Critical Minerals Geoscience and Data Initiative

Boosting Canada’s critical minerals potential through data and digital technologies

The Critical Minerals Geoscience and Data (CMGD) Initiative is dedicated to unlocking the sustainable development of Canada’s critical minerals resources by providing essential knowledge and data to support informed decision-making. This will be achieved by funding initiatives to enhance access to important data and generating insights on the geological potential of new critical minerals sources in Canada.

By harnessing the power of geoscience and data, we are paving the way for the responsible growth of industries reliant on these minerals, from technology and energy to defence and infrastructure industries.

Calls for proposals

CMGD Initiative contributions funding

Closed for applications

Funding available: $2.8 million, with up to $500,000 per project for eligible geoscience data projects. Federal funding per project cannot exceed 75% of the total project cost.

Type of funding: Non-repayable contributions

Application deadline: 11:59 p.m. PDT, on May 31, 2024

Program timeframe: April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2027

Learn more

Background on the CMGD Initiative

The Geological Survey of Canada-led CMGD Initiative supports Canada’s strategy to strengthen the supply chains of critical minerals needed for a sustainable, digital economy. The Initiative focuses on 6 critical minerals:

  • cobalt
  • copper
  • graphite
  • lithium
  • nickel
  • rare earth elements

These minerals are essential to sustainable economic development in technology, energy, defence and infrastructure. Many have a limited domestic supply and are at risk of supply chain disruptions.

Results of this Initiative will provide baseline information for decisions related to resource development and investment, while supporting the growth of Canadian industries reliant on these critical minerals resources.

Federal research and development (R&D)

Between March 2023 and March 2027, the CMGD Initiative is allocating $17.4 million for R&D projects led by the Geological Survey of Canada to provide the public with integrated datasets, knowledge and predictive models to accelerate responsible critical minerals exploration and development in Canada. These projects are being undertaken in collaboration with academic, industry and provincial-territorial collaborators while providing essential training opportunities for the next generation of geoscientists.

Funded projects

The following is a list of projects that received contribution funding from the CMGD Initiative. (Additional projects will be announced soon.)

Analysis of Archived Till Samples for Lithium and Other Critical Elements in Southwestern and West-Central New Brunswick

Organization: New Brunswick Geological Survey

Description: Measure lithium and other critical minerals in sediments deposited by glaciers to examine the soil (till) landscape of New Brunswick. By making these data public, this project will contribute to public geoscience and increase the attractiveness of the province for new exploration investment.

Amount funded: $108,300

Status: Launched in 2024, expected to be completed in 2025

Critical minerals: Lithium, cesium and tantalum

Location: New Brunswick

Extreme Fractionation of Late Silurian–Early Devonian Peralkaline Intrusions in the Northern Appalachians: Evaluation of Heavy Rare Earth Elements–Yttrium resource petrogenesis

Organization: New Brunswick Geological Survey

Description: Investigate the spatial and temporal relationships between different types of rare earth elements deposits and their surrounding terranes by mapping the deposits and using high-precision geochemistry methods to calculate the age of different components of deposits to understand how they form.

Amount funded: $155,000

Status: Launched in 2024, expected to be completed in 2026

Critical minerals: Rare earth elements

Location: New Brunswick

Critical Metal Potential of the Selwyn Sedimentary Basin: Primary and Secondary Geological and Geochemical Controls on Zinc and Vanadium Enrichment in Black Shales

Organizations: Northwest Territories Geological Survey and Government of the Northwest Territories

Description: Identify the factors that lead to the enrichment of zinc and vanadium in the Selwyn Basin and develop an improved mineral system model for zinc and vanadium mineralization in black shales.

Amount funded: $399,797

Status: Launched in 2024, expected to be completed in 2027

Critical minerals: Zinc and vanadium

Location: Northwest Territories

Evaluating Drainage Sediments for Carbonatite-Hosted Critical Indicator Minerals

Organization: British Columbia Geological Survey

Description: Reduce the risk and cost of critical minerals exploration in British Columbia by evaluating the potential for minerals collected from streams draining economically viable deposits of niobium, rare earth elements and other critical minerals to be used as exploration “indicator minerals”.

Amount funded: $495,000

Status: Launched in 2024, expected to be completed in 2027

Critical minerals: Niobium and rare earth elements

Locations: Omineca and Foreland belts, British Columbia

Rare-Metals Pegmatites of the Slave Geological Province: A Petrogenic Re-examination with Exploration Implications

Organizations: Northwest Territories Geological Survey and Government of the Northwest Territories

Description: De-risk investment decisions and increase Canada’s competitiveness with new, public geoscience data on critical minerals in the Slave Geological Province, Northwest Territories, to enable researchers and explorationists to model the formation and critical minerals potential in this area.

Amount funded: $497,925

Status: Launched in 2024, expected to be completed in 2027

Critical minerals: Lithium, niobium, rare earth elements and tantalum

Location: Slave Geological Province, Northwest Territories

Geoscience Data Repository (Data Lake) for the Canadian Cordillera

Organizations: British Columbia Geological Survey and Yukon Geological Survey

Description: Develop a new database from historical data held by the British Columbia Geological Survey and the Yukon Geological Survey to enable mineral potential modelling of critical minerals–bearing systems and improve our understanding of the critical minerals potential across these jurisdictions.

Amount funded: $500,000

Status: Launched in 2024, expected to be completed in 2027

Critical minerals: Multicommodity

Locations: British Columbia and Yukon

Assessment Report–Sourced Drillhole Database

Organization: British Columbia Geological Survey

Description: Support critical minerals potential modelling and exploration across British Columbia with a new, province-wide drill hole database by digitizing information from mineral exploration and mining industry assessment reports.

Amount funded: $500,000

Status: Launched in 2024, expected to be completed in 2027

Critical minerals: Multicommodity

Location: British Columbia

Intrusive History of the Cordilleran Orogen

Organization: British Columbia Geological Survey

Description: Triple the amount of modern, high-precision age data available to the public for certain rocks associated with critical minerals and enable better modelling of critical minerals potential of these intrusive rocks in British Columbia.

Amount funded: $483,300

Status: Launched in 2024, expected to be completed in 2027

Critical minerals: Copper, molybdenum, rare earth elements and tungsten

Location: Cordilleran orogen, British Columbia

Airborne Geophysical Survey to Target Rare Earth Elements Mineralization in Southeastern Labrador

Organization: Geological Survey of Newfoundland and Labrador

Description: Provide public geoscience data to develop improved models for rare earth elements deposit formation, reduce risk for public- and private-sector investment decisions and facilitate decision-making for the exploration and sustainable development of mineral resources.

Amount funded: $500,000

Status: Launched in 2024, expected to be completed in 2025

Critical minerals: Rare earth elements, cobalt, copper, nickel and platinum group metals

Location: Port Hope Simpson area (southeastern Labrador)

Nain Plutonic Suite Airborne Geophysical Surveys

Organization: Geological Survey of Newfoundland and Labrador

Description: Generate new public geoscience data that will enhance our understanding of the geological evolution of Northern Labrador and its potential to host critical minerals.

Amount funded: $500,000

Status: Launched in 2024, expected to be completed in 2025

Critical minerals: Cobalt, copper, nickel and rare earth elements

Location: Newfoundland and Labrador

Contact us

For further information, please send an email to the CMGD Initiative Coordination Office, at cmgd-gdmc@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca.

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