Press Center

2008-04-10T11:59:00.000-04:00

Higher Education Policy Commission awards grants for research proposal preparation

The West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission today announced it has awarded eight mini-grants of up to $4,500 each to researchers at Bluefield State College, Marshall University, University of Charleston, West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, West Virginia University (WVU) and WVU Institute of Technology.

The mini-grants, which were awarded through a competitive application process, are intended to assist faculty members with the preparation of research or research equipment proposals for submission to external funding agencies or foundations. This year’s grant recipients will be applying for funding opportunities from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Energy and the American Chemical Society.

According to Dr. Paul L. Hill, vice chancellor for science and research, the mini-grants help researchers develop stronger, more-competitive proposals for funding their work. He added that the resulting proposals are often ultimately funded for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

“One of the commission’s goals is to increase West Virginia's competitive research infrastructure,” said Hill. “As we’ve seen through this program, a relatively modest investment of state funds can lead to large awards from federal or private sources.”

The grant recipients are Dr. Brian Antonsen of Marshall University; Dr. Tesfaye Belay of Bluefield State College; Dr. Rana Jisr of West Virginia University Institute of Technology; Dr. Laura McCunn of Marshall University; Dr. Xiaoping Sun of the University of Charleston; Dr. Wendy Trzyna of Marshall University; Dr. Jason Wells of the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine; and Dr. Kimberly Williams of West Virginia University.

2008-03-14T08:30:00.000-04:00

Research funding successful
RCG program creates companies; patents issued

This article originally appeared in the March 9, 2008, edition of The Times West Virginian (Fairmont).

By Jessica Legge
The Times West Virginian

FAIRMONT — The original projects funded through the Research Challenge Grant program turned out to be more successful than the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission’s Division of Science and Research initially anticipated.

The RCG program was essentially made available to professors at West Virginia University and Marshall University who could create scientific research projects with an economic impact and eventually attract their own external funding.

“The Research Challenge Grant program was designed by the Legislature originally to provide a level of research funding to projects that showed a lot of promise for growth,” Dr. Paul Hill, vice chancellor for Science and Research, said.

The West Virginia Legislature stipulated that participants could receive seed funding for up to five years and should be self-sufficient by the end of that time frame. The goal was for grant recipients to initiate a start-up company or sell a commercial application, he said.

The state legislature started the program in 2002. The Research Challenge Fund was created in 2004 to give the Higher Education Policy Commission the authority to support projects through a permanent fund from video lottery proceeds. Hill said the first set of projects reached their five-year mark by July 1, 2007, with the last funding coming from the FY07 budget.

“We can make long-term commitments to these researchers over a number of years,” he said. “Providing long-term funds is exactly what you need for those types of projects.”

Hill said the RCG program funded a total of six projects — four at WVU and two at Marshall — on a variety of research topics. The research efforts were related to subjects such as global positioning, biometrics, plastics, cancer and DNA sensors.

In five instances, companies grew out of the projects. The projects also resulted in 10 patent applications and five patents that were issued.

“We were quite pleased and surprised at the pace at which some of these companies have grown,” Hill said.

He said researchers could initially request a maximum of $500,000 a year. Then they had to continually wean themselves from the state’s support and look for ways to bring in additional funding. Each project received an average of $1.2 million for the entire five years. The state invested a total of $8.4 million in the six projects, and the researchers attracted more than $20 million in external funding.

“Once we seeded the projects, they were able to (bring in) federal grants,” Hill said. “That’s what we were hoping for. We’re trying to position people in West Virginia really to capture the other opportunities out there.”

Over the past few months since the projects expired, the Division of Science and Research conducted a full evaluation of the effectiveness of the RCG program, he said. The division presented the findings, compiled from annual reviews of the individual projects, to the Higher Education Policy Commission at its January meeting. Persons can access the report of five-year outcomes from the first round of Research Challenge Grants online at http://www.wvresearch.org/.

In May 2007, Science and Research issued five new projects for the next five years. Hill said the division will track the new projects, which are in some very exciting areas of research, and see if they experience a similar rate of success.

“This program is so important because it provides an opportunity to diversify the state’s economy,” he said. “It’s providing opportunities to create new types of jobs in West Virginia. The fund is so important in stimulating these new ideas in thinking.”

Through participation in the grant program, the GeoVirtual Laboratory within the WVU Department of Geology and Geography was able to develop cutting-edge geovisualization software. The WVU Office of Technology Transfer has licensed this software, which “uses serious video gaming technology to render massive amounts of geographic information systems data,” to a commercial company called Datacaster.

“The Research Challenge Grant was crucial to develop the technology, and it has provided fantastic opportunities to develop cutting-edge technologies in the research lab,” said Vic Baker, who is co-director of the GeoVirtual Laboratory with Trevor Harris.

Over five years, the project was awarded roughly $2 million of grant money. Baker believes that five years isn’t long enough to define a research agenda, and additional state involvement and funding is needed for WVU’s research and development efforts. “We’re grateful to the Research Challenge Grant,” he said. “We would like to see programs like the Research Challenge Grant continued, except for longer periods.”

2008-03-04T08:49:00.003-05:00

Report shows significant return on state’s Research Challenge Fund investment

The West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, Division of Science and Research (DSR), has released a report that shows the state’s $8.4 million investment in a program intended to support the creation of research centers and foster economic development and work force advancement has resulted in a substantial return on investment.

