The winners of the IOM3 Competitive Student Prizes for 2011 were presented in November 2011. These prizes are given to graduates who demonstrate exceptional performance on materials courses.

Edward Pickering has won The Royal Charter Prize as the best materials student regardless of discipline. He read Natural Sciences, specialising in Materials Science, at the University of Cambridge. His final year project investigated grain-boundary precipitation in a nickel-based superalloy, using scanning and transmission electron microscopy to reveal that the precipitate phase formed in a unique way, contrary to the literature. The project received a mark of 90% and gained Edward a 1st Class degree.

Edward has accepted a PhD with Professor Harry Bhadeshia FREng FRS FIMMM at Cambridge, studying the application of steels in nuclear power. He hopes his work will bolster UK manufacturing and make energy generation more environmentally friendly.

The 2011 A T Green Award for the best ceramics student has been awarded to Caroline Goddard from The University of Manchester. Caroline received a 1st Class MEng in Materials Science and Engineering with industrial experience for Volvo Aero and HotDisk, based at the University West in Trollhattan, Sweden.

As a Laboratory Assistant she developed image analysis procedures. Her degree  involved a final year project developing a thin film diffusion barrier coating between the cathode and interconnect in solid oxide fuel cells, deposited using a sol-gel dip coating technique. Caroline hopes to start a PhD on dual alloy systems in compressor disks at Cambridge University, in collaboration with Rolls-Royce.

For outstanding performance in polymer materials, Samuel Halliday has won the R H Craven Award. He studied at the University of Oxford and received a 1st Class MEng in Materials Science. In his fourth year, he investigated tissue engineering in tendons, using collagen fibres to create a scaffold. Using cross-linking he developed a quicker methodology for the extrusion of monomeric collagen that reduced the number of steps required.

Samuel will be pursuing a biotechnology consultancy role in early 2012 and hopes to publish his research on shortening the process of creating Type II collagen fibres.