Federal Lab Partners

Colorado School of Mines and the U.S. Geological Survey have recently strengthened their partnership, with the November 2023 groundbreaking of the new $240M joint Energy and Minerals Research Facility (EMRF), set to open on the Mines campus in 2026.

The Energy and Materials Research building will house the USGS Geology, Geophysics and Geochemistry Science Center and the Central Energy Resources Science Center and many of the complementary faculty and laboratories from Mines. This co-location will allow Mines faculty and students to work closely with the USGS energy and minerals scientists to address critical minerals and energy challenges vital to our nation.

Mines and USGS also partner through the Mines-based Center for Mineral Resources Science, a global leader in mineral deposit exploration research and education. This collaborative group of faculty, scientists and graduate student researchers are world leaders in studying economic geology, with state-of-the-art analytical facilities.

Helpful links for faculty, students and partners:

• USGS has several robust programs for student internships and fellowships, including the Pathways Program. Please visit their student and recent graduate opportunities page to find out more.
• Mines and USGS have established a joint industry program to study the potential of geologic hydrogen resources. This collaborative effort develops a scientific understanding of hydrogen systems and hydrogen generation, migration and preservation.

The US Department of Commerce campus in Boulder, CO

Just 20 minutes away from Mines sits the Boulder campus of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). It is part of the  US Department of Commerce campus in Boulder, CO that also includes the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

With mutual research interests in materials science, applied physics, microsystems and nanotechnology, quantum physics, additive manufacturing, building energy, systems intelligence, computer science and cybersecurity, the strategic partnership between Mines and NIST continues to grow and prosper. This is reflected in Mines’ status as a partner of choice for the NIST PREP (Professional Research Experience Program) program, a collaboration which aims to develop and train a world-class pool of scientists and engineers by providing NIST research opportunities to Mines students, young scientists, and faculty.

Helpful links for faculty, students and partners:

• NIST is managing the $50B CHIPS for America program designed to revitalize the U.S. position within semiconductor research, development, and manufacturing. Visit this page to see current CHIPS job openings.
• Mines students, faculty and early career scientists can find opportunities and information on participating in the Mines NIST PREP program here.  NIST PREP opportunities for Mines students can be found on Diggernet.

Mines has recently increased engagement with Idaho National Laboratory (INL), forming new research collaborations on a growing number of shared research areas of interest.

The shared goal of this partnership is to build signature experiences for students, researchers and early career scientists, making contributions to key technical areas. This will include sharing expertise and resources, strategic convenings, establishing joint appointments, and bolstering workforce development pipelines.

Shared research interests include geosciences, critical materials, hydrogen, materials development and advanced manufacturing, transportation and energy storage, cyber and homeland security, nuclear energy, and basic energy sciences.

Helpful links for faculty, students and partners:

• Find out more about INL’s graduate student internships and their postdoctoral research opportunities
• Discover INL’s priority research areas

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) offers many opportunities for strategic partnerships with Mines.

Areas of mutual research include materials science, particle physics, subatomic physics, chemical process modeling, quantum chemistry and quantum sensors, high explosives manufacturing, radioactive materials research, additive manufacturing and welding, and advanced alloy development.

Helpful links for faculty, students and partners:

• As one of LLNL’s strategic university partners, Mines faculty have opportunities to exchange knowledge and develop new collaborations through LLNL’s paid, on-site, Faculty Mini-Sabbatical Program.
• Mines students can explore student internships and recent graduates can find postdoctoral opportunities at LLNL.
• In addition, Mines students, staff, and alumni are strong candidates for many career opportunities at LLNL.

LANL main tech area TA-03 in the pre-dawn hours.

Los Alamos National Lab (LANL) and Mines work together to support science, mathematics and engineering education.  Mines and LANL support joint appointments enabling scientists to conduct work at both facilities. This creates a greater capacity to attract, recognize and retain premier students, scientists and engineers at both institutions. As joint appointees, LANL scientists may teach and advise Mines students, submit project and grant proposals and work with Mines faculty to pursue publications, patents and intellectual property for both institutions.

Collaborative research between Mines and LANL includes high entropy alloys, advanced metallic alloys and steels, explosives, carbon storage, electrophysics, computational modeling and predictions, and additive manufacturing.

Helpful links for faculty, students and partners: 

• The Los Alamos Neutron Science Center is a unique user facility that Mines faculty and students can access for collaborative projects with LANL
• Mines students and graduates are actively sought out to work at LANL. To find out more information careers, student and postdoc opportunities please visit the LANL career page.

Joint appointments between Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and Mines provide new and diverse opportunities for researchers to expand their knowledge and impact. They create pathways for researchers to contribute unique capabilities that advance the scientific missions of both institutions. These enhanced opportunities allow for collaborations and impact that would not be possible outside of this formalized framework.

Rotating appointments elevate the scientific impact and productivity of researchers at both institutions by fostering collaborative research, deepening and broadening capabilities, facilitating transdisciplinary research, providing access to specialized instrumentation and other research tools and giving students and interns new educational and training opportunities.

Areas of complementary interest include chemistry, data analytics, earth science, and technical innovation in sustainable energy and national security.

Helpful links for faculty, students and partners:

• PNNL has a robust focus on education, with many programs dedicated to collaboration with faculty, students and other researchers. View the PNNL education hub here.