August 21, 2023

Manchin Announces $1.3 Million for Four West Virginia Research Initiatives

Charleston, WV – Today, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, announced $1,386,682 from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for four West Virginia research initiatives. The funding will support critical research into radio interference, the reuse of lithium-ion batteries and global sea level rise, as well as design a curriculum to expand access to geoscience education and career opportunities for high school students across Appalachia.

“I’m pleased the National Science Foundation is supporting these important research initiatives that will advance our understanding of radio astronomy, battery life and global sea level rise,” said Senator Manchin. “The funding announced today will also establish an innovative curriculum through West Virginia University to expand access to geoscience education and career fields for students across Appalachia. I look forward to seeing the positive impacts of these projects for years to come and, as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I will continue advocating for resources that bolster academic research and support science education across the Mountain State.”

Individual awards listed below:

  • $510,811 – West Virginia University: New Interference Detection, Mitigation, and Fusion Methodologies for Radio Astronomy
    • This project will advance radio astronomy studies by developing new algorithms and hardware to remove radio interference from observed data.
  • $409,186 – West Virginia University: Empowering Appalachian Students through the Exploring Geosciences Solutions Curriculum and the Appalachian Geoscience Learning Ecosystem
    • This project will establish a curriculum to expand access to geoscience research, education and career fields for Appalachian high school students.
  • $274,951 – Parthian Battery Solutions: Novel State of Health Measurements Through Advanced Lithium-ion Battery Modeling for Secure and Scalable 2nd-Life Battery Deployment
    • This project will investigate the most effective technologies to manage end-of-life lithium-ion batteries through reuse. The research will take place primarily at WVU.
  • $191,734 – West Virginia University: Meshed Observations of The Remote Subsurface with Heterogeneous Intelligent Platforms
    • This project will investigate the melting of ice shelves by warm ocean waters and the consequences for global sea level rise.