EMU congratulates the Mineralogical Society on its 150th anniversary

Hilary Downes The European Mineralogical Union warmly congratulates the Mineralogical Society of the UK and Ireland on the occasion of its 150^th anniversary.

During the anniversary conference, EMU Vice-President Professor Hilary Downes delivered a message on behalf of the EMU Executive Committee. She highlighted the long-standing and fruitful relationship between the EMU and the Mineralogical Society, as well as the Society’s important contribution to the activities and development of the EMU.

This remarkable anniversary celebrates 150 years of scientific discoveries, collaboration, exchange and friendship within the mineralogical community.
The EMU wishes the Mineralogical Society and all its members a happy anniversary and many more years of successful scientific activity and cooperation.

EMU Vice-President Professor Hilary Downes addressing the Mineralogical Society’s 150^th anniversary conference. Photo by Richard Pattrick.

EMU Research Excellence Medal Lectures at Goldschmidt 2026

The European Mineralogical Union is pleased to share the presentation schedule for the EMU Research Excellence Medal Lectures at Goldschmidt 2026 in Montréal.

The EMU Research Excellence Medal Lectures will be presented by:

Julie G. Cosmidis
Lecture: Mineralogical biosignatures: what can we learn from more data?
When: Friday, 17 July 2026, 08:30 – 08:45
Where: Room 519A, Palais des congrès de Montréal

Alberto Vitale Brovarone
Lecture: From deep H₂, to redox water and energy for life
When: Friday, 17 July 2026, 14:30 – 14:45
Where: Room 524B, Palais des congrès de Montréal

EMU Research Excellence Medal Presentation

The award ceremony will begin at 11:45 Thursday, July 16th in Room 710, Palais des congrès de Montréal.

Call for nominations for the 2026 EMU Research Excellence Medal

EMU medal EMU is pleased to announce the EMU Research Excellence Medal 2026 competition, presented annually to a Mid-career scientist for his/her significant contributions to research in mineralogy and whose professional and societal activities contribute to strengthening scientific links in Europe. Nominees will have completed their PhDs between 7 and 15 years (or equivalent once career breaks have been accounted for) prior to the closing date for nominations.

Nominations for the 2026 EMU Research Excellence Medal should be submitted to the chair of the Committee, Fabrizio Nestola.

The Nomination Package includes:

A nomination letter of two pages or less, highlighting the candidate’s merit and outstanding achievement in mineralogy.
A complete curriculum vitae, including a list of published articles, books and reviews, but excluding conferences and seminar abstracts, and papers not yet formally accepted for publication.
A maximum of three supporting letters (limit: 2 pages) from established researchers in the field of mineralogy or closely related fields. International support is recommended.

Detailed information about the application requirements is available here.

The nomination deadline this year is 1 July 2026, 12:00 (CEST).

EMU Notes: Share Your Input

EMU-notes
Publishing has changed profoundly over the past decade, with obvious consequences for the publication of the EMU Notes in Mineralogy series.
The EMU council seeks input from member societies about their expectations or suggestions for the future of this book series.

We would be grateful if you could complete the survey and encourage members of your national societies to do so also in the next month.
This will help to guide us in terms of making decisions about how the EMU can best serve those who belong to the international mineralogical community.

https://forms.gle/U9GDxuPvHMb1KhhB9

EMU Public Lecture 2026: Julie Cosmidis

In 2025, EMU Research Excellence Medals were award jointly to
Alberto Vitale Brovarone and Julie Cosmidis. As part of this distinction, EMU public lectures are being delivered online in Spring 2026.

Dr Julie Cosmidis (Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, UK) will present a lecture entitled “Decoding carbonate (bio)mineralisation using high-throughput mineralogy” on 26th March 2026 @ 2.00 pm CET.
The event (online only, on Zoom) is free of charge to attend, but delegates must register in advance here.

Call for EMU Travel Grants 2026

call-travel-2025
In 2026, the EMU supports 3 TRAVEL GRANTS of either 500 € for conferences outside Europe or 400 € if in Europe.

Supported conferences and workshops are:
– Goldschmidt Conference 2026 (Montreal, Canada, 12-17 July);
– 24^th Meeting of the International Mineralogical Association (IMA) (Nanjing, China, 20-24 August);
– 12^th Mid-European-Clay Conference (MEEC) (Zürich, Switzerland, 6-11 September);
– 10^th International Workshop on Layered and Nanostructured Materials (Mulhouse, France, 25-28 August).

Eligibility:

The student should be registered for a BSc, MSci or MSc, MGeol, or PhD degree in the subject area of mineralogy at large, in a university of a country represented in the EMU (see the list of EMU Member Societies).

