Established in 1909, the Bureau of Economic Geology in the Jackson School of Geosciences is the oldest and second-largest organized research unit at The University of Texas at Austin. In addition to functioning as the State Geological Survey of Texas, the Bureau conducts research focusing on the intersection of energy, the environment, and the economy, where significant advances are being made tackling tough problems globally. The Bureau partners with federal, state, and local agencies, academic institutions, industry, nonprofit organizations, and foundations to conduct high-quality research and disseminate the results to the scientific and engineering communities as well as to the general public.

Bureau researchers spearhead basic and applied research projects around the world; among them, research in energy resources and economics, coastal and environmental studies, land and water resources and use, geologic and mineral mapping, hydrogeology, geochemistry, and subsurface nanotechnology.   The Bureau provides technical, educational, advisory, and publicly accessible information via a myriad of media forms to Texas, the nation, and the world.