Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI) Mine Waste Cooperative Agreements FY2026

The Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI) Mine Waste Cooperative Agreements, offered by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) through its Mineral Resources Program (MRP), is a federally funded opportunity aimed at supporting state geological surveys in mapping, inventorying, and characterizing mine waste with potential critical mineral resources. This initiative directly implements mandates from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), supporting the modernization of geological mapping in the U.S. with a strong emphasis on critical minerals. Earth MRI is part of a national strategy to bolster secure and reliable mineral supply chains and enhance environmental remediation efforts on legacy mine sites. For fiscal year 2026, approximately $5 million in funding is available for allocation through cooperative agreements with an expected maximum of 14 awards. The Earth MRI Mine Waste funding opportunity supports three priority project areas. Priority 1 focuses on the development of a national mine waste inventory. State geological surveys may request up to $50,000 to compile publicly available geospatial data on mine waste features larger than 2,000 square meters and enter them into a structured ArcGIS geodatabase using the USMIN schema. The scope includes geolocation, geology, and resource potential. Participants must submit at least 100 validated mine waste records to qualify for full funding and will receive training and QA/QC feedback from USGS. Priority 2 offers up to $300,000 for field-based mine waste characterization, including volume estimation, compositional analysis, and environmental implications. USGS will cover up to $70,000 in laboratory analysis per project, including bulk geochemistry, mineralogy, and water chemistry. Proposals under Priority 2 must specify targeted mineral systems, provide site access documentation, and describe expected waste types and sampling methods per USGS protocols. Priority 3 supports travel costs to the annual Earth MRI workshop held in Reston, VA, from September 21–25, 2026. Each state may request up to $6,000 in direct costs for two participants. Unlike the other two priorities, Priority 3 requests are noncompetitive and automatically funded if application criteria are met. Applications may request funding for one, two, or all three priorities, and each priority must be budgeted and documented separately. The maximum period of performance is 24 months, with the earliest start date being July 15, 2026, or whenever FY2026 funding becomes available. The final deliverables must be submitted no later than 90 days following the project end date. Eligible applicants are limited to state geological surveys. Universities may apply only on behalf of a state geological survey if the survey is formally organized under the university system. Applicants with overdue deliverables on any current or prior Earth MRI-funded projects are ineligible. There is no cost-sharing or matching fund requirement, though applicants may voluntarily report in-kind contributions. USGS will be actively involved in all funded cooperative agreements, providing training, guidance, and review of deliverables throughout the award lifecycle. To apply, eligible applicants must submit their application via Grants.gov by 3:00 PM Eastern Time on May 4, 2026. All required forms include SF-424, SF-424A, project abstract summary, detailed narrative, budget justification, data management plan, and disclosure forms. Applications that fail to follow the format or miss any components will not be reviewed. Proposal evaluations will consider technical merit, societal benefits, organizational capacity, and budget appropriateness. Final decisions are made by USGS based on review panel scores and program priorities. All deliverables, including databases, reports, and data files, must be made publicly available following project completion.

Follow USMIN database schema precisely; attend USGS trainings; proposals must align with one or more of the three stated priorities and provide documented site access if applicable.