In 2026 we are excited to host the 18^th international SPERA conference in Canberra, Australia. The conference will be hosted by the Department of

Nuclear Physics and Accelerator Applications, at the Research School of Physics, Australian National University.

The primary objective of SPERA is “to provide a forum to encourage and facilitate communication among scientists from different disciplines and organisations from the South Pacific region, and countries world-wide in the field of environmental radioactivity”. This includes but is not limited to “the study of the occurrence, behaviour and impact of radioactive species present in the environment owing to either natural processes or resulting from human activities”.

We would like to welcome professional scientists and researchers involved in any aspect of environmental radioactivity study to attend SPERA2026, to be held from 14 – 17 September 2026 on the ANU campus in Canberra.

SPERA2026 will provide a forum to build cross-institutional and cross-disciplinary links and reflect on the ways our research community can support international and national priorities. The scientific program will focus on the following topics:

* Radioecology * Impacts (dose related) * Method Development and Instrumentation

* Radioactive Waste Management * Legacy Contamination * Remediation of Contaminated Sites

* NORM * Mining and Nuclear Industry * Society and Communication

* Applications in Aquatic Environments * Modelling * Applications and New Endeavours

The program will include invited and contributed speakers from each topic, and we encourage contributions from students and early career scientists.

Important: Please note that ALL travellers to Australia MUST have a valid VISA before arriving in Australia. Please see the About page for more information and News for any announcements.

Please register your interest in attending SPERA2026 via email to the conference secretary. Any enquires and questions about the SPERA2026 Conference can also be directed to the conference secretary.