The report summarizes the results of the first six scientific research projects funded through the Research Challenge Grant (RCG) program and concludes that over five years, these projects at West Virginia University (WVU) and Marshall University (MU) leveraged external funding of more than $20 million, and resulted in five startup companies with five-year projected revenues of $124 million, 10 patent applications and five patents. In addition, two university research centers with industry partners were formed and one production facility is under development.

"We could not be more pleased that the Research Challenge Grant program has had such a positive and significant impact," said Dr. Paul L. Hill, HEPC vice chancellor for science and research. "We were able exceed our initial expectations for this program, sponsoring innovative research at our two research institutions and greatly improving their ability to be competitive for federal funding on the national level."

Hill added that two of the startup companies—Protea Biosciences LLC in Morgantown and Vandalia Research Inc. in Huntington—estimate they will be hiring 295 additional employees in the next five years.

"These are exactly the type of high-tech, high-paying jobs we need to create in West Virginia," he said. "The state’s investment in this program is clearly beginning to show that research can lead to a brighter economic future for West Virginia."

The RCG program was begun by the West Virginia Legislature in 2002 and is funded through video lottery proceeds at the state’s racetracks. The fund is administered by the DSR.

A second round of RCG awards, made in May 2007, is funding projects ranging from the development of a world-class center for astrophysics at WVU to cardiovascular and cancer research at MU. The research grants can be renewed for up to five years and all projects must be self-supporting at the end of the grant period. Each grant is worth $1-2 million over the five-year period.

Read the entire report here.

2008-03-03T08:56:00.000-05:00

The case for building intellectual capital

This article originally appeared in the March 2, 2008, issue of the Sunday Gazette-Mail.

By Paul L. Hill, Ph.D.

There's a lot of talk these days about intellectual capital as the currency of the 21st century. But what is intellectual capital and why do we need it?

The simple answer is that intellectual capital is the result of the creation of knowledge and innovation. It manifests itself in patents, commercial licenses and new products.

Today, science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills are driving global advancement of the knowledge economy over the industrial economy of the last century. If the United States is to compete successfully in this new world economy, we must improve the scientific and technological expertise of our workforce. We must build intellectual capital.

While it is critical to compete on a global level, West Virginia has a vital role to play and much to gain from building intellectual capital right here at home. And it is important to remember that intellectual capital is not something we can buy--we must create it.

A recent analysis, "The 2007 State New Economy Index," released by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, ranked West Virginia 50th in the country in creation and retention of high value-added, high-wage jobs.

So it is no coincidence that we often find our state at or near the bottom of national rankings in everything from education level to health to average income. We simply do not have enough research and development activity in West Virginia. Studies show that communities that have built intellectual capital with more science, technology and engineering professionals in the population benefit from more job creation and company startups, better wages, higher levels of education, positive health-care statistics, and so on.

With time and investment, West Virginia's status in these national rankings could be dramatically improved by focusing our efforts on knowledge creation and innovation. By building intellectual capital.

We can all recognize the buzzing economies around major research hubs across the country and envy the high-paying jobs created as a result. But in a state like West Virginia, how do we stimulate more intellectual capital to serve as the basis of our new economy? Who is positioned to conduct a volume of research that will stimulate new business opportunities?

Answer: The state's research universities. In fact, this is the overwhelming trend nationwide, but West Virginia must advance research infrastructure and resources at West Virginia University and Marshall University for this to be possible.

West Virginia currently invests approximately $4.3 million annually in academic research through the state's Research Challenge Fund, and provided an additional $10 million this year for the Eminent Scholars Recruitment and Enhancement program. The surrounding states invest significantly more - Pennsylvania ($99.1 million), Kentucky ($52.5 million), Ohio ($109.4 million), Maryland ($60.8 million) and Virginia ($85.4 million).

That is not to say that the fledgling Research Challenge Fund has not had an impact. Over five years, these state grants have supported six major research projects that have, in turn, generated more than a dozen patent applications and patents, several commercial licenses and five startup companies that are already beginning to commercialize intellectual property.

These projects have further leveraged an additional $18.2 million in the form of corporate and federal grants and $2.3 million in venture capital. Business projections by two of the startup companies--Protea Biosciences, LLC, and Vandalia Research, Inc.--exceed $124 million in annual sales and 295 additional employees in five years. In addition, two university research centers with industry partners have been formed and one production facility is being built. These are significant accomplishments of which to be proud, but they are just a start.

Our state's leaders are aware that much more remains to be done if we are to be successful at reinventing our future and creating high-wage knowledge economy jobs here in the Mountain State.

Calling it necessary for West Virginia to stimulate world-class research and development and to reap the related benefits of high-tech, high-wage industries, Gov. Joe Manchin recently proposed a $50 million trust fund for the state's two research universities--West Virginia University and Marshall University. The first program of its kind in West Virginia, this "Bucks for Brains" trust fund would be patterned after successful endowments in other states that match state dollars with private donations to strengthen universities' most-promising research departments--ultimately leading to business spin-offs, new patents and job creation.

The governor's proposal has met with wide praise and support from across the state. West Virginians are beginning to recognize the value of building intellectual capital. With strong leadership and a long-term commitment, West Virginia can, and will, invest major new resources in research infrastructure as a foundation for economic diversification and expansion. We cannot afford to miss this opportunity.

Hill is the vice chancellor for science and research at the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission.

