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What Is the Critical Materials Collaborative?
The Critical Materials Collaborative (CMC) was authorized by Congress and created by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). It serves as the connective tissue within DOE, among government agencies, and key non-government stakeholders to improve and increase communication and coordination on domestic critical materials research and technology development.
The CMC aims to align, grow, and coordinate funding for the nation’s critical minerals and materials (CMM) innovation ecosystem with the goal of accelerating commercialization of new and cutting-edge technologies to enable secure and robust domestic critical material supply chains to support U.S. national security, energy security, and economic competitiveness.
Mission
To accelerate DOE’s critical materials research, development, demonstration, and deployment (RDD&D) to achieve domestic energy manufacturing, technology, and national security goals by:
Building robust supply chain networks.
Training critical materials leaders and the broader CMM workforce across multiple sectors.
Fostering industry adoption and deployment of cutting-edge technology.
Laying the scientific and technological groundwork needed to address emerging challenges.
Team
Currently, the CMC is comprised of several offices across the DOE and RDD&D awardees funded through CMC-coordinated opportunities and is expanding to include offices across the federal government.
The CMC also partners with the Critical Materials Innovation Hub, which plays a central role in the CMC as an innovation engine—a force multiplier for shared ideas, best practices, and early-stage science and technology solutions.
The CMC co-chairs' offices are in:
- The Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation
- The Office of Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy
Sponsoring offices are:
- Within the Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation:
- Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office
- Advanced Mining and Mineral Processing Technologies Office
- Alternative Fuels and Feedstocks Office
- Analysis and Strategy Office
- Hydropower and Hydrokinetic Office
- Industrial Technologies Office
- Integrated Energy Systems Office
- Manufacturing Deployment Office
- Transportation Technologies Office
- Office of Electricity
- Office of Energy Dominance Financing
- Within the Office of Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy:
- Office of Coal
- Office of Geothermal
- Office of Oil and Gas
- Office of Indian Energy
- Office of International Affairs
- Office of Nuclear Energy
- National Nuclear Security Administration
- Office of Policy
- Office of Technology Commercialization
- Within the Office of Science:
- Basic Energy Sciences Program
- Biological and Environmental Research Sciences Program
- Office of Isotope R&D and Production
- Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists
Member Structure
The DOE sponsoring offices connect with other federal agencies, RDD&D awardees that join through CMC funding opportunities, the Critical Materials Innovation Hub, and DOE national laboratories.
Get Involved
Others outside of the U.S. government can join the CMC by being selected through a CMC-related funding opportunity. The CMC coordinates with RDD&D programs and funding opportunities across DOE to form this membership.
Funding Opportunities
Office/Program Opportunity Due Date Office of Science (SC) Building EPSCoR-State/National Laboratory Partnerships Required pre-application due 3/18/26 at 5 p.m. ET.
Full application due 5/21/2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET.Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO) and Office of Geothermal (OG) Critical Minerals and Materials Accelerator Letters of intent due 4/24/26 at 5 p.m. ET.
Full application deadlines:Topic Area 1: 5/29/2026
Topic Area 2: 6/25/2026
Topic Area 3: 7/23/2026Office of Science (SC) Early Career Research Program Required pre-application due 3/24/26 at 5 p.m. ET.
Full application due 6/2/2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET.Office of Science (SC) Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) Required pre-application due 4/1/26 at 5 p.m. ET.
Full application due 7/1/2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET.Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs (OIE) Unleashing Tribal Energy Development 7/24/2026 at 5 p.m. ET Office of Science (SC) Office of Science Financial Assistance Program 9/30/2026 Office/Program Opportunity ARPA-E SCALEUP Ready program ARPA-E ROCKS FY25 FECM (FE) TRACE Office of Science (BES) Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRCs) FY25 Office of Science (BES/EPSCoR) Building EPSCoR-State/National Laboratory Partnerships FY25 Office of Science (SC) Early Career Research Program (ECRP) FY25
Resources
Webinars & Videos
- Fortifying the Workforce for America’s Mineral Security: A National Dialogue
View the resource links shared in the webinar. - National Lab Capabilities and Engagement Mechanisms for Critical Minerals and Materials Webinar
View the resource links shared in the webinar. - Domestic Critical Minerals and Materials Supply Chains Workshop
- Critical Materials 101: What’s so Critical about Critical Materials?
