EXAMPLES OF NSF-FUNDED RESEARCH IN WEST VIRGINIA

1. West Virginia THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION (NSF)is the only federal agency whose mission includes support for all fields of fundamental science and engineering. BY THE NUMBERS West Virginia in FY 2012 $18 Million: NSF funds awarded45th: National ranking in NSF funds6: NSF-funded institutions 44: NSF grants awarded “NSF support allows students, faculty and staff at West Virginia University, Marshall University and West Virginia State University to perform important and transformative science, technology and education projects that will benefit the public and lead to economic development and improved public security and environmental safety.” -- Curt M. Peterson, WVU Vice President for Research and Economic Development EXAMPLES OF NSF-FUNDED RESEARCH IN WEST VIRGINIA Dr. Maura McLaughlin of West Virginia University was part of a team that discovered 17 new millisecond pulsars, and recently received a $6.5 million award from the NSF to launch an international partnership for detecting gravitational waves. Dr. Tina Cartwright of Marshall University is the former West Virginia State Climatologist. After teaching meteorology, she began to see that many students are underprepared for STEM studies. The goal to reverse that trend brought her to Marshall as program director for the MU-ADVANCE program, an NSF-funded initiative that seeks to advance women in academic science and engineering careers. Dr. Jason Best of Shepherd University is director of the university’s observatory that provides far-reaching opportunities for students in astronomy, physics and physical science courses. Dr. Best also employs the observatory as a K-12 educational tool in the community. Dr. Nick Wu of West Virginia University is a participant in WVNano, West Virginia’s focal point for nanoscale science that was elevated to a statewide initiative as a result of the an NSF EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement award. Dr. Wu’s lab is focused on nanomaterials, nano-patterns, photocatalysts and photoelectrochemical cells, sensors and fuel cells. Dr. Xiaodong Michael “Mike” Shi of West Virginia University is a participant in the WVNano initiative. In 2009, he was awarded a five-year, $550,000 NSF CAREER Award – the largest award of its kind at WVU – to conduct biomedical and material investigations that could revolutionize health care, biosensor and energy industries. Dr. Tony Szwilski of Marshall University is co-principal investigator on “Cyberinfrastructure for Transformational Scientific Discovery,” a $2.6 million project from NSF EPSCoR that, among other statewide investments, helped fund Marshall’s visualization lab – a critical component of the university’s rapidly-growing cyberinfrastructure. . . Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF)  1527 Eighteenth Street, NW  Washington, DC 20036  www.cnsfweb.org

2. West Virginia Since 1952, NSF has supported 45,000 graduate students through research fellowships. West Virginia received $2 million in NSF educational funding in FY 2012. THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION (NSF) not only funds cutting-edge research at institutions across the country; NSF’s education initiatives ensure the U.S. will remain a global leader in innovation for generations to come. EXAMPLES OF NSF-FUNDED PROGRAMS IN WEST VIRGINIA With a $20 million NSF grant, researchers from West Virginia University, Marshall University and West Virginia State University are delving into bionanotechnology – the intersection of nanotechnology and biology – focused on applications in public security and environmental safety. NSF funding will enhance cyberinfrastructure across West Virginia’s higher education system over the next two years. West Virginia University is working to increase the number of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematic disciplines (STEM) with a $3.2 million NSF grant. At West Virginia University, researchers are studying biomolecular sensing elements for identifying potential environmental threats, pollutants and diseases. NSF funding supports a West Virginia University researcher’s work to better understand the scientific potential of miniaturizing communications devices while making them more energy efficient. Marshall University researchers are studying nanobiology to develop novel sensors and produce nanomachines that will facilitate early and sensitive detection of environmental insults and hazardous conditions. West Virginia State University researchers are focusing on biotechnology applications in environmental remediation, crop improvement, biomedical research and animal biodiversity with NSF support. West Virginia University’s Division of Forestry and Natural Resources, has been awarded a seed grant from the National Science Foundation to study the scale and extent of the hydrological effects of mountaintop mining in the Appalachian region. Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF)  1527 Eighteenth Street, NW  Washington, DC 20036  www.cnsfweb.org