Institute of Physics
The Institute of Physics (IOP) is a UK-based not-for-profit learned society and professional body that works to advance physics education, research and application.[5]
This article is about the London-based learned society and professional body for physicists. For other uses, see Institute of Physics (disambiguation).It was founded in 1874 and has a worldwide membership of over 20,000.[6] The IOP is the Physical Society for the UK and Ireland and supports physics in education, research and industry.[7] In addition to this, the IOP provides services to its members including careers advice and professional development and grants the professional qualification of Chartered Physicist (CPhys), as well as Chartered Engineer (CEng) as a nominated body of the Engineering Council;[8] it also holds its own separate Royal Charter. The IOP's publishing company, IOP Publishing, publishes 85 academic titles.[9]
Membership[edit]
The IOP has 23,000 members[16] split across four grades of membership: Associate Member (AMInstP), Member (entitled to use the postnominals MInstP), Fellow (entitled to use the postnominals FInstP) and Honorary Fellow (entitled to use the postnominals Hon.FInstP). Undergraduates, apprentices and trainees can become Associate Members, and qualification for MInstP is normally by completion of an undergraduate degree that is "recognised" by the institute – this covers almost all UK physics degrees.[17] An MInstP can become an FInstP by making "an outstanding contribution to the profession" that is judged via double-blind and anonymous peer review.
These four grades of membership replaced the previous seven grades in January 2018; these changes introduced removed affiliate memberships for undergraduates (they are now Associate Members), removed the post-nominal letters AMInstP, and made Associate Members voting members.[18] In 2015, the membership of the Institute of Physics was 86% male at MInstP and 91% male at FInstP. 85% of Honorary Fellows were male.[19]
The institute grants academic dress to the various grades of membership.[20] Those who have passed the institute's graduateeship examination (offered 1952–1984) are entitled to a violet damask Oxford burgon-shaped hood. Corporate members (MInstP) are entitled to wear a hood of Toronto full shape in violet damask, lined in violet and faced on the cowl with 2"/5 cm[21] shot crimson silk.[20] The gown for members and those who have passed the graduateship examination is the same pattern as that used by the University of London for their Bachelor of Arts, but with the sleeves loped by violet cords and buttons, the Fellow's gown follows the pattern of the Doctor's robes of Oxford University in black with (according to Groves 2014) 4" cuffs in violet damask, or (according to the IOP website) 15 cm cuffs and 10 cm facings in violet taffeta, the cuffs slightly gathered with red cords and violet buttons. Fellows wear a doctor's bonnet in black velvet with red tassels, other grades wear a standard black mortarboard with black tassels.[22][23]
Education[edit]
The IOP accredits undergraduate degrees (BSc/BA and MSci/MPhys) in physics in British and Irish universities.[17] At post-16 level, the IOP developed the 'Advancing Physics' A-level course, in conjunction with the OCR examining board, which is accredited by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. Advancing Physics was sold to Oxford University Press in January 2011.[30] The IOP also developed the Integrated Sciences degree, which is run at four universities in England.[31] The IOP provides an important educational service for secondary schools in the UK. This is the Lab in a Lorry, a mobile laboratory in a large articulated truck. This has three small laboratories where schoolchildren can try out various hands-on experiments, using physics equipment not usually available in the average school laboratory. Sponsorship is provided by EDF Energy and support from the British Science Association. IOP runs the Stimulating Physics Network, aimed at increasing the uptake of physics at A-level, and administers teacher-training scholarships funded by the Department for Education.[32][33]
In March 2019, the Institute of Physics launched the Bell Burnell Graduate Scholarship Fund with the goal of helping female and black students to become physics researchers. The program is funded by Jocelyn Bell Burnell and provides aid to low-income students as well as those who qualify for refugee status. Bell won the Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics in 2018 and donated the entire £2.3 million prize money to launch the fund.[34]
The institute is also interested in the ethical impact of physics, as is witnessed though the Physics and Ethics Education Project.[35]
Policy[edit]
The IOP uses its membership as a unique source of impartial scientific expertise and aims to provide evidence-based advice and in-depth analyses of policy questions relating to physics, society and government, either at the invitation of the UK government or through other agencies.[36] It regularly responds to government consultations relating to scientific funding (broadly interpreted),[37] climate change, energy security, education, issues of equity, diversity and inclusion, and research and innovation, among others. It, like other learned societies, is frequently asked to comment on technical policy documents, and provide expert advice where required.
