Ames National Laboratory scientists Ikenna Nlebedim and Denis Prodius have been selected to receive a 2026 Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC) Outstanding Researcher/Small Research Team Award for their pioneering work in developing and transferring a groundbreaking acid‑free rare‑earth recycling technology.
The award recognizes federal laboratory employees who have provided leadership and noteworthy support of the technology transfer process. Nlebedim and Prodius were honored for leading an Outstanding Research Team whose environmentally friendly process provides a low-impact, efficient method for recovering critical rare‑earth elements—key materials that support U.S. innovation in areas such as advanced energy storage, critical infrastructure, and next‑generation manufacturing.
Their work is supported through the Critical Materials Innovation Hub, a Department of Energy Energy Innovation Hub led by Ames National Laboratory that advances innovations to secure reliable, domestic supplies of critical materials. This recognition highlights both the team’s technology‑transfer success and the Hub’s national leadership in developing solutions that strengthen U.S. manufacturing and supply‑chain resilience.
The Outstanding Researcher/Small Research Team Award is given to a researcher/research team who has made the most significant contributions to federal technology transfer. The nominee can be a new or long-time scientist/researcher or research team who is highly involved in a lab’s technology transfer efforts.
The Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer (FLC) is a formally chartered, nationwide network of more than 300 federal laboratories, agencies, and research centers that foster commercialization best practice strategies and opportunities for accelerating federal technologies from out of the labs and into the marketplace.
News Link: Federal Laboratory Consortium Announces 2026 Award Winners for Technology Transfer Excellence