The Waterloo Industrial Ecology Group is seeking applicants to two open positions in the PhD in Sustainability Management in the School of Environment, Enterprise and Development (SEED), University of Waterloo. We are looking for highly motivated, interdisciplinary researchers who can join our team for September 2025. Applications will be reviewed on December 15, and subsequently on a rolling basis until the positions are filled.
Our two projects are funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC):
- The Lumet project aims to illuminate the sustainability of metals and minerals value-chains. It uses data-intensive sustainability science and metallurgical process modelling to advance knowledge of standards while building technical and management capacity for traceability. Lumet partners with midstream producers to address sustainability standards, systems, and regulations that require environmental, social and governance practices. Lumet will help improve value-chain due diligence, responsible sourcing, and carbon accounting.
- Beyond Lithium is a research project aimed at establishing and optimizing various resource-efficient circularity pathways for critical minerals found in electric vehicle batteries in Canada. This project will utilize methods widely applied (but not limited to) within the fields of industrial ecology and environmental engineering, such as material flow analysis (MFA), life cycle assessment (LCA) and techno-economic feasibility assessment (TEA).
Each position is funded to at least CDN $45,000 per year. Guaranteed Faculty of Environment funding is $108,000 over four years and this will be augmented from professor funds with approximately $18,000 per year in research assistantships to the doctoral candidate. Faculty-level funding is typically contingent upon teaching assistant duties.
Applicants should have a background with demonstrated research in Industrial Ecology, Engineering (e.g., Chemical, Mining, Metallurgical, Environmental, Industrial), Chemistry, or Environmental Science. Candidates must have strong analytical skills, demonstrate capacity in systems thinking, and possess some social science or management competencies in writing, business strategy, environmental management and policy. The SUSM PhD program is based on the social science of sustainable development.
Selected candidates will become members of the Waterloo Industrial Ecology Group (WIEG) that supports collaborative research and teaching, and confronts challenges of sustainable development in systems of production and consumption in the 21st century.
Please note that only short-listed candidates will be contacted for an interview. Ensure you include "WIEG – PhD Position at UW" in the email subject and identify your interest in Beyond Lithium or Lumet, or both, to help us quickly identify your application.
To apply, please forward a detailed CV indicating education and skills, demonstrated research experience, a brief statement of purpose, and writing samples (thesis, publications, etc.) to both or either:
- Prof. Komal Habib at komal.habib@uwaterloo.ca (Beyond Lithium)
- Prof. Steven B. Young at sb.young@uwaterloo.ca (Lumet)
The University values the diverse and intersectional identities of its students, faculty, and staff. The University regards equity and diversity as an integral part of academic excellence and is committed to accessibility for all employees. The University of Waterloo seeks applicants who embrace our values of equity, anti-racism and inclusion. As such, we encourage applications from candidates who have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including applicants who identify as Indigenous peoples (e.g., First Nations, Métis, Inuit/Inuk, Black, racialized, people with disabilities, women and/or 2SLGBTQ+). The University of Waterloo is committed to accessibility for persons with disabilities. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.
Background
The large-scale production of electric vehicles, wind turbines, solar panels, and other clean technologies is required to meet ambitious climate goals globally and in Canada. Central to the dual energy and digital transition are increased quantities of critical minerals such as lithium (Li), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn) and graphite.
To avoid repeating the problems of a fossil economy, the Lumet project supports the emerging “mineral economy” that needs to be managed responsibly with high standards of social and environmental sustainability, and with mechanisms for traceability of materials through supply chains.
At the same time, urban stocks of materials in the various products and waste sinks around us, are growing. These accumulated stocks/deposits are a potential source of secondary (recycled) resources. The Beyond Lithium research project considers environmental and social risks, and supply restrictions of critical minerals in the future, and resource circularity as a viable solution.