UKRI FCDO Senior Research Fellowships (Non-ODA): Critical minerals and supply chains

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This Fellowship is to embed a researcher within the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in the subject area of critical minerals and their supply chains. Critical minerals are defined as raw materials that are essential for economically important activities, but are at high risk of disruption to supply. We depend on critical minerals for a number of modern technologies, including in those with growing importance to a clean energy transition (batteries and motors in electric vehicles, solar panels, wind turbines). Critical minerals have challenged supply chains though - they may be geologically scarce and found in only a few places worldwide; occur in low concentrations; and/or are difficult and expensive to process. These issues combine to put the supply of critical minerals at risk - they are vulnerable to market forces, geopolitics, and shifting technologies in both end-use and in production methods. Critical mineral supply is met by mining, and recycling of end-of-life products. Recycling rates for critical minerals are generally very low, and important research areas include identifying priority materials for recycling, developing novel techniques that improve recycling rates, and exploring policy options to encourage circularity. With respect to supply from geological sources, the exploration for and mining of critical minerals is a technically demanding and capital-intensive process, often left to the private sector. There is increasing state involvement in the mining lifecycle, particularly with the recent announcement of the multilateral Minerals Security Partnership. There is a particularly strong focus on responsible sourcing of critical minerals, with greater scrutiny of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors in mining. Policy in the UK on ESG in mining will likely have global impact, given the importance of London markets on the ownership of mining companies, and trade of metals. Critical mineral supply has links to development. Some minerals move through supply chains blighted by forced labour, unsafe labour conditions, child workers, poor environmental practice, corruption, and criminality. Some materials come from unlicensed mines, and are a vital source of work and access to a cash economy. Attempts to formalise artisanal miners, improve their working conditions, and help lift them out of poverty need to be balanced against the requirements to remove criminal and irresponsible materials from supply chains. In summary, the UK's evolving strategic view of critical minerals is an excellent opportunity to explore the role of foreign policy, trade relations, and the international impact of domestic policy. There is a clear and apparent need to grow secure and responsible supply chains, in concert with improving environmental and social performance in metal supply, and enhancing ties between the UK and overseas partners in terms of governance, development, investment and trade.