HomeISF-DUIRI: Critical Minerals from Coal Ash DUIRI - Discovery Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Research Internship Spring 2026 Accepted Global Sustainability The U.S. needs reliable, domestic supplies of critical minerals to secure clean-energy, defense, and high-tech manufacturing, rather than depending on volatile imports; federal analyses and programs explicitly call for building a homegrown supply chain. One promising feedstock is coal fly ash and other coal wastes, which can contain recoverable amounts of rare earth elements (REEs) and allied critical materials, and DOE is actively funding regional efforts (including in Indiana and Ohio) to commercialize extraction from these residues. In Indiana, this opportunity has become a state priority: Governor Mike Braun issued Executive Order 25-62 to support recovery of REEs and critical materials from Indiana coal sites, and publicly framed coal ash reuse as a pathway to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign sources, thus the research helps ensure the US is well positioned in Global Security. The proposed project will analyze the trace metal content of coal ash from Purdue's Wade power plant and possible from other sites in Indiana and determine their potential for REE recovery. Test of different leaching approaches and size characterization will be conducted. Greg M Michalski Chemistry analysis, aqueous and acid extraction, sample preparations, calibration standard preparation, data analysis, presentation preparation and delivery Good standing, basic general chemistry lab and college level chemistry 0 0 (estimated)