Idaho Strategic Resources (IDR) has secured up to $1 million in funding from the US Department of Energy for its joint project aiming to explore manufacturing methods for mixed rare earth metals, the company said Thursday.

The project is in collaboration with the University of Idaho, Idaho National Laboratory, and Idaho Geological Survey, the company said.

Idaho Strategic Resources is responsible for determining landholdings in central Idaho that contain elements such as neodymium, praseodymium, and dysprosium, the company said.

The government capital will primarily support the downstream work, and no direct cost share is required from the company as the industry partner, it said.