In this News Bulletin, you will find updates on the following:
- President’s Message
- Membership Update
- Call for Nominations
- CAP-NSERC Liaison Committee Update
- Science Policy and Advocacy
- 2026 Undergraduate LectureTour
- Physics in Canada
- First Publication From the CanPhysCounts Project
- Virtual Grad Fair
- Undergraduate Physics Conferences
- 2026 CAP Congress
- Important Upcoming Dates and Events
President’s message
As the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology draws to a close, it is worth reflecting on the place of physics in our society, particularly in the wake of COVID. The growing visibility of conspiracy theories and a certain questioning of the achievements of the scientific method on social media have forced us to communicate our passion for our discipline more effectively to our fellow citizens, as evidenced, at least in my view, by the proliferation of excellent podcasts on physics and the popularity of public events on the new quantum revolution and the spectacular advances in astrophysics in recent years. Nevertheless, the difficult geopolitical context we face presents significant challenges, both in terms of developing research funding and maintaining the institutions of knowledge that have contributed so much to the development of our society and the achievement of our standard of living.
In these uncertain times, the Canadian Association of Physicists plays a more critical role than ever in defending the interests of our discipline to the public and governments. Our ambitions for promoting physics and the scientific approach, as well as the development of a knowledge-based society, depend on our ability to take action, which clearly translates into the weight of our membership.
As Canada redefines its place in the world, let us give ourselves the means to achieve our ambitions by inviting our colleagues, from both academia and industry, and our students to join the CAP if they are not already members, by getting involved in the association, participating in our annual conference, and by contributing generously to the CAP Foundation to support our programs supporting students and post secondary education.
As we approach the end-of-year celebrations, I would like to wish you, on behalf of your association, a happy holiday season and a wonderful 2026.
Pierre Bénard, CAP President
Membership update
Membership renewal season is here, and we’d love for you to be part of the Canadian Association of Physicists (CAP)! Whether you’re renewing or joining for the first time, you’ll engage with our vibrant inclusive community that has championed physics in Canada since 1945. Note that the CAP has recently moved to an annual membership cycle, with renewals due December 31.
As a CAP member, you’ll connect with colleagues who share your passion for discovery and innovation in physics. You’ll have access to exclusive opportunities for professional growth — from our annual Congress and networking events to volunteer leadership roles, scholarships, prizes, and awards, and the respected Professional Physicist (P.Phys) certification. Stay informed and inspired with our Physics in Canada magazine and our regular News Bulletins and News Flashes, celebrating achievements across the Canadian physics landscape and keeping you up to date on important science policy initiatives, and other matters of interest.
Explore the membership section of the website to find the membership category that best suits your professional needs. Please note that CAP membership is now based on the calendar year, with prorated fees for new mid-year memberships.
Join us in strengthening and celebrating physics in Canada! Renew your membership using the “Renew Now” button in your member portal before December 31 and continue shaping the future of our community! To join, follow the links in the membership section of the website.
While renewing, consider making a charitable contribution to the CAP Foundation to support student-related initiatives.
Call for Nominations
The CAP is inviting nominations for the leadership positions listed below. All CAP members are eligible to nominate a post-student member colleague or apply (self-nominations are accepted); graduate students are eligible for the Graduate Student Councillor position. If you’re interested in serving please submit an expression of interest to programs@cap.ca by January 15th 2026.
CAP Positions Available for 2026-2027
- Vice President Elect (a recent volunteer role within the CAP and administrative experience would be beneficial)
- Director of International Affairs
- Director of Professional Affairs (should hold a P.Phys. licence)
- Graduate Student Councillor
CAP-NSERC Liaison Committee Update
Melanie Martin has recently been appointed Chair of this committee. You can contact her at m.martin@uwinnipeg.ca with your concerns. She will be working to revamp the Liaison Committee’s website – stay tuned!
Science Policy and Advocacy
Read an update on the recently announced 2026 Federal Budget in the Science Policy News section of the CAP website. The budget announced strategic investments in quantum and AI, and a continuing commitment for foundational science.
2026 Undergraduate Lecture Tour
The 2026 Undergraduate Lecture Tour will focus on in-person lectures between January and March. Sixteen universities across the country have agreed to act as a local host for a speaker; Thirteen speakers covering a broad array of exciting topics were nominated; and host universities have ranked their preferred lectures. Nearby universities can arrange for speakers to visit through the local hosts; covering any additional costs incurred to enable the visit to their institution. The Lecture Tour Coordinator, Dr. Avery Berman (averyberman@cunet.carleton.ca), is now working with the speakers, host institutions, and regional coordinators to schedule the talks at the host universities and nearby institutions. Click here for more information about the lecture tour program.
The CAP’s lecture tour is gratefully supported by a $300k endowment received by the CAP Foundation in 2023.
Physics in Canada
We are close to posting the first issue of Physics in Canada for 2025, Vol. 81(1), which contains material related to the 2025 Congress, articles submitted by our community, and community updates. Vol 81(2) will appear in early 2026; it is a special theme issue to celebrate the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ) which officially ends in February 2026, and will focus on the exciting work happening in Quantum Physics-related fields across Canada. The guest editors for this special theme issue are John Donohue (IQC), Ben Newling (UNB), and Julien Ross (Dalhousie). Our first issue of next year, 82(1), will be a special theme issue on physics, climate and the environment. Guest editors are Pierre Bénard (UQTR), Jake Breen (MUN), and Kris Poduska (MUN).
