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School of Physics and Astronomy

Research culture

Image credit: Katka Photography

Our research culture is one of active and forward-thinking collaboration and contribution to scientific research, the economy, and society.

Research collaborations, networks and partnerships

Our staff have established major roles in many large international consortia, missions and projects.

Find out about collaboration in our Research Groups

We regularly present and disseminate this research at international conferences and major science events. We also bring collaborators and key partners to Cardiff, hosting annual collaboration meetings or strategic events with industrial partners.  Recent examples include the September 2020 LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA meeting with ~350 attendees, the National Astronomy Meeting 2023 hosting close to 1000 participants and the British and Irish Chapter of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine with ~200 attendees.

Our research groups run dedicated seminar and colloquia series with esteemed external speakers from the UK and abroad and hold regular internal group meetings and journal clubs. There are cross-School, cross-College seminars and series with Bremen and Xiamen Universities.

We contribute to shaping future research strategy and policy nationally and internationally working closely with research councils (e.g., EPSRC and STFC), funding agencies (e.g., the UK and European Space Agency), and national academies (e.g., the Royal Astronomical Society and the Learned Society of Wales). We further influence the UK, European and international research landscape through our membership in many influential panels and leadership positions, such as the STFC Particle Astrophysics Advisory Panel, Science Board and Fellowships Panel, the LIGO Scientific Collaboration spokesperson, the Wellcome Early Career Award Interview Panel, Senior Editor of the field-leading journal Imaging Neuroscience, Leadership Team of the National Cardiovascular Research Network and the IOP Award Committee.

Maintaining vitality and high standards in research and teaching has led to 32% of our academic staff practising as external examiners.

We run an active outreach programme, led by Dr Chris North, Head of Public Engagement, as we believe this to be of key importance for contributing meaningfully to our wider economy and society.

Recent notable awards

Many of our academic staff are members/fellows of international or learned societies including the Institute of Physics, the US National Academy of Sciences, the International Society on General Relativity and Gravitation, the American Physical Society, the Royal Society, and the Learned Society of Wales.

Numerous researchers have received many high-profile awards both as individuals and as members of consortia. Since 2021 these include:

  • Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales
  • Fellow of the Royal Society
  • Learned Society of Wales Dillwyn Medal for STEMM 2021
  • Institute of Physics Fred Hoyle Medal and Prize 2021
  • Leibinger Innovation Prize 2023
  • Institute of Physics James Joule Medal and Prize 2024
  • COSPAR William Nordberg Medal 2024
  • 2025 Vitae Impact, Culture and Engagement Outstanding Contribution Award

Previous awards

  • Buchalter Prize in Cosmology 2020
  • Richard Isaacson Medal of the American Physical Society 2020
  • European Physical Society Giuseppe and Vanna Cocconi Prize 2019
  • MBE 2018, Honorary Doctorate, Aix-Marseille University 2018
  • Marcel Grossmann Award 2018
  • Gruber Foundation Prize in Cosmology 2016 and 2018
  • Princess of Asturias Award for Technical and Scientific Research 2017
  • Einstein Medal 2017
  • Bruno Rossi 2017
  • Special Breakthrough Prize 2016
  • RAS Eddington Medal 2019
  • Philip Leverhulme Prize 2018
  • RAS Group Achievement Awards 2014 and 2018
  • RAS Winton Capital Award 2017
  • IOP Fred Hoyle Silver Medal 2017
  • RAS Fowler Prize 2015
  • RAS Herschel Medal 2015