Critical Materials Innovation Hub

The Critical Materials Innovation Hub is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Energy Innovation Hub led by Ames National Laboratory that seeks to accelerate innovative scientific and technological solutions to develop resilient and secure supply chains for rare earth metals and other materials critical to the success of energy technologies.

DOE Webinar: National Lab Capabilities

CMI Director Tom Lograsso and others describe national laboratory capabilities and engagement mechanisms for critical minerals and materials

Focus Areas

Enhancing and Diversifying Supply

Developing Substitutes

Unlocking Secondary Sources

Crosscutting Research

News & Highlights

All News | All Highlights

In the News

DOE’s Critical Materials Innovation Hub Awards $10 Million for Early-Stage Research and Development

two people in a laboratory: ORNL’s Parans Paranthaman and Jayanthi Kumar prepare to load an autoclave with lithium brine and sorbent to initiate a hydrothermal reaction for lithium recovery. Credit: Carlos Jones/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

In the News

Critical validation of portable LIBS for ore-grade evaluations

The Critical Materials Innovation Hub focuses on technologies that make better use of materials and eliminate the need for materials that are subject to supply disruptions.

About CMI
CMI Research
CMI Phase I: 2013-2018 , CMI Phase II: 2018-2023 , CMI Phase III is the current phase of operation, which began in the last quarter of 2023
CMI Invention Disclosures CMI technology is available for licensing
Workforce Development
Membership
Key reports:
- CMI Patent Analysis: "An Evaluation of the Patent Portfolio Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's Critical Materials Innovation Hub"
- CMI Publication Analysis: "Bibliometric Analysis of CMI Hub Publications 2013-2022"
- CMI Retrospective: "CMI 2013-2023"

CMI Speeds Innovation

CMI has operated for more than 13 years, and these measures of success are cumulative.

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Invention Disclosures

R&D 100 Awards

U.S. Patents

Technologies Licensed

Learn more about our public-private partnerships

What makes CMI unique is its coordinated, collaborative ecosystem. Long-term support allows fundamental science, applied engineering and manufacturability to advance together, rather than in isolation.
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Thomas Lograsso

CMI Director

Scalable solution to an old recycling problem

Ames National Laboratory produced this video "A scalable solution to an old recycling problem | R&D 100 Green Tech Recognition," where CMI focus area deputies Ikenna Nlebedim and Denis Prodius describe the process developed in a CMI project led by Prodius. This CMI technology won Gold in the Green Tech category of the 2025 R&D 100 Awards program.

See this video and the newest videos from CMI and its partners on YouTube.