We are always interested in submissions of feature articles, interviews, and physics education articles that inform and educate. You are also invited to submit photographs of beautiful or unusual physics phenomena that may be selected to appear on the cover of Physics in Canada. Please send ideas, submissions, and possible cover images to the Editor-in-Chief of Physics in Canada, Béla Joós, at pic-pac@cap.ca. For more information on submissions and the call for cover art, check out the Physics in Canada section of the CAP website.
First Publication From the CanPhysCounts Project
The first article from the CanPhysCounts (Canadian Physics Counts) project has been published in FACETS, an interdisciplinary Canadian scientific journal.
This paper presents analysis of the demographic data from the national CanPhysCounts survey of the physics community in Canada. Their intersectional approach provides new insights into gender identity, sexual orientation, race, disability, and more as they relate to physics in Canada. Key findings include the first data on Black and Indigenous physicists, as well as the first national data on nonbinary and gender-diverse physicists in Canada.
For more information, please see this news item: https://cap.ca/publications/cap-news/first-publication-from-the-canphyscounts-project
Virtual Grad Fair
In November, CAP hosted its first-ever virtual grad fair. Nearly 100 students joined the pre-fair information session to learn about grad school from the perspective of a graduate chair and two current graduate students. Over two days, a similar number of students attended the fair to learn about different programs across Canada and meet departmental representatives. Slides from the pre-fair information session will be made available on the SAC website in the near future.
Undergraduate Physics Conferences – CCUW*iP 2026, CUPC 2026 and CCUW*iP 2027
CCUW*iP 2026
The 13th Annual Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics (CCUW*iP) will be held in hybrid format at the University of British Columbia from January 30th to February 1st, 2026! For more information, check out the CCUW*iP website.
Update on CUPC 2026
The CUPC, which is normally held around the end of October, is a four-day annual event that brings together physics students from across the country to present research, attend invited lectures, tour local research facilities, and connect with graduate programs. The Canadian Association of Physicists is currently working with institutions who have expressed an interest in hosting the 2026 CUPC to secure formal bid packages. A decision on the host of the 2026 CUPC will be made around the end of January 2026.
Call for Hosts – CCUW*iP 2027
The Canadian Association of Physicists invites students to apply to organize and host the 2027 Conference for Undergraduate Women and Gender Minorities in Physics (CCUW*iP). CCUW*iP, a 3-day conference which is normally held around the end of January, encourages undergraduate students from under-represented groups to pursue their physics education by networking with a diverse and inclusive group of physicists of all ages, with whom they can share experiences, advice, and ideas.
Hosting either conference is a unique opportunity to showcase your institution, support your fellow students, and contribute to a vibrant and inclusive physics community in Canada. It is also something that all members of the local organizing team will be able to showcase as part of their résumé.
Interested in hosting a future conference? Check out the CUPC and CCUW*iP websites for more details.
2026 CAP Annual Congress – June 22-26 in Ottawa ON
Please join us at the 2026 CAP Congress in Ottawa Ontario! You can submit an abstract on the CAP website (link here); the deadline for abstract submission is January 15, 2026. The abstract submission period is 2 months earlier than in previous years in order to confirm abstract acceptance and finalize the program well in advance of Congress, allowing more time for participants to make their travel plans.
Neil Turok, former director of the Perimeter Institute, will be our speaker for the annual Herzberg Memorial Public Lecture, which will be held on the Carleton University campus in Ottawa on the evening of Monday, June 22.
Further details about the 2026 Congress program:
- The congress is co-hosted by the University of Ottawa and Carleton University;
- Congress will run from Sunday through Thursday with main events from Monday – Thursday and student events, the CAP Reps/Board/Council reception and the Past President’s dinner on Sunday, and the CINP/IPP activities on Friday; and
- Plenary and technical sessions will be held on the University of Ottawa campus.
Events include:
- A special session on “Physics, Policy, and Peace: The Physicists’ Role in Nuclear Threat Reduction”, organized in collaboration with the Physics Coalition for Nuclear Threat Reduction (https://physicistscoalition.org/);
- Two parallel sessions dedicated to symposia, scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, where symposia are designed to bring together a community of physicists to foster collaboration, learning, and networking in a particular physics area or theme;
- An information and networking session for postdoctoral fellows and early career researchers to share experiences, opportunities and challenges, and to learn more about CAP programs and support is being organized; these delegates may also be interested in the NSERC meeting with new faculty which will be held later in the week;
- An Awards Reception for the 2026 CAP Medalists, CAP Fellows and Best Student Presentation winners;
- A community update from NSERC on the results of the 2026 DG and RTI Competitions; and
- The popular Best Student Presentation Competition will be held as usual!
Please bookmark the 2026 CAP Congress website!
Important Upcoming Dates and Events
- December 31, 2025 – 2026 Membership fees are due
- January 15, 2026 – Deadline for nominations for CAP Leadership Positions
- January 15, 2026 – Deadline for submission of abstracts for CAP Congress 2026
- January 15, 2026 – Nominations for CAP/CAPF Graduate Scholarships due
- January 30 – February 1 – CCUW*iP 2026 at the University of British Columbia
- January – March 2026 – 2026 Lecture Tour occurs
- March 15, 2026 – Congress registration opens
- April 1, 2026 – Nominations open for the CAP Award for Excellence in Teaching High School/CEGEP Physics
- June 22-26, 2025 – CAP Annual Congress in Ottawa, ON
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