The U.S. Department of Energy has launched a $16 million planning prize to expand the domestic critical minerals workforce across mining, processing, recovery, recycling and related supply chain disciplines. Administered through the Department of Energy’s Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation (CMEI), the PROSPECT Planning Prize will provide awards of up to $1 million to eligible U.S. academic institutions developing implementation-ready workforce programs designed to increase the number of graduates and credentialed professionals entering critical minerals and materials careers over the next two years.

The initiative comes as battery, electrification and advanced manufacturing supply chains continue to place greater demand on the technical workforce supporting domestic mineral production and materials processing. U.S. Department of Energy’s broader workforce strategy extends beyond mining engineering to include geology, metallurgy, materials science, manufacturing and technical occupations supporting critical mineral production, processing, recovery and recycling. The department is positioning the prize as a way to strengthen those talent pipelines through more direct coordination among universities, community colleges, industry, national laboratories and workforce organizations.

Battery technology image illustrating U.S. critical minerals, battery manufacturing and electrification workforce development, featured by EV + Battery Tech Monthly.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s $16 million PROSPECT Planning Prize is designed to expand the domestic critical minerals workforce supporting mining, processing, recycling, battery manufacturing and related supply chains. (Components Source Network editorial stock photo)

“Mining and critical minerals professionals are essential to America’s success in manufacturing, AI, energy, and national security—but this country isn’t producing enough of them,” said Assistant Secretary of Energy Audrey Robertson. “Through this prize competition, DOE will empower universities to pursue more ambitious strategies for attracting and educating the workers we need for a robust critical mineral supply chain.”

The PROSPECT Planning Prize forms part of the agency’s broader $100 million Providing Opportunities for Specialized Education in Critical Technologies initiative, which carries a near-term goal of doubling the number of U.S. graduates with mining, minerals and associated supply chain credentials. Eligible institutions can propose programs serving university and community college students, high school students, early-career professionals, incumbent workers and educators, with an emphasis on expanding technical education, upskilling and hands-on learning opportunities connected to real industry needs.

For the battery sector, the workforce implications extend across mineral extraction, refining, processing, materials engineering, manufacturing, recycling and recovery, all of which require specialized technical talent as domestic capacity expands. Building that capacity depends not only on project investment and new facilities, but also on a workforce with the technical depth to support resource characterization, process development, manufacturing scale-up, quality control and end-of-life materials recovery.

The U.S. Department of Energy has also pointed to structural challenges affecting that pipeline, including declining enrollment in U.S. mining programs, shortages of faculty and instructors, limited laboratory capacity and uneven access to work-based learning. According to the department, enrollment in U.S. mining programs has declined by approximately 45% since 2015, adding urgency to efforts aimed at rebuilding technical capacity across critical minerals and associated manufacturing sectors.  Applications for the PROSPECT Planning Prize are open through Oct. 5, 2026. The competition is funded by CMEI and managed by the National Laboratory of the Rockies through the American-Made program.

About the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation supports research, development, demonstration and deployment across critical minerals, advanced materials, manufacturing and related energy technologies. Its programs span multiple stages of the domestic materials supply chain, including mineral production, processing, recovery, recycling, manufacturing and workforce development. CMEI works with industry, universities, national laboratories and other organizations to support technologies, infrastructure and workforce programs intended to strengthen domestic critical minerals and materials capabilities. For more information, please click here. 

Source: U.S. Department of Energy

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Molly Bakewell Chamberlin
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