MDRU obtains $557,670 from NSERC to Support >$1.2M Mineral Exploration Research in Yukon and Alaska
MDRU-Mineral Deposit Research Unit at The University of British Columbia announces successful leveraging of industry funds to support and expand research on their Yukon-Alaska Metallogeny (YAM) Project from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Collaborative Research and Development (CRD) program.
MDRU’s YAM project is a collaborative research venture with industry to significantly increase the knowledge of ore controlling features in western Yukon and adjacent eastern Alaska. This mineral-rich area includes the Coffee gold, Casino copper-gold and Carmacks Copper deposits, which together with other mineral resources, define the Dawson Range Mineral Belt.
The research partnership includes Kaminak Gold Corp., Sumac Mines Ltd. (a subsidiary of Sumitomo Metal Mining Co.) and Copper North Mining Corp., and provides them with access to the advanced knowledge and expertise generated at MDRU, and to train students with progressive technical skills required by today’s exploration and mining industry. Ultimately, the new knowledge will improve industry exploration decision-making to the benefit of shareholders and the Canadian economy.
“It’s been important for us to bring a high-level of scientific rigour, through the expertise available at MDRU, to our geological understanding of the Coffee gold resource. This knowledge ultimately contributed to improved exploration and development planning,” said Eira Thomas, President and CEO of Kaminak Gold Corp.
“The awarding of this grant reflects not only the high-quality of industry-applicable research undertaken by MDRU, but its economic value,” said Dr. Craig Hart, MDRU Director.
The project also significantly benefits from collaborations with, and resources from, the Yukon Geological Survey, the Geological Survey of Canada, and the United States Geological Survey.
The federal funding of $557,670 combines with more than $0.7M in funding and in-kind support from industry and other government partners to provide a total project value of >$1.25M.
The project is led by MDRU Research Associate, Dr. Murray Allan. These NSERC funds will enable YAM to carry out additional fieldwork and analyses, will support an additional MSc-level project and three new BSc Honours projects, and will provide technical support for the production of maps, datasets and additional deliverables into 2018.
For more information visit: www.mdru.ubc.ca
NSERC invests over $1 billion each year in natural sciences and engineering research in Canada. Our investments deliver discoveries – valuable world-firsts in knowledge claimed by a brain trust of over 11,000 professors. Our investments enable partnerships and collaborations that connect industry with discoveries and the people behind them. Researcher-industry partnerships established by NSERC help inform R&D, solve scale-up challenges, and reduce the risks of developing high-potential technology.
NSERC also provides scholarships and hands-on training experience for more than 30,000 post-secondary students and post-doctoral fellows. These young researchers will be the next generation of science and engineering leaders in Canada.
For further information visit: www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca
