Four students from the University of Oxford have been chosen as the inaugural beneficiaries of the Everest Lewis Golden Foundation, enabling them to undertake a challenging and inspiring expedition to South Greenland next month.

With a shortfall in funding of £2,800 and the deadline fast approaching, second year Earth Sciences student Isabel Carter submitted an application to the Foundation, which was launched earlier this year by Everest Home Improvements to help aspiring individuals or groups achieve their ambitions.

Isabel and her teammates – three fellow Earth Sciences students – were granted the full £2,800 by the Foundation panel. Their expedition, which will begin on 28 June, will see them endeavour to create a geological map of Igaliku, South Greenland, and seek to inspire other young scientists.

The four women will spend several weeks working on a geological map of the Igaliku area. While part of the region is classed as a World Heritage Geopark, it has been almost 60 years since the area’s geology was last studied in detail.

They also plan to use the trip to inspire other young people to study Earth Sciences. They are planning a series of workshops in schools and extensive social media activity to draw attention to it as an important and exciting field of science.