Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia (MRIWA) Scholarships

Established in 1981 as the Western Australian Minerals and Petroleum Research Institute (WAMPRI), the Institute’s founding purpose was to promote and coordinate research and expertise into all aspects of the mining and petroleum industries.

At the time, Minister for Mines Mr Peter Jones, stated “in its role of co-ordinating research, the institute will encourage the industry to do more research to improve the efficiency of its operations through the research facilities available within Western Australia” (Western Australia, Legislative Assembly 1981, 25 March, p135)

The Institute’s first published output was delivered in 1983, a report by J. G. Dunn at the Western Australian Institute of Technology (itself a precursor to the Curtin University of today) examining the flash smelting of nickel sulphide concentrates. At the time, the nickel industry was suffering from a global decline in the related steel industry, and productivity improvements delivered by this research and related studies were key to the survival of local producers.