Grant: Collaborative Research and Training Experience

Diamonds have provided the vast majority of the economic development of the Canada's*North since the early 1990s. With production currently focused on the NWT, Canada is the world's 3rd*largest diamond producer. Since mining began in 1998, the diamond industry has invested $13 billion in*the NWT economy including > $4 billion with Aboriginal companies and > $100 million in further*social investments. Two of the three NWT mines are in the final phase of production and if no new*deposits are found Canada's role in diamond production will diminish, with dramatic consequences for*the economy of the North. The discovery of new deposits will be technologically challenging, requiring*a new generation of geoscientists who have a multi-disciplinary background and critically, an excellent*grounding in field geosciences, operational logistics and the socio-economic factors involved in working*in Canada's Arctic regions. This training program will produce geoscientists who can become the next*leaders in the diamond exploration and mining industry, well equipped to take on this challenge. It will*produce personnel with greater industry-ready backgrounds, who are also academically qualified to*direct and apply the latest research methods to inform kimberlite-based diamond exploration programs.