Wastewater – one of the nation’s most untapped assets – is rapidly emerging as a stream rich in critical materials that can be captured and reinvested in the U.S. economy.

To help unlock that potential, the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded $45 million to a regional innovation and economic development initiative that aims to turn wastewater into a valuable resource through cutting‑edge water-driven technology and innovation.

The initiative, Great Lakes RENEW (Recovery of Energy, Nutrients, Critical Elements, and Water), is a collaboration of research institutions, companies and economic development organizations. RENEW is led by Current, a Chicago-based water innovation hub. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Chicago are core partners.

“Water security is national security, and Great Lakes RENEW is advancing both," said Alaina Harkness, CEO of Current and CEO and Principal Investigator of Great Lakes RENEW.

The initiative was launched in 2024 with an initial $15 million award from NSF, establishing Great Lakes RENEW as an NSF Regional Innovation Engine.

The three-year, $45 million award will support the initiative as it moves from its two‑year launch phase into a broader strategy of growth and implementation, expanding its programs, partnerships, and impact across the region. There is the potential to unlock $160 million in NSF funding over 10 years by meeting specific milestones.

A pioneer in separations technologies, Argonne is advancing membrane, biological and electrochemical systems to recover clean water and extract critical minerals from wastewater. These technologies use differences in size, charge, chemistry, or surface interactions to pull specific components out of complex mixtures.

Industrial wastewater contains critical materials such as lithium, cobalt, nickel and rare earth elements — ingredients essential to technologies such as semiconductors, military systems, industrial catalysts, and everyday electronics.

Municipal wastewater often contains nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen, which can be recovered and reused in fertilizers — turning a waste stream into a valuable agriculture resource.

“Argonne has laid the groundwork, demonstrated early breakthroughs, and now – with significant NSF investment – is positioned to scale technologies and validate them through Argonne-supported multi-scale test beds,” said Junhong Chen, a professor at the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago and Argonne’s lead water strategist, as well as co-principal investigator and use-inspired R&D Lead for RENEW.

RENEW is also building a regional workforce infrastructure that helps education and training providers create clear, connected career pathways across the water industry, with Argonne as a core partner. Argonne contributes its long-standing strengths in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education and workforce development programs. The lab’s STEM programs reach 35,000 learners annually, spanning K-12 through community colleges and universities.

Great Lakes RENEW spans six states in the region, with early work focused on Illinois, Ohio and Wisconsin. Efforts will expand to Indiana, Michigan and Minnesota in the next phase.

The NSF award signals strong confidence in RENEW’s momentum as it transforms water‑driven innovation into technologies and businesses that strengthen the Great Lakes economy. It also highlights Argonne’s role as a core scientific and translational partner, applying its expertise in materials science, AI‑enabled discovery, scale‑up, and workforce development to move breakthrough ideas toward real‑world impact.

For more information, visit https://​great​lakesre​new​.org.

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