Michigan Technological University landed more than $1 million in federal funding for bioleaching research, announced during a campus visit Tuesday, Sept. 1, by U.S. Assistant Secretary of Energy Audrey Robertson.
Robertson, who leads the Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation, told WLUC-TV6 the award came from the DOE's industrial technologies office as part of roughly $120 million in new funding for industrial manufacturing projects nationwide.
The grant supports bioleaching, a process Robertson described as using microorganisms in specialized wetland environments to extract and purify usable iron from low-grade ore for manufacturing.
Robertson said the visit centered on critical minerals, workforce development and the university's role in advancing U.S. energy goals. She toured student projects and university facilities on what was the second day of fall classes for MTU students.
Revex Technologies awaits $145 million grant
Robertson also stopped at Houghton-based startup Revex Technologies, where she reviewed the company's mining and mineral-processing plans, its REV nickel project and its workforce development strategy.
Revex President Michael Cleveland said the company is waiting on the reissuance of its $145 million DOE grant to continue its programs. Revex, founded in 2023, has been working with Eagle Mine to develop a processing facility in northern Michigan. The facility would reprocess old waste rock for trace amounts of critical minerals, according to an October 2025 Mining Journal report.
The circumstances behind the grant's pause have not been publicly detailed. No timeline for reissuance was given.
Cleveland said he believes Robertson has influence and has heard the company's case directly. He added that he was "more excited that she's looking at what can be done to really move the pipeline for students to get back into, what I'll consider, the hard careers."
$100 million workforce push targets mining graduates
The Houghton visit followed the DOE's August launch of the $100 million PROSPECT initiative, short for Providing Opportunities for Specialized Education in Critical Technologies. Robertson called it the "largest workforce program" in DOE history, according to the Daily Fly.
PROSPECT aims to double the number of Americans graduating with mining and critical-mineral degrees within two years. Only 14 schools with accredited mining programs are eligible, with two more working toward accreditation.
The workforce push comes as the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration projects 221,000 mining workers will retire by 2029. The DOE estimates 6,000 new engineers will be needed in the mining sector over the next decade.
Whether Michigan Tech qualifies for PROSPECT funding has not been confirmed. The DOE plans to announce competition rules in the coming weeks, which will clarify eligible schools.
