The U.S. Department of Energy announced up to $500 million through a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO; formal federal grant solicitation) for seven projects expanding domestic critical-mineral and material processing, battery manufacturing and recycling. Eligible materials include lithium, graphite, nickel, copper, aluminum and rare earth elements. Awards will typically range from $50 million to $200 million, with minimum grants of $50 million for demonstration-scale projects and $100 million for commercial-scale facilities. Recipients must provide at least a 50% cost-share, meaning total public and private capital could approach $1 billion. Dated March 13, 2026, the NOFO is the largest single tranche of a broader commitment first signaled by the DOE in August 2025, when it outlined nearly $1 billion in critical-minerals opportunities. The third federal funding round aligns with President Donald Trump's "Unleashing American Energy" executive order and seeks to strengthen domestic supply chains. USA Rare Earth shares rose 13.21% to $19.37, while MP Materials climbed 9.3% to $60.16 as critical-minerals stocks rallied. MP operates Mountain Pass, described as the only rare earth mining and processing site of scale in North America. The recycling program addresses the approaching end-of-life wave for early electric-vehicle batteries, whose lithium, cobalt and nickel represent both an environmental liability and a potential domestic resource.