2008-02-08T15:19:00.000-05:00

Lab 304: Outlook introduces science segment highlighting state achievements

West Virginia Public Broadcasting introduced a new segment to its weekly news and public affairs television program "Outlook" this week during the Thursday show. "Lab 304" is an on-going series of stories focusing on activities of West Virginians exploring the vast world of math and science.

"Outlook" airs on West Virginia PBS each Thursday at 9 p.m. and repeats the following Sunday at 6 p.m. There is also a broadcast Sunday at 10 p.m. on West Virginia PBS Cable, available via Suddenlink and Time Warner cable systems in limited areas.

On this week’s premiere of "Lab 304" viewers learned about the challenges of replacing the azimuth track on the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope. Scientists from around the world use this telescope to study virtually all types of astronomical objects, from planets and comets in our own Solar System to quasars and galaxies billions of light-years away. The azimuth track is used to calculate distance.

Throughout the refurbishing project, West Virginia Public Broadcasting cameras were granted access in, on and around the 420-foot structure--capturing unique images of how the telescope is constructed and used.

Some of this footage was recently featured on the PBS program "Wired Science."

"Lab 304" video clips are available online on YouTube and the WVEPSCoR website.

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory operates the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope and several other telescopes.

Support for "Lab 304" is provided by West Virginia Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research.

2008-02-07T09:34:00.000-05:00

Eureka

Intellectual capital

Charleston Gazette
2/7/08

AMONG appeals for state money before the Legislature this year is a plan pitched by Gov. Joe Manchin to use $50 million to endow competitive research at West Virginia and Marshall universities. This plan has great potential.

Modeled after a program in Kentucky called "Bucks for Brains," Manchin's plan is named "Bucks for Jobs," but the goal is the same. The state would invest $50 million and divide the interest between WVU and Marshall. WVU would get 70 percent of the earnings and Marshall would get 30 percent, a ratio that reflects existing research at the schools. The schools would have to raise equal amounts in private donations to get the money.

While the principal remains invested to generate more money, the schools would use the earnings to hire research scientists and build and equip their labs. The researchers would then be in a better position to compete for federal and private research grants, drawing more money and staff into Morgantown and Huntington.

This plan is good for West Virginia in a number of ways. First, it will attract smart professionals and their families, who will buy houses, attend schools and pay taxes. Second, it will generate the kinds of jobs that state residents currently move away to find: high-tech careers, many in the knowledge economy. At the same time, research opportunities will further enliven campus life for graduate and undergraduate students. Because these are new positions dedicated to research with funding attached, it will not pull existing faculty from important teaching duties, as other efforts to bolster research have done.

The goal of this research investment is to generate patents and private spinoff companies to manufacture new products.

There's already biomedical research going on at WVU and Marshall. This effort would help it advance even further. Other fields include biotechnology, nanotechnology, biometrics, material science, engineering and environmental studies.

Paul Hill, vice chancellor for science and research at the state Higher Education Policy Commission, says the money would be spent in fields where the schools are already strong, and where there is potential for an economic payoff.

In a decade or two, this investment could add millions to West Virginia's economy. More of the state could enjoy the kind of boom that Morgantown has been seeing for years, largely driven by research efforts.

This could be the smartest $50 million the Legislature spends.

2008-01-31T16:33:00.000-05:00

WVU researcher selected to demonstrate biometric recognition technology at NSF open house

Dr. Arun A. Ross, an assistant professor in West Virginia University’s Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering in the College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, has been selected to demonstrate his research at a National Science Foundation (NSF) open house next week.

Ross and two of his students will travel to Washington, D.C., to demonstrate biometric recognition technology being developed at WVU. The open house will showcase the work of more than 30 NSF-supported scientists, engineers and educators from across the nation.

The NSF chose to feature West Virginia from among the 27 states and territories that participate in its Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). The NSF-funded EPSCoR initiative is intended to develop the research base in states that have historically received the least federal research and development funding.

"We are pleased and proud the NSF selected West Virginia’s EPSCoR program from all those in the country to highlight at this event," said Dr. Paul L. Hill, West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission vice chancellor for science and research. "It’s a real vote of confidence in our program and the groundbreaking biometrics research being done right here in West Virginia."

Biometrics technology uses physical and behavioral traits such as fingerprints, face, voice and hand geometry to establish the identity of an individual. The field is rapidly growing with applications ranging from accessing computers and paying for groceries to being permitted to cross a border.

WVU is known worldwide for its identification technology research. The university offers the nation’s only undergraduate degree in biometric systems, along with dual undergraduate offerings in biometric systems and computer engineering, and in biometric systems and electrical engineering. Ross works at the WVU-based Center for Information Technology (CITeR), the first comprehensive academic center for biometrics in the country.

Ross joined WVU in 2003 as part of the West Virginia EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement initiative to recruit faculty and improve the state’s research infrastructure. Last year, he received the NSF’s prestigious CAREER Award, which supports the early career development activities of teacher-scholars who most effectively integrate research and education within the context of the mission of their organization.

The open house will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 4, at the NSF headquarters in Arlington, Va. The event is free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Ginny Painter at (304) 558-4128, ext. 6, or ginny.painter@wvresearch.org.

Caption: Dr. Arun Ross, standing at left, explains the intricacies of the human thumbprint while demonstrating the biometric technology he and his colleagues hope to improve upon at the WVU-based Center for Information Technology Research (CITeR). Photo by Chris Southard.

