The Bowen Basin Underground Geotechnical Society (BBUGS) is proposing to support the development of geotechnical engineers through the award of a scholarship based on the academic research project, vice-chair Anna Mills told ILN.

“BBUGS is a non-profit organisation with the aims of providing a forum for mutual technical development, networking, expanding and sharing knowledge, special interest identification, specialist recognition, establishment of national links, expert opinion and influence in relation to the field of geotechnical engineering in the underground coal mines of the Bowen Basin,” she said.

“In this capacity, BBUGS is proposing to support the development of geotechnical engineers through award of a scholarship.”

To be eligible for this scholarship, applicants must be enrolled full-time in undergraduate or postgraduate study in the 2014 academic year and studying at an academic institution in Australia.

Applicants must be enrolled in a mining engineering, geotechnical engineering or geomechanics discipline and conducting a research project that is directly relevant to underground geotechnical engineering in the Bowen Basin.

On completion of the 2014 academic year, the scholarship recipient is required to attend a BBUGS meeting to present the findings of their study to date.

Further details are available on the BBUGS website at www.bbugs.org.au.