CORNISH WOMEN BENEFIT FROM EUROPEAN INVESTMENT IN CAMBORNE SCHOOL OF MINES

Karen Clowes displays research

Cornish women are helping to lead the way in an Objective One project to develop a new research programme at Camborne School of Mines (CSM).

A £1.5 million project to develop environmental-related research at CSM has been set up with the help of £700,000 European funding awarded through Objective One.

And – in open competition with researchers from across the academic world – Cornish women have proved particularly successful at gaining posts created through the project.

Professor Bob Pine, head of school at CSM explained: “Most people think just of the opportunities for undergraduate programmes but research is also a vital part of university activity. CSM needed to develop its environmental-related research as part of the CUC initiative and launched its research programme with the help of Objective One funding.

“This let us establish 14 posts for three years, covering 10 new areas of research from climate change to contaminated land. These posts were advertised to the international research community and we were delighted at the number of locally based people who successfully gained appointments – and that four of the six women in the project team are from Cornwall.”

One researcher is Terri Stoddern, who attended Camborne School before going to Plymouth University for her degree. She returned to Cornwall to do a PhD at CSM and is now undertaking research into contaminated land remediation techniques.

She said: “I was delighted to be able to get such a good opportunity close to home. I feel it will provide me with very good career opportunities in the future, enabling me to establish good contacts and develop specialist high-level skills.”

Karen Clowes is a mature student from Penzance who completed her degree through the Open University and was also successful in obtaining a place that will enable her to complete a PhD. She is developing a methodology for integrated catchment modelling and climate change scenarios in Cornwall.

Karen said: “I will always be grateful to the Camborne School of Mines for giving me the opportunity to undertake postgraduate level research without having to leave Cornwall.

“I expect my work to have a great relevance for the local area as we try to plan for the effects of global climate change. It will become a resource that can be updated and modified and used by industry and as a basis for further research.”

Professor Pine added: “These are the kind of research opportunities that will enable people to develop specialised high level skills and knowledge vital to the sorts of businesses that develop or benefit from research programmes in Cornwall. We are particularly pleased to be able to offer these opportunities to women from local communities.”