Geoscientists win travel grants

The Australian Geoscience Council (AGC) and the Australian Academy of Science have announced the winners of the 34th International Geological Congress Travel Grants, worth $30,000.

The travel grant scheme offers funding to provide Australian and New Zealand geoscientists in the early stages of their careers with opportunities to travel internationally to further their careers. 100 applications were this year entered by geoscientists seeking travel assistance for international fieldwork, to conduct experiments and learn new techniques in state-of-the-art laboratories around the world, or to attend international conferences.

“Geoscience is a global endeavour, and it is important for early-career researchers to have the opportunity to study rocks in diverse environments if they are to make important contributions to the advancement of knowledge,” said geoscientist Dr Phil McFadden, who represents the Australian Academy of Science on the scheme.

Six applicants, whose projects were deemed to have the greatest merit, will receive the full amount requested in their applications (up to $5000). A further five applicants were awarded $1000 each to support their travel plans.

“We were overwhelmed by the number and quality of applications,” said AGC President Dr Bill Shaw. “We have awarded grants to support work that impacts on a variety of geoscience disciplines, from astrobiology to magma transport in volcanoes and how it impacts on volcanic hazards and ore deposit formation.”

Other winning projects include micro-analytical labwork on orogenic gold deposits; learning a state-of-the-art dating technique; researching minerals in Papua New Guinea; studying the long-term evolution of the Earth; and using drones to map past climate change.

The full list of grant recipients can be viewed at the AGC website.