ISU and INL Launch SUPER Pact for Idaho's Eco Future

IDAHO FALLS — Idaho State University President Robert Wagner and Idaho National Laboratory Director John Wagner signed the Strategic Understanding for Premier Education and Research (SUPER) agreement Wednesday at INL's Engineering Research Office Building, kicking off a five-year push into environmental sustainability and critical minerals[1][3][4]. The pact expands joint efforts between ISU faculty, students, and INL researchers, focusing on carbon reduction, sequestration and storage technologies, digitalization, artificial intelligence, geothermal energy, and spent fuel management[1][4]. 'We are particularly focused on collaborations in two areas that are important to the economic prosperity of the state of Idaho,' INL's John Wagner said at the news conference[1]. The environmental sustainability pillar targets Idaho's unique challenges, including bolstering domestic supply chains for strategic minerals through environmentally safe mining and processing techniques[1]. ISU Geosciences professor Tim McLing emphasized bringing 'cost-competitive minerals to the market with environmentally safe and secure ways,' enhancing Idaho's role in national security and economic growth[1]. This builds on ISU's longstanding Center for Ecological Research and Education (CERE), established in 1989 to connect life, earth, and social sciences for tackling regional ecological issues[2]. Complementing the SUPER agreement, ISU researchers are exploring subsurface dams over the next two years with Boise State University to boost water resilience, summer stream flows, agriculture, and hydropower with minimal ecological harm—directly addressing Idaho's water and energy needs[5]. The partnership also sustains work in nuclear energy, high-performance computing, and cybersecurity while fostering visiting scholars, joint symposia, and workshops[6]. For Idaho's rural communities near Pocatello and Idaho Falls, these initiatives mean jobs, innovation, and safeguards for treasured landscapes like the Snake River Plain.