Dr Martin Li, recipient of the Geological Society’s 2026 Fermor Seed Corn grant, talks about his research and how the funding opportunity has supported it.
Minerals and metals are intrinsic to modern society. Rare earth elements, more specifically, are central to a global transition to clean energy. This group of 17 metallic elements have unique properties that make them strategic for advanced technologies, including wind turbines and electric vehicles.
Despite their name, rare earth elements are not particularly scarce. They are, however, tricky to find in high concentrations. They are thinly scattered around our planet, and they are chemically attached to surrounding materials, making the extraction process harder still.
With demand set to grow 40% in the next two decades to meet the energy transition, a deep understanding of how rare earth element deposits form is fundamental to a successful and sustainable exploration of these critical resources.
Where do these critical minerals form?
Martin was drawn to a question that seems simple but addresses a fundamental gap in knowledge: why do rare earth element deposits form in some places but not others, and how can we find them more sustainably?
We know rare earth elements form in Earth's natural surface environments, but we still don't fully understand exactly where and how. Martin's research seeks to develop new models that make exploration for these resources greener and more successful. It aims to help exploration geoscientists locate rare earth elements more effectively and potentially provide important information in ensuring a resilient supply of these critical metals.
New opportunities
Martin’s approach uses novel techniques in mineralogy and geochemistry. He combines broad-scale field evidence with microanalysis on rare earth element distribution and structural state in minerals. So far, he has carried out analyses on field samples from South China and Brazil, and has already found some promising results: “It's interesting that they [rare earth elements] share several similar features despite very different geographical and geological backgrounds. For instance, source granites from both sites show a similar precursor process of hydrothermal alteration to form various easily weatherable rare earth minerals in the rocks”
With funding from the Geological Society’s Fermor Seed Corn Grant, Martin can continue developing his research on the formation of critical resources essential for a greener future.
He plans to carry out fieldwork in Malaysia and Chile for a more comprehensive comparison of different ore-forming environments for rare earth elements. He will also attempt to quantify the rare earth concentration of the ore minerals formed in a variety of environments through combined in-situ mineralogical and geochemical analyses.
Many congratulations to Martin on receiving the 2026 Fermor Seed Corn Grant and the 2026 William Smith Fund. Martin is currently an independent research fellow at Imperial College London.
