# Alaska's Critical Mineral Engine, and Its Unbuilt AI > Alaska just won a decade-scale federal bet to find its critical minerals. The AI headlining it is one unbuilt sentence. Published 2026-07-15 by Alaska AI. 9 slides. Canonical: https://alaskaaihq.com/archive/2026-07-15/ ## The story IT ISN'T BUILT YET THE NSF JUST FUNDED AN AI TO FIND ALASKA'S CRITICAL MINERALS Alaska just won one of 12 new federal Innovation Engines. NSF named a University of Alaska Fairbanks coalition its Critical Mineral Accelerator Engine. It opens with 15 million dollars for the first two years. Far more can follow, only if it delivers. 56 of the 60 minerals the U.S. calls essential are in this ground. That is the U.S. Geological Survey count, essential to the nation's economy and its security. Alaska is not short on critical minerals. It is short on knowing exactly where, in a place this big. Read the ground. Find the deposits. Pull the minerals out. The Engine pairs advanced mining, processing and purification with two newer ideas, artificial intelligence to help locate mineral deposits, and new biological methods to extract them. This is what a prospectivity model would draw, if one existed. It is announced and funded in principle. It is not yet specified. That is not a scandal. It is the stage this is at. It is a ladder, not a check. Seven minerals the announcement names. One site is named so far. The rest is still a search. The only location named so far is Alaska Silver's exploration site in western Alaska. NANA Regional Corporation is a partner, not an owner. UAF leads it, with geoscientist Lee Ann Munk as chief executive. The goal, cut U.S. dependence on China for mineral processing. ## What we verified - More than 500 public comments opposed the Stak Energy North Slope data-center lease and fewer than a dozen endorsed it, with the comment window extended to July 17, 2026. [Anchorage Daily News](https://www.adn.com/business-economy/2026/07/07/data-center-critics-flood-alaska-land-managers-with-opposition-to-north-slope-project/), report, 2026-07-07. - Sen. Sullivan secured 56 provisions and a historic $2.6 billion for Alaska in the FY2027 NDAA (advanced 18-9 from committee), including a mandate for grid-impact assessments before executing or renewing an Enhanced Use Lease. [Office of Sen. Dan Sullivan](https://www.sullivan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sullivan-secures-56-provisions-historic-26-billion-for-alaska-in-fy-2027-defense-authorization), report, 2026-06-23. - On July 14, 2026, NSF announced 12 new Regional Innovation Engines spanning 20 states. [National Science Foundation](https://www.nsf.gov/news/nsf-awards-12-new-regional-innovation-engines-fuel-research), report, 2026-07-14. - Lee Ann Munk, a UAF geosciences professor, is the Engine's chief executive officer, and Christi Bell is its strategy and innovation officer. [UAF Geophysical Institute](https://www.gi.alaska.edu/news/national-science-foundation-funds-uaf-led-critical-minerals-coalition), report, 2026-07-14. - NSF's initial $135 million across its nine inaugural Engines has garnered more than $2 billion in matching commitments. [National Science Foundation](https://www.nsf.gov/news/nsf-awards-12-new-regional-innovation-engines-fuel-research), report, 2026-07-14. - NANA's Lance Miller endorsed the Engine, tying it to innovation, workforce development and responsible resource development. [UAF Geophysical Institute](https://www.gi.alaska.edu/news/national-science-foundation-funds-uaf-led-critical-minerals-coalition), report, 2026-07-14. - Gov. Dunleavy framed the award as unlocking Alaska's resource potential and reducing America's dependence on China for mineral processing; Robert McCoy is Geophysical Institute Director and Michelle Rizk is Interim University of Alaska President. [UAF Geophysical Institute](https://www.gi.alaska.edu/news/national-science-foundation-funds-uaf-led-critical-minerals-coalition), report, 2026-07-14. - Neither primary source names any specific AI algorithm, model, dataset, software, or deployment site; the AI is described only in general terms. [UAF Geophysical Institute](https://www.gi.alaska.edu/news/national-science-foundation-funds-uaf-led-critical-minerals-coalition), report, 2026-07-14. - The UAF page names lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite, germanium, gallium and rare earth elements as example critical minerals, used in batteries, smartphones, computer chips, medical equipment, power grids, aircraft and defense technologies. [UAF Geophysical Institute](https://www.gi.alaska.edu/news/national-science-foundation-funds-uaf-led-critical-minerals-coalition), report, 2026-07-14. - The Engine program runs up to ten years, with continued NSF funding contingent on meeting well-defined milestones. [National Science Foundation](https://www.nsf.gov/news/nsf-awards-12-new-regional-innovation-engines-fuel-research), report, 2026-07-14. - One of the new Engines is the NSF Critical Mineral Accelerator Engine in Alaska, led by the University of Alaska Fairbanks. [National Science Foundation](https://www.nsf.gov/news/nsf-awards-12-new-regional-innovation-engines-fuel-research), report, 2026-07-14. - Each new Engine initially receives $15 million over its first two years. [National Science Foundation](https://www.nsf.gov/news/nsf-awards-12-new-regional-innovation-engines-fuel-research), report, 2026-07-14. - Each Engine can eventually receive up to $160 million from NSF over ten years, contingent on meeting milestones. [National Science Foundation](https://www.nsf.gov/news/nsf-awards-12-new-regional-innovation-engines-fuel-research), report, 2026-07-14. - The Alaska Engine will use artificial intelligence to help locate mineral deposits. [UAF Geophysical Institute](https://www.gi.alaska.edu/news/national-science-foundation-funds-uaf-led-critical-minerals-coalition), report, 2026-07-14. - Partners in the Engine include NANA Regional Corporation and Alaska Silver. [UAF Geophysical Institute](https://www.gi.alaska.edu/news/national-science-foundation-funds-uaf-led-critical-minerals-coalition), report, 2026-07-14. - The Engine's approach combines advanced technologies for mining, processing and purification with AI to locate deposits and new biological methods to extract minerals. [UAF Geophysical Institute](https://www.gi.alaska.edu/news/national-science-foundation-funds-uaf-led-critical-minerals-coalition), report, 2026-07-14. - Alaska contains 56 of the 60 minerals the U.S. Geological Survey considers essential to the nation's economy and national security. [UAF Geophysical Institute](https://www.gi.alaska.edu/news/national-science-foundation-funds-uaf-led-critical-minerals-coalition), report, 2026-07-14. - Gov. Mike Dunleavy and the Alaska Legislature provided $500,000 in one-time funding. [UAF Geophysical Institute](https://www.gi.alaska.edu/news/national-science-foundation-funds-uaf-led-critical-minerals-coalition), report, 2026-07-14. Slides and the deck PDF are linked from the canonical page.