To acknowledge the authors’ support and recognize their outstanding scientific  accomplishment, the Editorial Board is proud to announce the Minerals 2022 Best Paper Awards. We hope this award will encourage the publishing of high-quality papers in the journal.

All papers published in Volume 10 (18 Dec 2019–21 Dec 2020) are eligible for the award. The award committee, which is composed of Minerals Editorial Board Members, will carefully evaluate the papers according to the scientific rigor, the contribution to the field, and the originality of the work. Five articles will be selected for the awards.

Eligibility for the Awards

– Papers published in Minerals between 18 Dec 2019 and 21 Dec 2020;

– Open to all career levels;

– Both regular and Special Issue submissions will be considered.

Selection Criteria

The papers will be selected by the journal Award Committee according to the following criteria (data source: Web of Science (Clarivate Analytics)):

– Scientific merit and broad impact;

– Relevance to the field;

– Originality of the research objectives and/or the ideas presented;

– Creativity of the study design or uniqueness of the approaches and concepts;

– Clarity of presentation;

– Citation and download rates in 2021.

Prize

Five final winners will be selected for the Minerals 2021 Best Paper Awards. Each winner will receive:

– A cash award of 500 CHF and an opportunity to publish a paper in Minerals free of charge (1800 CHF);

– Each winner will receive a certificate.

The winners will be announced on the journal website in January 2022.

Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X; CODEN: MBSIBI) is an international, peer-reviewed, open access journal of natural mineral systems, mineral resources, mining, and mineral processing. Minerals is published monthly online by MDPI.

Dear Colleagues,

From 2020 to 2021, Minerals will highlight a paper in the form of an issue cover for each issue. Many cover stories report important research results or innovative methods with impressive images. To reward those authors who have published important research results in Minerals, we are announcing the Minerals 2020–2021 Best Cover Award.

There will be 24 covers in 2020–2021.

This award will be granted to one of the cover stories, and the winner will receive 500 CHF. The criteria are as follows:

–  Important or innovative research.

–  Impressive cover image.

The voting line will be open to all of Minerals’ followers, subscribers, and other scholars in the mineral science research area.

The vote will be open from 11 January 2022 to 11 February 2022. You are welcome to participate.

Thanks again for supporting Minerals.

Dear Colleagues,

The journal Minerals (MDPI, Switzerland, ISSN 2075-163X, https://www.mdpi. com/journal/minerals) is inviting applications for the Minerals 2021 Best Ph.D. Thesis Award. This prize will be awarded to a Ph.D. student who is about to graduate or participate in a graduation thesis defense. The applications will be assessed by an evaluation committee consisting of senior scholars from the Minerals Editorial Board.

Eligibility Requirements:

• The candidate must be a Ph.D. student who is going to graduate or participate in graduation thesis defense.

• The Ph.D. thesis must be original work.
• The Ph.D. thesis must be defended between 1 September, 2020, and 31 August, 2021.
• Applicants are required to submit the following documents:
  1. An executive summary of the Ph.D. thesis in English, of around 3000 words;
  2. A letter from the Ph.D. supervisor recommending the candidate for consideration for this award;
  3. The candidate’s CV, including a list of publications connected with the thesis;
  4. An electronic copy of the Ph.D. thesis;
  5. A scanned copy of the Ph.D. diploma.

Selection Criteria:

• Quality of resume and publications;
• Relevance of the candidate and research description;
• Novelty of the candidate’s Ph.D. thesis;
• Strength of the recommendation letter;
• Anticipated academic potential;
• Originality and impact of the research.

Prize

• Bonus (CHF 800);
• Certificate;
• Offer to publish a featured paper in Minerals with the article processing charge (APC) waived before the end of 30 June 2022. The winners will be announced on the journal website in October 2021.

How to apply?

• Please submit your application online.

The application deadline is 30 September 2021. The winner will be announced on the Minerals website by the end of October 2021.

Please feel free to contact us at [email protected] if you have any questions.

We are pleased to announce that Minerals is now inviting nominations for the Minerals 2021 Young Investigator Award. This prize will be given to one young investigator in recognition of her/his excellence in the field of mineral science. All nominations will be assessed by an Evaluation Committee led by the Editor-in-Chief, Prof. Dr. Paul Sylvester.

The prize: 

– 2000 CHF;

– The opportunity to publish a paper free of charge before the end of 2022 in Minerals after peer review;

– An engraved plaque.

Eligibility and Requirements:

– Received a Ph.D. degree within the past 10 years. A postponement of the 10-year period can be granted for maternity leave;

– Must have produced groundbreaking research and provided a significant contribution to the advancement of the mineral science;

– Candidates must be nominated by senior scientists.

