WVEPSCoR Grant for Energy Materials Research

A group of faculty members led by department chair Ever Barbero received $499,840 from the West Virginia Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (WV EPSCoR) for the establishment of an Energy Materials Science and Engineering Program at WVU.

"Today’s global energy challenges make this a critical area of investigation," Barbero said. "Our aim is to develop improved materials to enhance the efficiency of energy generation and usage."

The research is very much a team effort, Barbero said, involving several faculty members with expertise in materials science, both from the College of Engineering and Mineral Resources and from the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences.

Co-principal investigators on the grant include Darran Cairns, Xingbo Liu and Nick Wu, all assistant professors of mechanical and aerospace engineering; and Martina Bachlechner, assistant professor of physics. Many other faculty members are also involved.

The research group is developing energy efficient materials for everything from fuel cells to turbines, batteries, window coatings, insulation and more. The WVEPSCoR grant will enable WVU to hire additional faculty in this area and to build the research infrastructure needed to build a nationally recognized program in energy materials.

"Our objective is to develop a self-sustaining research and graduate education program in energy materials and to work toward the establishment of a National Science Foundation Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC)," said Barbero. "Industry support, intellectual property development and technology transfer activities will complement our efforts."

06/22/2007