The Jak Kelly Award was created in honour of Professor Jak Kelly (1928 – 2012), who was Head of Physics at University of NSW from 1985 to 1989, was made an Honorary Professor of University of Sydney in 2004, and was President of the Royal Society of NSW in 2005 and 2006.

Its purpose is to encourage excellence in postgraduate research in physics.  It is supported by the Royal Society of NSW and the Australian Institute of Physics, NSW branch.  The winner is selected from a short list of candidates who made presentations at the most recent Australian Institute of Physics, NSW Branch Postgraduate Awards.

During his PhD studies on thin-film at the University of Reading he invented Electron Bombardment Deposition which became the standard method of high temperature metal evaporation. While at the Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Harwell, he focussed on radiation damage in crystals, grown using his own single drop method. Other research, in collaboration with others, involved thermoluminescent dating, using ion implantation to improve the attachment of bone cells to prosthetic surfaces, the modelling and deposition of thin-film solar energy absorbers, irradiation of wool using ion beams to improve wool properties, studying low energy nuclear reactions, and proposing laser fusion improvements. More details of Professor Kelly’s life can be found here.