Postdoctoral position in Applied Mineralogy with focus on REE-beneficiation

Postdoctoral position in Applied Mineralogy with focus on REE-beneficiation

Are you interested in working with mineralogical and geochemicall protocols, with the support of competent and friendly colleagues in an international environment? Are you looking for an employer that invests in sustainable employeeship and offers safe, favourable working conditions? We welcome you to apply for a postdoctoral position in applied mienralogy at Uppsala University.

The Department of Earth Sciences at Uppsala University is Sweden's largest and most versatile department of its kind with approximately 280 employees. The activities are interdisciplinary and combine natural science and technology with social science. The Department has research programs in air, water and landscape science; geophysics; natural resources and sustainable development; petrology, mineralogy and tectonics; paleobiology, and wind energy. Investigating the history of Earth increases the knowledge of how the planet has developed over time and contribute to achieve a sustainable development. For more information: The Department of Earth Sciences

The department coordinates a nationwide research centre for the exploration of critical raw materials (for 2024-2029), supported by the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research (SSF) and global players in this field. While the focus will be on new solutions covering a wide range of topics and scales from geology, geophysics, geochemistry, mineral economy, drilling, tech-type solutions for effective exploration, to nanotech for geometallurgical applications, there are also aspects related to ESGs (environmental, social and governance). The centre has a number of core partners from Stockholm University, Lund University and University of Gothenburg as well as Tyréns, Epiroc, Smarkand2015, Amkvo, BitSim, Nordic Iron Ore, Eurobattery Minerals and First Quantum Minerals and is supported by Nordic Geological Surveys and several global exploration and mining companies. The postdoctoral position will be placed within the Mineralogy, Petrology and Tectonics program of the Department.

This recruitment is connected to the Wallenberg Initiative Materials Science for Sustainability (WISE, wise-materials.org). WISE, funded by the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, is the largest-ever investment in materials science in Sweden and will encompass major efforts at Sweden's foremost universities over the course of 10 years. The vision is a sustainable future through materials science.

All early-stage researchers recruited into the WISE program will be a part of the WISE Research School an ambitious nationwide program of seminars, courses, research visits, and other activities to promote a strong multi-disciplinary and international network between PhD students, postdocs, researchers, and industry.

Read more: wise-materials.org

Duties

The work duties include characterization of REE-minerals and synthesis of new REE-phases to beneficiate REE from natural resources and mine tailings. The project aims to integrate classical mineralogical teccniques with high-energy powder X-ray diffraction and Pair Distribution Function analysis, coupled with X-ray fluorescence exploited in operando and time-resolved manner.

The work duties also include communication of research results through scientific articles in well-established scientific journals and through presentations internally and at international conferences. In addition to research, some participation in teaching is also included, for example in the form of supervision of doctoral students, master's students and project students. You are also expected to contribute to applications for external research funds.

Requirements

PhD degree in mineralogy, geochemistry, inorganic chemistry or a foreign degree equivalent to a PhD degree in mineralogy, or geochemistry or inorganic chemistry. The degree needs to be obtained by the time of the decision of employment. Priority will be given to applicants who have completed their degree no more than three years before the deadline for applications.  Due to special circumstances, the degree may have been obtained earlier. The three-year period can be extended due to circumstances such as sick leave, parental leave, duties in labour unions, etc.

We also require documented knowledge and experience in applied and/or experimental mineralogy.

Additional qualifications

It is advantageous to have documented knowledge and experience in one or more of the following areas:

• Analytical techniques such as ICP-MS, XRD, SEM, TEM, EMP
• Inorganic synthesis
• Synchrotron experiments
• Thermodynamic modelling

Your application should contain:

• A short letter describing yourself, your goals and why you want to take this a postdoc position.
• CV (max 2 pages)
• Copy of the PhD, master's degree (or equivalent) and course grades
• If available, an electronic version of your PhD thesis (or web link)
• Names and contact information (e-mail and telephone) to two reference persons who have agreed to act as reference for you and state your relation to the reference person.
• Copies (or drafts thereof) of thesis work and other documents, such as publications, which you wish to invoke

About the employment
The employment is a temporary position of 2 years according to central collective agreement. Full time position. Starting date 15 January 2025 or as agreed. Placement: Uppsala

For further information about the position, please contact: 

Prof. Jaroslaw Majka, +46 18-471 25 51, jaroslaw.majka@geo.uu.se 

Please submit your application by 30 December 2024, UFV-PA 2024/4048.

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