Project Grant 2614751

The National Science Foundation Office of Integrative Activities awarded $913,037 to the University of Alaska Fairbanks on September 1, 2026, under the Integrative Activities program (CFDA 47.083) to develop scalable biological technologies for domestic rare earth element recovery from coal mining waste.

The project establishes a smart bio-refinery framework and virtual pilot plant integrating microbiology and artificial intelligence to recover rare earth elements from domestic coal refuse and ash. The work is organized into three data-coupled thrusts: a predictive virtual assay to screen feedstocks, reinforcement-learning controllers within a bioprocess digital twin integrated with microgrid simulators, and validation of bio-metallurgical purification pathways. An iterative closed-loop framework evaluates Shewanella oneidensis extraction performance against techno-economic and life-cycle metrics. The University of Alaska Fairbanks leads the collaborative initiative in partnership with the University of Alaska Anchorage, Montana Technological University, and the University of Wyoming across designated EPSCoR states of Alaska, Montana, and Wyoming. The project also strengthens regional research infrastructure and provides industry-aligned workforce training to build skilled technology personnel. Performance occurs at the University of Alaska Fairbanks in Fairbanks, Alaska, with an ultimate completion date of August 31, 2030. The award enhances U.S. competitiveness and energy security by securing the domestic rare earth element supply chain through an innovation ecosystem bringing together researchers, industry partners, and state agencies.