OG-AMMTO Critical Minerals & Materials Accelerator

OG-AMMTO Critical Minerals & Materials Accelerator

Offers research teams and institutions for OG AMMTO Critical Minerals & Materials Accelerator in energy systems, materials science, and climate technology.

The OG-AMMTO Critical Minerals and Materials Accelerator is a joint Funding Opportunity Announcement between the DOE Office of Geothermal (OG) and the Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO), targeting the intersection of geothermal energy production and critical mineral supply chains. The program reflects a 2026 DOE priority shift toward critical minerals security: geothermal brines — the hot salt water that circulates through geothermal reservoirs — contain lithium, silica, zinc, and other strategically important minerals that can be recovered as a co-product of electricity generation. The joint FOA structure means applicants work simultaneously on energy production and domestic materials supply goals.

The FOA contains three topic areas. Topic 3 is divided into subtopics 3A (critical mineral extraction from geothermal brines) and 3B (geothermal energy applications using advanced materials). The Letter of Intent deadline for Topic 3 was April 24, 2026; the full application deadline is July 23, 2026. Award amounts and total pool size were not disclosed on the publicly accessible funding opportunities page at time of research — applicants must consult the full Notice of Funding Opportunity on EERE Exchange for specific dollar figures. The instrument is a cooperative agreement, which requires active collaboration between the awardee and DOE project officers throughout the period of performance. Eligible applicants include for-profit companies, nonprofits, universities, and research organizations; individuals may not apply.

Successful proposals will likely need to demonstrate both a credible geothermal resource base and a technically sound pathway to mineral extraction or materials integration, not just one or the other. The joint OG-AMMTO framing means reviewers from both offices will evaluate proposals, so applicants should explicitly address the intersection of geothermal energy performance and critical mineral yield or materials durability. Submissions are via EERE Exchange (eere-exchange.energy.gov) and require a login.gov account. Organizations interested in critical minerals from geothermal brines should verify current application requirements directly on the exchange portal, as intermediate deadlines may vary by topic area.