- Critical Materials 101: What Is America's Most Critical Material?
Department of Energy Resources:
Critical Minerals Leadership Academy (CMLA)
Secretary Wright Acts to “Unleash Golden Era of American Energy Dominance”
Immediate Measures to Increase American Mineral Production
Other Executive Orders on Critical Minerals
21st Century Energy Workforce Advisory Board (EWAB)
Recommendations of the 21st Century Energy Workforce Advisory Board, July 2025
Critical Materials Innovation Hub (CMI Hub)
Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program (LEEP)
Battery Workforce Initiative (BWI)
Mine of the Future Proving Ground Initiative
Critical Minerals & Materials Matchmaker (CM3)
Mickey Leland Energy Fellowship (MLEF)
Office of Science Programs (CCI, VFP, SCGSR, SULI)
Office of Science Early Career Research Program
Office of Science User Facilities at a Glance
Upstream Panel:University of Arizona’s Mining Engineering & Mineral Resources – Cu at the Mine
Midstream Panel:Dakota Prairie Apprenticeship Readiness Program
NACTEP Priorities Comments Tribal Consultation
Latest NACTEP Performance Report
Critical Minerals and Materials for Advanced Energy Tech Hub led by Missouri S&T
Missouri S&T bachelor’s degree in metallurgical engineering
Downstream Panel:MIT takes manufacturing education across the country
MIT Initiative for New Manufacturing
Open Learning Brings Online Learning to MIT and the World
Ideas for Designing an Affordable New Education Institution
Initiative for Knowledge and Innovation in Manufacturing
Closing:Opening Remarks
Recent CMM NOFOs:
Department of Energy Office Presentations: Brief Overviews of Critical Mineral and Material (CMM) Lab-Led Programs
Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (MESC):
- Critical mineral/material environmental and permitting data map
- New trade data (HTS code breakouts) will be highlighted in an upcoming MESC release
- Sankey diagrams showing critical mineral/material market sizes and flows by country
- Background and more information on NREL’s LIBRA model
- Background info and preliminary findings from SLAC/STEER roundtable
- DOE U.S. Energy and Employment Report
- DOE/MESC’s MMAC homepage
Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM):
- ClaiMM: Explore and Utilize CMM Data in New Ways
- Process Optimization & Modeling for Minerals Sustainability (PrOMMiS) initiative
- FECM CMM Matchmaker (CM3)
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE):
- High-Performance Computing for Manufacturing
- Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program
- EVALS: Enhanced VALidation of Advanced Battery Supply Chains Consortium Contact
- Processing Science and Engineering Consortium
- Consortia on Next-Generation Cathode Materials
- ElectroCat
- Oceans for Industry
Office of Science (SC):
Critical Materials Innovation (CMI) Hub Presentation
- CMI Hub
- CMI Technology Roadmap
- R&D 100 Award Winners
- CMI Partnering Options
- National Laboratories Expertise and Capabilities
Minerals to Materials Supply Chain Research Facility (METALLIC)
Panel Discussion Focused on Engagement Mechanisms
Latest News
Upcoming Event
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May 21May 21 - May 21 Starts May 21st, 2026 - 2:00 PM EDT View Event Details forNational Lab Discovery Series: ORNL Critical Mineral Recovery TechnologiesNational Lab Discovery Series: ORNL Critical Mineral Recovery Technologies
Learn More
Stay Updated
Contact us with any questions at cmc@hq.doe.gov.
Join the Critical Materials Collaborative email list!