Resources, Critical Minerals and Energy

Find collaborative research expertise

Bio-Products Institute

BPI works towards extracting high value products like bio-materials, bio-energy and bio-chemicals from bio-resources. The unit's objective is to build on Canada’s significant investment and global leadership in the forest bioeconomy to help turn the tide of global climate change. BPI recruits the best and brightest to create a world class innovation network, and is working to build an international bio-economy network that brings together industry, government and universities.

Bradshaw Research Initiative for Minerals and Mining

BRIMM connects scientists and engineers to promote cross-disciplinary research spanning the entire life-cycle of mining, from early exploration to mine closure and rehabilitation. BRIMM engages experts from all research areas to address industry challenges and make each step of the mining sector safer, cleaner and more efficient.

Diamond Exploration Lab

Carries out petrological and mineralogical studies of kimberlites, mantle xenoliths and diamonds. The Lab also studies petrology and volcanology of Canadian kimberlites and other primary diamondiferous rocks. The fundamental research in mantle petrology has very practical implications for the methodology of diamond exploration.

Energy and Environment Research Initiative

EERI combines expertise in geology, hydrogeology, isotope geochemistry, microbiology and atmospheric sciences to advance understanding of the environmental risks posed by conventional and unconventional energy resource development. The initiative is at the forefront of increasing industry-relevant knowledge about fugitive gas leakage from oil and gas development through multi-disciplinary field investigations.

Future Minerals Initiative

An interdisciplinary cluster that brings together academic researchers, Indigenous community leaders, and industry professionals to re-imagine the global critical minerals sector. FMI draws on expertise in Earth sciences, engineering, law, economics and public policy, to drive technical innovation in mineral exploration and mining, while reimagining the environmental, social and human rights dimensions of mineral resources in the context of Indigenous sovereignty.

Geophysical Inversion Facility

GIF develops and applies geophysical forward modelling and inversion methodologies. Mineral exploration and UXO characterization are primary contexts, while environmental, geotechnical and large scale Earth imaging problems are also of interest. Research is supported by industry consortium funding arrangements with NSERC, exploration and engineering companies, and other agencies.

Geological Engineering Research Group

Faculty members in the program conduct research in landslides, debris flows, runout analysis, hazard assessment, groundwater contamination and remediation, reactive transport modelling, and open pit and underground mine design and tunnelling.

Mineral Deposit Research Unit

A collaboration between the mining industry and UBC, MDRU is an internationally recognized group devoted to solving mineral exploration-related problems. It is part of an integrated geologic and geophysical research training program, and assists industry members by increasing understanding of mineral deposits and methods that are used for their discovery. Project development involves close collaboration with supporting companies.

Pacific Centre for Isotopic and Geochemical Research

PCIGR provides the most up-to-date analytical instrumentation available for isotopic and geochemical research. The Centre offers high-quality analytical services and support for researchers from universities across Canada, various government agencies, the mineral exploration industry, and the international scientific community.
 

Rio Tinto Centre for Future Materials at UBC

Housed at Imperial College London, the Centre brings together researchers from UBC and partner institutions to accelerate the development of new sustainable techniques and technologies for the energy transition. As part of the Centre, UBC researchers are investigating new ways to extract copper – such as from fluids in the Earth’s crust, using micro-organisms to harvest metals from rocks, and optimizing waste from old mine workings.

• UBC Science co-op
• Geological engineering
• Resources environment and sustainability