Women champion Cornish research

Karen Clowes is completing her PhD

Cornish women are leading the way in a new research programme at Camborne School of Mines.

Women from the county secured four of the 14 posts created through the £1.5m project to develop environmental research.

The project covers 10 new areas of research ranging from climate change to contaminated land.

It has been set up with the help of £700,000 European funding.

Specialist knowledge

One of the four women, Karen Clowes, from Penzance, completed her degree through the Open University and is now working towards a PhD.

"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," she said.

"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."

'Vital knowledge'

Professor Bob Pine is the head of school at the college.

"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.

"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," he said.