The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation has awarded the Colorado School of Mines in Golden more than $1 million for research focused on energy and the environment. The funding includes a $750,000 grant aimed at understanding the role of vertically integrated mine refinery projects in the domestic production of critical minerals for the energy transition, with a specific focus on the impact on Indigenous communities.
Additionally, two other projects have received funding from the Sloan Foundation this year. One is a $250,000 study led by Engineering, Design, and Society Professor Jessica Smith and Electrical Engineering Professor Katie Johnson, which examines how energy researchers incorporate societal considerations into their work. “Being able to recognize and account for the inherent societal dimensions of even early-stage research is crucial to ensure a more just energy transition,” Smith said.
Mines also received a $52,000 sub-award for a study that identifies the electric vehicle charging and grid infrastructure needs of under-represented communities. This research aims to explore how different policies could ensure vulnerable communities benefit from the transition to sustainable, electrified transportation.
All the projects funded by the Sloan Foundation involve partnerships with institutions such as Fort Lewis College, Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Vermont and the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL). “Each of these research projects is addressing an important component of the low-carbon energy transition,” said Evan Michelson, Sloan Foundation program director. “Whether it is studying the role of critical minerals in the energy transition, the nature of energy technology innovation, or the advancement of equitable EV adoption, this scholarship will advance the frontier of knowledge.”