Fully funded scholarship
- Living Stipend: AUD $37,000 per year (tax-free) for three years, with a six-month extension available subject to satisfactory progress.
Project overview
Copper is central to global electrification, and demand is rising. At the same time, many cleaner, higher-grade deposits are being depleted, increasing the importance of understanding and processing more complex copper ores. What arrives at a processing plant is increasingly complex — and the geological reasons why are often only partially understood by the time an ore becomes a concentrate. This project goes back to the source.
You will investigate the geological controls, ore types, alteration, mineralogy, textures and geochemistry of copper ores, using representative samples and contextual information provided by our industry partner BHP. You will examine how copper and associated valuable and deleterious elements are distributed among different minerals, and how that distribution varies across samples. The results will identify the mineralogical and geochemical controls on ore quality and metal deportment, providing a characterisation basis for geometallurgical interpretation.
Open question
How do variations in ore geology, mineralogy, texture and element deportment control ore and concentrate quality and likely processing behaviour?
Required backgrounds
economic geology, mineralogy, geochemistry, geometallurgy, extractive metallurgy, mineral exploration/earth sciences, or related areas.
The wider program
This PhD is part of a coordinated, industry-linked copper research program funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC) and undertaken by Murdoch University in partnership with BHP. The program spans economic geology, mineral characterisation, extractive metallurgy, impurity management, and techno-economic and environmental assessment. Each PhD has its own objectives, methods and deliverables, while researchers exchange data and insights where beneficial.
Research environment
You will join a cohort of three PhD students, a postdoctoral research fellow and Honours students. Murdoch's flagship Rigaku SmartLab diffractometer (in situ PXRD and SAXS) sits alongside ICP-MS, ICP-OES, TGA/DSC, Raman spectroscopy and a full suite of reactors and furnaces, with formal access to advanced microscopy and microanalysis at UWA's Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation and Analysis and Curtin University's John de Laeter Centre (FESEM-EDS, TEM, EPMA, NanoSIMS, micro-Raman). BHP scientists contribute technical guidance, industry context and regular project interaction throughout. Perth is Australia's mining capital and one of the strongest places in the world to build a career in copper, mineral processing, extractive metallurgy and sustainable resources research.
Who we are looking for
We care about how you think and whether you can develop into an independent researcher. Applicants should have:
- A suitable academic background for this project (see above).
- A First Class Honours degree, a Master's degree with a substantial research component, or an equivalent qualification in a relevant discipline.
- Evidence of strong research potential, such as a high-quality thesis, publication, substantial research project, laboratory or modelling experience, or a project you can discuss with real depth.
- Strong written and oral communication skills, and the ability to work both independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.
- English language proficiency meeting Murdoch University HDR admission requirements, where applicable.
How to apply
Please send the following to Professor Artur Deditius (a.deditius@murdoch.edu.au):
- CV, including degrees, institutions, grade average and the scale used, thesis/project title and mark if applicable, any publications, conference presentations and research projects.
- Academic transcripts for undergraduate and postgraduate study. Unofficial PDFs are acceptable at this stage.
- English test report (IELTS, TOEFL or PTE), if already available.
- Cover letter, maximum 400 words, explaining why you are interested in this project and your thoughts on the open question above — including how you would begin tackling it, including the first experiment or analysis you would undertake, what result you would look for, and what you would do next. We do not expect a fully developed research proposal; we want to understand how you think.
Email subject line: PhD Application — Cu Mineralogy — Your Full Name.
Please apply by 31 August 2026. Late applications will be considered if the positions have not been filled. If shortlisted, applicants will be contacted for additional supporting documents and an interview. Successful candidates are expected to commence as soon as practicable, subject to admission, visa and other administrative requirements.
This is a Preview Listing…
You must sign in to see the full job description, and to apply.
Manage / Upgrade this job to a Full Job Listing.
Find Your Best Opportunity
Tell them AcademicJobs.com sent you!