The Department of Energy's Office of Science awarded a $249,986 Project Grant under the Office of Science Financial Assistance Program (CFDA 81.049) to Microbeam Technologies Incorporated, a for-profit subchapter S corporation located in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The grant, titled "SUBSURFACE CHARACTERIZATION OF CRITICAL MINERALS USING DOWN HOLE LOGGING EQUIPMENT," will fund research to develop advanced techniques for analyzing and processing coal-based resources to extract critical minerals. The project aims to create sorting algorithms for mineral-rich coal feedstocks and explore methods to optimize coal-fired power plant operations. Microbeam Technologies will collaborate with partners like the University of North Dakota and Barr Engineering on this 1-year project, which began on July 22, 2024 and is scheduled for completion by July 21, 2025.