List of Documents for Nomination:

– Detailed curriculum vitae including an updated publication list and a list of the researcher’s own research grants;

– Scanned copy of doctorate certificate;

– Signed nomination letters from two established senior scientists.

Schedule:

– Open for nominations: 1 February 2021.

– Nomination deadline: 31 July 2021.

– Winners announced: 30 September 2021.

How to submit nominations?

– The nominations must be submitted online.

Minerals established the Best Paper Awards to acknowledge the support of the journal’s authors and to recognize their outstanding scientific accomplishments. Nominated candidates are selected by the Minerals Editorial Board based on the rigor of their science, the significance of their contribution to the field, and the originality of their work. All research articles and review papers published in Volume 9 (between 20 December 2018 and 16 December 2019) were eligible for consideration. The Best Paper Award winners are as follows:

Gaston Giuliani, Lee A. Groat, Dan Marshall, Anthony E. Fallick and Yannick Branquet
Emerald Deposits: A Review and Enhanced Classification
Minerals 2019, 9(2), 105; 10.3390/min9020105 
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/9/2/105

Comments from the Evaluation Committee: The paper by Giuliani et al. presents a thorough and highly readable, new classification of emerald deposits, placed in the context of modern concepts in petrology and tectonic setting.

Laura Tusa, Louis Andreani, Mahdi Khodadadzadeh, Cecilia Contreras, Paul Ivascanu, Richard Gloaguen and Jens Gutzmer
Mineral Mapping and Vein Detection in Hyperspectral Drill-Core Scans: Application to Porphyry-Type Mineralization
Minerals 2019, 9(2), 122; 10.3390/min9020122 
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/9/2/122

Comments from the Evaluation Committee: The paper by Tusa et al. describes a novel methodology to extract both mineralogical and structural data from hyperspectral drill-core scans, focused on the mineralogy of vein types in a porphyry-copper gold deposit.

Yue Zhao, Amin Soltani, Abbas Taheri, Murat Karakus and An Deng
Application of Slag–Cement and Fly Ash for Strength Development in Cemented Paste Backfills
Minerals 2019, 9(1), 22; 10.3390/min9010022 
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/9/1/22

Comments from the Evaluation Committee: The paper by Zhao et al. reports the creative use of blended slags and fly ash to improve the mechanical performance of a cement paste of dewatered tailings, binder, and processed mine water pumped into cavities as backfill in revived, underground mine operations.

In recognition of their accomplishments, each Best Paper Award winner will be given a certificate, a cash award of 500 CHF, and an opportunity to publish a paper in Minerals free of charge (a prize equivalent to 1800 CHF in 2021) in Open Access format after the standard peer-review process.

Minerals 2020 Best Paper Awards Evaluation Committee

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce that the winner of the Minerals 2020 Young Investigator Award is Dr. Greeshma Gadikota.

Dr. Greeshma Gadikota is an Assistant Professor and Croll Sesquicentennial Fellow in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Cornell University. Dr. Gadikota directs the Sustainable Energy and Resource Recovery Group. Prior to Cornell, she served on the faculty at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, held postdoctoral research associate appointments at Princeton University and Columbia University, and a research associate appointment at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Her PhD in Chemical Engineering and MS degrees in Chemical Engineering and Operations Research are from Columbia University. Her BS in Chemical Engineering is from Michigan State University. She is a recipient of the DOE CAREER Award, AICHE Sabic Award for Young Professionals from the Particle Technology Forum, an invited participant in the NAE Frontiers of Engineering, invited speaker at the NAE German-American Frontiers of Engineering Symposium, and was recognized as a Scialog Fellow in Negative Emissions Science.

As the awardee, Dr. Greeshma Gadikota will receive an honorarium of 2000 CHF, an offer to publish a paper free of charge in Minerals after peer-review, and an engraved plaque.

We would like to thank all nominators from various fields of study for their participation and all Award Committee Members for their evaluation of the abundant excellent nominations.

Minerals 2020 Young Investigator Evaluation Committee

Dear Colleagues,

As Editor-in-Chief of Minerals, I am pleased to announce the winners of the 2020 Minerals Travel Awards.

The Travel Awards were granted to three winners:

Dr. Ahmad Hassanzadeh’s research focuses on coupling fundamental, theoretical, and experimental aspects of mineral processing to industrial applications. He holds a Ph.D. and Post-Doc in mineral processing engineering with three years experience in a copper beneficiation plant. Ahmad will present his most recent results at the XXX IMPC (Cape Town, South Africa).

Dr. Francesco Izzo is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Naples Federico II (DiSTAR). His research is currently focused on the mineralogical and petrographic characterization of exotic, imitation, and traditional ceramic productions from Cumae and other archaeological sites of Southern Italy. The results of his research will be presented at the 43rd International Symposium on Archaeometry (Lisbon, Portugal).

