NSF Engines Development Award: Advancing the circular economy for lithium batteries (NV)

Board Of Regents, Nshe, Obo University Of Nevada, Reno, Reno NV

Investigators

Abstract

This Regional Innovation Engines Development Award is focused on developing a region in which workforce and economic development practices, private-sector innovation, and use-inspired research are coordinated and aligned to support the economy of the lithium lifecycle. Lithium is a critical element that powers our society and is necessary for our clean energy future. But currently, much of the lithium that powers the American economy comes from countries whose political leadership is unstable or hostile. Because of this and the pressing need to reliably and cleanly fuel the American economy, the partners and stakeholders of this Development Award will pioneer supply chain management to control resource extraction of critical materials, and reinvent, rejuvenate, repurpose, and recycle lithium batteries. The region of service is defined as the entire state of Nevada. This region is uniquely suited to support America's lithium independence because it contains the only operating lithium mine in the US, is constructing the largest lithium mine in North America, and contains significant sources of lithium in clay and brine. The main partners for this effort are the University of Nevada, Reno, the Nevada Governor's Office of Economic Development, and Truckee Meadows Community College, working with dozens of companies engaged in one or more states of the lithium lifecycle. This Development Award will produce a use-inspired R&D agenda exploring innovative research methodologies for lithium extraction, utilization and development of batteries, repurposing of used batteries, and rejuvenating and recycling lithium batteries. A culture of innovation will be cultivated through opportunities for interaction and technical resources necessary for ideation and collaboration between researchers, industry, and venture capital firms. The workforce development efforts will include creating a workforce skills certificate in lithium battery production and recycling and a Batteries Technology minor at UNR. Currently, there is no coordinated approach to translating the innovations taking place at research institutions, industries, and start-ups into practice in a way that results in economic growth benefiting the entire region. This Development Award will enable the leadership team to guide stakeholders and collaborators through a 24-month process of co-creating ideas, strategies, innovations, and agreements to align partners across industry, government, and academia on joint priorities for a regional economy built around the lithium lifecycle. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.