EIG Conference Bursary 2009

21 December 2009, 5:53pm

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 EIG Bursary is open to senior undergraduate and postgraduate students in geology or related subjects. This financial support is available for studies or project work relevant to geology in the extractive industries in the UK. This support is available to provide 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 (Camborne School of Mines, University of Exeter) received an EIG Conference bursary of £1000 to help towards the costs of his MSc research project. He will be studying dust production and its correlation with variations in the limestone geology at Swinden Quarry in North Yorkshire (Tarmac Ltd). After finishing the course, Paul hopes to find employment in the extractive industry in the UK.

Sabina Michnowicz, Phd student (Institute of Hazard and Risk Research, Dept of Earth Science, Durham University) received an EIG conference bursary of £1000 towards the cost of her Phd research. She is studying ‘The occupational and environmental health hazard of quarried volcanic deposits’ and will carry out research on rock and dust samples from quarrying and processing sites in the UK and Italy.

Both Paul and Sabina will report back to the EIG organising 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 organising 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 organisation 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.”

Extractive Industry Geology 2010

The Extractive Industry Geology 2010 conference will be held at the University of Portsmouth from 8th to 11th September 2010. This event is for geo-professionals associated with the extraction of industrial rocks and minerals, including those involved in geology, hydrogeology, geotechnical engineering, restoration and after-use, reserves and resources and quarry design and planning. The conference includes 2–days of presentations plus pre- and post-conference field trips.

Further information available here from the EIG Conference website

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