Dr. Gloria Belén Ramírez-Rodríguez, postdoctoral researcher with the BioNanoMetals group at the Department of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Granada (Spain). Her research focuses on devising innovative nano-structured materials inspired in bone biomineralization with potential application in several fields from bone regeneration and drug delivery to sustainable agriculture. She will present her most recent work at the World Biomaterials Congress (WBC2020, Glasgow, U.K.).

The awards consist of 800 Swiss Francs each to attend any academic conference within the next two years.

Prof. Dr. Paul Sylvester
Editor-in-Chief, Minerals
Endowed Pevehouse Chair
Texas Tech University, Lubbock, USA

Dear Colleague,

On behalf of Minerals Editorial Board, I am pleased to announce the winner of the 2020 Minerals Travel Award in the Mineral Processing and Metallurgy Section.

The award was granted to Dr. Sunil Kumar Tripathy.

Dr. Sunil Kumar Tripathy is a Postdoctorate Fellow at GeoRessources, Universite de Lorraine, Nancy, France. He is involved in a research project on rare metal granite ore for recovering Li and other critical metals. He received his Ph.D. from ISM-Dhanbad, India, in 2016 and has more than 11 years of industrial research experience at Tata Steel Ltd.

Dr. Sunil Kumar Tripathy will present his most recent results at the XXX IMPC (Cape Town, South Africa).

The award consists of 800 Swiss Francs to attend any academic conference within the next two years.

Prof. Dr. Luis Marcelo Marques Tavares
Editorial Board Member, Minerals

Minerals established the Best Paper Award to acknowledge the support of the journal’s authors and to recognize their outstanding scientific accomplishments. Nominated candidates are selected by the Minerals Editorial Board based on the rigor of their science, the significance of their contribution to the field, and the originality of their work. All research articles and review papers published in 2018 are eligible for consideration.

The Evaluation Committee consists of 5 Section Editors in-Chief chaired by the Editor-in-Chief, Professor Paul Sylvester. The Best Paper Award winners are:

Cao, S.; Yilmaz, E.; Song, W.
Evaluation of Viscosity, Strength and Microstructural Properties of Cemented Tailings Backfill
Minerals 2018, 352; doi:10.3390/min8080352
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/8/8/352

Vind, J.; Malfliet, A.; Blanpain, B.; Tsakiridis, P.E.;Tkaczyk, A.H.; Vassiliadou, V.; Panias, D.
Rare Earth Element Phases in Bauxite Residue
Minerals 2018, 8, 77; doi:10.3390/min8020077
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/8/2/77

Zhang, Y.; Shao, Y.; Zhang, R.; Li, D.; Liu, Z; Chen, H.
Dating Ore Deposit Using Garnet U–Pb Geochronology: Example from the Xinqiao Cu–S–Fe–Au Deposit, Eastern China
Minerals 2018, 8, 31; doi:10.3390/min8010031
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/8/1/31

In recognition of their accomplishments, each Best Paper Award winner will be given a certificate, a cash award of 500 CHF, and an opportunity to publish a paper in Minerals free of charge (a prize equivalent to 1400 CHF) in Open Access format aer the standard peer-review process.

Dear Colleagues,

As Editor-in-Chief of Minerals, I am pleased to announce the winners of the 2019 Minerals Travel Awards.

Travel Awards were granted to Nicola Campomenosi, Ph.D. student at the Department of Earth Science, Environment & Life, University of Genova, to Timothy Gregory, Ph.D. student at the School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, and to Dr. Juliane Weber, Post-doctoral fellow at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Mr. Nicola Campomenosi’s research focuses on coupling spectroscopic and mineral physics methods to conventional petrology in order to constrain P and T conditions of mineral formation. His PhD study used Raman spectroscopy to quantify the amount of strain in host-inclusion (garnet–zircon/quartz) mineral systems from the stress-induced birefringence. He plans to present his results at the EGU General Assembly 2019 in Vienna, Austria.

Mr. Timothy Gregory’s PhD research area is the chronology of chondrule formation in the early Solar System. He has presented his work entitled “(²⁶Al/²⁷Al)₀ Homogeneity Reinstated, and an Early Onset of Silicate Formation in the Nascent Solar System” at the 50th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (Houston, USA).

Dr. Juliane Weber’s research is concerned with the immobilization of harmful elements at environmentally relevant mineral–water interfaces using stateof- the-art high-resolution chemical imaging techniques (synchrotron-based X-rays and neutrons). She will present her most recent results, which indicate that the microstructure of rocks controls replacement reactions more than the mineral reactivity, at the 2019 Goldschmidt conference (Barcelona, Spain).

The awards consist of 800 Swiss Francs each to attend any academic conference during 2019.

