Did you know that 34% of our members belong to at least one group?  Joining a group is the means for you as a member to be part of the physics community and to take part in activities in your particular areas of interest.  So if you are one of the other 66%, what are you missing…?

It is through groups that the Institute helps to support physics research and its application.  You might think that they are specialised but we have a whole range of groups, from our forty-four subject groups, concerned with a particular subject, like the Optical group, to our six professional groups which relate to the application of physics, such as the Consultancy group.  So whether you are in industry or research there is a group for you.

But that is not all.  We have groups that relate to physics and society like the Education group and the History of Physics group and some groups are organised jointly with other organisations such as the Royal Society of Chemistry.

So why should you join a group?  Groups are funded by the Institute and are a key member benefit.  They provide opportunities for networking and are a forum for meeting and discussion.  Their activities include arranging conferences and workshops, such as the Theory of Condensed Matter group’s Summer School or Electrostatics 2007 arranged by the Electrostatics group.  Groups also produce newsletters and keep their members in touch with the latest developments in their field. 

If you are student, joining a group is beneficial since many make bursaries available to help students attend conferences and award prizes, such as the Plasma Physics group’s Culham Thesis Prize.

Groups also provide an opportunity for members to get involved in Institute activities and to influence what goes on.  For example the Medical physics group has worked with the Education department to develop a medical research resource for schools.  The Women in Physics group too has helped develop a teaching resource for primary schools and run career development workshops for its members.

Many groups are affiliated to our five divisions, such as the Applied Physics and Technology Division.  Divisions provide an opportunity for cross group communication and organise conferences across disciplines such as Photon 06.

Groups continually evolve with new groups forming to reflect growing areas of interest within physics, for example the Quantum Optics, Quantum Information and Quantum Control group (QQQ) and the Astroparticle Physics group.  We are also in the process of setting up a new Biological Physics group.  If there is an area of physics that you think we should represent then please get in touch.

The first group is free, so whatever your interest now is a great time to join.  You may do so by contacting the membership department, amending your subscription form or logging into the membership website. 

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