2008-01-31T14:56:00.000-05:00

Governor presents grants during Undergraduate Research Day

Click here for the Undergraduate Research Day photo gallery

Gov. Joe Manchin today presented grants to help advance scientific research at West Virginia colleges and universities. The grants, which totaled nearly $500,000, were funded through the state’s Research Challenge Fund (RCF), the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts (E&A), and the West Virginia IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (WV-INBRE).

The grants were awarded in conjunction with Undergraduate Research Day, an annual event at the State Capitol intended to highlight research projects conducted by college and university students from around the state.

Presenting the grants, Manchin noted that scientific research and today’s student researchers are the keys to West Virginia’s future.

“We can look around the Capitol rotunda today at all these young researchers and see the faces of tomorrow’s leaders,” Manchin said. “We need their curiosity, intelligence and innovative spirit now and in the future if we are to succeed in today’s global, knowledge-driven economy.”

He added that the $50 million “Bucks for Brains” program he proposed in the State of the State address earlier this month would not only help attract leading scientists and investigators to West Virginia, but would help the state retain the “best and brightest” of its own promising graduates in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math.

The West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (HEPC) administers the RCF, as well as grants for research from E&A and the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Dr. Paul L. Hill, HEPC vice chancellor for science and research, said, “Since its inception five years ago, Undergraduate Research Day has gotten bigger and better—an encouraging sign as we strive to ensure West Virginia becomes a national leader in science, research, innovation and education.

“The interest and participation in this event illustrates the breadth and depth of young research talent across our state. Initiatives like ‘Bucks for Brains’ are vital if we are to compete successfully for federal and private research dollars.”

Grants presented by the governor today included Instrumentation Grants to fund scientific equipment for advanced undergraduate laboratories; Innovation Grants for creative improvements in scientific equipment and facilities, curriculum, classroom instruction or delivery; International Innovation Grants to support development of an international component in science, technology, engineering or mathematics programs; and Summer/Semester Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) stipends. The governor and Dr. Gary Rankin of Marshall University also presented WV-INBRE pilot grants to faculty at undergraduate institutions to help start biomedical research projects. A complete list of all today’s grant recipients is attached.

Sponsors of the Undergraduate Research Day events included the HEPC’s West Virginia Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, the Council on Undergraduate Research, the NASA West Virginia Space Grant Consortium and WV-INBRE.

To learn more about scientific research in West Virginia or the state’s Vision 2015 strategic plan for science and technology, call (304) 558-4128 or visit http://www.wvresearch.org/.

Awards

Instrumentation Grants
Alderson-Broaddus College, $20,000, Dr. David Aylmer
Concord University, $20,000, Dr. Joseph Allen
Glenville State College, $19,800, Dr. David O’Dell
West Virginia Wesleyan College, $19,721, Dr. Sherie Edenborn
West Virginia Wesleyan College, $19,958, Dr. Albert Popson

Innovation Grants
WVU Institute of Technology, $34,974, Dr. Hasan El-Rifai
West Virginia Wesleyan College, $39,754, Dr. Kim Bjorgo-Thorne

International Innovation Grant
Marshall University, $39,945, Dr. Eric Blough

Summer/Semester Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) Stipends
Marshall University, $69,000, Dr. John Maher
West Liberty State College, $34,000, Dr. Melinda Kreisberg
West Virginia University, $75,000, Dr. Keith Garbutt
WVU Institute of Technology, $25,000, Dr. Stephen Brown
West Virginia Wesleyan College, $16,600, Dr. Jeanne Sullivan

WV-INBRE Pilot Grants
Bethany College, $5,000, Dr. Daniel Phillips
Bluefield State College, $15,000, Dr. Tesfaye Belay
Concord University, $10,000, Dr. David Chambers
Concord University, $15,000, Dr. Darrell Crick
University of Charleston, $10,000, Dr. Nina Koldzic-Zivanovic
University of Charleston, $10,000, Dr. Rebecca Myers
University of Charleston, $10,000, Dr. Dean Reardon
West Virginia Wesleyan College, $5,000, Dr. Luke Huggins

2008-01-24T13:55:00.000-05:00

Undergraduate Research Day to be held Jan. 31

The fifth Undergraduate Research Day at the West Virginia State Capitol will be held on Thursday, Jan. 31. The annual event, which is intended to highlight research projects conducted by college and university undergraduate students from around the state, will feature displays in the Upper Rotunda and outside the House and Senate chambers from 8:45 a.m. to noon.

Governor Joe Manchin III will present research grant awards to faculty from 11 institutions at a ceremony at 12:30 p.m. in the Governor's Reception Room.

Undergraduate Research Day events are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Ginny Painter.

Sponsors of the Undergraduate Research Day events include the West Virginia Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (WVEPSCoR), the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR), the NASA West Virginia Space Grant Consortium and the West Virginia IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence.

2007-12-19T09:08:00.000-05:00

NSF to Host Regional Grants Conference in April 2008

The University of Rhode Island will host a National Science Foundation (NSF) Regional Grants Conference on April 7-8, 2008, in Providence, R.I. Optional FastLane/Grants.gov sessions will be held on April 6.

The conference is important for new faculty, researchers and administrators who want to gain insight into a wide range of current issues at NSF, including the state of current funding; new and current policies and procedures; and pertinent administrative issues. Program officers representing each NSF directorate will be on hand to provide up-to-date information about specific funding opportunities and to answer questions.

