Jointly funded by the Wolfson Foundation and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, the Wolfson Research Merit Award scheme aims to provide universities with additional support to enable them to attract science talent from overseas and retain respected UK scientists of outstanding achievement and potential.

Professor Cashman receives the award for her work on magma storage, ascent and eruption. Her current research focuses on the processes that generate small volcanic particles (ash) during explosive eruptions.

Professor Cashman said: ‘It is a great honour to receive this award from the Royal Society and the Wolfson Foundation. I am particularly pleased that this award will support my work on volcanic ash, which has become an important area of volcanological research since the 2010 eruption of Eyjafjallajökull volcano, Iceland.’