Scientist praises poor peers

Published on 12/01/2013 01:01

THIRD world scientists are often overlooked and face barriers their western counterparts do not, an award-winning Scottish academic has said.

Professor Kathy Whaler, of Edinburgh University, hit out after being named winner of the Royal Astronomical Society’s 2013 Price Medal for “outstanding merit” in geophysics.

Accepting her award, Professor Walker said she was “astonished” and “absolutely delighted” at being honoured.

However, she also said: “Scientists in countries such as Ethiopia don’t find it as easy as the rest of us to participate.”

“More barriers are put in their way at every level. Their achievements are often overlooked, they are under-resourced, find it harder to get funding [and] the pay for university staff is really abysmal.”