Winners of MERIWA research scholarships announced

Mines Minister Gordon Hill has announced the winners of two prestigious scholarships in the field of minerals and energy research in Western Australia.

The scholarships, each valued at $10,000 a year, are sponsored by the Minerals and Energy Research Institute of Western Australia (MERIWA). 

The scholarships comprise $5,000 a year as a stipend for educational purposes and $5,000 a year for project maintenance for a maximum of three years.

This year's recipients are Joseph Knight, of Palmyra, whose speciality is minerals research, and Jacob Perahia, of Noranda, whose speciality is energy research.

Mr Knight, aged 25, is doing post-graduate studies under the supervision of Professor D I Groves at the University of Western Australia.  His subject, The Nature and Genesis of the Amphibolite Facies Gold Deposits of the Coolgardie Mining District, is already contributing much to gold exploration in the Coolgardie area.

Mr Perahia, aged 26, is about to embark on Ph.D studies under the supervision of Associate Professor C V Nayar of the power electronics research unit at the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Curtin University. 

A first class honours graduate in science from Curtin University, Mr Perahia will continue his development work of high performance permanent magnet generators, with the objective of reducing costs and improving the performance of wind power generation.

Mr Hill said both scholarship winners were brilliant students working in areas of technology which could produce considerable benefits to the State.

They were chosen from a field of 15 exceptionally talented candidates.

Mr Hill said that through MERIWA, the WA Government was continuing its strong support for the development of the minerals and energy industries in the State.

In January last year, MERIWA was administering 49 research projects.  Today it is associated with 61.

In the first six months of 1991-92, 15 new projects had started with a cash requirement of more than $1 million, of which the Government had contributed $405,000.