I’m really glad I attended the SIBS 2026 workshop during my first year of PhD. The knowledge and skills I gained will be extremely useful for my research. The workshop felt like an intensive module on isotopes, offering a wealth of information. It was also a fantastic networking opportunity, allowing me to connect with others working on similar research topics. The food and accommodation were well managed, making the experience even more enjoyable. Overall, I think it was an excellent event—I truly loved it.
During SIBS 2020, a surprise hailstorm hit Canberra with golf ball–sized hail. Instead of running for cover, we grabbed our vials! Soon we were sampling hailstones to analyse how isotope ratios vary from surface to core — pure scientific curiosity in action!
We've been running these workshops for more than a decade and although they've changed over time and depending on the venue, they've all been a real success. People have enjoyed them, learnt a fair bit about isotopes and learned to incorporate stable isotopes in their work. I keep meeting researchers who have attended these teaching workshops and stayed in the field. By imprisoning a tight group of students and teachers together for a week, the maximum amount of knowledge has diffused between them, as well as them all having a fair bit of fun.
by Hilary Stuart-Williams, Organiser
Our Original SIBS Logo
Our very first SIBS logo, designed for the 2013 workshop in Camden – a symbol of more than a decade of passion and dedication to sharing the science and techniques of stable isotopes with students and professionals worldwide.
I was new stable isotope research before attending SIBS. Despite being new to this field, I found myself leaving the workshop with both direction and understanding that I didn't think possible in just a week. The presenters were all incredibly knowledgable and from a broad range of disciplines. I talked with plant and soil researchers about how their work might be applicable to my research in entomology, which was a unique opportunity for cross discipline discussion. It was the perfect atmosphere to learn, chat and make friends. I would reccomend it to any researcher interested in isotopes!