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PhD Projects in Ecological Engineering of Metal Mine Tailings into Soil

Employer
Global Academy Jobs
Location
Australia
Closing date
Aug 31, 2016

Job Details

Sustainable Minerals Institute

The Sustainable Minerals Institute at The University of Queensland (UQ) is a world leading research institute dedicated to finding knowledge-based solutions to the sustainability challenges of the global minerals industry. Our purpose is to develop practical solutions to the challenges of operating sustainably in the resources sector. We have a unique inter-disciplinary approach including expertise in engineering, science and the social sciences.

Our expertise, which comes from experience across the research, government and industry sectors is genuinely independent and objective. Our work covers all facets of the life of mine from geology, to minerals extraction, water management issues, minerals processing, workplace health and safety, mine rehabilitation, energy and community engagement.

 

The role

The Australian Research Council recently awarded a Linkage Project to The University of Queensland and its partners: The University of Western Australia, Curtin University, Karara Mining Limited, and the Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority. This project, Eco-engineering soil from mine tailings for native plant rehabilitation, has research capacity to support three to four PhD students.

Sustainable rehabilitation of tailings at iron mine sites is severely constrained by soil resource deficiency. Building on our recent findings of critical processes in soil formation from Cu/Pb-Zn tailings, we aim to develop an integrated technological solution through eco-engineering the mineralogical and organic constituents of tailings to initiate, and accelerate, soil formation in magnetite tailings. The technology will be underpinned by research to mediate and stimulate key biogeochemical and rhizosphere processes in the tailing-soil towards a functional 'technosol'. We aim to apply this technology at iron mines in Australia, to offset the soil required for rehabilitating tailings landforms with native plant communities.

Because of the significant shortage of soil at iron mine sites, rehabilitating hundreds of thousands of hectares of tailings with soil cover costs billions of dollars to the Australian mining industry, threatening its environmental and commercial sustainability. This project aims to develop an integrated and low-cost eco-engineering technology to purposefully accelerate the in-situ formation of soil from tailings for sustainable native plant community rehabilitation at iron mines.

 

The persons

Outstanding and enthusiastic science graduates with relevant experience in soil science, mineralogy, geomicrobiology, and/or molecular microbial ecology in soil/water are invited to submit Expressions of Interest to undertake a full-time PhD project. There are three to four complimentary PhD projects which will have focus on either Fe-mineralogical changes at organic matter (OM) and root-mineral interfaces, microbial mechanisms driving mineralogical changes at these interfaces, or molecular ecology and bioinformatics. The successful applicants will join the project research team composed of Associate Professor Longbin Huang, Professor Gordon Southam and Dr Philip Bond at The University of Queensland, Professor Hans Lambers at The University of Western Australia, and Professor Kingsley Dixon at Curtin University.

Applicants must have a minimum of First Class Honours degree or equivalent  and relevant background knowledge with demonstrable research skills in relevant aspects of the overall project. Applicants are advised to review the entry requirements of the UQ PhD program at https://graduate-school.uq.edu.au/uq-research-degrees before applying. It is important to note that successful applicants will then be invited to apply to the UQ Graduate School for admission to UQ and consideration in the relevant scholarship rounds. Participation in the Linkage Project is conditional on the applicant receiving an offer of admission from UQ Graduate School and an offer of scholarship. Successful applicants will be guided through the UQ admission and scholarship application process by the SMI Research Higher Degree Office. Applicants who have been awarded external scholarships are also most welcome to apply.

 

Remuneration

Successful applicants must be eligible for nomination in competitive scholarship rounds. Participation in the project and enrolment in the PhD program is conditional on award of a scholarship. Domestic students must receive a living allowance scholarship, and international students must receive a living allowance scholarship and a tuition fee scholarship. Please visit the UQ Graduate School Scholarship website at https://graduate-school.uq.edu.au/scholarships?qt-field_uq_structured_content=2#qt-field_uq_structured_content for information on the UQ Graduate School scholarships, conditions and eligibility requirements. The SMI Research Higher Degree Office will assist successful applicants in applying to the UQ Graduate School Round 1 2017 or Round 2 2017 scholarships. Successful applicants may also bring or apply for other external scholarships from government, corporate or not-for-profit research support schemes.

In 2016 the base rate for a living allowance scholarship is AUD26,288 per annum, indexed annually, and tax-free for three years with a possible extension of six months in approved circumstances. In addition, a top-up will be offered to successful applicants to bring the total living allowance to AUD30,000 per annum.

The selected applicants should be prepared to commence PhD candidature in Brisbane, Australia within the first two weeks of Research Quarter 1 (Jan) 2017 or no later than Research Quarter 3 (July) 2017.

 

Enquiries

To discuss the project, please contact Associate Professor Longbin Huang at l.huang@uq.edu.au, Professor Gordon Southam at g.southam@uq.edu.au, or Dr Philip Bond at phil.bond@awmc.uq.edu.au.

For information about the UQ admission and scholarship process, please contact Jacqueline Ross-Hagebaum at smipostgrad@uq.edu.ausmipostgrad@uq.edu.au

To apply, please access UQ Jobs Online by clicking the Apply button below. Your EOI must include a cover letter; all official tertiary academic transcripts in the original language and certified English translation if applicable; official tertiary award certificates; and detailed academic CV.

Important: Do not send your EOI directly to the contact person listed in this section of the advertisement. EOIs not received via the UQ Jobs online system will not be considered. 

For information on completing the application process click here

Further detailed information about research higher degree study at UQ is available via the UQ Graduate School website:  https://graduate-school.uq.edu.au/home

 

Applications:  Applications are open until filled, but consideration must be given to the UQ Graduate School scholarship application deadlines for Round 1 2017:

For international students commencing in Research Quarter 1 (January) 2017: 1 July 2016.

For domestic students commencing in Research Quarter 1 (January) 2017: 9 September 2016.

For all students commencing in Research Quarter 3 (July) 2017, you are encouraged to apply as soon as possible for consideration in the UQ Graduate School Round 2 2017 scholarships, which will be announced in late 2016.

Reference: 499178

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