National Science Foundation Story Archives - Page 3 of 3

NSF Grant to Help Three West Virginia Universities

State officials announced today a $20 million grant from the National Science Foundation to fund research at 3 WV universities.

Governor Earl Ray Tomblin, U.S. Senators Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito and Congressmen David McKinley, Alex Mooney and Evans Jenkins announced the award for West Virginia’s Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, referred to as EPSCOR. The money will be used to boost research and upgrade infrastructure at West Virginia University, Marshall University, West Virginia State University and other institutions. EPSCoR is overseen by the state Higher Education Policy Commission’s Division of Science and Research.

Jan Taylor is the Director of the Division.

“This is a very important grant for our institutions because it allows them to hire faculty, which will build strong research groups that can explore very important things like gravitational waves,” Taylor said.

Since 2001 the state has received more than $60 million in grants for EPSCoR funding.

WVU Researcher Receives Grant for Crisis Study

A West Virginia University scholar will be awarded more than $130,000 to study the aftermath of the Ukrainian crisis.

The National Science Foundation announced this month that WVU political science professor Erik Herron would receive the award. It funds a study about how government organizations manage crisis situations during election cycles. The award begins December 1. Herron’s areas of expertise are Russian and East European studies.

Herron’s study uses data collected from teams based in the United States and Ukraine. According to Herron, the team conducted pre- and post-election surveys, gathered personnel data from Ukrainian election workers, and collected official election results after a parliamentary election, which took place in October.

That election occurred seven months after a 2014 conflict between Russia and Ukraine over control of the Crimean Peninsula.

W.Va. Sees Growth in Seismic Monitoring Stations

West Virginia has undergone significant growth in the number of seismic monitoring stations in the state.The Charleston Gazette reports that 14 stations…

West Virginia has undergone significant growth in the number of seismic monitoring stations in the state.

The Charleston Gazette reports that 14 stations have been installed in the past year. Previously, there was only one in the state in Monongalia County.

The new equipment was placed along a grid with stations located about 45 miles apart across the state. The stations were paid for by the National Science Foundation as part of an experiment.

Most of the seismic stations will be dug up and recycled for use elsewhere after two years, but six of them may be left behind for another two years. The West Virginia Geologic and Economic Survey says it’s possible three or four could be permanently installed.