Future of Sustainable Mining and Critical Minerals
As the global demand for critical minerals intensifies, the University of Arizona is leading the national response—advancing technology, policy, and workforce development to ensure a secure and sustainable future.
In the News
Our Goals
- Secure U.S. mineral independence: Expand domestic extraction and processing to reduce reliance on foreign sources and strengthen national security.
- Advance sustainability: Drive innovation in tailings reclamation, mineral reuse, and circular economy practices to minimize environmental impact.
- Empower communities: Expand access to education, training, and opportunity for Indigenous, rural, and regional populations.
- Earn trust through partnership: Build good-neighbor agreements and sustained Tribal consultation so mining development earns durable community and social license to operate.
- Protect environment and health: Expand air and water quality monitoring, health risk assessment, and post-mining land restoration to safeguard the communities and ecosystems nearest mining operations.
- Drive economic resilience: Position Arizona's critical minerals leadership as a catalyst for technological innovation, regional opportunity, and long-term economic growth across the state and the nation.
Meet Our Team
Our renowned faculty are driving a new era of sustainable mining, placing Arizona at the center of national and global transformation.
