Virginia Tech faculty engaged in transdisciplinary research to develop solutions to complex global problems have received Destination Area (YES) Phase II funding and implementation awards from the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost.
The “Securing U.S. Minerals through Multidisciplinary Innovation and Technology” (SUMMIT) DA will focus on fundamental and applied activities to advance understanding of domestic critical mineral resources and the next-generation technologies needed to extract, process, and refine them.
Co-led by Aaron Noble, Charles T. Holland Professor and head of the Department of Mining and Minerals Engineeringand Robert Bodnar, University Distinguished Professor in the Department of GeosciencesSUMMIT provides a compelling framework for integrating these capabilities into a coordinated, university-wide effort capable of addressing both scientific and deployment challenges across the critical minerals value chain.
“Critical minerals are the material foundation of modern technology and national competitiveness,” said Noble and Bodnar in their project proposal. “They enable energy systems, defense platforms, electronics, advanced manufacturing, transportation, data infrastructure, and other sectors essential to both economic and national security.”
SUMMIT’s central concept is to establish a transdisciplinary innovation and education hub that accelerates the development and production of domestic critical mineral resources, technologies, and talent. The project’s external impact will strengthen the domestic capacity to discover, process, scale, and deploy the mineral resources required for national security, economic competitiveness, and technological leadership.
DA projects target transdisciplinary discovery, learning, and outreach efforts that yield solutions to complex problems and have a high likelihood of Virginia Tech sustaining or establishing an international leadership position in the area of interest. As Virginia Tech pursues its Beyond Boundaries vision, DA teams are well-positioned to deploy the expertise and assets that have been cultivated within the university to address compelling problems of global importance.
Phase II funding includes support for tenured/tenure-track faculty positions, as well as support for startup packages for individual faculty shared among departments, colleges, and the Provost’s Office. SUMMIT aligns closely with and elevates Virginia Tech’s Global Distinction initiative through excellence and expertise in the field of critical minerals and opportunities for international partnerships and leadership.
For more information on the SUMMIT project and the collaborative work of other transdisciplinary Virginia Tech teams, visit the Destination Area website.