Senior Research Associate in Petrological Controls Ore Genesis

Overview

We are seeking an enthusiastic and skilled geoscientist to join the School of Earth Sciences at the University of Bristol. This 24-month post is funded by a NERC standard grant investigating how copper — a critical metal essential for Net Zero technologies — is transported through the Earth's interior in subduction zones to form porphyry copper deposits. Copper supply is predicted to fall 30% short of demand by 2035, and understanding how these deposits form is vital to locating new resources efficiently and responsibly.

You will join an established and collaborative team led by Dr Oliver Lord, working alongside Co-Investigators at Bristol, UCL, and Diamond Light Source, with a Project Partner at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The project combines fieldwork, advanced analytical techniques, and high-pressure experimentation, centred on rocks from the copper-rich Laramide Porphyry Province in Arizona, USA.

The role combines three complementary strands. You will help plan and lead geological fieldwork in Arizona to collect and document natural rock samples from porphyry copper deposits. You will characterise both natural and experimental samples using advanced analytical techniques, including synchrotron-based X-ray absorption spectroscopy at Diamond Light Source, electron probe microanalysis, Raman spectroscopy, and LA-ICP-MS. You will design and conduct high-pressure, high-temperature experiments using diamond anvil cells, piston-cylinder presses, and cold-seal pressure vessels to simulate how metal-bearing fluids and melts are generated in subduction zones.

Full training will be provided for any techniques that are new to you.

• You have research experience in igneous petrology, geochemistry, economic geology, or a closely related field, and hold (or are near completion of) a PhD in Earth Sciences or a closely related discipline.
• You have experience of geological fieldwork and are proficient with analytical techniques used to characterise geological materials.
• You have a track record of productive independent research and the ability to plan and execute laboratory-based experimental or analytical work.
• You are a motivated researcher who can work effectively within a multi-institutional team, communicate results clearly, and are willing to travel for fieldwork and synchrotron beamtime.
• Experience with high-pressure experimental apparatus or synchrotron-based techniques would be an advantage, but full training will be provided.

• Contract type: Open ended with fixed funding until 30/09/2028
• Work pattern: Full time
• Grade: J/Pathway 2
• School/Unit: School of Earth Sciences
• Closing date: This advert will close at 23:59 UK time on 05/08/2026