Montana Tech awarded $1 million U.S. Department of Energy PROSPECT Planning Prize to advance critical minerals workforce 

Montana Tech’s new EXTRACT program will expand mining talent through recruitment, innovative academic pathways, K-12 outreach, and state-of-the-art workforce training 

BUTTE, Mont. — Montana Technological University has been selected as a recipient of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation’s Providing Opportunities for Specialized Education in Critical Technologies (PROSPECT) Planning Prize. The $1 million award recognizes Montana Tech’s strategic initiative—dubbed EXTRACT—to rapidly expand and strengthen the critical minerals and materials workforce across the region and nation. 

"America has abundant natural resources, but we need the skilled workforce to turn those resources into economic drivers that will grow our economy and create new jobs,” said Assistant Secretary of Energy Audrey Robertson. “For decades, we have allowed our mining and critical minerals workforce to decline and our domestic supply chains of critical minerals to weaken. PROSPECT is about reversing that trend by challenging universities to rapidly grow the number of graduates ready to build and sustain the American critical minerals supply chains, from mines to materials.” 

Montana Tech is one of 16 higher education institutions nationwide awarded funding through the PROSPECT Planning Prize. The program supports viable, innovative strategies aimed at substantially increasing the number of graduates and credentialed professionals entering mining and critical supply chain fields by the end of calendar year 2028. 

“The opportunity here is bigger than simply graduating more mining engineers,” Montana Tech Associate Professor of Mining Engineering Chris Roos said. “EXTRACT allows Montana Tech to create multiple pathways into the critical minerals workforce, whether a student starts in mining, another engineering discipline, a community college, or even first discovers these careers in a middle-school classroom. This investment gives us the opportunity to accelerate workforce development today while building a pipeline that can continue producing talent for decades to come.” 

The Montana Tech team is led by Associate Professor of Mining Engineering Chris Roos and includes Lance Energy Chair Bob Morris; Associate Professor and Department Head of Mechanical Engineering Rick LaDouceur; Assistant Professor of Geological Engineering Celine Beaucamp-Stout; and Assistant Professor of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Grant Wallace. 

Immediate Workforce Impact 

Montana Tech’s EXTRACT program is designed to deliver rapid workforce gains through targeted student support and flexible learning structures: 

• Removing Financial Barriers: Providing undergraduate scholarships and graduate fellowships for students pursuing mining-related careers. 

• Faster Academic Pathways: Developing specialized mining certificates, interdisciplinary minors, and a new cross-disciplinary Fundamentals of the Mining Industry course. 

• New Entry Points & Recruitment: Establishing 2+2 articulation agreements, expanding transfer pathways, and building strong community college partnerships. 

• Workforce-Ready Graduates: Enhancing graduate education, expanding industry-sponsored capstone projects, offering applied field learning, and increasing instructional capacity. 

Building Long-Term Workforce Resilience 

In addition to immediate career pathways, EXTRACT focuses on sustaining a resilient pipeline for future generations: 

• K-12 Pipeline & Outreach: Launching Mineral Labs teacher fellowships, creating engaging curricula, hosting an annual mining symposium, and expanding regional STEM outreach. 

• Early Experiential Learning: Expanding interdisciplinary summer camps, hands-on programming, and regional science fair support. 

• Upgraded Infrastructure: Investing in new field equipment, surveying technology, and laboratory upgrades to support enrollment growth and hands-on training. 

• Statewide & Regional Networks: Partnering with Montana State University, community colleges, K-12 school districts, and industry leaders to create an interconnected talent pipeline. 

National Recognition 

Winning submissions across the 16 selected institutions emphasized flexible and stackable credentials, mine- and field-based training, and broadening entry points beyond traditional degree paths. 

The full list of PROSPECT Planning Prize recipients includes: Colorado School of Mines, Columbia University, Michigan Technological University, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Montana Technological University, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, The Pennsylvania State University, The University of Arizona, The University of Texas at El Paso, The University of Utah, University of Alaska Fairbanks, University of Kentucky, University of Nevada, Reno, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and West Virginia University. 

For more information about Montana Technological University and its engineering and mining programs, visit mtech.edu.