Critical minerals mining research and development

42 U.S. Code § 19067. Critical minerals mining research and development

(a) Critical minerals mining research and development at the Foundation
(1) In general
In order to support supply chain resiliency, the Director shall make awards, on a competitive basis, to institutions of higher education or nonprofit organizations (or consortia of such institutions or organizations) to support basic research that will accelerate innovation to advance critical minerals mining strategies and technologies for the purpose of making better use of domestic resources and eliminating national reliance on minerals and mineral materials that are subject to supply disruptions.
(2) Use of fundsActivities funded by an award under this section may include—
(A)
advancing mining research and development activities to develop new mapping and mining technologies and techniques, including advanced critical mineral extraction and production, separation, alloying, or processing techniques and technologies that can decrease energy intensity to improve existing or to develop new supply chains of critical minerals, and to yield more efficient, economical, and environmentally benign mining practices;
(B)
advancing critical mineral processing research activities to improve separation, alloying, manufacturing, or recycling techniques and technologies that can decrease the energy intensity, waste, potential environmental impact, and costs of those activities;
(C)
conducting long-term earth observation of reclaimed mine sites, including the study of the evolution of microbial diversity at such sites;
(D)
examining the application of artificial intelligence for geological exploration of critical minerals, including what size and diversity of data sets would be required;
(E)
examining the application of machine learning for detection and sorting of critical minerals, including what size and diversity of data sets would be required;
(F)
conducting detailed isotope studies of critical minerals and the development of more refined geologic models;
(G)
improved understanding of the geological and geochemical processes through which critical minerals form and are concentrated into economically viable deposits; or
(H)
providing training and research opportunities to undergraduate and graduate students to prepare the next generation of mining engineers and researchers.
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