PhD Scholarship

PhD Scholarship - Modelling mineral supply for the energy transition

Open to: Australian residents
[outstanding international candidates currently in Australia may also be considered]

UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures

A prestigious PhD scholarship is available at the Institute for Sustainable Futures (ISF), University of Technology Sydney (UTS), to explore the connections between supply scenarios for energy transition minerals. The successful candidate will work to advance understanding of the intersection between energy technologies, energy transition mineral supply chains, sustainable development and decarbonisation outcomes. This will provide the basis to generate the knowledge required by industry, government and policy makers to more effectively navigate the global energy transition.

The PhD project will link with a broader research project on Future Transition Mineral Supply Dynamics.

The successful candidate will be enrolled at the UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures. We are a transdisciplinary research institute with a mission of creating change towards sustainable futures. Established more than twenty years ago, ISF has worked with numerous governments, industry and community organisations internationally, to incorporate sustainability into their processes and practices through high quality applied research.

Our renowned Graduate Research Program supports students working at the leading edge of complex societal problems and sustainability challenges. The program includes retreats, peer support groups, workshops and professional development seminars to help create a supportive community of scholars. The successful applicant will also benefit from the wider scholarly environment provided by collaborators and international project partners.

About the project

The PhD project is centred on advancing scenario modelling frameworks for understanding the long-term supply of minerals (such as copper, lithium, nickel) needed for the transition to renewable energy and battery technologies. The project will explore the boundary and potential integration of the UTS-developed Primary Exploration, Mining and Metal Supply Scenario (PEMMSS) model with broader Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs) and emerging modelling frameworks for prospective Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). This will provide pathways to understanding how mineral supply chains can respond to different global decarbonisation trajectories and rates of renewable energy deployments, as well as the long-term environmental trade-offs associated with material supply. Individuals with a background in industrial ecology, material flow analysis, life cycle assessment, environmental engineering, geoscience, mineral processing, resource economics or scenario modelling are encouraged to apply.

The student will be supervised by Dr Stephen Northey and Professor Damien Giurco, both at ISF with potential for co-supervision from other project collaborators.

The Scholarship stipend is AUD$37,500 tax-free per annum for three and a half years, and there are additional funds for travel and project work. The successful applicant can begin mid 2025.

In the first instance, please submit your CV, a cover letter and a sample of your writing (as per guidelines below) by 31 st January 2025. Shortlisted applicants will then be required to prepare a research proposal by 23 rd February 2025, ahead of final interviews and selection in late February. Shortlisted applicants will be advised of the interview outcome by 28 th February. To submit your application, please email your application to Stephen.Northey@uts.edu.au.

If you require further information on the position contact Dr Stephen Northey by email onStephen.Northey@uts.edu.au.

AUD$37,500 tax-free stipend per annum for three and a half years, and there are additional funds for travel and project work.

Some industrial ecology candidates that are on the job market...

- Ruibin Xu
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University; Southern University of Science and Technology
- Lidia Kim
National Research and Development Institute for Industrial Ecology - ECOIND

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