The US Geological Survey (USGS) this week announced the recipients of the agency’s 2009 mineral research grants. The grants will assist researchers’ study of a range of minerals essential to US economic and national security. Grant recipients will study uranium, rare earth elements, copper, tungsten and lithium. Funding for the grants was provided through the USGS Mineral Resources External Research Program.

Robert Bodnar of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) will study how the Coles Hill uranium deposit in south central Virginia was formed. The research is expected to document the geologic characteristics of the deposit, determine the age of deposit formation and result in a model that will help with the assessment of uranium potential in other regions of the Eastern US with similar geologic settings.

Jaroslav Dostal of St. Mary’s University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, will investigate uranium and rare-earth element deposits of the Bokan Mountain granite complex on the Prince of Wales Island in southeastern Alaska. From this study, analogies to similar deposits around the world will be made and the potential for similar deposits in Alaska and western North America can be assessed.

Craig Hart of the University of Western Australia will investigate the regional geology and age of igneous rocks, including those of the Pebble copper deposit, in southwest Alaska. The research is expected to yield a better understanding of regional controls on the formation of the Pebble copper deposit and assist with the assessment for similar deposits that might be concealed in this region of Alaska where rocks are largely covered by younger material.

Michael McKibben of the University of California, Riverside will study how tungsten and lithium are released into the environment when ore minerals are dissolved by water. The research is expected to provide critical data needed to construct models used in geo-environmental assessments of a number of mineral deposit types that contain tungsten- and lithium-bearing minerals.