmed

To contact the representatives please email [email protected].

Downloadable physics resources

Educational resources for teachers and students in Wales.

View resources

I am thinking of becoming a teacher

How to teach in Wales

Schools in Wales need more specialist physics teachers than ever before, so we hope our information and advice will encourage you to pursue this rewarding career path.

Find out more

Get involved

Eisteddfodau

A large feature of the Welsh landscape are Eisteddfodau. An Eisteddfod is normally a festival of the performing arts and poetry. Hundreds of small Eisteddfodau are held throughout the year in villages and towns across Wales. The main two Eisteddfodau are the National Eisteddfod of Wales and the Urdd Eisteddfod.

National Eisteddfod

The National Eisteddfod of Wales is a week-long festival held in the first week of August. The history of the National Eisteddfod can be traced back to 1176. Apart from the arts, from poetry to classical music, a large science presence also exists through the science tent! Each year a large pavilion is placed on site and filled with all manner of weird and wonderful science and engineering experiments, information and games. The Institute of Physics in Wales has a presence in the pavilion each year.

Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Urdd Gobaith Cymru

The Urdd Eisteddfod is the main arts youth festival in Europe. The festival is a week long and is held at different locations in Wales each year during summer half-term. Competitions range from singing to dancing, from acting to composition of poetry and from instrumental to arts and craft. Some 15,000 young people compete in the Urdd Eisteddfod each year.

If you would like to get involved or would like more information please contact the national officer by email: [email protected].

Festivals and science shows

We have a presence at a variety of festivals and science shows in Wales, where we try to engage the public with some of the exciting physics work that is currently going on in the country.

Here are a few examples of how we are reaching out to the general public. If you would like to get involved in this kind of work then get in touch with the national officer: [email protected].

Cardiff Science Festival

At the Cardiff Science Festival we have an opportunity to engage with a wide spectrum of the public. The Institute of Physics hosts an evening talk during the week, which last year saw Mike Edmunds’ superb “Newton Remembers” show in Porter's bar. We then held a huge selection of hands-on public engagement activities in the weekend-long science tent in Cardiff Bay.

Committee

The IOP Wales committee comprises senior academics, and people from industry and business, teaching and other professions.

They work hand in hand with the staff team in Wales to set and agree priorities to deliver the IOP’s strategy within the context of the needs of the Wales physics community.

Wales committee from 1 October 2024:

Public engagement

Public engagement in Wales

The Institute of Physics in Wales actively encourages its members and others to communicate exciting aspects and applications of physics to a wide audience.

Read more

Contact us

Email: [email protected]