Professor Schofield also receives £5000 and a medal.
On receiving the prize, Professor Schofield said:
“I am delighted and overwhelmed to be awarded this prize. It is a pleasure and a privilege to be able to work in the world of heritage, with amazing colleagues, volunteers and research collaborators. I have no doubt that without them I would not be receiving this reward and therefore I sincerely thank them all.”
Professor Schofield's work at the Mary Rose Trust involves caring for a unique Tudor collection, which comprises many different materials. Fundamental to that is understanding what the materials are, how they have changed and how any conservation treatment applied to them has worked, or not. It draws on many aspects of science and engineering, and requires Eleanor to partner with other scientists all over the world. What they discover is often not only relevant to the Trust's collection, but to other collections caring for similar items. Eleanor's work also makes sure that the Trust's collection is available for viewing, enjoying, understanding and interpreting for years to come.
Dr Helen Pain, Chief Executive of the Royal Society of Chemistry, said:
“All of us have experienced tremendous challenges in the last year and the chemical sciences community has been integral to how the world has responded on a number of levels. From developing vaccines for COVID-19 to continuing to work towards a more sustainable world – the contribution of chemical scientists has never been more tangible or important.
“In a recent review of our recognition portfolio, we committed to ensuring that our prizes reflected the incredible diversity and excellence of chemistry being carried out today. Professor Schofield’s work is a prime example of what we are so passionate about and we are proud to recognise her contribution with this prize.”
The Royal Society of Chemistry’s prizes have recognised excellence in the chemical sciences for more than 150 years. In 2019, the organisation announced the biggest overhaul of this portfolio in its history, designed to better reflect modern science.
