Hi All,
A message on behalf of Bhavik Lodhia, Deputy Director of the AuScope EarthBank project based in Perth, Western Australia:
The AuScope EarthBank project is an Australian government-funded $21 million initiative to modernise Australian and international geochemistry data infrastructure by integrating analytical instrumentation across 11 universities into a FAIR-aligned digital platform for standardised data aggregation, discovery, and geospatial analysis. Co-developed with Lithodat Pty Ltd, EarthBank supports open-access research and industry use through interoperable services, powering initiatives such as isotopic mapping, museum digitisation, and international geochemical data standardisation.
As a current GSL fellow and being from the UK, I am keen to build links between EarthBank and the geochemistry community in the UK.
We will be hosting our first online webinar<https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.event…> next Tuesday at 1300 AWST, where we will launch the $21 million EarthBank project.
I also noticed that a placeholder has been set for GGRIP meeting (24-26 March 2026). Once more details are released, we will be interested in potentially contributing and attending.
Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
Kind Regards,
Bhavik
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Webinar Abstract:
The AuScope EarthBank project (EarthBank project) is a $21 million national initiative to modernise Australia’s geochemistry data infrastructure and to advance discovery in the Earth and environmental sciences. As Project Director, I lead a program that integrates over $100 million in analytical instrumentation across 10 university laboratories into a single FAIR-aligned digital platform, the AuScope EarthBank platform (EarthBank)—co-developed with Lithodat Pty Ltd—that enables seamless data aggregation, standardisation, and geospatial analysis.
The EarthBank project operates at the nexus of research, government, and industry, facilitating translational outcomes through open-access infrastructure and collaborative networks. Since 2022, over 125,000 georeferenced samples and datasets have been uploaded to EarthBank, with over 1,000 registered users—15% from industry—demonstrating its value beyond academia. Our CoreTrustSeal-certified system supports research publication pipelines, isotopic mapping, national geochemical baselines, and museum digitisation projects.
A hallmark of EarthBank’s impact is its role in transforming physical collections into discoverable research-ready assets. A flagship collaboration with Museums Victoria registered more than 43,500 historical rock and mineral specimens, now discoverable through EarthBank. This has catalysed similar partnerships with other museums, with an additional 80,000 legacy specimens targeted for integration.
The EarthBank project also plays a global leadership role in geochemical data standardisation through its involvement in the OneGeochemistry initiative, enabling harmonised international workflows. Looking ahead, the EarthBank project will underpin new national isoscape mapping projects in collaboration with Geoscience Australia and state agencies and facilitate tectonic-geochemical integration through joint development with the GPlates community—allowing researchers to evaluate mineral system formation through time and space.
This presentation will explore how the EarthBank team is building new laboratory and interoperable digital infrastructure to support scientific excellence, industry application, and sovereign capability in the global energy transition.
Dear Geochemists,
Our latest updates are here….
GGRIP 2026 - Save the date!
We are excited to announce that the next Geochemistry Group Research in Progress (GGRiP) meeting will take place in Bristol on the 24th-26th of March 2026. More details to follow soon!
Jobs:
UCL have a lectureship advertised with a tight timeline (closing date 24 June). Full details here: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/search-ucl-jobs/details?jobId=35084&jobTi…<https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ucl.a…>. The position is a full-time permanent academic post at Lecturer level (Grade 8) in Earth Sciences. Research areas include the climate crisis, hydrogeology, sustainable resources, the energy transition, natural hazards, and planetary science.
Meeting attendance Bursaries (PhDs & ECRs):
More information and the application form can be found on our website https://geochemistry.group/funding-opportunities/<https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgeochemis…>. These are often under subscribed, so you stand a great chance of success. You have plenty of time before the 15th October deadline, perfect if you are planning to go to a conference this winter!
Geo-Bio Interfaces:
Please consider submitting your papers to Geo-Bio Interfaces, a journal of the Mineralogical Society. It aims to answer fundamental and emerging questions in geoscience and bioscience, by exploring contemporary scientific disciplines and the interconnection between them. The table below shows the full scope of the journal:
SECTION
THEME
Microbial
Microbial controls in the geo-environment
Microbial controls in astrogeobiology
Biofilm form and function
Contributions to geochemical cycles
Microbial weathering of minerals, rocks and soils
Extremophiles
Environmental
Bioremediation of toxic substances
Water treatment and wastewater management
Biocatalysis of minerals and biomineralization
Carbon sequestration
Geochemical
Mineral-microbe-water reactions, thermodynamics, and kinetics
Isotope (bio)geochemistry
Geochemical and biogeochemical reactions and controls
Reactive transport modelling and colloid transport
Scaling of geochemical and biogeochemical reactions
Trace metals and organics in biogeochemical cycles
Energy and Resources
Mineral capture, storage and disposal
Geomicrobiological prospecting
Microbial transformation of economically important minerals and elements
Biomining and resource recovery
Challenges of sustainability and geomaterials
Microbe-mineral interfaces in soil productivity and agriculture
Earth Science Women’s Network:
After a successful set of events over the past four years, the Earth Science Women's Network Professional Development and Networking Committee (formerly Member Events) is now planning a new set of event activities for implementation in future years from late 2025 onwards. The landscape today may feel quite different to how it was several years ago. To ensure that our activities are aligned with the needs and interests of the ESWN community and that they are timely, we invite you to participate in a ~5 minutes survey (open to all) to help us shape the program: https://forms.gle/DyZHMhvNVzV7J5zh7<https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fforms.gle…> (survey closes on June 30)
Follow us on Bluesky and LinkedIn:
Our X account is no longer, so please:
* Follow us on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/geochemgroup.bsky.social<https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbsky.app%…>.
* We now have the Geochemistry Group set up as a ‘company' on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-geochemistry-group/<https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linke…>, so please follow us here!
* Also a plug for our parent body, the Mineralogical Society of the UK, follow them on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mineralogical-society-of-uk-and-ireland/<https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linke…> for lots of relevant updates.
YouTube:
Check out some great resources on our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@geochemistrygroup4420<https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtu…>. Here you can watch all our past series of 'ECR Skills for Geochemists' and 'Out of Academia: Into Science’.
Mineralogical Society:
The Society now offers 300 free student memberships for 3 years! This is a fantastic offer and we encourage all students to join. More info here: https://www.minersoc.org/membership.html<https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.miner…>
You can watch the MinSoc Skills and Training events from last year and find out more about upcoming events here: https://www.minersoc.org/skills-and-training.html<https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.miner…>
All the best
George
Dear Geochemists,
UCL have a lectureship advertised with a tight timeline (closing date 24 June). Full details here: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/search-ucl-jobs/details?jobId=35084&jobTi…<https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ucl.a…>
We are offering a full-time permanent academic post at Lecturer level (Grade 8) in Earth Sciences. The specific research of the successful candidate should complement our existing strengths. Research areas include the climate crisis, hydrogeology, sustainable resources, the energy transition, natural hazards, and planetary science.
UCL Earth Sciences has a strong tradition of research; our experimental laboratories host a broad range of equipment designed to study many aspects of Earth Sciences, supported by experienced and knowledgable technical staff, together with access to high-performance computing facilities. We expect the successful applicant to embed themselves within our community to realise their own ambitious research programme. The appointed person will build links across the Department and throughout UCL more widely.
All the best
George
