VALERIE HALL AWARD
IQUA proudly offers the Valerie Hall Award for the best student or early-career researcher-led paper published by an IQUA member.
This award is in memory of Professor Valerie Hall, who passed away in 2016. Valerie was a highly esteemed Quaternary scientist from Belfast. She began her career in botany and palynology but made a truly international mark in the field of distal tephrochronology. She was particularly supportive of PhD students and early career researchers and a great inspiration and fantastic mentor to both Gill Plunkett (IQUA President) and Graeme Swindles (IQUA Secretary) and many others.
The Award is for early career researchers or postgraduate students who have written a top-quality research publication that puts Irish Quaternary science on the international stage. We hope that the award will help encourage early career researchers to consider a career in Quaternary research. One award of €250 will be given on an annual basis. Papers can be nominated by colleagues, supervisors, or other IQUA members. Nominations should be sent in writing (no more than 100 words of justification) to the IQUA secretary (Graeme Swindles – g.swindles@qub.ac.uk) for review by the IQUA executive committee. The nominated paper should be attached to the email. The paper must be in the general area of Quaternary studies but does not have to be focussed on Ireland.
EILEEN REILLY POSTGRADUATE RESEARCH AWARD
IQUA proudly sponsors the Eileen Reilly Postgraduate Research Award, in memory of Eileen Reilly, an active member of IQUA who passed away in 2018.
The Award consist of 1 grant of €500 to be used for either conference attendance, a training course, fieldwork or laboratory analysisby one of our postgraduate member with each winner describing their research and the use of the award in articles in the IQUA Newsletter.
Applicants must be working towards a Masters or PhD degree and be a paid up member of IQUA for a minimum of six months when the application is made. Please contact IQUA Treasurer Mark Coughlan (mark.j.c.coughlan@gmail.com).
Submissions for the Eileen Reilly Postgraduate Research Award opens in the month of February yearly. An email is sent to our members over our mailing list.
Previous Winners
| Year | Winners |
|---|---|
| 2020 | Adrienne Foreman |
| 2021 | No applicants |
| 2022 | David O'Leary, Fermin Alvarez |
| 2023 | Wahaj Habib |
| 2024 |
The winner of the 2020 award was Adrienne Foreman of NUI Galway.
IQUA RESEARCH AWARDS
These awards are designed to cover radiocarbon dates or laboratory fees, for instance those incurred in DNA or isotope analyses. Please email IQUA Secretary, Graeme Swindles (g.swindles@qub.ac.uk), to find out whether a particular analysis will be considered for an award. It is envisaged that the awards will be split among two or three applicants depending on the number and strength of applications received.
All paid-up IQUA members of at least one year’s standing may apply. Please contact IQUA Treasurer Mark Coughlan (mark.j.c.coughlan@gmail.com) if you are unsure whether your membership fees are up to date.
Submissions for the IQUA Research Awards open in the month of October yearly. An email is sent to our members over our mailing list.
| Year | Winners |
|---|---|
| 2013 | Michael Philcox, Karen Molloy, Steve Davis, Graeme Warren, Anthony Beese |
| 2014 | Susann Stolze, Ruth Carden, Ellen O'Carroll, Malcolm McClure |
| 2015 | Xavier Pellicer, Kieran Craven, Bettina Stefanini |
| 2016 | Pete Coxon, Trevor Northage, Eugene Farrell |
| 2017 | Ros O'Maolduin, Anthony Beese, Rosie Bishop |
| 2018 | Ros Ó Maoldúin, Anthony Beese, Ellen O'Carroll |
| 2019 | Ruth Plets, Kieran Westly, Andrew Cooper, Jonathan Small |
| 2020 | Ruth Plets, Kieran Westley, Andrew Cooper, Jonathan Small |
| 2021 | Lisa Orme, Robin Lewando |
| 2022 | Anthony Beese, Ryan Smazal |
| 2023 | Sarah Ferrandin, Graeme Warren |
| 2024 |
BILL WATTS 14CHRONO AWARDS
IQUA proudly organises the Bill Watts 14CHRONO Awards, in memory of W. A. Watts, a founding member of IQUA who passed away in 2010. The Awards are generously supported by the 14CHRONO Centre at Queen’s University Belfast.
