Missouri-Kansas City’s $160M Materials Leap | Kansas City News

Kansas City News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Jul 14, 2026 · 1m

University of Missouri-Kansas City just snagged a $160 million NSF grant to launch Critical Materials Crossroads—a massive 10-year initiative uniting 260+ partners across Missouri and Kansas to revolutionize domestic production of critical metals and advanced materials. From batteries to medical tech, this coalition aims to slash U.S. reliance on foreign supply chains, create 10,000 jobs, and inject $40 billion into the regional economy. With Kansas City’s central location as a strategic edge, this is being hailed as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build America’s material independence…