EIG Conference Bursary 2009
THE EIG Bursary 2009 has been awarded to students from Camborne School of Mines and Durham University in support of their extractive industry research.
The Extractive Industry Geology (EIG) conferences have been held biennially since 1979, attracting a wide range of extractive industry professionals from the UK and overseas.
As part of an industry wide attempt to encourage new blood to join the profession, the EIG Bursary was established to provide financial support to young scientists for their extractive industry research.
The bursary is open to senior undergraduate and postgraduate students in geology or related subjects and is available for studies or project work relevant to geology in the extractive industries in the UK.
The financial support provides funds for fieldwork or other activities as part of an MSc or PhD research project, summer projects undertaken by BSc or MSc undergraduates and general support for fees or living costs for an MSc taught course in a relevant area.
Paul Wallwork, Mining Geology MSc student at Camborne School of Mines, University of Exeter, received an EIG Conference bursary of £1,000 to help towards the costs of his MSc research project on dust production and its correlation with variations in the limestone geology at Tarmac Ltd’s Swinden Quarry, in North Yorkshire.
Sabina Michnowicz, PhD student at the Institute of Hazard and Risk Research, Department of Earth Science, Durham University, received an EIG conference bursary of £1,000 towards the cost of her PhD research on the occupational and environmental health hazard of quarried volcanic deposits.
Both Paul and Sabina will report back to the EIG organizing committee and will have the opportunity to give a presentation on their research at the next Extractive Industry Geology Conference in Portsmouth, from 8–11 September 2010.
Colin Comberbach, current chairman of the EIG Conference organizing committee, said: ‘It is marvellous to see young earth scientists getting involved in extractive industry research. For many years, the industry has experienced a trend towards a professional skills shortage and now the efforts to attract new blood into it are starting to pay off.
‘One of the core objectives of our EIG organization is to support and sponsor students undertaking approved courses and relevant research. We look forward to both Paul and Sabina presenting their results at the next EIG conference in Portsmouth in 2010.’
