SoS MinErals programme — projects commence

After three years on the SoS MinErals programme as part of the BGS-led science coordination team it's great to see the full grant projects starting their research. Four successful projects have been awarded grants for their research as part of the SoS MinErals programme. The four projects with their principal investigators are as follows:

• SoS RARE: Frances Wall, Exeter University, Camborne School of Mines
• CoG³: Richard Herrington, Natural History Museum
• TeASe: Dan Smith, Leicester University
• MarineE-tech: Bram Murton, National Oceanographic Centre

When I began working on this project I knew a little about the security of supply of minerals, but the journey has brought me in to contact with the UK's leading experts on the subject so I couldn't help but learn lots of new things about the science behind the security of supply of minerals.

From the first meeting of the expert panel through to the full grants being awarded it has been very rewarding and pleasurable experience to meet and get to know so many experts in the field. With over 15 PhD researchers and over 20 postdoctoral researchers due to join the programme the meeting and greeting isn't over yet!

I am now really looking forward to helping the projects and their teams in any way I can as part of the science coordination team and will hopefully get chance to enjoy the science along the way.

Ellie Evans (science coordination team), 7 July 2015