19 September 2014 - STFC RAL Space researcher Dr Elin McCormack today receives a Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship from the Royal Society, for her work on remote sensing of atmospheric electric field strength. She is one of just nine researchers selected for one of these highly competitive fellowships this year.

Dr McCormack said, “I’m delighted that the Royal Society have chosen to support my research and I’m looking forward to doing this work in the stimulating scientific environment that RAL Space provides’.

Her project uses a new measurement technique that has the potential to enable the study of properties of the Earth that impact on climate change, radio propagation and health.

The Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship scheme supports outstanding scientists and engineers at an early stage of their career. It is aimed specifically at researchers who require a flexible working pattern – such as those with young children – so is particularly popular with female scientists.

Professor Richard Holdaway, Director of RAL Space, said, ‘We are all delighted that Elin’s incredible scientific expertise has been recognised at the highest level. This is a fantastic achievement, and one that will enable Elin to carry on with the tremendous and important research that she has been doing. It is great that we now live in a society that is encouraging women to continue to work, have careers, whilst bringing up a family’.

In its announcement today the Royal Society lists all of the projects the new Dorothy Hodgkin Fellows are working on, which also include new physics searches relating to the Higgs boson and developing a 20-minute cardiac MRI examination for child patients. ​

Notes for editors:

Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowships  - the Royal Society announcement and full list of fellowships​.

The Royal Society is a self-governing Fellowship of many of the world’s most distinguished scientists drawn from all areas of science, engineering, and medicine. The Society’s fundamental purpose, as it has been since its foundation in 1660, is to recognise, promote, and support excellence in science and to encourage the development and use of science for the benefit of humanity.