The $10 million funding opportunity is generated by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and will help modernize our understanding of the Nation’s fundamental geologic framework and improve knowledge of domestic mineral resources both in the ground and in mine waste, a key step in securing a reliable and sustainable supply of the critical minerals that power everything from household appliances and electronics to clean energy technologies like batteries and wind turbines. 

This year’s funding will finance new detailed geologic mapping of bedrock in areas that are known or suspected to contain critical mineral resources. The resulting maps and associated data are expected to improve our understanding of the distribution of mineralized systems and the rocks that host them. 

These cooperative agreements will also help advance “reconnaissance geochemical mapping” projects, which identify chemical signatures found within extensive rocks layers, helping pinpoint high concentrations of minerals that may be most productive for extraction. 

Interested state geological surveys can apply online at GRANTS.GOV under funding opportunity number G24AS00352. Applications will be accepted through Dec. 31, 2024. 

The USGS is committed to maximum flexibility to best support state geological surveys in producing high-quality 2- and 3D geologic data needed for the assessment of critical minerals. 

More information on Earth MRI can be found here. To learn more about how the USGS is investing resources through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, visit our website.

                                                                                                                         # # #

The USGS provides science for a changing world. Learn more at www.usgs.gov or follow us on Facebook @USGeologicalSurvey, YouTube @USGS, Instagram @USGS, or Twitter @USGS.