The Commission on Powder Diffraction (CPD) was formed in 1987 and had its first meeting as a satellite to the main IUCr congress in Perth, Australia in that year.

One of the most fundamental arguments for the formation of the commission was the unique position of international research using powder diffraction as its main technique. In almost all cases in the field of crystallography there is considerably more activity in published material from academic institutions than from industry. This position is exactly reversed in the field of powder diffraction and it is one of the major purposes of the commission to provide an information link between the very large industrial community and the more academic, less applied aspects of the subject. The commission attempts to do this through the IUCr by endorsing large and small meetings , by encouraging collaboration between groups working in similar fields, by enhancing mobility of students to attend CPD events and by undertaking specific projects designed to improve standards and research practices in powder diffraction. The CPD publishes a twice yearly newsletter to keep its members up-to-date with events, meetings and new trends in powder diffraction.

What's new(ish)

• IUCr Commission of Magnetic Structures "Role of Magnetic Symmetry in the Description and Determination of Magnetic Structures" Workshop info on meetings page.
• International EXPO/SIR Workshop info on meetings page
• Content from 2011 Erice Powder Diffraction school available online here
• Link to course notes for the Canadian Powder Diffraction workshop here
• Presentations from the 2013 Patras International Workshop on Powder and Electron Crystallography here