Program

This program is intended for undergraduate, M.Sc., Ph.D. and postdoctoral fellows in one of the six universities of the network and are interested in obtaining training in technological innovation and sustainability environmental management of the mining industry. This program is designed to develop the mentoring and training environment by improving areas such as communication, collaboration and professional skills, as well as providing experience relevant to both academic and non-academic research environments.

The objective of the program is to facilitate the transition of new researchers from trainees to productive employees.

Students will be assigned a professional development mentor from one of our industrial partners. The program will ensure that all students will spend at least 20% (3 to 10 months) of their time as interns in the installations of our industrial partners where they will directly apply their research to inquiries pertinent for the mining industry.

The mining industry includes three fields of activity: exploration, extraction and metallurgy. According to the Mining Association of Canada “The industry covers metal (gold, nickel copper, cobalt, palladium), non-metal (asbestos, potash) and coal mines; oil sands mining operations; and manufacturing in the form of smelters, refineries and fabrication facilities.” In addition we consider that companies conducting business in environmental impact assessment, support to sustainable development, toxicological and ecotoxicological risk assessment, development of waste management, waste water treatment, soil decontamination by phytoremediation or other procedures are involved in the environmental management of the mining sector. This indicates that there are internship opportunities in a wide variety of businesses.

As part of Mine of Knowledge, several training activities are offered to students:

• Seminar Mining 101
• Summer School in Metals Biogeochemistry - Theoretical and Field Course
• Multiple Mining and First Nations Workshop
• Course on oral and written communication
• Course on Commercialization and Intellectual Property Management