Fingerprinting critical minerals development in continental margins

This project will study how critical minerals develop in the Andean-type plate margins through case studies in eastern Australia. The expected outcomes are results that characterise signature minerals in a polymetallic minerals province in Far North Queensland. This is a project in collaboration with partners from academia, industry and government.

This project will be embedded in the Earth science discipline in which there is a strong and collaborative academic group working on a range of fundamental and applied geoscience topics. The student will be trained with state-of-the-art geo-analytical facilitates in Queensland, Australia, and internationally. The student will have access to diverse in-house expertise and instruments at UQ related to advanced imaging, mineral characterisation, in situ geochemical and geochronological analysis. The home research team closely collaborates with government agencies and mineral companies in Queensland, a globally important hub for transition to a low-carbon future. Additionally, this project is in collaboration with experts and instrument platform at CSIRO's Perth research precinct, providing a unique opportunity for the student.

You must contact the principal supervisor for this project to discuss your interest. You should only complete the online application after you have reached agreement on supervision.

Always make sure you are approaching your potential supervisor in a professional way. We have provided some guidelines for you on how to contact a supervisor.

Your application will be assessed on a competitive basis.

We take into account your:

• previous academic record
• publication record
• honours and awards
• employment history

You will demonstrate academic achievement in the field/s of tectonics, petrology, mineralogy and the potential for scholastic success.

A background or knowledge of geochemistry (especially isotope geochemistry) and geochronology is highly desirable.

To be considered for this scholarship, please email the following documents to Dr Renjie Zhou (renjie.zhou@uq.edu.au):

• Cover letter
• CV
• Academic transcript/s

Please note the following: Submitting the above documents does not constitute a full application for admission into The University of Queensland's PhD program. If you are selected as the preferred applicant, you will then be invited to submit a full application for admission. You can familiarise yourself with the documents required for this process on the UQ Study website. Applications are open until 28 February 2025. Note that this scholarship is available for  Australian citizens and permanent residents, and New Zealand citizens. For opportunities for other applicants, please contact the supervisor directly.