Award-winning ANU vice-chancellor Brian Schmidt resigns

"Having arrived as an agent of change, for the university's sake, I want to leave before I become the status quo," he said in his State of the University address on Thursday. 

"My love for ANU is undimmed. My zest to see it improve hasn't changed … almost everything I said I wanted to achieve as vice-chancellor is well on its way."

Turning to priorities for the next 12 months, Prof Schmidt encouraged ANU to be a "great partner" as the federal government makes major reforms, while fostering strong work and study culture and connecting with the Australian public.

He will remain in his role until December.

Prof Schmidt won the Nobel Prize in physics in 2011 for finding evidence that the expansion of the universe is accelerating.