IPTA 2026


South Africa

Student Week : June 15 - 19 | Conference Week : June 22 -26


The African Pulsar Timing group is excited to announce our first IPTA meeting, set against the scenic backdrop of the Drakensberg mountain range. The meeting will provide the latest science updates from the IPTA community as we prepare for the nanoHz gravitational wave detection, while also highlighting a broader pulsar science programme designed to engage, update and benefit the local pulsar community.

Early Registration is now OPEN!

Click here to start your pre-registration for the IPTA 2026 Science Week (22 - 26 June 2026) and the IPTA 2026 Student Training Week (15 - 19 June 2026). You will not yet have to pay, and you will be notified when the payment links to settle the cost of your attendance are active.

We have limited funding support available, especially for South African and African participants. This form will also serve to capture these requests.

Registration

Registration to attend the Science Week is R8,500 per person (approximately EUR450 or USD540). Please note that the registration fee includes all meals for the duration of your stay (daily breakfast, lunch and dinner). Registration for the Student Week is free, but will be limited to a maximum number of participants.

Student Week Accommodation

The Student Week will take place on the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University, with group accommodation for lecturers and students being organised by the LOC. The workshop venue will be on campus, within walking distance of the accommodation.

A traditional braai (barbecue) is planned for the Tuesday evening of 16 June (which is a public holiday), and a leisure activity for Saturday 20 June, funding permitting. A shuttle service from O.R Tambo International Airport to North-West University will be organised for Sunday 14 June, and onwards to Alpine Heath on Sunday 21 June.
Please keep an eye on the website for updates on the Student Week planning as it becomes available.

Science Week Accommodation

Accommodation at Alpine Heath Resort is costed separately from the registration fee at either R1,860 per person per night (two people sharing a chalet) or R1,760 per person per night (three people sharing a chalet). All chalets are self-catering units with three bedrooms and two bathrooms (one en suite and one separate). More information about the accommodation is available on their website

Note Please do not book accommodation through the resort website. Alpine Heath Resort is holding a block booking for the conference. Payment links for both registration and accommodation will be available on this conference website.

Transport and Logistics


We strongly recommend that Science Week attendees travel via O.R Tambo International Airport (Johannesburg) to Alpine Heath Resort. The LOC will arrange a bus service for this route at participants’ own cost and will communicate the finalised cost and further details once confirmed. We anticipate that this service will depart from O.R Tambo International Airport at 12:00 on Sunday, 22 June. The journey is expected to take approximately four hours. We therefore encourage flight arrivals by 09:30 on Sunday.
Should you decide to arrive at O.R Tambo International Airport on Saturday, 21 June, or over the weekend, a list of recommended accommodation and ‘things to do’ will be available on this website closer to the conference date.
Transport from Alpine Heath Resort back to O.R Tambo International Airport will be arranged for the morning of Saturday, 27 June, also at participants' own cost.
Attendees of the Student Week will similarly have organised transport from O.R Tambo International Airport (Johannesburg) to North West University in Potchefstroom, and then on to Alpine Heath Resort.
Alternatively, if you plan to rent a car for your visit, you are welcome to contact the LOC for further route recommendations and information. Please also keep an eye on this website for additional updates.

Science Week Programme Outline

Our conference programme for Science Week will be broadly structured as follows:
Sunday, 22 June 2026 Check-in to Alpine Heath Resort in the afternoon
Monday to Friday Science programme
Wednesday afternoon Free for social activities (more information to follow)
Thursday evening Gala Dinner. We hope to cover the cost of the Gala Dinner for most or all participants, excluding partners or plus-ones
Saturday, 27 June 2026 Check-out in the morning


Payments

Payment links for registration and accommodation will be made available on this website in March. We will notify all individuals who have expressed interest in attending once these links are live.

Key Dates

Jan 2026 Early Interest Form
June 15-19 Student Week
June 22-26 Science Week

Local organising committee

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Marisa Geyer

Chair

University of Cape Town

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Christo Venter

Co-Chair

North West University

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Sarah Buchner

SARAO

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Amanda Weltman

University of Cape Town

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Abigail Thambiran

University of Cape Town

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Jaikhomba Singha

University of Cape Town

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Michael Sarkis

Stellenbosch University

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Prerna Rana

University of Cape Town

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Venu Prayag

University of Cape Town

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Atiqur Rahman

University of Cape Town


Scientific organising committee

People designing the scientific programme.

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Jaikhomba Singha

Chair

University of Cape Town

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Marisa Geyer

Co-Chair

University of Cape Town

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Mikel Falxa

EPTA

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Chiara Caprini

EPTA

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Mayuresh Surnis

InPTA

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Abhimanyu Sushobanan

InPTA

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Matt Miles

MPTA

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Daniel Reardon

MPTA

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David Nice

NANOGRAV

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Nikita Agarwal

MPTA

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Niccolo Veronesi

MPTA

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Riccardo Truant

PPTA

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Sparrow Roch

PPTA

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Anjana Ashok

Nanorav


Student Week organising committee

People who are working on the organisation of the meeting

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Prerna Rana

Chair

University of Cape Town

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Christo Venter

Co-Chair

North West University

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Aurélien Chalumeau

EPTA

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Daniel Reardon

PPTA/MPTA

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Debabrata Deb

InPTA/APT/MPTA

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Deborah Good

NANOGrav

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Hendrik Combrinck

MPTA

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K Nobleson

InPTA

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Kevin Wilson

NANOGrav

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Lydia Guertin

NANOGrav

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Natalia Lewandowska

NANOGrav

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Subham Banerjee

NANOGrav

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Valentina di Marco

PPTA