Mines receives $1M DOE PROSPECT Planning Prize to expand critical minerals workforce

Colorado School of Mines, recognized as the global leader for mineral and mining engineering, has been selected to receive a $1 million cash award from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation for its proposal to expand the nation’s mining, processing and critical minerals workforce.

The funding is part of DOE’s $16 million PROSPECT Planning Prize, awarded to U.S. institutions for developing strategies to increase the number of graduates and skilled professionals entering the mining and critical minerals industries. As the United States works to expand domestic production and processing of critical minerals, developing the workforce to support and sustain these efforts is increasingly important to the nation’s economic competitiveness, energy security and technological leadership. 

"America has abundant natural resources, but we need the skilled workforce to turn those resources into economic drivers that will grow our economy and create new jobs,” said Assistant Secretary of Energy Audrey Robertson. “For decades, we have allowed our mining and critical minerals workforce to decline and our domestic supply chains of critical minerals to weaken. PROSPECT is about reversing that trend by challenging universities to rapidly grow the number of graduates ready to build and sustain the American critical minerals supply chains, from mines to materials.” 

Over the last three years, Colorado School of Mines has doubled its enrollment in mining engineering. Its award-winning proposal seeks to expand successful strategies to encourage students from a variety of disciplines to enter the mining and minerals sector.

"The Department of Energy is leading the effort to build strong domestic critical minerals supply chains by investing in people,” said Bill Zisch, professor of practice and J. Steven Whisler Head of Mining Engineering Endowed Chair at Colorado School of Mines. “The DOE’s PROSPECT program is a strategic investment to expand opportunities for students, strengthen connections between education and industry and prepare more graduates with the skills needed to meet the nation’s growing demand for mining and minerals experience.”

Through the award, Mines will increase enrollment in programs for mining and processing; launch a new program focused on mineral processing, extractive metallurgy and recycling; and extend education to adjacent science and engineering disciplines as they recognize opportunities to participate in the mining and minerals industry.

The PROSPECT Planning Prize is part of DOE’s broader “Providing Opportunities for Specialized Education in Critical Technologies” (PROSPECT) initiative, an effort of up to $100 million to grow the skilled workforce needed to support America’s critical minerals supply chains. The PROSPECT Planning Prize is funded by DOE's Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation and managed by the National Laboratory of the Rockies under the American-Made program.