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ARPA-E's MAGNITO program funds discovery, synthesis, and characterization of entirely new magnetic materials — chemistries and structures that would need to exceed the performance of any material known today, in the mold of the Nd2Fe14B (neodymium-iron-boron) discovery that underpins current rare-earth permanent magnets. Applicants are expected to field multidisciplinary teams spanning computational materials discovery, solid-state chemistry, magnetism physics, and high-throughput autonomous-lab measurement, and must address manufacturing feasibility, cost, and supply-chain exposure (including for specialty elements) as part of proposals. The program carries a USD 20 million funding ceiling and was announced alongside ROCKS (rare-earth/critical-mineral ore characterization), together framed by DOE as a USD 60 million package aimed at reducing US dependence on foreign-controlled rare-earth and magnet supply chains.
for magnet manufacturing capacity — any effect on actual US magnet output is several years out and contingent on which material discoveries mature and get commercialized.
rare-earth elements (particularly heavy rare earths like dysprosium and terbium) in motor/generator design, cutting across the demand side of the China rare-earth chokepoint rather than the supply side.
and magnet-supply-chain industrial policy (DOE FECM/NETL mining NOFOs, DPA Title III awards, MP Materials/DoD equity) as the fundamental materials-science layer of that stack, distinct from mining, processing, or finished-magnet manufacturing funding.
concept-paper and full-application review concludes?
rare-earth elements, and could that be tracked as a demand-side counterweight to Chinese export controls?
material discoveries into a production-scale DOE loan/grant vehicle (e.g. alongside MP Materials-style equity deals)?