The Awards pay for a number of AMS radiocarbon dates for current postgraduate members of IQUA, with each winner describing their research and the use of their free dates in short articles in the IQUA Newsletter.
Applicants must be working towards a Masters or PhD degree and be a paid up member of IQUA for a minimum of six months when the application is made. Please contact IQUA Treasurer Mark Coughlan (mark.j.c.coughlan@gmail.com).
Submissions for the Bill Watts 14CHRONO Awards open in the month of October yearly. An email is sent to our members over our mailing list.
| Year | Winners |
|---|---|
| 2011 | Beatrice Ghilardi, Michael O'Connell |
| 2012 | Thomas Roland, Michelle McKeown, Marian McGrath, Donna Hawthorne, Philip Stastny |
| 2013 | Seamus McGinley, Alwynne McGeever |
| 2014 | Carlos-Leonardo Chique, Sabrina Renken |
| 2015 | Denise McCullagh, Margaret Browne |
| 2016 | Ciara Flemming, Alwynne McGeever |
| 2017 | Niamh Millward, Michelle Curran, Martha Coleman |
| 2018 | Robin Lewando |
| 2019 | Cristiana Giglio, Luke O'Reilly |
| 2020 | Cristiana Giglio, Luke O'Reilly |
| 2021 | Ryan Smazal, Fermin Alvarez |
| 2022 | Christopher Stewart, Lewis Howell, Helen Essell |
| 2023 | Alexander Clark |
| 2024 |
THE SECOND-EVER FRANK MITCHELL AWARD, NOVEMBER 2021
After 10 years, the Frank Mitchell Award for Distinguished Service to Quaternary Research and Teaching as an honour for extraordinary work for palaeoenvironmental sciences was bestowed to Michael O’Connell from University of Galway for his career and his outstanding engagement with Quaternary Science, and with IQUA in particular. The award was presented at the IQUA autumn symposium on November 26th, 2021 – one of our online Covid symposiums.
After receiving his PhD in 1977, Michael made a long career of note, including an impressive publication record, in-depth palaeoenvironmental and phytosocialogical studies around Ireland – particularly pertaining to the Late Glacial and Western Ireland, several international collaborations and stays, and a legacy of PhD students he trained here in Ireland. Michael has left significant footprints on the map of Ireland, and he is still very productive in (semi) retirement.
THE INAUGURAL FRANK MITCHELL AWARD, DECEMBER 2011
The inaugural Frank Mitchell Award for Distinguished Service to Quaternary Research & Teaching was presented to Prof. Pete Coxon of Geography, Trinity College Dublin, December 2011.
Prof. Coxon earned his BSc in Geology & Biology at the University of Sussex (1973-1976) and undertook research for his PhD in the Subdepartment of Quaternary Research in Cambridge University (1976-1979) under the supervision of Prof. R. G. West.
Prof. Coxon has been at Trinity College Dublin since 1979 where he has made major contributions to our knowledge of the evolution of the Irish landscape from the Tertiary to Quaternary periods. Amongst his many other significant contributions are his work on the geomorphology and landscape evolution of parts of the Indian Himalaya and his recent roles in both IQUA and INQUA, the International Union for Quaternary Research.
The Award was presented by Prof. John Lowe of Royal Holloway (University of London) at a reception held in the Geological Survey of Ireland offices in Beggar’s Bush, Dublin, following the IQUA Annual Symposium on Friday December 2nd 2011. Prof. Coxon was presented with a beautiful sculpture of bog oak by Kevin Casey. The oak itself has been radiocarbon dated to 5600 BP.