Details of Award
NERC Reference : NE/N019148/1
Fundamentals of EPMA - A graduate level training course
Training Grant Award
- Lead Supervisor:
- Dr S Kearns, University of Bristol, Earth Sciences
- Grant held at:
- University of Bristol, Earth Sciences
- Science Area:
- Atmospheric
- Earth
- Freshwater
- Marine
- Terrestrial
- Overall Classification:
- Earth
- ENRIs:
- Biodiversity
- Environmental Risks and Hazards
- Global Change
- Natural Resource Management
- Pollution and Waste
- Science Topics:
- Analytical Science
- Mantle & Core Processes
- Volcanic Processes
- Biogeochemical Cycles
- Earth Resources
- Abstract:
- Electronprobe microanalysis (EPMA) has been a cornerstone micro-characterisation technique for the analysis of earth science materials for the past five decades. This training course is based on a series of successful SEM/EPMA-related courses run at Bristol over the past decade. The most recent being a 3-day EPMA course run under the 2014 ATSC program which attracted 40 applications of which 25 were accepted; 20 PhD students (12 NERC, 3 other RCUK, 4 University studentships, 1 Commonwealth)., 5 Post-docs (4 NERC, 1 Overseas). Here, we propose the same collaboration between Universities of Bristol, Leeds, Cambridge and Oxford Earth Science departments to offer a nationwide training opportunity for students and early career researchers. The proposed course consists of two parts. Part one is an initial 3.5 day short course - a combination of 9 lectures and 10 on-instrument practical demonstrations covering all aspects of EPMA from fundamental physical principles to advanced techniques and secondly, part 2, a three day session of one-to-one hands-on training offered at Bristol, Leeds, Cambridge and possibly Oxford. The short course would take place in September 2015 (Q2) with part two, 3 days of hands-on training, over the subsequent five months (Q3-Q4). At present there are no known similar EPMA courses for 20+ students available in the UK yet two Bristol 2014 courses were fully subscribed with minimal marketing suggesting a large demand across the earth and environmental sciences. We would expect that a fully funded course of this nature would again be significantly oversubscribed. Selection of participants would be on the basis of a short proposal with priority going to those who demonstrate how EPMA is critical to a successful research outcome. Primary impacts are the thorough training in EPMA techniques for 24 students which will both yield valuable analytical results to fulfil their research projects and enhance their personal development to include a valuable skill-set which is transferable to many areas of scanning electron microscopy. Inevitably it will improve the status of training in Bristol, Leeds, Cambridge and Oxford (e.g. for doctoral training networks) and may improve access arrangements between other institutions wishing to use EPMA techniques. For 2016 we are proposing to extend the teaching program with new lectures/practical classes to specifically map onto the NERC skills priority areas that fall within the area of EPMA, most notably modelling (Monte Carlo simulation of electron beam interaction with a solid) and statistical treatment of data. We will further extend the course by half a day to include representatives from industry (Johnson Matthey and AWE, Aldermaston) to explain both the importance of the subject area in a broader industrial scope (e.g. extraction industry and manufacture of high performance materials and analysis within the Nuclear Industry) and the potential for employability in these sectors of highly trained graduates with the necessary skill-sets.
- NERC Reference:
- NE/N019148/1
- Grant Stage:
- Completed
- Scheme:
- Doctoral Training
- Grant Status:
- Closed
- Programme:
- Advanced Training
This training grant award has a total value of £48,612
FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)
| Total - Other Costs |
|---|
| £48,612 |
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