Highlights will include:

New programs and initiatives
Future directions and strategies for national science policy
Proposal preparation
NSF's merit review process
Cross-disciplinary and special interest programs
Conflict of interest policies
Breakout sessions by discipline
FastLane/Grants.gov workshops

For information about conference registration and lodging, please visit the conference website.

Questions about conference registration should be directed to nsf_regional@nsf.gov or (703) 465-5736.

For additional information regarding program content, contact the Policy Office, Division of Institution and Award Support, at policy@nsf.gov or (703) 292-8243.

2007-12-10T08:54:00.000-05:00

NASA West Virginia Space Grant Consortium and NASA EPSCoR Programs Announced

The NASA West Virginia Space Grant Consortium and NASA EPSCoR programs have announced the availability of seed grants for faculty and fellowships for students, as well public extension and outreach programs. This year, for the first time, all submissions will be done electronically with one hard copy (including signatures) due by the close of business on March 7, 2008.

For more information about available programs or to download forms, visit www.nasa.wvu.edu. Contact Dr. Majid Jaraiedi, director of the NASA West Virginia Space Grant Consortium/NASA EPSCoR, at majid.jaraiedi@mail.wvu.edu or (304) 293-4099, ext. 3708.

2007-12-04T11:37:00.000-05:00

Mollohan, National Sciences director tour WVU
Get an eyeful of WVU research projects

This article appeared in the Dec. 4, 2007, edition of the Morgantown Dominion Post.

By Michael Janney
The Dominion Post

At the end of a two-hour tour, Arden Bement, director of the National Science Foundation, was surprised with how much science he’d seen at WVU Monday.

“We covered a lot of ground, and I didn’t even take an iris scan,” he said.

Bement, along with Rep. Alan Mollohan, D-W.Va., toured WVU’s downtown and Evansdale campuses, looking at nanotechnology and biometrics research and how the two sciences relate to one another. The visit allowed Bement to see what progress WVU had made in NSF-funded research.

Nanotechnology is the study of manipulating small parts of matter, such as atoms, while biometrics refers to technology used for personal identification — such as iris scans.

Both WVU’s physics and engineering departments study nanotechnology, while the engineering department studies biometrics.

Bement didn’t take an iris scan, but talked with students who learned about iris identification and other techniques. Some students already are participating in research on the undergraduate level.

Cliff Luzier, Aglika Gyaourova and Nathan Kalka, all engineering students who’ve worked with biometrics, talked with Bement and Mollohan about their work in a biometrics lab at the Engineering Sciences Building.

Luzier said it was nice to meet with a public official like Bement who actually understood the specific sciences behind their work and research.

“He can actually talk with us and stuff,” Luzier said. “He has an idea about what we’re doing.”

Lawrence Hornak, engineering professor in the Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, said since his start at WVU in 1991, it was the first time the NSF director had visited WVU.

“It’s very rewarding, I think, to the faculty,” Hornak said. “It raises the visibility of our activity.”

Mollohan said the visit was a good way to continue funding the NSF supplies for research at WVU.

“It is always a good thing to facilitate dialogue and interaction between agencies that supply research generally with those who do the research,” Mollohan said. “Out of that dialogue will basically come relationships that will be positive in supporting research at WVU.”

Bement said the visit was not a check-up to see research progress, but a courtesy visit to observe the ideas that WVU faculty and students research.

“It was something that I’ve been trying to work into my schedule for some time,” Bement said. “The students are great, they communicate well, they know their subjects well, they are highly enthusiastic.”

Bement said the quality of research and education at WVU is high based on his visit Monday, and he was grateful that Mollohan’s efforts in Congress to support the NSF could benefit WVU.
Bement said the NSF gave WVU a little over $8 million in research funding in 2007.

2007-11-30T08:40:00.000-05:00

NSF Director Bement and Congressman Mollohan to visit WVU on Dec. 3

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Nov. 30, 2007

Contact
Ginny Painter
Communications Manager
Division of Science and Research
West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
304.558.4128 ext. 6
ginny.painter@wvepscor.org

NEWS RELEASE

National Science Foundation (NSF) Director Arden L. Bement, Ph.D., and Congressman Alan B. Mollohan will visit the West Virginia University (WVU) campus Monday, Dec. 3, to meet with WVU President Mike Garrison, tour the university’s physics and engineering facilities, and greet research faculty and students. Following the tour, Bement and Mollohan will host a roundtable luncheon for research administrators and representatives of the state’s high-tech industries.

“We are honored to welcome Dr. Bement to West Virginia and are gratified that he and Congressman Mollohan have such a keen interest in our state’s research enterprise. Their support is critical as we continue to build our state’s research infrastructure.” said Paul L. Hill, Ph.D., West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (HEPC) vice chancellor for science and research.

“During my visit to WVU, I am particularly interested in exploring how the National Science Foundation, researchers and private industry can work together to advance innovation and meet the challenges of global competitiveness,” said Bement. “Investments in education, science and technology are critical to West Virginia’s and America’s future. Now more than ever, we need champions—leaders from both the public and private sectors—who can speak credibly about the importance of science, technology and engineering research and education.”

“Effective research is an absolutely vital part of West Virginia’s drive to diversify its economy and make the lives of its people better,” Mollohan said. “West Virginia University is undoubtedly the standard bearer in those research efforts. Its past success in working with the National Science Foundation serves as a solid foundation for future endeavors. Since 1997 alone, WVU has been successful in securing more than 150 NSF grants to study topics from ion transport in single cells to biometrics. It is an honor to have Dr. Bement visit WVU to see the progress first hand and to discuss future opportunities.”

