Mineral Resources External Research Program (MRERP) 2006

The Mineral Resources Program (MRP) offered a grant and/or cooperative agreement opportunity (Word file, 368 KB) to any individual who has the ability to conduct research consistent with MRP goals and who is not employed by a Federal agency in January 2006. Applicants can be affiliated (but are not required to be affiliated) with universities, State agencies, Tribal governments or organizations, industry, or other private sector groups. Seventy-seven proposals were submitted to the Mineral Resources External Research Program (MRERP) that met the goals of the MRP. The proposals were reviewed by a panel of 7 research scientists (3 from USGS and 4 external to the USGS) and the MRP is pleased to announce that it will be able to support the following 15 proposals, listed in alphabetical order by principal investigator:

Principal Investigator: Martin S. Appold
Affiliation: University of Missouri-Columbia
Proposal Title: Comparative Analysis of Fluid Inclusion Geochemistries from World-Class and Small-Scale Zn-Pb Deposits in the Ozark Plateau Using Laser Ablation ICP-MS and Raman Spectroscopy

Principal Investigator: Robert B. Blodgett
Affiliation: Bob's Stratigraphy, Anchorage, AK
Proposal Title: Devonian-Pennsylvanian Paleographic Reconstruction of the Arctic Alaska Terrane and Its Relation to Sedimentary-Hosted Ore Deposits

Principal Investigator: Jean S. Cline
Affiliation: University of Nevada Las Vegas
Proposal Title: Collaborative Research on Fluid Pathways and Metal Transport in Carlin-Type Gold Deposits: Insights from the Getchell Deposit

Principal Investigator: Virginia S. Gillerman
Affiliation: Idaho Geological Survey
Proposal Title: Geochronology of Iron Oxide-Copper-Thorium-REE Mineralization in Proterozoic Rocks at Lemhi Pass, Idaho, and a Comparison to Copper-Cobalt Ores, Blackbird Mining District, Idaho

Principal Investigator: Matthew T. Heizler
Affiliation: New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Proposal Title: ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar Geochronology of Colorado Mineral Belt Magmatism

Principal Investigator: Kenneth A. Hickey and Richard M. Tosdal
Affiliation: University of British Columbia
Proposal Title: Defining Spatio-Temporal Patterns in Hydrothermal Flow Using Apatite Fission-Track Thermochronology; Implications for the Genesis of Carlin-Type Au-Deposits in North-Central Nevada

Principal Investigator: Christopher S. Kim
Affiliation: Chapman University
Proposal Title: Characterizing the Speciation, Distribution, and Correlation of Heavy Metals in Mine Wastes Using Synchrotron Radiation Techniques

Principal Investigator: Andreas Luttge
Affiliation: Rice University
Proposal Title: Sulfide Dissolution Rates Studied by Vertical Scanning Interferometry: Comparison with and Application to Studies in Laboratory and Natural Setting

Principal Investigator: Jeffrey L. Mauk
Affiliation: University of Auckland
Proposal Title: Magnetite in Hydrothermal Orebodies and Host Rocks in the Proterozoic Belt Supergroup

Principal Investigator: David B. Mueller and Thomas E. Graedel
Affiliation: Yale University
Proposal Title: Service Lifetimes of Mineral End Uses: Analyzing Potential for Increased Use of Secondary Metals

Principal Investigator: John M. Proffett
Affiliation: Proffett Exploration, Inc., Eagle River, AK
Proposal Title: The Geology and Genesis of the Yerington Porphyry Copper District: A Four Dimensional Study

Principal Investigator: John Ridley
Affiliation: Colorado State University
Proposal Title: Differentiating Crustal Fluids in the Eastern Tintina Gold Province of Alaska and Yukon: Implications for the Genesis and Distribution of Gold Ores

Principal Investigator: Timberley M. Roane
Affiliation: University of Colorado-Denver
Proposal Title: Microbial Community Structure: A Biological Assessment Tool For Metal-Impacted Watersheds in the Central Colorado Assessment Project

Principal Investigator: Eric Seedorff
Affiliation: University of Arizona
Proposal Title: Dismembered Laramide Porphyry Deposits in Southern Arizona: Links to Catalina Core Complex

Principal Investigator: Tom Trainor
Affiliation: University of Alaska Fairbanks
Proposal Title: Controls on Antimony Speciation and Mobility in Legacy Mine Tailings Environments: A Case Study of Mineral Occurrences in the Tintina Gold Province, Alaska and Yukon

The long-term goals of the Mineral Resources Program, as described in the MRP five-year plan for FY 2006-2010 are as follows:

Long-term goal 1: Ensure availability of up-to-date quantitative assessments of potential for undiscovered mineral deposits
Long-term goal 2: Ensure availability of up-to-date geoenvironmental assessments of priority Federal lands
Long-term goal 3: Ensure availability of reliable geologic, geochemical, geophysical, and mineral locality data for the United States
Long-term goal 4: Ensure availability of long-term data sets describing mineral production and consumption