$1M federal grant to help U of A grow more mining engineers

The U.S. Department of Energy wants to double those numbers by supporting students and universities to graduate more engineers.

The University of Arizona will receive a $1 million grant from a new program offered by DOE's Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation, the agency announced Oct. 26. UA's School of Mining Engineering & Mineral Resources is one of 16 universities that offer degrees in mining or geophysical engineering, metallurgy, geology or other related areas.

The program, Providing Opportunities for Specialized Education in Critical Technologies or PROSPECT, was launched in August to help close the gap between the demand for professionals in mining, processing, recycling and related fields.

Since 2015, enrollment in American university mining programs has declined by approximately 45%, yet the United States will likely need about 6,000 new engineers in the mining sector alone over the next 10 years.

Universities will receive resources to help meet needs

These aren't your grandmother's miners. Expertise in robotics, electronics, AI and more technical expertise distinguishes modern miners from the old pickaxe-wielding workforce.

DOE Assistant Secretary Audrey Robertson said just 163 degrees were awarded in mining engineering or related fields in 2025. Although some reports, such as those from the Colorado School of Mines, say that number is closer to 300, it's still far less than what China churns out in a year.

Also, she said, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that Texas may grow 250,000 jobs in the mining area by 2030.

While mining companies like Resolution Copper offer apprenticeships to help students obtain journeyman electrician status and other such needed skilled positions to help fill that gap, the PROSPECT program will support creating professionals by obtaining college degrees.

With fewer students entering the pipeline to obtain degrees, the federal government knew it would have to do something to grow new engineers.

Based on the plans submitted to compete for the prize, 50% of the grant will go directly toward student support, Robertson said. "Depending on the university, that manifests in different ways."

The other 50% will support universities' efforts to double graduates with mining, processing and recycling degrees. And those jobs pay well: Robertson said starting pay ranges from the high five figures to the low six figures. And, she said, graduates enjoy a nearly 100% job placement rate.

Robertson said that because the universities are primarily land-grant institutions, they cover much of the nation.

The grants may also provide opportunities for students coming from lower-income communities to earn degrees in high-paying fields. About 28% of UA's 54,000 students are the first in their family to attend a university. From an economic perspective, she said, most of these universities are also the largest universities in their state in terms of first-time students and Pell Grant recipients.

Also, as part of PROSPECT's 10-year plan to jump-start the number of Americans entering the critical minerals field, Robertson said the program will perform outreach in the K-12 schools and in summer programs.

The grant is not for buildings, she said. "This is for enabling students' success."

"There are so many things that we can do to change the trajectory over time," Robertson said. "This program is meant to be an adrenaline shot to the problem."