CHARLESTON, W.Va. – U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced $3,370,526 from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for research at three West Virginia universities.

“The National Science Foundation provides incredible opportunities for our youth, while giving our higher education faculty the resources they need to inspire students to pursue challenging projects in their respective fields. I’m glad to see this funding heading to Marshall University, Shepherd University, and West Virginia University. I’m proud of the work that continues to be done at our colleges and universities, and I will continue to advocate for the resources they need to be successful,” Senator Capito said.

“The National Science Foundation continues to be a strong partner for the Mountain State and our universities, investing in important research and fostering hands-on educational opportunities for students across the state. I am pleased NSF is investing in seven different research initiatives at West Virginia University, Marshall University and Shepherd University, and I look forward to seeing the impacts of these studies. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I will continue to fight for funding to support critical research here in West Virginia,” Senator Manchin said.

Individual awards listed below:

  • Shepherd University: “Advancing Academic Success and Career Development for Talented, Low-Income Computer Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Majors” – $1,499,993
    • This project will contribute to the preparation of a well-educated workforce in STEM fields by providing financial, academic, social, and career support to a diverse cohort of low-income academically talented students with demonstrated financial need at Shepherd University. The project will apply and strengthen evidence-based student support programs that improve the educational success of a diverse community of 52 students (total of 126 scholarships) majoring in a degree program offered by the Department of Computer Sciences, Mathematics, and Engineering (CME): Data Analytics, Mathematics, Computer Information Sciences, Computer Information Technology, Computer Engineering, or Engineering Science.
  • West Virginia University: “Synchronization Dynamics in Chemical Systems” – $580,000
    • This project will study complex dynamical behavior in chemical systems to gain insights into new types of dynamical behavior in manufactured and living systems. It will also engage students at West Virginia University giving valuable experience in experimental and computational methods for the investigation of dynamical behavior of chemical systems. The National Science Foundation is investing $395,176 in 2021 and will invest additional funding totaling $580,000 over the next three years until the expected end date of the project 2024.
  • West Virginia University: “HCC: Small: Toward Computational Modeling of Autism Spectrum Disorder: Multimodal Data Collection, Fusion, and Phenotyping” – $500,000
    • This project will will lead to transformative advances in behavioral science and data-driven computational neuroscience for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) phenotyping. Improved and earlier diagnosis can substantially improve quality of life of ASD individuals and their communities. This project will provide an excellent platform to train both graduate and undergraduate students at the intersection of neuroscience and computer science.
  • Marshall University: “MRI: Acquisition of a CytoViva enhanced microscope with hyperspectral imaging capability for multidisciplinary research and education in nanotechnology” – $267,658
    • This funding will facilitate the acquisition of a specialized microscope used to visualize samples at very small dimensions. Students and faculty at Marshall University will use this microscope to gain fundamental knowledge in a range of important research projects. These include investigating calcium deposit in blood vessels, detecting toxic nanoparticles in human cells, water treatment to remove contamination, and in pharmaceutical manufacturing.
  • West Virginia University: “Collaborative Research: Advanced Digital Calibrators for 21cm Cosmology” – $233,044
    • This project studies the Dark Energy-driven accelerating expansion of the Universe and will work to develop new radio signal technology and techniques to improve the capability of current instruments to do these experiments and thus enable a better understanding of the nature of Dark Energy. The project looks to expand interaction with school teachers to enhance their knowledge of radio astronomy techniques that can be relayed to students in schools.
  • West Virginia University: “MRI: Acquisition of an ABI 3500xL Genetic Analyzer for the WVU Genomics Core Facility” – $189,831
    • This funding will be used replace and upgrade the existing Applied Biosystems 3130xL genetic analyzer with the ABI 3500xL, allowing enhancements to the current services provided by the WVU Genomics and Bioinformatics Core Facility. Specifically, this replacement will improve turn-around time, result in higher quality output, and create the capacity for multiplexing, all of which will strengthen ongoing local and regional research and teaching efforts
  • West Virginia University: “Collaborative Research: SaTC: CORE: Small: Securing Recommender Systems against Data Poisoning Attacks” – $100,000
    • This project will work to build secure recommender systems against data poisoning attacks in order to protect individuals and companies’ data. This project will also provide research opportunities for students that are traditionally underrepresented in computing and will be incorporated into classes at West Virginia University. 

 

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