NERC has announced £2.6m in funding to support the Training and Research Group for Energy Transition Mineral Resources (TARGET), to train the new generation of mineral resource experts in the UK.
The funding will set up a multi-institution centre for doctoral training, TARGET, to ensure that mineral resource experts are trained in the UK.
The TARGET centre is one of four new NERC-funded centres that will train the next generation of PhD students. The consortium is led by the University of Leicester.
Why are mineral resources experts needed in the UK?
Over three billion tonnes of metals are produced from mineral resources each year. Minerals underpin society – we need them for infrastructure, industry, and technology.
Mineral resources are also needed in renewable energy technologies, such as wind turbines, solar panels, and electric vehicles. As the UK’s transition to renewable energy takes shape, the demand for these minerals will continue to increase.
Some of the minerals required for the energy transition and our society are regarded as critical raw materials. This means that they are important but have supply chains that are vulnerable to disruption.
Training the next generation of mineral resource experts will help to develop a secure and sustainable supply.
What is the TARGET centre?
The TARGET centre is a UK-wide group of universities, research organisations, and industrial partners. It will include some of the most important global companies in mining, mineral analysis, environmental standards, and finance.
Led by the University of Leicester’s Centre for Sustainable Resource Extraction, TARGET partners include Cardiff University, the University of Exeter, the Natural History Museum, Imperial College, the British Geological Survey, the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland, the University of Liverpool, the University of Leeds, Brighton University, St Andrews University, University College London, the University of Aberdeen, the Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre, the University of Southampton, and the University of Edinburgh.
The centre will provide doctoral-level training in the full lifecycle of minerals from sector leaders.
TARGET’s leader, Dr Dan Smith, from the University of Leicester School of Geography, Geology and the Environment, said: “TARGET is a really exciting opportunity for us to train the next generation of researchers with the skills they need to tackle some of the biggest challenges in mineral resources: how do they form? How can we find the raw materials we need? How can we process and extract them efficiently, and how can we be more sustainable whilst doing so?
“It’s not just about getting more resources either. We know we need more careful stewardship of the resources we do have – considering circular economy models, better waste management, and more efficient use of mineral products.”
TARGET’s training programme
The TARGET Centre will combine PhD research projects with a multidisciplinary training programme to train mineral resources experts in a number of skills, including mineral exploration, processing, finance, policy, and sustainability.
The training will be led by a mix of academic researchers and industry practitioners.
The centre will operate alongside other UKRI minerals programmes
TARGET will operate alongside other UKRI programmes, such as the £15m CLIMATES programme being delivered by Innovate UK. The programme aims to boost rare earth circularity, and the funding will enhance research in the UK to enhance the responsible supply of minerals.
Science, Research and Innovation Minister, Andrew Griffith, said: “Backing our brightest students to tackle issues as vital as flooding and protecting our water quality is an investment in protecting the landscape of the UK, while defending our planet and the resources we need to deliver us all healthier and more prosperous lives.
“With more than £10m in funding over the coming years it will also help to skill-up students in high-value research, which will grow the UK economy and ensure we fulfil the potential of the talent spread throughout our country.”
Professor Peter Liss, Interim Executive Chair of NERC, said: “This investment by NERC will equip the next generation of environmental science researchers with the technical and professional skills to tackle some of the most significant challenges facing the UK and globally.
“The new centres for doctoral training will focus on the key themes of flood management, freshwater quality, sustainable mineral resources and wetland conservation.”