How to apply:

Please send an application package to the president and vice-president of the EMU (isabelle.daniel@univ-lyon1.fr and h.downes@ucl.ac.uk).
The deadline for application is April 15^th, 2026

Application package:

In a single ‘Firstname_Lastname.pdf’ file:

cover letter of 1 page;
2-pages CV;
copy of the submitted abstract with proof of payment;
projected budget of the participation (travel expenses, housing, registration fees vs available resources) to one of the conferences.

Evaluation and selection of the best applications will be based on the academic merit of applicants.

EMU Public Lecture 2026: Alberto Vitale Brovarone

Dr Alberto Vitale Brovarone (Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali, University of Bologna, Italy) will present a lecture entitled “Extreme energy hiding in the deep Earth: from the emergence of life to its sustainable future” on 5th March 2026 @ 2.00 pm CET.
The event (online only, on Zoom) is free of charge to attend, but delegates must register in advance here.

EMU Research Excellence Medals 2025

collage The EMU Medal Committee is delighted to announce the recipients of the 2025 Research Excellence Medals: Prof. Julie Cosmidis (University of Oxford, UK) and
Prof. Alberto Vitale Brovarone (University of Bologna, Italy).

Prof. Julie Cosmidis is honored for her works on biomineralization and its role in recording microbial activity through geological time.

Prof. Alberto Vitale Brovarone is recognized for his outstanding research on high-pressure petro-mineralogy, deep carbon cycling, and abiotic hydrocarbon formation in subduction zones.

Congratulations to both laureates on their exceptional contributions to mineralogical sciences!

Feedback from EMU Travel Grants Recipients 2025

Feedback EMU travel grants We are pleased to share the reflections of EMU travel grants recipients at international conferences in summer 2025.

Lisa Tagliacollo (University of Ferrara, Italy), who presented at the Goldschmidt 2025 Conference in Prague, shared:

“The Goldschmidt conference proved to be an exceptionally valuable experience, where I gained a wealth of new knowledge and, despite my initial shyness, actively engaged with fellow researchers, truly opening myself up to new perspectives. This engagement significantly broadened my professional network, laying a strong foundation for numerous promising future collaborations.”

Nana Assam (University of Oulu, Finland), reflecting on her participation at the International Clay Conference in Dublin, said:

“The opportunity to present my PhD research at the AIPEA XVIII International Clay Conference in Dublin was an exciting one. My presentation focused on the thermo-mechanical activation of Finnish clay for use as an SCM as a way of improving sustainability in construction. I quite enjoyed my time in the lovely city of Dublin, and I am grateful to the EMU for the travel award which supported my attendance at the conference.”

Trung Nguyen (University of Umeå, Sweden), also attending the International Clay Conference, expressed:

“Attending ICC2025 in Dublin was a truly enriching experience, where I gained valuable insights into the diverse research and applications of clays and engaged in inspiring discussions. Especially, the conference greatly motivated me in my own research, and I was also honoured to receive the Best Oral Presentation Award for my research. Big thanks to EMU.”

EMU Research Excellence Medal Ceremony – Goldschmidt 2025

We are proud to share that during the Goldschmidt 2025 Conference (6–11 July, Prague), the EMU Research Excellence Medal 2024 was formally awarded to two outstanding scientists:

Dr. Martha Pamato and Dr. Jakub Plášil

The medal ceremony recognized their significant scientific contributions and the international impact of their research.
Congratulations to both medallists for this well-deserved recognition from the European Mineralogical Union!
We look forward to seeing more of their remarkable work in the years to come.

Marta Giovanna Pamato, Isabelle Daniel, Jakub Plášil

Marta Giovanna Pamato, Isabelle Daniel, and Jakub Plášil

Isabelle Daniel and Marta Giovanna Pamato

Isabelle Daniel and Jakub Plášil

EMU Travel Grant Recipients 2025

We’re delighted to highlight the participation of three of our young colleagues at major international conferences this summer:

Lisa Tagliacollo (University of Ferrara, Italy) presented at the Goldschmidt 2025 Conference, held from 6–11 July 2025 in Prague, Czech Republic. Her talk shed light on the unique geological features of VMS deposits in Northern Italy, sparking engaging discussions among geochemists and mineralogists attending the session.

Nana Assam (University of Oulu, Finland) contributed to the International Clay Conference, held from 13–18 July 2025 in Dublin, Ireland, with a presentation on the Performance of Thermo-mechanically Activated Finnish Clay: Analysis of Reactivity, Chemical and Mineralogical Changes.

Trung Nguyen (University of Umeå, Sweden) also presented at the International Clay Conference with his work on Cation-Exchange Reactions in Nontronite − Indicator for Water Reservoir and Active Geochemical Processes on Mars. We are especially proud to share that Trung was awarded the Student Oral Presentation Prize for his outstanding contribution.

