UQ celebrates National Science Week

National Science Week 2026 is set to showcase science and technology with events encouraging community engagement with STEM. 

The University of Queensland’s Professor Bryan Fry, a National Ambassador, said the initiative gives researchers an opportunity to make science accessible, engaging and relevant to the wider Australian community.

“A single encounter with science can change the direction of a young person’s life,” Professor Fry said.

“By making science visible, exciting and accessible we can inspire the next generation of researchers, problem-solvers and innovators – including young people who may never previously have imagined that science was for them.”

The Queensland program launches Saturday 15 August with ‘STEM in the Tropics’ in the Cairns Botanic Gardens.

UQ School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability PhD candidate and proud Wiradjuri woman Keely Perry will participate in a pop-up STEM fair, showcasing First Nations-led bush foods and highlighting the role of science and Indigenous knowledge in developing sustainable food systems and supporting opportunities in regional Queensland.

UQ Gatton Open Day will welcome visitors to campus on Sunday 16 August, showcasing study pathways in agricultural, animal and plant sciences, and agribusiness.

The National Quantum Computing Testbed Facility at UQ’s St Lucia campus will be officially opened on Wednesday 19 August. 

The $5-million facility will provide researchers and industry with access to advanced tools to support the development and commercialisation of quantum technologies.

On Friday 21 August, UQ’s Centre for Environmental and Agricultural Solutions will host a hands-on event investigating one of the biggest health challenges facing the world today – antibiotic-resistant ‘superbugs’. 

Visitors will become scientists for the day, exploring how researchers detect harmful bacteria and develop new ways to fight infection. 

On Monday 31 August, Dr Peter Crisp from UQ's School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability will moderate a discussion at Customs House on the future of food told through the story of seeds. 

The panel will explore the decisions we make about what to grow and how to cultivate it to shape the future of food, local and global economies and even our social fabric.

Professor Fry said National Science Week demonstrates how scientific research contributes to health, environmental protection, innovation and everyday decision-making.

“Science shouldn’t be something that happens behind closed laboratory doors,” he said.

“By bringing the community into the conversation, we can share the excitement of discovery and show how science can help us understand and improve the world around us.”

National Science Week is presented by the Australian Government, Inspiring Australia Queensland and the Queensland Government.