Bement’s visit and the luncheon are being sponsored by the NSF, the HEPC Division of Science and Research, and the WVU Research Corporation.

The HEPC Division of Science and Research administers the NSF’s Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) in West Virginia. For more information, contact Ginny Painter at ginny.painter@wvepscor.org or (304) 558-4128, ext. 6.

-end-

2007-11-28T10:22:00.000-05:00

Free Forum to Explore Role of Undergraduate Research in West Virginia

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Nov. 28, 2007

Contact
Ginny Painter
Communications Manager
Division of Science and Research
West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
304.558.4128 ext. 6
ginny.painter@wvepscor.org

The West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (HEPC) Division of Science and Research will host a forum, “Science Education and Research at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions,” from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 17, at the Charleston Marriott Town Center.

The forum is designed for research administrators and faculty at West Virginia’s 17 undergraduate institutions of higher education. The program will include speakers and panel discussions focused on the role of undergraduate institutions in West Virginia’s growing research enterprise; information about undergraduate opportunities provided through the state’s Research Challenge Fund and the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR); and an opportunity to provide state policymakers with feedback about the needs of the undergraduate research community.

“This forum is an opportunity to discuss the important topics of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education as a community of institutions in West Virginia,” said Paul L. Hill, Ph.D., HEPC vice chancellor for science and research. “Through collaboration, we can advance the goals of enhanced STEM education and knowledge creation through research.”

The forum is free, but pre-registration is requested. For a complete agenda and online registration, visit www.wvepscor.org and click on the “Press Center” link, or call (304) 558-4128.

-end-

2007-11-20T10:14:00.000-05:00

Division of Science and Research Co-sponsoring National Science Foundation Visit

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Nov. 20, 2007

Contact
Ginny Painter
Communications Manager
Division of Science and Research
West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
304.558.4128 ext. 6
ginny.painter@wvepscor.org

The National Science Foundation (NSF), the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (HEPC) Division of Science and Research, and the West Virginia University Research Corporation will sponsor a workshop next month to provide state researchers and research administrators with an introduction to the NSF’s mission, priorities, budget, and proposal and merit review processes. The “NSF Day in West Virginia” workshop will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 4, at the Waterfront Place Hotel in Morgantown.

Representatives from the seven NSF directorates (Mathematical and Physical Sciences; Biological Sciences; Engineering; Geosciences; Computer and Information Science and Engineering; Education and Human Resources; and Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences) and the Office of International Science and Engineering will make presentations about their programs and will be available individually for specific discussions about potential research proposals.

“This program is designed to allow our college and university faculty members to meet directly with NSF program officers to discuss their research and explore federal funding opportunities,” said Paul L. Hill, Ph.D., HEPC vice chancellor for science and research. “One of our goals is to help researchers become more competitive for federal grants, so we are pleased to be able to bring such a large contingent of NSF officials to West Virginia and to offer this service to the research community in our state.”

The cost of the workshop is $40, payable at the door; however, advance registration is required. For a copy of the agenda and a registration form, contact Ginny Painter at ginny.painter@wvepscor.org or (304) 558-4128, ext. 6.

2007-11-01T09:05:00.000-04:00

A forum for research administrators and faculty at West Virginia's

undergraduate institutions of higher education

10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Monday, December 17, 2007

Charleston Marriott Town Center

EXPLORE THE ROLE of PUIs in West Virginia's growing research enterprise.

GET INFORMATION about Research Challenge and EPSCoR grant programs for undergraduate research.

PROVIDE FEEDBACK about the needs of the undergraduate research community.

For more information, contact Ginny Painter or call (304) 558-4128, ext. 6.

Sponsored by the Division of Science and Research, West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission.

Forum Agenda

9:30-10 a.m. - Registration/Coffee (Foyer C)

10-10:15 a.m. - Welcome and Introductions (Salon C)
Paul Hill, Ph.D.
Vice Chancellor for Science and Research
West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
Executive Director
West Virginia Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (WVEPSCoR)

10:15-10:30 a.m. - Remarks: “Undergraduate Institutions and Research” (Salon C)
Brian Noland, Ph.D.
Chancellor
West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission

10:30-11 a.m. - Overview of Research Challenge/EPSCoR Grant Programs for PUIs (Salon C)
Jan Taylor, Ph.D.
Deputy Director/Senior Research Fellow
West Virginia Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (WVEPSCoR)

11 a.m.-12:15 p.m. - Panel Discussion: The Institutional Perspective (Salon C)
Research administrators will talk about the importance of undergraduate research and
the issues related to funding research at their institutions.

Panelists:

Phillip Mason, Ph.D., Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies, Fairmont State University
Orlando McMeans, Ph.D., Dean, Research Director & Extension Administrator, Gus R. Douglass Land-Grant Institute, West Virginia State University

Richard Stull, Ph.D., Dean, School of Pharmacy, University of Charleston

Moderator:
Paul Hill, Ph.D.

12:15-1:15 p.m. - Lunch (provided) (Salons A-B)
“The Kentucky Experience”
Phil Schmidt, Ph.D., director of the Center for Integrative Natural Science and Mathematics
at Northern Kentucky University, will explain how the center has strengthened
undergraduate research at the university and the role of Kentucky’s “Bucks for Brains”
program in the center’s development.

