Travel funding available to meet Nobel Prize winne

Victoria University is offering to meet the travel costs of selected 'out of town' postgraduate students to attend a symposium in honour of 2000 Nobel Prize chemistry winner, Professor Alan MacDiarmid.

The Wellington-based half-day symposium on 27 June is on "New Materials" and recognises Professor MacDiarmid's work relating to the discovery and application of conducting polymers.

Head of the School of Chemical and Physical Sciences at Victoria, Professor Jim Johnston, says the symposium will provide a great opportunity for postgraduate students from around the country to meet this world-renowned New Zealand scientist.

"It is an ideal and unique opportunity to become familiar with current research in new materials and share in the excitement of discovery experienced by a Nobel Prize winner," he says.

A number of leading academic and science industry staff will also take part in the symposium.

"We recognise the cost of travel can be difficult for students so we have made funding available for postgraduate students outside of Victoria University," says Professor Johnston.

A total of 10 postgraduate students nationally will be eligible for travel funding.

In order to qualify for the funding, postgraduate students are invited to provide, by e-mail, a one-page summary of their relevant research activities and their interest in attending the symposium.

E-mails must be sent to margaret.brown@vuw.ac.nz by 15 June.

Professor MacDiarmid is an alumnus of Victoria University of Wellington and in December 1999 was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Science degree at Victoria. An Alan MacDiarmid Chair in Physical Sciences has also recently been established at the University in recognition of his accomplishments.

The symposium is part of events involving Professor MacDiarmid during his two days of visits to Victoria University on 27 June and 4 July this year.

This includes a public lecture to be given by Professor MacDiarmid at 6pm on Wednesday 4 July in the Wellington Town Hall. The first appointee to the Alan MacDiarmid Chair of Physical Sciences will also be announced at this time.

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