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American-Made Program

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Geologic Enhanced Mapping System (GEMS) Prize

Incentivizing new models and algorithms to provide accurate information about the presence of faults expression in the surface.
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Data Science Energy, Environment & Resources Technology
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prize:
$300,000
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Data Science Energy, Environment & Resources Technology
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Summary

Challenge Overview

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Geothermal (OG) works to reduce costs and risks associated with geothermal development by supporting innovative technologies that address key exploration and operational challenges. U.S. geothermal resources can be harnessed for power production and heating and cooling without importing fuel. One major hurdle in this process is the identification of new hidden geothermal prospects. The Geologic Enhanced Mapping System (GEMS) Prize, presented by OG, will prioritize efforts to accelerate the ongoing, detailed geologic mapping of the United States, with a focus on locating previously unknown deposits of critical minerals. 

The GEMS Prize seeks to address the challenge of creating an algorithm that will generate enhanced geologic fault datasets to support geologic and geophysical mapping and modeling that will assist geothermal and critical mineral studies. This work is vital to accelerate discoveries of new, commercially viable hidden geothermal systems while reducing the exploration and development risks for all geothermal resources.

The prize will also reward the efforts of earth and data science professionals, to help identify innovative ways to use varied resolution data and extend applicability to other geographical areas. In keeping with the goal of growing a community of innovators, competitors will be encouraged to form multidisciplinary teams from varied geographies. Through addressing real-world geoscience problems, the GEMS Prize promotes the development of career pathways for early career scientists and creates innovative products among startups and entrepreneurial individuals.

View the official rules to learn more about requirements and eligibility. Visit the DrivenData prize submission page to enter.

Prize Partners

The GEMS Prize was established and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office and is part of the American-Made program. This prize is administered by the National Laboratory of the Rockies in partnership with DrivenData.  

Guidelines and Eligibility

Do you have an eye for detail and a desire to peek beneath the surface of geothermal energy? You're invited to help transform the geothermal industry through the American-Made GEMS Prize.

Institutions, companies, nonprofit organizations, and individuals based in the United States are eligible to compete. For full eligibility requirements, please read the official rules.

Click the Learn More button at the top or bottom of this page to visit the DrivenData prize submission page. If you have questions, please use the contact feature on the HeroX platform or message us directly at .

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Timeline
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Challenge Updates

1 update
September 2026
NLR Prize Administrator · Sept. 10, 10:47 a.m.

The $300K Geologic Enhanced Mapping System (GEMS) Prize Has Launched!

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Geothermal (OG) has announced the Geologic Enhanced Mapping System (GEMS) Prize with $300,000 in cash prizes to help identify hidden geothermal systems by using geophysical data to identify faults and structures indicative of geothermal resources.  

The GEMS Prize challenges competitors to develop, train, and test algorithms that generate enhanced geologic fault datasets—which, in turn, can support mapping and modeling for geothermal and critical mineral resources.  

By using real-world datasets and testing ideas against geophysical data, the GEMS Prize is expected to accelerate discoveries of new, commercially viable hidden geothermal systems while reducing exploration and development risks. 

The competition comprises two rounds, with prizes ranging from $15,000 to $100,000. Both individual and group competitors can participate, and submissions are due by December 3 at 5 PM ET. 

Read the official prize rules document for complete eligibility and submission requirements. Visit the DrivenData prize submission page to enter the competition!  

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Teams11
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