With CAD $104 million in funding provided by the Canada First Research Excellence Fund and through strategic partnerships with 5 Canadian universities, 6 government geological surveys and 3 international research centres, Laurentian University will conduct Metal Earth - the largest ever mineral exploration research project undertaken in Canada. Metal Earth seeks to identify and understand the processes responsible for Earth's differential metal endowment during the Precambrian. This research initiative aims to transform our understanding of Earth's early evolution and how we explore for metals.

Metal Earth is led by the Mineral Exploration Research Centre (MERC), of the Harquail School of Earth Sciences (HSES), which is housed in the Willet Green Miller Centre at Sudbury, Canada. MERC is a semi-autonomous research centre at Laurentian, and comprises an internationally-recognized group of researchers from HSES, academia, industry and government.

Metal Earth is seeking 11 MSc students to conduct mapping-based and geophysical research in the Abitibi Subprovince of Ontario and Quebec. As part of an integrated geological -geophysical team, fieldwork will involve detailed geological and geophysical (gravity) mapping of transects that cross precious and base metal endowed and less endowed ancestral faults and volcanic centres. Individual research problems will develop from the transect mapping and will be addressed through integrated field mapping, geochemical, isotopic and geophysical research. Each MSc project is fully funded for two years ($25K/yr which includes a Laurentian Graduate Assistantship). Mapping experience is an asset.

Metal Earth is seeking 2 PhD students to conduct mapping-based research in Rouyn-Noranda Volcanic Complex and Larder Lake area of the Abitibi Subprovince of Quebec and Ontario. Field work will be conducted as part of an integrated geological-geophysical team that is undertaking transect mapping through precious and base metal endowed and less endowed ancestral faults and volcanic centres of the Abitibi. At Rouyn-Noranda the research will establish the stratigraphic and structural architecture of the Horne-Quemont area, and the timing and relationship between spatially associated orogenic gold and VMS ore systems. At Larder Lake, the research will study the stratigraphic and structural evolution of the Cadillac-Larder Lake Deformation Zone and surrounding rocks and implications to gold mineralization. The research projects are fully funded for four years ($30K/yr which includes a Laurentian Graduate Assistantship). Mapping experience, particularly in structural geology, is an asset.

Laurentian University is a bilingual (French-English), tri-cultural institution. Laurentian University especially welcomes and encourages applications from members of visible minorities, women, Aboriginal persons, members of sexual minorities and persons with disabilities. Applicants may self-identify as a member of an employment equity group. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply. However, Canadians and permanent residents will be considered first for these positions.