The U.S. Department of Energy announced Friday that it will offer up to $70 million over three years for education programs focused on rare earth minerals, part of a federal effort to build a workforce for domestic processing.
Assistant Secretary Audrey Robinson announced the grant opportunity during a visit to the Phoenix Tailings facility at 100 Domain Drive in Exeter. The funding will be divided among as many as 16 schools selected through the first phase of the department’s PROSPECT Implementation Prize.
PROSPECT stands for Providing Opportunities for Specialized Education in Critical Technologies. The broader initiative includes up to $100 million in grant funding, according to the Department of Energy.
“The Trump administration is committed to freeing America from dependence on foreign sources of critical minerals that are essential to powering our economy, and creating good-paying, fulfilling jobs for Americans.”
Robinson said the initiative is intended to expand educational opportunities connected to rare earth minerals and help address workforce needs at companies involved in the industry. Rare earth minerals are used in products including cellphones, cars and cameras, as well as military technology.
Three phases of funding
Robinson said more than 95% of rare earth minerals are processed in China. The administration is seeking to increase domestic processing, while the department considers education and training opportunities a way to supply workers for that industry.
The first phase will offer an approximately $60 million prize pool for up to 16 winners. The department said that phase will recognize completed implementation plans, launch and readiness actions and early implementation.
- First-phase winners are scheduled to be announced Dec. 18.
- A second phase is anticipated to provide approximately $10 million.
- Winners of the final phase are expected to be announced by December 2028.
The department’s announcement came at Phoenix Tailings, a Massachusetts-based company that opened its Exeter facility within the past year. The company was cited as one example of an employer that could benefit from expanded education programs in rare earth mineral processing.
The initiative links federal education grants with the administration’s broader effort to reduce reliance on foreign sources for minerals used in consumer products and military technology. The Department of Energy said the schools selected in the first phase will receive funding based on their proposed plans and implementation work.
