Ole Skursch

This PhD scholarship at DTU Sustain, Technical University of Denmark focuses on the thermodynamic properties of minerals that may serve as ores for critical raw materials. The project is part of an interdisciplinary and international collaboration designed to connect fundamental mineral characterization with applications in sustainable metal recovery. The PhD is one of two interdependent projects hosted by DTU Sustain and the University of Queensland. At DTU, the student will lead the work on in-depth mineral characterization and thermodynamic stabilities, while collaborating closely with the UQ-based project that explores microbially mediated metal dissolution and mineral-based microbial consortia for metal recovery. Together, the projects aim to build a pipeline from fundamental understanding to application in sustainable resource processing. The successful candidate will investigate mineral systems using first-principles methods, for example density functional theory, to study how thermodynamic properties relate to critical raw material ores. The role also includes teaching and may involve co-supervision of MSc and BSc students, offering experience in both research and academic mentoring. The position sits within DTU Sustain, the Department of Environmental and Resource Engineering, which is one of Europe’s largest university departments in this field. The department works across research, development, scientific advice, and education, and describes an international environment with academic freedom, collegial respect, and responsibility. The project also involves an extended stay at the University of Queensland and close cross-institutional collaboration.