Schmidt, Brian Paul (1967 - )

Summary

Brian Schmidt was an astrophysicist based at the Australian National University (ANU) Mount Stromlo Observatory (Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics) from 1995. He held a number of positions at the ANU including Distinguished Professor and Australian Research Council Laureate Fellow 2010-2015. In 2011 Schmidt and his research partners, Adam Riess and Saul Perlmutter, were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for the discovery of the accelerating expansion of the Universe through observations of distant supernovae.

Details

Chronology

1989

Education - Completed Bachelor of Science (Physics) and Bachelor of Science (Astronomy), University of Arizona

1992

Education - Completed Masters in Astronomy, Harvard University

1993

Education - Completed PhD in Astronomy, Harvard University

1993 - 1994

Career position - Postdoctoral Fellow at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

1995 - 1997

Career position - Postdoctoral Fellow at the Mount Stromlo and Siding Spring Observatories (MSSSO)

1997 - 1999

Career position - Research Fellow at the Mount Stromlo and Siding Spring Observatories (MSSSO)

1999 - 2002

Career position - Fellow in the Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics (MSSSO, Australian National University)

2000

Award - Bok Prize, Harvard University

2000

Award - Malcolm McIntosh Prize for Physical Scientist of the Year

2001

Award - Harley Wood Lecturer, Astronomical Society of Australia

2001

Award - Pawsey Medal, Australian Academy of Science

2001 - 2003

Career position - Member of Council, Astronomical Society of Australia

2001 - 2004

Career position - Member, Australian Square Kilometre Array Steering Committee

2002

Award - Vainu Bappu Medal, Astronomical Society of India

2002 - 2004

Career position - Chair, Australia Telescope National Facility Time Allocation Committee

2003 - 2005

Career position - Appointed Australian Research Council Professorial Fellow, Australian National University

2004 - 2008

Career position - Member, Anglo Australian Telescope Board

2005 - 2009

Career position - Appointed Australian Research Council Federation Fellow, Australian National University

2006

Award - Co-recipient of the Shaw Prize in Astronomy

2008 -

Award - Fellow, National Academy of Sciences, U.S.A.

2008 -

Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Science (FAA)

2009 -

Award - Foreign Member, Royal Spanish Academy of Science

2009

Award - Pollock Memorial Lecture, Royal Society of New South Wales

2010 -

Career position - Appointed Distinguished Professor by the Australian National University

2010

Award - Peter Baume Award, Australian National University

2010 - 2013

Career position - Member, Australian Telescope Steering Committee

2010 - 2013

Career position - Member, Advisory Committee, Australian Astronomical Observatory

2010 - 2014

Career position - Member, National Committee on Astronomy, Australian Academy of Science

2010 - 2015

Career position - Appointed Australian Research Council Laureate Fellow, Australian National University Australian Research Council Federation Fellow (Australian National University)

2011

Award - Nobel Prize in Physics (jointly with Saul Perlmutter and Adam G. Riess) - for the discovery of the accelerating expansion of the Universe through observations of distant supernovae

2012 -

Award - Honorary Fellow, Astronomical Society of Australia

2012 -

Award - Honorary Fellow, Australian Institute of Physics

2012 -

Award - Fellow, The Royal Society, London (FRS)

2012

Award - Doctor of Letters, honoris causa, Macquarie University

2012

Award - Doctor honoris causa de la Universidad de Chile

2012

Award - Dirac Medal for the Advancement of Theoretical Physics, Australian Institute of Physics and University of New South Wales

2012 - 2015

Career position - Member, Advisory Board, Questacon

2012 - 2016

Career position - Member of Council, Australian Academy of Science

2013 - 2015

Career position - Public Policy Fellow, Crawford School, Australian National University

2013 - 2016

Career position - Member of the Board, Australian Wine Research Institute

26 Jan 2013

Award - Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) - for eminent service as a global science leader in the field of physics through research in the study of astronomy and astrophysics, contributions to scientific bodies and the promotion of science education

2014 -

Career position - Member, Commonwealth Science Council

2014 -

Award - Honorary Fellow, Indian Academy of Sciences

2015

Award - Medal of Honour, Niels Bohr Institute

November 2015 - 2021

Career position - Director, Astronomy Australia Limited

2016 - 2023

Career position - Vice-Chancellor and President, Australian National University

2017 -

Career position - Member, Board of Directors, Universities Australia

2017 -

Career position - Chair, Advisory Board, Genomics Australia

2017

Award - Doctor of Science (DSc), honoris causa, University of Southampton, United Kingdom

2023 -

Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (FTSE)

2023

Award - Fellow, International Science Council

Related entries

Published resources

Journal Articles

• Anon, 'New Fellows 2023', Impact: magazine of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, 216 (2024), 18-22, https://www.atse.org.au/what-we-do/impact-magazine/impact-216/. Details
• Bhathal, Ragbir, 'The Accelerating Universe: a New View of the Universe', Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales, 144 (3/4) (2011), 63-90. Details
• Bhathal, Ragbir, 'Profile: Brian Schmidt', Astronomy & Geophysics, 53 (1) (2012), 13-15, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1468-4004.2012.53113.x. Details
• D'Alessandro, Deanna, 'An Australian chemist just won the Nobel prize. Here's how his work is changing the world', The Conversation (2025), https://doi.org/10.64628/AA.gngddnm37. Details

Resources

• Wikidata, http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q201452. Details
• VIAF - Virtual International Authority File, OCLC, https://viaf.org/viaf/51463743. Details
• 'Schmidt, Brian (1967 - )', Recipients [of the Prime Minister's Prizes for Science, 2000 - 2017], Department of Industry, Innovation and Science, 2017, https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20171113014429/http://www.science.gov.au/community/PrimeMinistersPrizesforScience/Recipients/2000/Pages/Dr-Brian-Schmidt.aspx. Details
• Pawsey Medal, Australian Academy of Science, 2022. https://www.science.org.au/supporting-science/awards-and-opportunities/pawsey-medal. Details
• 'Schmidt, Brian (1967-)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-1480342. Details

Resource Sections

• Heard, Marian, 'Interview with Dr Brian Schmidt, astronomer', in Interviews with Australian scientists, Australian Academy of Science, 2001, https://www.science.org.au/learning/general-audience/history/interviews-australian-scientists/professor-brian-schmidt. Details

See also

• Nobel Australians, Australian Academy of Science, 2025, https://www.science.org.au/education/history-of-australian-science/nobel-australians. Details
• Bhathal, Ragbir, 'How the US Influenced Mount Stromlo', A&G: News and Reviews in Astronomy & Geophysics, 56 (1) (2015), 1.19-1.21, http://astrogeo.oxfordjournals.org/content/56/1/1.19.abstract?etoc. Details