Powders & Grains 2013 will be held in Sydney on 8-12 July 2013, organised by the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Australia. The aim of the conference is to give an up-to-date picture of the broad research field of granular media. Contributions from experts around the world will present research topics that cover a wide range of open problems in the field. Powders & Grains is an international scientific conference held every four years that brings together engineers and physicists interested in the micro-mechanics of granular media. It distinguishes itself from other meetings on granular materials in two ways: (i) It brings together both engineers and physicists in a single-session event; and (ii) It emphasizes the micromechanics of granular materials involving a printed proceeding available during the event. The conference is organized under the auspices of the Association pour l’Etude de la Micromecanique des Milieux Granulaires (AEMMG): http://www2.msm.ctw.utwente.nl/msm_www/AEMMG/ Previous meetings were held in Clermond-Ferrand, France (1989), Birmingham, England (1993), Durham, USA (1997), Sendai, Japan (2001), Stuttgart, Germany (2005), and Golden, USA (2009). Powders & Grains 2013 will maintain the tradition of the previous conferences, with two improvements. Firstly, a greater emphasis will be placed on the combination of particle science and engineering. This will be encouraged by inviting engineers and academics in the broader engineering disciplines to attend this conference. Such an improvement was seen in the past two P&G conferences, and is expected to be taken further in 2013. Secondly, a greater emphasis will be placed on social activities. This will not only generate more opportunities for exchanges in ideas and friendship making, but also create an outstanding atmosphere for collaboration in granular research worldwide.