Grantee name: university of arizonagrant number: G25AC00358PROJECT title: cooperative agreement for continuing research collaboration, facilities and maintenance of U.S. Geological survey offices…

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), through its Geology, Minerals, Energy and Geophysics Science Center (GMEGSC), awarded a five-year Cooperative Agreement (G25AC00358) to the University of Arizona totaling $127,581 effective July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2030, under the USGS Research and Data Collection program (CFDA 15.808). This award supports continued research collaboration and facility maintenance for GMEGSC offices and laboratories located on the University of Arizona campus. The USGS provides financial support for building repairs, maintenance, utilities, and custodial services for approximately one-fourth of the office, conference, and laboratory space in the ENRB facility, which houses approximately 22 GMEGSC personnel. Additionally, the USGS provides information technology support and reserved parking for government vehicles.

The primary deliverables include ongoing collaborative research in mineral resources evaluation, critical minerals assessment, and geologic mapping that advance the Energy and Minerals Mission Area (EMMA) goals of the USGS and Department of Interior priorities. The agreement funds research grants, salaries, travel, and supplies for ore deposits and field mapping projects while facilitating knowledge-sharing between GMEGSC scientists and the University of Arizona's Departments of Geosciences and Mining Engineering. The collaboration is expected to generate geologic maps, advance understanding of where critical minerals are distributed in the earth's crust, and produce scientific outputs that support national mineral resource management objectives.

Activities

Through the cooperative agreement, the USGS has supported UA scientists and students with grants, salary, travel, and supplies for ORE deposits and field mapping projects. The usgss emma will also continue to share expertise in ORE deposits, geologic mapping, geophysical data and analytical lab capabilities with the departments of geosciences and mining engineering at the UA.to support collaborative research, gmegsc scientists, staff and support personnel occupy about one fourth of the office, conference, and laboratory space in the enrb, and have access to information technology support and reserved parking for government vehicles. Approximately 22 personnel work for the gmegsc office in tucson. The USGS provides financial support for building repairs, maintenance, utilities, and custodial services but otherwise occupies the enrb space rent-free.deliverables and expected outcomes: the usgss collaboration with the UA has advanced the framework for evaluating mineral resources, including where critical minerals are known and suspected in the earth s crust and the production of geologic maps and related studies such as geochronology. Numerous USGS-UA joint publications have contributed to the knowledge of metallogenetic and ORE-forming controls in the southwest US and elsewhere. Continued collaboration with the UA is expected to produce additional influential publications on regional- to local-scale ORE-forming controls and processes. Furthermore, the renewed focus on criticalminerals research will improve the understanding on the location, quantity and quality of these resources.

Intended beneficiaries

The USGS benefits from the expertise in ORE deposits, mineral processing, geologic mapping and analytical lab capabilities in the departments of geosciences and mining engineering at the UA. The UA benefits from knowledge-sharing and funding that the USGS provides to scientists and students to facilitate, conduct and collaborate on mineral resource projects. This collaboration also contributes to the much-needed investment in the training of new generations of mineral resource scientists. The american public gains from these studies because they strengthen the economic vitality and security of the nation by generating wealth and reducing potential critical mineral supply chain disruptions.

Subrecipient activities

Continuation of the gmegsc-UA cooperative agreement supports ongoing and future critical minerals research as outlined in executive and secretarial orders (EO 14154, EO 14241, so 3417), department of the interior goals (restore american prosperity and ensure national security through infrastructure and innovation) and administration priorities (i.e. critical minerals). The USGS also directs geophysical and geochemical surveys and supports state survey ORE deposits and geologic mapping projects. These data and results are shared and then published.