1:15-2:30 p.m. - Panel Discussion: The Faculty Perspective (Salon C)
Faculty members from undergraduate institutions will discuss their experience with research
grants, how they have been able to use the grants to leverage support for other
programs, and what other types of research grants or programs they would like to see
offered for undergraduate institutions.

Panelists:

Jason Best, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Astrophysics, Shepherd University

Mark Flood, Ph.D., Professor of Biology, Fairmont State University
Robert Shurina, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Biology, Wheeling Jesuit University

Jeanne Sullivan, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Chair of Biology, West Virginia Wesleyan College

Moderator:
Paul Chewning, President, West Virginia Independent Colleges and Universities

2:30-3 p.m. - Feedback Session/Q&A (Salon C)

2007-10-31T14:10:00.000-04:00

Marshall senior wins big for research with Tylenol

This article appeared in the Oct. 31, 2007, edition of the Charleston Daily Mail.

By Kelly L. Holleran
Daily Mail staff

HUNTINGTON -- Marshall University student Megan Neal smiles frequently and talks with a humble confidence about winning a $1,200 award for being considered the best undergraduate researcher in West Virginia.

She refuses to accept all the credit for the award, which she won for her part in a project that studies the correlations between acetaminophen and heart disease.

The award was bestowed in September at a Morgantown symposium sponsored by the West Virginia Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research.

Eight graduate students have spent countless hours with Megan, a senior biology major, in a room tucked away in Marshall's Robert C. Byrd Biotechnology Science Center.

Their goal is to develop a new intervention for age-associated cardiac problems.

They have been working since the beginning of summer, testing the effects of acetaminophen on rats. Acetaminophen is a major ingredient in Tylenol.

The group uses a rat-aging model. When the rat reaches the equivalent of a human's 50 years, it starts to receive treatment.

The bottom line of what they are discovering is that acetaminophen is good for the heart. The researchers are concluding that acetaminophen manages the complex, chemical systems that dictate whether heart muscle breaks down or not.

With acetaminophen, they believe, the proper rhythm of the heart is more likely to hold up over time.

Getting to that conclusion is a complex lesson in biology.

The group tests the amount of microRNA in the rats before and after treatment. MicroRNA refers to single strands of coding with the job of regulating gene expression.

MicroRNA may be responsible for heart arrhythmias, said Eric Blough, an associate professor of molecular physiology at Marshall.

Megan, 21, and her fellow researchers have found arrhythmias may be caused by a decrease in the protein connexin 43, also known as CX43. Connexins, also known as gap joint proteins, are essential for many physiological processes, such as the regulation of cardiac muscle.

When the amount of CX43 in the heart decreases, the microRNA levels increase, Blough said. But acetaminophen appears to reduce the amount of microRNA, he said. The upshot is that CX43 levels increase, causing less of a chance for arrhythmias.

"If CX43 decreases, you lose the ability to properly regulate the heart's contractions," Blough said.

The nine students have taken on different roles in the project. Some work with the rats, ejecting microRNA from the muscle. Others study the tissue under microscopes.

Megan and her partner, Jackie Decker, look at the reactions of acetaminophen in tubes and determine the different levels of microRNA as the rats age.

Winning the statewide competition was no walk in the park for Megan, who is also busy serving as women's ministry director for Revolution Ministries, a campus Christian group, and as Supreme Court chief justice for Marshall's student government association.

For the research contest, students across West Virginia were invited to submit abstracts and posters.

Megan was one of about 20 picked to present a project during the symposium in Morgantown. She had to submit a one-page abstract and a poster and give an oral presentation.

She said she was just a little nervous for the oral part.

"It was just kind of like talking," she said.

Jackie Decker, Megan's partner, could not enter the competition because she is a graduate student. But Megan plans to give Jackie half of her winnings.

"She did half of it, too," Megan said.

Megan began working in the lab as a volunteer in January. That's when she stumbled upon the project she later was asked to join.

"She was a tremendous asset, her and Jackie, to look and develop that whole molecular aspect," Blough said.

Last summer Megan was awarded a $4,000 grant from an undergraduate research program that allowed her to spend more time in the lab. She also didn't have to worry about finding a summer job.

She is continuing her work on the project. She plans to use it as the capstone project that is required of Marshall undergraduates.

The researchers hope to expand and develop their initial findings.

Megan is applying to graduate school. She would like to work in the health sciences field, either in medicine or pharmacy.

Her initial interest in biology was sparked while she was a student at Triway High School in Wooster, Ohio.

"I've always liked the sciences, and I've always kind of wanted to go in the health field in some way," she said. "Going into biology is a pretty big step into getting into the health field."

She is proud to say she is part of the project.

"It's awesome to be a part of something that matters," she said. "I feel like I'm accomplishing something. It's not just coming in and sitting at a desk. This project may help people. It actually means something."

2007-10-26T08:16:00.000-04:00

NSF Day in West Virginia Scheduled

8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Waterfront Place Hotel, Morgantown

The National Science Foundation (NSF), West Virginia Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (WVEPSCoR) and West Virginia University Research Corporation are sponsoring a program to provide an introduction to and overview of the National Science Foundation, its mission, priorities and budget. The session also will cover the NSF proposal and merit review process.

Representatives from the seven NSF directorates (Mathematical and Physical Sciences; Biological Sciences; Engineering; Geosciences; Computer and Information Science and Engineering; Education and Human Resources; and Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences) and the Office of International Science and Engineering will make presentations about their programs and will also be available individually and in breakout sessions for more specific discussions of potential research proposals.

