Critical minerals and separations

Ideas about critical minerals and raw materials, rare earths, lithium and other metals, plus the separation, extraction and recovery processes chemists and engineers use.

Who funds this idea

11 calls from 4 funders currently fund work on this idea. Most calls: European Commission (Horizon Europe) (7), US DOE (2), Innovate UK (1), NSF (1).

9 calls for this idea welcome industry or international partners

Open now (8)

Unlocking New Levels of Output and Capacity for Key Subsurface Resources (UNLOCK)

U.S. Department of Energy – Advanced Research Projects Agency Energy · United States

Deadline: 20 Nov 2026 (29 days)

Award: Up to $5,000,000

Checked 22 Oct 2026

materialsestablished / PI

Unlocking New Levels of Output and Capacity for Key Subsurface Resources SBIR/STTR (UNLOCK SBIR/STTR)

U.S. Department of Energy – Advanced Research Projects Agency Energy · United States

Deadline: 20 Nov 2026 (29 days)

Award: Up to $4,630,944

Checked 22 Oct 2026

materialsestablished / PIindustry / SMEsmall business (SBIR/STTR, EIC Accelerator)

Advancing solutions for critical mineral production and recycling

UKRI – Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), Innovate UK, Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) · United Kingdom

Deadline: 07 Jan 2027 (77 days)

Award: £305,000

Checked 22 Oct 2026

chemistryestablished / PI

Advanced manufacturing for key products (IA) (Made in Europe partnership)

European Commission – Horizon Europe · EU Member States & Horizon Europe associated countries

Deadline: 02 Feb 2027 (103 days)

Award: EUR 6,000,000–8,000,000 per project

Checked 22 Oct 2026

materialsestablished / PIindustry / SME

Expert network on Critical raw materials (CSA)

European Commission – Horizon Europe · EU Member States & Horizon Europe associated countries

Deadline: 02 Feb 2027 (103 days)

Award: Up to EUR 3,000,000 per project

Checked 22 Oct 2026

materialsestablished / PI

Innovative advanced materials and new production processes – reducing dependencies on Critical and Strategic Raw Materials (IA) (Innovative Advanced Materials for the EU and Processes4Planet partnerships)

European Commission – Horizon Europe · EU Member States & Horizon Europe associated countries

Deadline: 02 Feb 2027 (103 days)

Award: EUR 6,000,000–7,500,000 per project

Checked 22 Oct 2026

materialsestablished / PIindustry / SME

Technologies for innovative processing of raw materials (IA)

European Commission – Horizon Europe · EU Member States & Horizon Europe associated countries

Deadline: 02 Feb 2027 (103 days)

Award: EUR 10,000,000–12,500,000 per project

Checked 22 Oct 2026

materialsestablished / PIindustry / SME

Chemical Process Systems (CPS)

U.S. National Science Foundation · United States

Deadline: Rolling / no fixed deadline

Award: Varies, see funder

Checked 22 Oct 2026

chemistrymaterialsestablished / PI

Opening soon (3)

Novel approaches towards next-generation battery concepts, leveraging the enabling role of innovative advanced materials (BATT4EU and IAM4EU Partnerships)

European Commission – Horizon Europe · EU Member States & Horizon Europe associated countries

Opening soon: not yet open

Deadline: 14 Apr 2027 (174 days)

Award: Up to EUR 4,800,000 per project

Checked 22 Oct 2026

chemistrymaterialsenergy & batteriesestablished / PI

Sustainable aircraft circular design and additive manufacturing, towards a climate neutral aviation

European Commission – Horizon Europe · EU Member States & Horizon Europe associated countries

Opening soon: not yet open

Deadline: 14 Apr 2027 (174 days)

Award: Up to EUR 2,500,000 per project

Checked 22 Oct 2026

materialsestablished / PI

Demonstration for Long-duration Battery Energy Storage Systems (BATT4EU Partnership)

European Commission – Horizon Europe · EU Member States & Horizon Europe associated countries

Opening soon: not yet open

Deadline: 15 Sep 2027 (328 days)

Award: Up to EUR 9,400,000 per project

Checked 22 Oct 2026

materialsenergy & batteriesestablished / PI

Recently funded work on this idea

24 awards from NSF and NIH in our sample of the last 24 months match this idea. Latest examples:

Award (official page)	Institution	Amount	Start date
Collaborative Research: A natural laboratory approach to studying copper and volatiles in a volcanic system U.S. National Science Foundation · NSF CriticalMinerals&Materials	University of Florida	$339,773 (estimated total award)	01 Sep 2026
Collaborative Research: A natural laboratory approach to studying copper and volatiles in a volcanic system U.S. National Science Foundation · NSF CriticalMinerals&Materials	University of Washington	$514,701 (estimated total award)	01 Sep 2026
ERI: Exploratory Synthesis and characterization of Ce-based novel magnetic materials U.S. National Science Foundation · Special Initiatives	University of Central Oklahoma	$200,000 (estimated total award)	01 Sep 2026
Uncovering Reaction Pathways in Solution-Phase Materials Synthesis U.S. National Science Foundation · SOLID STATE & MATERIALS CHEMIS	SUNY at Stony Brook	$566,556 (estimated total award)	01 Sep 2026