DOE Launches Critical Materials Collaborative

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) launched a first-of-its-kind Critical Materials Collaborative (CMC) and announced its intent to fund up to $10 million to establish a Critical Materials Accelerator Program. The vision of the CMC is to integrate critical materials applied research, development and demonstration (RD&D) across DOE and the federal government, to accelerate the development of domestic critical material supply chains for the nation. The CMC will operationalize coordination and collaboration, while creating a value-add for RD&D performers by expanding their access to world-class expertise, capabilities, and facilities.  

“The Critical Materials Collaborative is an innovative new mode of connection that will align our nation’s efforts to shore up critical materials by accelerating the commercialization of crosscutting, applied RD&D to grow the innovation ecosystem,” said Jeff Marootian, principal deputy assistant secretary for energy efficiency and renewable energy. “By working across DOE, government, industry, and academia, we will be able to maximize the impact of these investments to move the needle on the clean energy transition.” 

The CMC convenes DOE investments across the entire innovation pipeline, from the Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office's (AMMTO) Critical Materials Innovation (CMI) Hub, to AMMTO’s Critical Materials Accelerator Program, to the Fossil Energy and Carbon Management’s Critical Materials FOA announced earlier this month. These investments represent the first of many DOE programs to be coordinated through the CMC.  

AMMTO recently renewed the Critical Materials Institute for a third five-year phase under the new CMI Hub name, with a refreshed mission to accelerate the development of critical material technologies and enhance the innovation pipeline for U.S. supply chains by accelerating research, educating a diverse workforce, and creating de-risked, commercial-ready technologies in partnership with American industry. The CMI Hub will establish a new project portfolio around four research focus areas: Enhancing and Diversifying Supply; Developing Substitutes; Building a Circular Economy; and Crosscutting Research. The CMI Hub will also play a key role in the CMC by serving as an innovation engine and convener for shared ideas and best practices.