Below are some moments captured during the conferences:

Lisa Tagliacollo (University of Ferrara, Italy)

Nana Assam (University of Oulu, Finland)

Trung Nguyen (University of Umeå, Sweden)

EMU Awards Spotlight at Goldschmidt

The European Mineralogical Union is pleased to share the presentation schedule for our 2025 EMU Awardee Presentations at Goldschmidt 2025 in Prague.

The EMU Research Excellence Medals will be presented to:

Prof. Martha G. Pamato
Lecture: Imperfections in mantle minerals and the fate of volatiles in the deep Earth
When: Tuesday, 8 July 2025, 09:15–09:30
Where: South Hall 3B (3rd Floor), Prague Congress Centre
Session: 02e – Diamond: Chronicles of the Mantle

Dr. Jakub K. Plášil
Lecture: Uranium mineralogy and crystallography: perspective field or a dead-end?
When: Tuesday, 8 July 2025, 14:30–14:45
Where: Chamber Hall (3rd Floor), Prague Congress Centre
Session: 05b – Processes relevant for the safe disposal of nuclear waste and spent nuclear fuel [Session in honour of Florie Caporuscio]

EMU Travel Award Presentation:

Lisa Tagliacollo
Title:Unusual mineralisations in ophiolite-related Volcanogenic Massive Sulphide deposits from the Modena Province (Northern Italy)
When: Wednesday, 9 July 2025, 10:45-11:00
Where: South Hall 2B (2nd Floor), Prague Congress Centre
Session: 05K – New advances in metallogenesis from magmatic-hydrothermal to basinal environments and their applications to exploration and metal recovery

EMU lecture – Marta Giovanna Pamato

Marta Giovanna Pamato
The EMU invites you to an on-line lecture of the 2024 EMU Research Excellence Medal recipient, Dr. Martha Giovanna Pamato from the Department of Geosciences, University of Padua, Italy.

The lecture will be held on April 11, 2025 at 2 p.m. GMT/3 p.m. CET on-line via Zoom.
Please register in advance at registration Zoom link and you’ll immediately receive a direct link to the meeting.

Title: “The role of imperfections in mantle minerals to understand the origin of Earth’s water“

Abstract:
Water is an essential ingredient for life and a ubiquitous component at the Earth’s surface. Although it seems obvious to have water on Earth, its origin is still an unresolved mystery in Earth and planetary sciences. Yet, answering this question is fundamental to assessing the evolutionary history and modern structure of Earth and constrain the conditions for Earth-like planets to form.
Comparing Earth’s original deuterium-to-hydrogen ratio (D/H) with those of Solar System objects can constrain the provenance of water. However, this is a difficult task as Earth is an active planet and its D/H value might have significantly changed since its formation. To explain the origin of Earth’s water, its primordial D/H ratio needs to be determined, and this can be achieved by finding a deep mantle reservoir that remained unaffected over geological time.
Studying diamonds and their imperfections (related to the presence of H) may be the key as they are inert and robust time capsules resisting breakdown for over billions of years and can help elucidate whether H₂O was already present in the deepest regions of our planet since its formation or whether it was transported to the Earth’s interior at a later stage through subduction.
This presentation will provide an overview of past and current findings on the role of imperfections in mantle minerals, with a focus on H in diamonds as a key to unravel the origin of Earth’s water.

You can also join the event page on Facebook.

EMU Research Excellence Medals 2024

EMU medal
The 2024 EMU Research Excellence Medal is awarded jointly to Dr. Martha Pamato and
Dr. Jakub Plášil.

Both are outstanding scientists whose scinetific research has significantly advanced their respective fields: Dr. Martha Pamato is recognized for her studies on the crystallography of deep Earth minerals and their geophysical signatures, while
Dr. Jakub Plášil’s work on uranium-bearing minerals has deepened our understanding of their complex crystal chemistry and environmental mobility of uranium in the geosphere.

For their exceptional scientific contributions and the international impact of their research, the EMU Medal Committee proudly honors Dr. Martha Pamato and
Dr. Jakub Plášil with the 2024 Research Excellence Medal of the European Mineralogical Union.

EMU lecture – José Alberto Padrón-Navarta

The European Mineralogical Union Medallist Lecture for 2023 will be given by Dr José Alberto Padrón Navarta on Friday 15th November at 3.00 pm (central European time).
The lecture will be hosted by Prof. Diego Gatta, vice-President of the EMU.

This is an online-only event and can be joined, free of charge, by registering here: zoom link.

Title: “Redox Influences on Fluid Dynamics and Dehydration Processes in Subduction Zones“

Offical website of the European Mineralogical Union

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