Prof. Dr. Paul Sylvester
Editor-in-Chief

Dear Colleagues,

As Editor-in-Chief of Minerals, I am pleased to announce the winners of the 2018 Minerals Travel Awards:

Travel Awards are granted to Dr. Elizaveta Kovaleva, Post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Geology, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa and to Dr. Indrani Mukherjee, Post-doctoral fellow at the Centre of Excellence in Ore Deposits (CODES), University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia.

Dr. Elizaveta Kovaleva’s research involves the analysis of zircon microstructures in tectonic and impact-produced pseudotachylites, and suggests new criteria for distinguishing them. Until now, such criteria have been lacking, leading to potential misinterpretations of the origin of pseudotachylites, especially in the large impact structures, where both pre-impact tectonic and shock melts are present. Additionally, she suggests that deformation microstructures facilitate the understanding of zircon deformation history and its original provenance where the petrological context is lacking (e.g., alluvial zircon, zircon in breccia). The research is based on a combination of methods, including in situ EBSD and microprobe mapping, CL and BSE imaging, and Raman spectroscopy mapping. She is planning to present her work at the EGU General Assembly 2018 in Vienna, Austria.

Dr. Indrani Mukherjee’s postdoctoral research focusses on understanding pyrite trace element distribution along a single black shale unit (Lower Arthur Creek Formation) across the Georgina Basin (~450 km) in northern Australia. Approximately 2000 pyrite LA-ICP-MS analyses have been undertaken in these organic matter-rich black shales. Her study focuses on the variation in pyrite chemistry with sedimentary facies across the basin and factors controlling these variations, including changes in redox conditions and micronutrient availability. Results provide a measure of how robust the pyrite LA-ICP-MS technique is as a proxy for paleo-redox of the atmosphere–ocean system through time, and its potential for understanding cycles of sedimentary ore deposition. This work will be presented at the Goldschmidt2018 conference, Boston, MA, USA.

The awards consist of 800 Swiss Francs each to attend academic conference during 2018.

Prof. Dr. Paul Sylvester
Editor-in-Chief

Dear Colleagues,

As Editor-in-Chief of Minerals, I am pleased to announce the winners of the 2017 Minerals Travel Awards:

Travel Awards were granted to Dr. Ayla Pamukçu, who is a post-doctoral researcher at the Department of Geosciences, Princeton University, USA, and Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Science, Brown University, USA; and to Ms. Jessica Hamilton, Ph.D. student at the School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment, Monash University, Australia.

Dr. Ayla Pamukçu’s research revolves around understanding the longevity of small and giant rhyolite magma bodies erupted from the same vent using crystal size distributions, melt inclusion faceting, and diffusion chronometry, with a focus on supereruptions—rare but enormous volcanic eruptions, the likes of which have never been witnessed. She is planning to present her work on evaluating the mush + multiple magma body model for the Lake City caldera, CO, USA, at the IAVCEI 2017 Scientific Assembly in Portland, OR, USA.

Ms. Jessica Hamilton’s research focus is developing low-cost treatments for trapping carbon dioxide (CO2) in mineral wastes generated by mining, and investigating the potential for recovery of valuable trace metals (i.e., Ni, Cr, Co) from leachates and precipitates generated by the process. She is planning to present her work on optimising geochemical treatments to accelerate in situ CO2 sequestration in ultramafic mine tailings at the Goldschmidt 2017 conference in Paris, France.

The awards consist of 800 Swiss Francs each to attend any academic conference during 2017.

Prof. Dr. Paul Sylvester
Editor-in-Chief

Dear Colleagues,

As Editor-in-Chief of Minerals, I am pleased to announce the winners of the 2016 Minerals Travel Awards:

Travel Awards were granted to Mr. Mattia L. Mazzucchelli, Ph.D. student at the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, Italy, and to Dr. Anita Parbhakar-Fox, postdoctoral researcher at the Transforming the Mining Value Chain (TMVC) ARC Industrial Transformation Research Hub, University of Tasmania, Australia.

Mr. Mattia L. Mazzucchelli’s research involves making use of crystallography and mineral physics to understand the complex elasticity of mineral inclusions entrapped in Ultra High Pressure (UHP) metamorphic rocks. He is planning to present his work at the 2nd European Mineralogical Conference and the associated workshop “Solid inclusions in minerals as records of geological processes”.

Dr. Anita Parbhakar-Fox’s research is focused on delivering new protocols, tools and proxies to the mining industry for improving geoenvironmental practices. She is planning to present her work at the ‘Sustainable Minerals 2016’ and the ‘Biohydrometallurgy 2016’.

The awards consist of 800 Swiss Francs each to attend any academic conference during 2016.

Prof. Dr. Paul Sylvester
Editor-in-Chief