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2026 EMSL Summer School: Advanced Methods for Understanding Critical Minerals and Materials Biogeochemistry
July 27 - 31, 2026

The United States is focused on increasing and strengthening a domestic supply of critical minerals and materials (CMMs) to provide the nation with energy independence and sustainable energy technologies.

Summer School attendees will benefit from EMSL's deep expertise in biogeochemistry and better understand methods for uncovering the molecular properties and behavior of CMMs. 

Black background with various microscope images of microbes and metals. The inset microscope pictures are surrounded by a gear-like image.

Topics

  • Imaging methods for understanding metals behavior and extractability in mineral-dominated and soil-plant systems
  • Organics and mineral analysis to understand metal behavior
  • Pore-scale micromodels and workflows
  • Multi-omics workflows

Locations

Event description

EMSL Summer School is an exclusive week-long learning opportunity held annually for graduate students, and postdoctoral and early-career researchers. Twenty-five attendees are competitively selected through a formal application process to attend in-person. EMSL will pay for airfare, lodging, and transportation to and from the hotel and campus. Meals and other incidentals are not included. 

During the morning sessions, attendees hear from national laboratory, academic, and industry experts. The afternoon sessions are reserved for practical and application-based learning provided by our world-class researchers. Attendees are also provided opportunities to network with one another and with PNNL and EMSL experts.

Attendees unable to attend in person are welcome to join the event virtually. Morning presentations are available for free via Zoom. 

*ATTENDEE applications and virtual registration will open in early 2026.*

*Attendee applications and virtual registration will open in early 2026.*

*Attendee applications will open in early 2026.*

Graduate students, postdocs, and early-career researchers interested in this opportunity will need to submit the following in a single PDF:

  • a one-page letter describing the reasons why you would like to attend 
  • a curriculum vitae (CV)
  • a copy of your unofficial transcript 
  • a letter of recommendation