The Groundwater Geochemistry and Remediation Research Group (GGR) at the University of Waterloo invites qualified applicants for undergraduate co-op, MSc, PhD, and Post-doctoral Fellow (PDF) positions.
Greenhouse Gases in Agricultural Systems
GGR is currently recruiting three PhD students for field, laboratory, and numerical modelling studies focused on greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural systems.
Interested candidates are invited to provide their transcripts, CV, a brief statement of research interests, and copies of publications (if available). For further information regarding these positions, please contact Steve Holland.
PhD position - Trait-based Evaluation of Soil Biogeochemical Transformations of Nitrogen in Agricultural Systems
Integrated biogeochemical and genomic-based functional analysis of processes in soils in response to nutrient amendments; quantitative analysis will be used to determine processes controlling nitrogen transformations in agricultural systems. This project will include detailed laboratory experiments at the University of Waterloo, coupled with molecular biological approaches for microbial characterization at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada facilities (Harrow, ON). This student will have opportunities to collaborate with researchers from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the University of British Columbia.
PhD position - Influence of land-use changes on greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural systems
Through integrated field characterization and numerical modelling approaches, this PhD student will examine the impact of land-use change on greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural systems.
PhD position - Evaluation of soil-dependent greenhouse gas emissions
This PhD student will conduct laboratory batch and flow-through column experiments using amended soils from agricultural systems. Aqueous- and gas-phase samples will be collected from experimental systems for the measurement of isotope ratios, which will be integrated into reactive-transport simulations to predict greenhouse gas emission potential for the different soil types.
NSERC-TERRE-NET
The following positions are part of the NSERC-TERRE-NET program, which is a multi-institutional and multi- and trans-disciplinary research Network spanning seven universities across Canada and supported by numerous partner organizations, with the overarching goal of ensuring the environmentally responsible, socially acceptable extraction of mineral and energy resources using cutting-edge approaches and technologies. The NSERC-TERRE-NET program encourages inter-university interactions, and provides financial support for full-term exchanges at other Network institutions.
Interested candidates are invited to provide their transcripts, CV, a brief statement of research interests, and copies of publications (if available). For further information regarding these positions, please contact Steve Holland (NSERC-TERRE-NET Network Manager).
MSc position - Effectiveness of Organic-carbon Cover Systems on Sulfide-rich Tailings
This MSc position will investigate the effectiveness of organic-carbon cover systems on sulfide-rich tailings at an active base-metal mine site. This student will characterize aspects of site hydrology, geochemistry, mineralogy, and microbiology, estimate the potential impact of the cover system on future loadings from the tailings impoundment to the adjacent environment, and apply new tools to improve quantification of contaminant loadings. This MSc position includes an opportunity for an exchange to the other Network institutions.
MSc position - Evaluation of Geosynthetic Clay-liner Cover Systems on Sulfide-rich Tailings
This MSc position will study the effectiveness of geosynthetic clay-liner covers on sulfide-rich tailings at an abandoned base-metal mine site. This student will characterize aspects of site hydrology, geochemistry, mineralogy, and microbiology, estimate the potential impact of the cover system on future loadings from the tailings impoundment to the adjacent environment, and apply new tools to improve quantification of contaminant loadings. This MSc position includes an opportunity for an exchange to the other Network institutions.
MSc position - Permeable Reactive Barriers for Treatment of Mine Drainage
This MSc position will focus on permeable reactive barriers (PRBs) for treatment of mine drainage. This student will conduct field sampling at existing PRB installations that were installed 10-15 years ago to determine their ongoing effectiveness, and to evaluate whether predictions made more than a decade ago accurately represent field performance. In addition, this student will conduct laboratory-based testing and numerical modelling to evaluate new PRB materials. This position includes an opportunity for an exchange to the other Network institutions.
PhD position - Emerging Contaminants in Mine-impacted Waters
This PhD position will focus on emerging contaminants in mine-impacted waters. This student will measure concentrations of blasting residuals and other emerging contaminants in water samples from waste-rock and tailings impoundments. This research will lead to an enhanced understanding of the distribution of blasting residuals and other emerging contaminants in receiving water bodies, thus providing a basis for determining whether these measurements can be used as tracers of anthropogenic activity. This PhD position includes an opportunity for an exchange to the other Network institutions.
PhD position - Influence of Advanced Sulfide Oxidation on the Effectiveness of Remediation Activities at Abandoned Mine Sites
This PhD position will focus on the influence of prior contamination on the performance of remediation activities at an abandoned metal mine. This project will investigate the biogeochemical processes which contribute to the sustained release of contaminants from tailings stored under cover systems. Results of this project provide novel insights into the long-term performance of systems for the management of acid-generating mine wastes. This PhD position includes an opportunity for an exchange to the other Network institutions.
PDF position - Evaluation of Remediation Options for Arsenic-bearing Tailings at an Abandoned Gold Mine
This PDF position will focus on hydrogeochemical characterization of arsenic-bearing mill tailings at an abandoned gold-mine site, and the development and pilot-scale implementation of passive-remediation strategies for attenuating arsenic. This PDF position includes an opportunity for an exchange to the other Network institutions.
