Moon shot 4 in action
A stellar legacy: Swinburne’s Professor Matthew Bailes wins 2024 Prime Minister’s Prize for Science
Distinguished astrophysicist Professor Matthew Bailes was awarded the 2024 Prime Minister’s Prize for Science, recognising his work in astrophysics.
Presented by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, the award celebrates Professor Bailes’ pivotal role in the discovery of fast radio bursts (FRBs)—brief but powerful cosmic explosions that release as much energy in a millisecond as the Sun produces in a month.
Since identifying the first FRB in 2007 with CSIRO’s Parkes radio telescope, Professor Bailes and his team have discovered many of the earliest FRBs, opening new frontiers in astronomy and enabling studies of the universe’s most energetic phenomena.
Global leadership in collaborative research
As Director of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Gravitational Wave Discovery (OzGrav), based at Swinburne, Professor Bailes leads global research on FRBs, pulsars and gravitational waves.
Under his leadership, OzGrav has become a world-renowned hub for astrophysics research. Professor Bailes said:
“OzGrav is making ripples internationally. Our team is doing something right, and that’s reflected in both our discoveries and our international recognition.”
Inspiring the future of science
Beyond research, Professor Bailes is a passionate mentor, inspiring students through lectures and hands-on work.
Professor Bailes is the co-founder and chair of Swinburne venture Fourier Space, which plays a key role in commercialising the expertise gained through OzGrav in fields such as signal processing and communications. Reflecting on the award, Professor Bailes called it “an amazing honour,” emphasising the importance of Australia’s investment in science.
His work continues to inspire the next generation and solidify Australia’s leadership in astrophysics.
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2024 Annual Report
Find Swinburne's key highlights from our 2024 Annual Report. Read about our major achievements for the year and discover key facts about our university.
