The Stirling lecture this year will be given by Professor Frank Close, a renown particle physicist and author. His talk will be "The Infinity Puzzle - from Higgs to the LHC"-- a public lecture on quantum field theory, the Higgs boson and the LHC. What is the Higgs boson, why is it named after Higgs, who should (ultimately) share the Nobel prize? The lecture will be held on Thursday December 6 at 16:30 in the Appleby lecture theatre (W103).

Applications are invited for posts at the postdoctoral level to start in October 2013. These are two-year Postdoctoral Research Associate positions funded by the STFC and by Durham University. The successful applicants will have excellent research records in any area of particle physics phenomenology. They will be able to work independently and with other members of the IPPP and will have an important role to play in the maintaining of the Institute as a world-class research centre and a key facility for the UK particle physics community. The post is at grade 7, with an initial salary in the range £30,122 - £35,938. To expedite consideration by IPPP, candidates are requested to arrange for three letters of recommendation to be sent by email to IPPP Director via IPPP Office L.A.Wilkinson@durham.ac.uk. Closing date 12 December 2012

2012-13 Associateships were awarded to individuals or small teams to support their research programme and particle physics phenomenology research in the UK.

The Institute for Particle Physics Phenomenology is inviting applications from UK-based academic permanent staff to hold an IPPP Associateship 1 October 2012. Each Associateship will have a value of £4000 per annum and it is for one year, though it can be extended for the second year following a normal application procedure. The Associateships are funded by Durham University, through the IPPP. The aim of this programme is to support particle physics phenomenology research in the UK. The Associateship will be awarded to individuals or small teams to support their research programme. For example, the funds could be used for visits of the Associate to IPPP, IPPP staff/PDRA/student visits to the Associate's institution, travel of Associate or their students to conferences, visitors to the Associate's institution, etc. The Associateships will be awarded on the basis of scientific excellence bearing in mind the need to balance activity in different areas of phenomenological research...