David Weight Cobalt Scholarship Announced: Assessing the Circular Economy Potential of Cobalt in the UK

The Cobalt Institute, in partnership with the University of Exeter and the British Geological Survey announced the David Weight Cobalt PhD Scholarship “Assessing the circular economy potential of cobalt in the UK” and invites aspiring students to apply. The scholarship honors David Weight – the past President of the Cobalt Institute who led the association for almost 30 years and brought a great contribution to the cobalt industry.

Cobalt is essential for the green economy and used in a high range of metallurgical and chemical applications. It is especially known for its contribution on to rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. According to the IEA, the projected demand for cobalt in clean energy technologies would require an increase in production by 70% in 2040 compared to 2020.

As the circular economy approach becomes crucial to achieve the green transition, there is a growing need to understand the role of cobalt in end-of-life products to inform appropriate decision-making.

Mindful of this challenge, the Cobalt Institute is delighted to launch the call for Scholarships together with the University of Exeter and the British Geological Survey.

The objective of the PhD Scholarship is to assess the potential of cobalt in the circular economy. The project will include the assessment and quantification of the UK anthropogenic resources of cobalt through stocks and flows modelling. The project will also include the research and evaluations of the business landscape for a circular economy cobalt ecosystem in the UK.

Detailed information for all interested students can be found here. The deadline for application is 24 May 2022.