The outsized role critical minerals play in defense and renewable energy applications fuels much of the attention on this sector now. China has raced ahead of the rest of the world in mining, refining

A new paper in Nature Communications calls on energy developers to incorporate state-of-art knowledge to ensure decarbonization projects benefit the communities that choose to host them.

Leslie Lamberson, director of the Extreme Structures & Materials (X-STRM) Laboratory, is a co-principal investigator for the new Center for Simulation and design of Heterogeneous Architectures for Performance and Energy absorption (SHAPE).

Student researchers in Mines' Mineral and Energy Economics Program are delving into topics from geopolitics and supply chain risks to artisanal mining and responsible sourcing related to the global critical minerals landscape.

Reza Hedayat, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at Mines, sees mine tailings — the material left over from everyday mining operations — not as waste and a growing environmental concern but an opportunity.

Mines and the US Geological Survey are deepening their critical minerals partnership with a new shared research facility opening in 2027.

With expertise in critical minerals mining, policy, economics and community engagement, researchers at Colorado School of Mines are helping chart a path to strengthened national resilience and resource independence.

Since 1972, the athletics program at Colorado School of Mines has tallied 214 Academic All-Americans, more than any other NCAA Division II program – and that's just the beginning of the Oredigger story as the NCAA kicks off its 2025-26 season.

A book written by current and former Colorado Geological Survey geologists has been recognized with a 2025 Colorado Book Award. “Land of Ice: Jaunts Into Colorado's Glacial Landscape,” written by

The findings, published in the journal Science, show that improved recovery of critical minerals such as cobalt, lithium and rare earth elements currently being discarded as tailings of other mineral streams could meet the U.S. demand for energy, defense and technology applications.