Acknowledgement of Country

CSIRO acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land, sea and waters, of the area that we live and work on across Australia. We acknowledge their continuing connection to their culture and pay our respects to their Elders past and present. View our vision towards reconciliation

The Opportunity

• Do you have a PhD Engineering (Chemical), Metallurgy, Earth and/or Space Sciences or related field?
• Do you want to advance your scientific knowledge & experience?
• Join CSIRO – Australia’s leading scientific research organisation!

CSIRO Early Research Career (CERC) Postdoctoral Fellowships provide opportunities to scientists and engineers who have completed their doctorate and have less than three years of relevant postdoctoral work experience. These fellowships aim to develop the next generation of future leaders of the innovation system.

In this position you will undertake research in a novel technology-based project which is inspired by critical science challenges associated with the development of In-Situ Resource Utilisation (ISRU) capabilities. ISRU is an emerging space resource science that seeks to transform raw resources found in planetary environment into refined materials and consumables (air, water, propellants, building materials) which are essential to support sustained mission activities. 

Significant challenges face the deployment of ISRU in planetary environments.  ISRU is a complex space resource chain that links identification, extraction and processing subsystems and the current overall system technology readiness level is extremely low. Of these key elements, methods for achieving the resource processing component are least well understood, requiring significant science innovation and development to realize the potential of ISRU.  

The project will develop in-place metal extraction technologies that will allow long-term exploration missions on Mars to take advantage of indigenous resources. The technologies will have direct application to sustainability goals of terrestrial resource industries, being inherently carbon-neutral, focused on renewable energy, and with a strong emphasis on minimal waste.

Your duties will include:

• Conduct systematic thermodynamic modelling to identify optimum process conditions from a wide range of conditions (applicable for both terrestrial and Mars contexts) to produce an iron-rich alloy from Mars soils/regolith raw resources. 
• Plan and conduct an experimental study under terrestrial and simulated Mars-like conditions followed by detailed materials characterization studies to demonstrate the feasibility and efficiency of the carbothermic reduction process and metal/alloy production and to provide an understanding of the reaction mechanism/kinetics. 
• Provide an assessment of co-products development from the silicate-rich residues after carbothermic reduction. This will include proposal and testing of specific materials processing routes such as sintering/melting of the residues to produce potentially useful structural products. The candidate will be expected to research the most suitable work-flow for the best possible products. 
• Carry out innovative, impactful research of strategic importance to CSIRO that will, where possible, lead to novel and important scientific outcomes.

Location:  Clayton, Victoria

Salary:  AU$92k - AU$101k plus up to 15.4% superannuation

Tenure:  Specified term of 3 years

Reference:  90772

To be considered you will need:

• A doctorate (or will shortly satisfy the requirements of a PhD) in a relevant discipline area, such as Engineering (Chemical), Metallurgy, Earth and/or Space Sciences. Please note: To be eligible for this role you must have no more than 3 years (full-time equivalent) of postdoctoral research experience.
• Experience in thermodynamic modelling of multicomponent systems using commercially available software packages (e.g HSC Chemistry, FactSage).
• Demonstrated hands-on experience designing and conducting complex experimental investigations involving high temperature.
• Experience in process modelling (e.g development of process flowsheet, including mass and energy balance).

For full details about this role please view the Position Description

Eligibility

Applications for this position are open to Australian/New Zealand Citizens, Australian Permanent Residents or Australian temporary residents currently residing in Australia and be able to commence in the role by 30 June 2023.

Appointment to this role is subject to provision of a national police check and may be subject to other security/medical/character requirements.

Flexible Working Arrangements

We work flexibly at CSIRO, offering a range of options for how, when and where you work. 

Diversity and Inclusion

We are working hard to recruit people representing the diversity across our society, and ensure that all our people feel supported to do their best work and feel empowered to let their ideas flourish. 

About CSIRO

At CSIRO Australia's national science agency, we solve the greatest challenges through innovative science and technology. We put the safety and wellbeing of our people above all else and earn trust everywhere because we only deal in facts. We collaborate widely and generously and deliver solutions with real impact. 

Join us and start creating tomorrow today!

How to Apply

Please apply on-line and provide a cover letter and CV that best demonstrate your motivation and ability to meet the requirements of this role.

Applications Close

31 January 2023, 11:00pm AEDT