The cost of the workshop is $40, payable at the door; however, advance registration is required. For a copy of the agenda and a registration form, contact Ginny Painter at ginny.painter@wvepscor.org.

2007-10-23T11:17:00.000-04:00

Advisory Council to Meet Dec. 12

The Advisory Council of the West Virginia Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (WVEPSCoR) will hold its regular board meeting at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2007. The meeting will be held in the offices of the Secretary for Education and the Arts, Room 205, Building 5, State Capitol Complex, Charleston. For more information, contact Annette Echols at echols@wvepscor.org or (304) 558-4128.

Agenda
Call to Order
Approval of Minutes from last meeting
Program Status Report
Federal Programs
RII
RII RFP for ‘08
State Programs
ESRE
RCG report
New Grant Recommendations
Administration
Legislation
Finance Report
Events
STaR Symposium Assessment
Undergraduate Research Forum
Communications Report
Next meeting date and announcements
Adjourn

2007-10-19T09:10:00.000-04:00

Internationalization Grant Award Competition Announced

The West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (HEPC), through the Consortium for Internationalizing Higher Education (CIHE), has announced the 2008 Internationalization Grant Award Competition. Up to $15,000 will be awarded to three public institutions of higher education to implement programs that seek to internationalize their majors, core curricula and foreign language programs with some impact on international student enrollment or sending West Virginia students abroad. The application deadline is Feb. 29, 2008.

The grant award process will be administered by the CIHE Council. All public universities in West Virginia will be eligible to apply if they have submitted, by Dec. 14, an updated action plan outlining international goals and objectives.

Only one grant application per institution may be submitted. Applications must be submitted by the Campus Internationalization Committee.

This year, six West Virginia public colleges and universities received a total of $90,000 through the competition to develop or expand international education initiatives. Concord University, Fairmont State University, Marshall Community and Technical College, Shepherd University, West Virginia State University and West Virginia University each received grants.

For more information or to request a copy of the request for proposals, contact Dr. Clark Egnor, CIHE Council chair, at egnor3@marshall.edu.

2007-10-18T13:56:00.000-04:00

Undergraduate Research Day Program Scheduled

The fifth annual Undergraduate Research Day program at the West Virginia State Capitol has been scheduled for Thursday, January 31, 2008. For more information, visit http://www.marshall.edu/urdc/.

2007-10-08T11:13:00.000-04:00

Sputnik: It’s time for another science education drive in the United States

This op ed commentary appeared in the October 7, 2007, edition of the Sunday Gazette-Mail (Charleston).

Paul L. Hill and Jay Cole

Thursday marked the 50th anniversary of the Soviet launch of Sputnik I — the world’s first artificial satellite. A watershed event, it caught the U.S. public off-guard and marked the start of the space age and the U.S.-Soviet space race.

Sputnik captured the world’s attention, both as a singular technical achievement and as a symbol of overall Soviet superiority in scientific and technical fields. The Soviets had defeated the Americans in the first leg of the space race, so the launch created a real sense of urgency about improving math and science education in this country.

As a result of public and political outcry, the U.S. Congress passed and President Eisenhower signed the National Defense Education Act in 1958. One of the primary purposes was to produce more and better math and science students — the next generation of scientists and engineers who would ensure America was able to compete with the Soviet Union.

Fifty years later, the world is a very different place. The Soviet Union no longer exists. And, thanks to extraordinary achievements such as the space shuttles, the International Space Station and the Mars Rover missions, space exploration has come light years since Sputnik.

But the need to improve math and science education in America is more urgent than ever. Instead of Sputnik as a single, simple, galvanizing event, we now confront more numerous and complex forces — climate change, human genomics, terrorism, disease, energy dependence and technological revolutions. As great as the challenge of Sputnik was, these challenges are far greater and require a larger commitment and level of investment in order to produce the next generation of scientists and engineers who will ensure the continued progress of human civilization.

The U.S. Congress recently took decisive action to achieve this goal with the passage of the America COMPETES Act. It will be to the first half of the 21st century what the National Defense Education Act was to the second half of the 20th century —a landmark piece of legislation that will affect the lives of millions of students and thousands of teachers in every school district and on every college campus across the country.

The act authorizes doubling the budgets of the National Science Foundation, the foundation’s Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) and the Department of Energy’s Office of Science. It will increase funding for young researchers and significantly expand the foundation’s funding for the Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program and its Math and Science Partnerships. The bill also includes a number of science, technology, engineering and mathematics education initiatives to ensure students are prepared for the needs of higher education and the workplace.

What a victory for science and for the entire United States! Even though the appropriations cycle is not yet complete and we do not know how much will be set aside for these initiatives, it is certain that the America COMPETES Act is a major step forward for our country and its future.

Here in West Virginia, academic leaders from kindergarten through college have already begun working together to ensure an overall state strategy that will allow us to gain the maximum benefits from the act. We must not miss out on the opportunities the act affords. The stakes are simply too high.

West Virginia’s own Senators Robert Byrd and Jay Rockefeller were co-sponsors of the Senate version of the America COMPETES Act. We should be proud of their leadership on this vital issue.

Hill is the vice chancellor for science and research at the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission and the executive director of West Virginia EPSCoR. Cole is the education policy adviser to Gov. Joe Manchin III.

2007-09-20T11:34:00.000-04:00

Photos from the STaR Symposium 2007
For more information, contact Ginny Painter.