The National Science Foundation conducted a site visit this week at the University of Missouri-Kansas City for Critical Materials Crossroads, a bold regional initiative designed to secure America’s supply of the materials that power modern life and define the nation’s economic and technological future.
The visit marks a pivotal moment for the UMKC-led effort in collaboration with more than 50 stakeholders across Missouri and Kansas with endorsements from its top officials, including former U.S. Senator Roy Blunt and Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe. Critical Materials Crossroads was selected in 2025 as one of just 15 finalists nationwide out of 285 proposals for the National Science Foundation’s highly competitive Regional Innovation Engines program.
Following the site visit, the National Science Foundation is expected to announce awardees later this year. If selected, awardees may receive up to $160 million over 10 years, which would be the largest grant in UMKC history. But the vision of Critical Materials Crossroads extends well beyond funding.
What began as a research proposal has grown into a coalition of more than 230 partners across Missouri and Kansas, spanning industry, higher education, capital investment firms, government, workforce organizations and community leaders — united around a shared belief that the Midwest can lead the next era of American innovation.
Critical Materials Crossroads represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build a new industry in the heart of the United States — one rooted in discovery, advanced manufacturing and workforce development, and focused on materials essential to batteries, artificial intelligence systems, aerospace technologies, medical devices and clean-energy infrastructure.
“The National Science Foundation site-visit panel brought the diligence, expertise, and rigor that exemplify the Technology, Innovation and Partnerships Directorate,” said Anthony Caruso, UMKC vice chancellor for strategic initiatives and the project’s principal investigator. “Their thoughtful engagement reflects the hard work behind the TIP Directorate’s mission and reinforced both the national importance of this effort and the promise of what this region is building together for the nation.”
At full scale, Critical Materials Crossroads would establish an integrated, end-to-end ecosystem across hundreds of acres in the Kansas City region. Plans include world-class research laboratories, pilot- and demonstration-scale processing facilities, advanced manufacturing operations, workforce training centers offering degree and apprenticeship pathways, and startup incubators designed to translate discovery into real-world impact.
The economic and societal implications are profound. By 2036, the initiative could support more than 10,000 total jobs, generate $40 billion in gross regional output and add $17 billion to the regional economy while strengthening national supply chains and expanding access to high-quality careers.
As the nation looks to rebuild domestic supply chains and compete in strategically vital industries, Critical Materials Crossroads positions Missouri and Kansas not just as participants — but as leaders — at the intersection of research, manufacturing and workforce development.
“The National Science Foundation site visit affirmed the strength of our vision and the extraordinary collaboration behind Critical Materials Crossroads,” said UMKC Chancellor Mauli Agrawal. “The reviewers saw a region aligned around a shared mission — to advance research and national security, create opportunity and help secure America’s future through innovation.”
