This $1,000,000 Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Engineering program (CFDA 47.041) will support the development of a novel "REESPECT" (Rare Earth Element-Selective Protein-Hydrogels to Enable Cation Trapping) platform for efficient and selective extraction and separation of rare earth elements (REEs) from recycling feedstocks. The research, led by the University of Pennsylvania, aims to create hydrogel materials containing engineered protein fibrils with...
This $451,225 Project Grant awarded by the National Science Foundation's Geosciences Program (CFDA 47.050) to the University of Kentucky Research Foundation will support collaborative research to explore new sources of rare earth elements (REEs) in the Southeastern U.S. The project aims to investigate the provenance and delivery of the REE-bearing mineral monazite from the Appalachian Mountains to the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Researchers will utilize advanced analytical techniques such as mass...
This Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Engineering program (CFDA 47.041) provides $650,000 over 4 years to the University of Illinois for research on developing sustainable strategies for separating and recovering rare-earth elements (REEs) and platinum group metals (PGMs) from waste streams. The project aims to create new electrically-driven separation systems using conductive polymer and carbon nanotube-based electrode materials that can selectively and...
This $275,999 National Science Foundation Project Grant supports the development of an environmentally friendly rare earth element extraction process from recycled fluorescent light bulb powder. The awardee, IM Technologies LLC, will engineer a prototype reactor system that uses precision ultra-high temperature heating to evaporate and subsequently condense targeted rare earth constituents from light bulb waste. Research tasks include optimizing thermal energy applications to efficiently extract...
This National Science Foundation (NSF) Geosciences Program (CFDA 47.050) Project Grant award in the amount of $369,810 will support collaborative research to investigate the potential for recovering rare earth elements (REEs) and yttrium from acid mine drainage remediation systems. The research will examine how various biogeochemical conditions impact the uptake of REEs and yttrium by hydrous manganese oxide minerals found in acid mine drainage. Through a combination of laboratory and field...
This National Science Foundation (NSF) Geosciences Program (CFDA 47.050) Project Grant award of $180,000 provides funding for a postdoctoral fellowship under the mentorship of Dr. Mark Caddick at Virginia Tech. The research, professional development, and outreach activities focus on constraining the mobility of rare earth elements (REEs) in subduction zones. The research aims to test hypotheses about the sequestration and mobilization of REEs during subduction processes, using a forward model...
This National Science Foundation (NSF) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I award to Reegen Inc. for $275,000 will support the development of a clean, biological system for extracting and purifying rare earth elements (REEs) from various waste and end-of-life sources. The project aims to reduce the negative environmental impacts of REE production and decrease U.S. dependence on imported REEs, which are critical for manufacturing modern electronics and sustainable energy...
This National Science Foundation (NSF) Geosciences program grant, with a total funding amount of $296,901.00 awarded on September 1, 2023, supports a systematic investigation of sorption mechanisms of light rare-earth elements (REEs) on iron oxides at Oklahoma State University. The key objectives are to elucidate how mineral structure, crystallinity, morphology, and interfacial dynamics affect REE sorption at mineral-water interfaces, which is critical for predicting the occurrence and formation...
The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a $180,189 Project Grant under the Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050) to The Washington and Lee University. The grant, effective August 15, 2024, with a projected completion date of July 31, 2027, will support collaborative research to investigate the potential for extracting rare earth elements and yttrium from acid mine drainage using biotic and abiotic hydrous manganese oxides. The research aims to identify optimal conditions for concentrating...
This $350,000 Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation's Geosciences (CFDA 47.050) program will enable researchers at The Washington University to investigate the biogeochemical processes affecting critical mineral resources in mine tailings and weathered ore zones in the United States. The primary research focus is characterizing rare earth elements in iron oxide-apatite and carbonatite ore waste materials, as well as platinum group elements in weathered ore zones, using...