West Virginia THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION (NSF) is the only federal agency whose mission includes support for all fields of fundamental science and engineering. “The research we conduct on this campus has the power to make a difference in people’s lives. And it is even more powerful when we allow our students—both undergraduate and graduate—to work alongside their mentors making discoveries that are critical to the advancement of this state and this nation. -- Dr. E. Gordon Gee, President, West Virginia University BY THE NUMBERS West Virginia in FY 2016 $15 Million: NSF funds awarded 6: NSF-funded institutions 45: NSF grants awarded EXAMPLES OF NSF-FUNDED RESEARCH IN WEST VIRGINIA Cancer treatment is poised for a revolution by redirecting a patient’s own immune cells to destroy cancer cells. At West Virginia University, researchers are using NSF funding to better understand how to equip a cancer patient’s own immune cells to successfully destroy fight cancerous solid tumors. Researchers at Marshall University are making tiny things big in the biomedical field. Their bionanometers are tiny “machines” that can convert light energy into motion, which is important for transporting small beads from one surface to another. Addressing issues like food sustainability and nutrition around the globe, West Virginia State University is using NSF funding to research seed storage compounds and bioenergy to enhance crop growth on reclaimed surface mine lands. INVESTMENT IN NSF = INVESTMENT IN WEST VIRGINIA INNOVATION Nearly 30% of science and engineering degrees are conferred at the master’s and doctoral levels in West Virginia.1 Over 46,800 individuals are employed within 2400 high science and engineering establishments.1 West Virginia University contributed $3.6 billion to the state economy in 2015.2 West Virginia University employed is the largest employer in the five-county region, employing over 10,000 people in 2014. 1, 2 Marshall University contributed nearly $400 million to the local economy in 2014.3 Over 3,000 jobs with a total of $200 million in compensation was supported by Marshall University in 2014.3 1Science and Engineering Indicators 2016 NSF 2The Economic Impact of WVU on North Central West Virginia 2015 3The Economic Impact of Public Institutions of Higher Education in West Virginia 2016 Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF)  www.cnsfweb.org

Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF)  www.cnsfweb.org West Virginia Since 1952, NSF has supported nearly 50,000 graduate students through research fellowships. West Virginia received $2 million in NSF educational funding in FY 2016. 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 West Virginia University created a Research Experiences for Undergraduates site to connect with underrepresented groups in STEM fields. Students learn the societal applications of their research in areas such as health and energy. The Center for Educational Technologies at Wheeling Jesuit University is making it easier to learn abstract science concepts through video games. Their cyber game Selene teaches college and primary school students about the solar system’s basic geological processes. An NSF-funded partnership between West Virginia and Kentucky Universities aims to increase the number of minority students studying STEM fields. The program hopes to increase retention and graduate up to 500 students by 2019. Young students in high-needs school districts will benefit from high school teachers completing West Virginia University’s innovative STEM educator program WVUTeach, where the teachers gain training and expertise in a STEM field. “Investments in higher education yield multi-faceted returns, from attracting new employers to driving the research and innovation needed to create a robust private-sector economy.” - Dr. Paul Hill, Chancellor, West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission “We need creative leaders who will develop unique and entrepreneurial ideas that will help us meet the grand challenges of this century. After all, we are in a world of ever increasing complexity and interconnectedness with a growing population that will stretch the current limits of resources. “ - Dr. Jerome A. Gilbert, President, Marshall University Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF)  www.cnsfweb.org