Postdoctoral Scholar — AI Researcher for Critical Mineral Discovery

• Develop and deploy AI, muon tomography, seismic imaging, and geophysical inversion methods to discover and characterize critical mineral deposits (copper, nickel, lithium, cobalt, rare earths) using real exploration data.
• Build multi-physics inversion frameworks that jointly assimilate muon flux, seismic, magnetics, gravity, and EM data into 3D subsurface models with calibrated uncertainty.
• Apply machine learning (deep generative models, physics-informed neural networks) to regional-to-deposit-scale targeting and resource estimation.
• Extend decision-under-uncertainty frameworks for sequential data acquisition (drill hole placement, survey design) to maximize information value.

This role directly advances the discovery of critical minerals essential for renewable energy technologies and electrification, reducing dependence on unsustainable supply chains and enabling the transition to a low-carbon economy.

• PhD (completed within 4 years) in physics, applied physics, geophysics, computational earth sciences, machine learning, applied mathematics, or related field.
• Strong Python proficiency (NumPy, PyTorch or JAX, scientific stack); experience with HPC, GPU computing, and reproducible research workflows.
• Track record of publishing in peer-reviewed venues and willingness to engage with industry collaborators and field data.
• Preferred: research output in geophysical inversion, Bayesian methods, deep learning, particle physics detection, or seismic imaging; experience with muon transport simulation (GEANT4, CORSIKA), DAS, or full-waveform inversion; familiarity with mineral systems or ore deposit geology.

Competitive Stanford postdoctoral salary ($80,000 - $90,000 per year) plus medical, dental, vision, and conference travel support. Fully funded 3-year position.

KoBold Metals is a mineral exploration company using AI and machine learning to discover critical metals for the energy transition. Stanford Mineral-X is a research center focused on sustainable resource extraction.