July 15, 2026 - Missouri S&T will serve as a core partner in the Critical Materials Crossroads Engine, an initiative selected for up to $160 million through the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Regional Innovation Engines program.

Initiated by the University of Missouri System in 2022 and led by the University of Missouri-Kansas City, Critical Materials Crossroads brings together more than 260 partners across Missouri and Kansas to strengthen domestic supply chains for materials used in advanced manufacturing, electronics and national defense.

As a core partner, Missouri S&T will draw on its internationally recognized leadership in mining, metallurgy, and mineral exploration and processing. The university will lead the consortium’s mineral extraction and concentration research and also focus on advanced manufacturing, commercialization and workforce development.

Dr. Lana Alagha, a Robert H. Quenon Professor of Mining engineering at S&T, is the university’s principal investigator for the Critical Materials Crossroads research.

Dr. Lana Alagha works in a lab in Missouri S&T’s McNutt Hall.

Photo by Michael Pierce/Missouri S&T

“Many of the nation’s major advances in the discovery, production and use of vital mineral resources have their roots at Missouri S&T, and we are proud to continue that legacy through our work with the Critical Materials Crossroads Engine,” says Missouri S&T Chancellor Mohammad Dehghani. “We have the expertise and facilities necessary to transform research into practical technologies that support America’s economy and national security and appreciate this partnership with UMKC.”

“Missouri S&T’s role as a leader in critical minerals research is unique because it spans the full pathway from mineral extraction and concentration to processing and commercialization,” says Dr. Kwame Awuah-Offei, S&T’s Union Pacific Foundation/Rocky Mountain Energy Company Professor and chair of mining and explosives engineering. “That breadth of expertise allows us to solve challenges across every stage of the critical materials supply chain, from the mine to manufacturing.”

NSF’s Regional Innovation Engines program supports regional partnerships that translate research into economic growth through technology development, commercialization and workforce development. Critical Materials Crossroads is one of 12 awards announced nationwide from a pool of 285 proposals.

The initiative will initially receive $15 million over two years and could receive up to $160 million over the next decade.

To learn about Missouri S&T’s critical minerals research, Regional Technology and Innovation Hub designation and annual NSF-supported Resilient Supply of Minerals workshop, visit criticalminerals.mst.edu.