MERC - Mineral Exploration Research Centre

Our mission is to conduct and promote cutting-edge, field-based, collaborative research on mineral deposits and their environments, and to educate and train highly qualified personnel (HQP) for careers in the minerals industry, academia or government.MERC research projects are supported by Canadian and international mining companies, the National Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Geological Survey of Canada, provincial and territorial geological surveys and other agencies. The research projects are global, and address fundamental ore deposit problems and technology and method development that aid exploration in Precambrian and younger terrains. MERC managed the very successful $8m Ontario Mineral Exploration Technology Program (2001-2005) for the Ontario Ministry of Northern Development and Mines, was the Secretariat for the CMIC Exploration Footprints Program, and is currently leading the seven-year Canadian $104 million applied R&D program - Metal Earth.It is a semi-autonomous research centre at Laurentian University (LU) that was established by the LU Senate in 1997, it is affiliated with the Harquail School of Earth Sciences (HES), and comprises an internationally recognized group of researchers from academia, industry and government. MERC has >75 faculty, research scientists, and graduate students working on mineral deposits, Precambrian geology, and exploration methodology and targeting, all housed within offices and labs of the Willet Green Miller Mines and Minerals Research Centre on the LU campus. MERC is governed by an Advisory Board comprised of industry, government and academic leaders. Visit merc.laurentian.ca for more information.