The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation recently awarded Penn State’s mining engineering program with a up to $100 million grant as part of the Providing Opportunities for Specialized Education in Critical Technologies (PROSPECT) initiative.
The goal of PROSPECT is to double the number of graduates with degrees related to mining, minerals and associated supply chain technologies within two years. Funding can be used for expanding educational opportunities and developing the skilled work force needed to support the domestic production, processing, recovery and recycling of critical minerals. It will support scholarships, financial assistance and other initiatives that strengthen higher education programs focused on critical minerals and related technologies.
Over the next 10 years, the United States will need approximately 6,000 new engineers in the mining sector, according to DOE estimates, as well as materials science, processing and recycling workers.
“A strong domestic mining and minerals workforce is essential to powering America’s future, strengthening our national security and ending our dependence on foreign adversaries for the materials that underpin modern energy, manufacturing and defense,” U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said.
Penn State’s mining engineering program is ranked second in the nation and sixth worldwide by QS World University rankings.