EPSCoR Graduate Fellowship Program (EGFP): Training the next generation of scientific and workforce leaders to enhance interdisciplinary research

The National Science Foundation (NSF) EPSCoR Graduate Fellowship Program (EGFP) supports EGFP designated institutions and programs in EPSCoR jurisdictions by providing funding for graduate fellowships for new or continuing EGFP-eligible applicants. EGFP awards provide funding for a total of three years of stipend and an associated cost-of-education (COE) allowance for each NSF EPSCoR Graduate Fellow. This award to West Virginia University (WVU) provides support for thirteen Fellows for a three-year period. Fellows will focus on interdisciplinary studies required to enhance WV’s economic development in support of evolving energy options. Graduate students will work with mentors from across nine departments on research that includes topics such as the bioeconomy, ecosystem resilience, environmental chemistry, photophysics within photocatalytic materials, and techno-economic analysis. By building a cohort of students that will enhance interdisciplinary research, the program will seek to transform the graduate education environment of WVU and enhance WVU’s leadership in future economic transitions. This award supports Fellows conducting research on specific topics or areas that align with interests identified by the Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO), Directorate for Engineering (ENG), Directorate for Geosciences (GEO), Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS), and Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBE) at the National Science Foundation. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.