RMIT University PhD Research Scholarship - Quantifying uranium minerals, Australia

Overview

If you are interested in the proposed PhD project of the development of new methodologies for quantifying uranium minerals in complex uranium bearing ores, then this scholarship may assist you with a three-year stipend.

Value and duration

The scholarship pays $27,000 per year (for three years).

Top-up Scholarship of up to $10,000 per annum is available to doctoral students who gain an Australian Postgraduate Award (APA) scholarship starting in 2012.

Eligibility

To be eligible for this scholarship you must:

Be either a local or international research student

How to apply

Contact Professor Suresh Bhargava.

Open date

Mid 2011

Close date

March 2012

Further info

Proposed PhD project: Development of new methodologies for quantifying uranium minerals in complex uranium bearing ores

The chemistry involved in extracting uranium from uranium bearing ores is complex due to uranium bearing ores containing a number of different uranium minerals in addition to the other numerous minerals / compounds found in these ore bodies. In order to gain a better understanding of the chemistry of uranium extraction from uranium bearing ores detailed information on the type and quantity of uranium minerals present in feed ores is required. The aforementioned information is however difficult to obtain using current techniques due to uranium minerals usually being found in ores in very low concentrations as very fine grains. In addition the current techniques that are capable of providing the aforementioned information are laborious and expensive and cannot be used for analysing a large number of samples in a short time frame.

The main aim of this research project will be to investigate the development of new methodologies for determining / characterising the uranium minerals found in uranium bearing ores. It will involve studies using a range of instrument techniques including a new microprobe technique recently developed at the CSIRO.

The successful applicant will be based at the City campus of the School of Applied Sciences and will also be required to undertake research at the CSIRO's laboratories in Clayton.