CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WVDN) — U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced on August 15, 2023, funding from the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Energy (DOE), as well as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Science Foundation (NSF), and National Park Service (NPS), to support health care workforce expansion programs, addiction treatment resources, pollution prevention programs, academic and energy research, and economic revitalization and preservation support throughout West Virginia.
HHS FUNDING: Senator Capito, Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS), secured funding from HHS’s Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) for an Advanced Nursing Education Workforce (ANEW) program at Shepherd University and Advanced Nursing Education Nurse Practitioner Residency and Fellowship (ANE-NPRF) programs for Marshall University and Cabin Creek Health Systems, Inc. Senator Capito also secured funding from HHS that will support opioid response programs and medical research at West Liberty University.
“Investing in our health care workforce is a crucial aspect to the success of our state and the health of our residents. These resources will help sharpen the skills of medical professionals who work on the frontlines every day to keep West Virginians happy and healthy,” Ranking Member Capito said. “I am also pleased to be delivering resources to those who are the frontlines in the fight against opioids like deadly fentanyl and researchers at West Liberty University looking for cures to serious blood diseases.”
EPA FUNDING: Senator Capito, Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW), secured funding from the EPA for West Virginia University (WVU) to support a pollution prevention program. Senator Capito also secured funding for hazardous waste management and to support water quality improvements in the Chesapeake Bay Restoration.
“As we work to reduce pollution, it’s important to make local, targeted investments that will help support achievable goals in our communities. It’s great to see WVU’s work as a leader in developing solutions that protect our environment is being recognized and I’m looking forward to the impacts this funding will have in the near future.” Ranking Member Capito said. “I am also happy to see resources that are critical to properly and safely handling hazardous waste and raising water quality coming to West Virginia to ensure we continue to keep our state’s natural resources safe and beautiful.”
NSF FUNDING: Senator Capito also secured funding from NSF to support two research projects. The first is a project at West Virginia University (WVU) that aims to identify supernova remnants across the galaxy. The second project aims to identify methods to upgrade cyberinfrastructure and streamline research capabilities at Shepherd University.
“For generations, West Virginia has helped guide our nation’s exploration and understanding of outer space. It is great to see WVU continuing that proud history as we seek to further our research into supernovas,” Senator Capito said. “It is also welcome news to see Shepherd University strengthening their cyberinfrastructure so that their research is more efficient and effective as it adds to our body of knowledge in this expanding field.”
DOE FUNDING: Senator Capito also secured funding from DOE to support a project at WVU that aims to create a cost-effective and carbon neutral methanol through a process utilizing direct air capture, electrolysis, and methanol synthesis technologies.
“West Virginia has a proud history of being an energy producing state, and I am happy to see WVU leading the effort to find ways to make clean fuel that can power our state and country effectively and safely,” Senator Capito said.
NPS FUNDING: Finally, Senator Capito also secured funding from the NPS’s Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grants program that supports the preservation of historic buildings in Wheeling, W.Va., and Elkins, W.Va.
“Wheeling and Elkins both have rich histories that make us proud to be West Virginians, and furthers the culture of the Mountain State. I am proud to secure the resources these communities need to preserve the aspects of their history and tradition that makes our state unique,” Senator Capito said.
Individual awards listed below:
$1,000,000 in HHS funding to the Prestera Center for Mental Health, Inc. (Huntington, W.Va.) to support the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP)-Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) Access Program which aims to tackle the addiction crisis.
$750,000 in NPS funding to the Wheeling National Heritage Corporation (Wheeling, W.Va.) to support state and local governments and nonprofit organizations to develop subgrant programs and select individual projects in their rural communities for physical preservation projects that will contribute to economic vitality.
$750,000 in NPS funding to the Preservation Alliance of West Virginia, Inc. (Elkins, W.Va.) to support state and local governments and nonprofit organizations to develop subgrant programs and select individual projects in their rural communities for physical preservation projects that will contribute to economic vitality.
$700,000 in HHS funding to Marshall University (Huntington, W.Va.) to support an ANE-NPRF program, which aims to prepare new Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) to effectively provide primary care by supporting the establishment, expansion and/or enhancement of existing community-based Nurse Practitioner (NP) residency and fellowship training programs that are accredited or in the accreditation process.
$666,235 in EPA funding to the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WV DEP) (Charleston, W.Va.) to support environmental enforcement and compliance assistance for point-source Best Management Practices (BMPs) and technical support for non-point-source BMPs, the pending Total Maximum Daily Load goals, and development of West Virginia’s Watershed Implementation Plan.
$649,998 in HHS funding to Shepherd University (Shepherdstown, W.Va.) to support an ANEW program, which aims to increase the number of primary care nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, and certified nurse midwives trained and prepared to provide primary care services, mental health and substance use disorder care, and/or maternal health care.
$637,210 in NSF funding to Shepherd University (Shepherdstown, W.Va.) for a research project entitled “CC* Networking Infrastructure: Cyberinfrastructure and Network Architecture Upgrades to Empower Research at Shepherd University.”
$635,439 in HHS funding to Cabin Creek Health Systems, Inc. (Charleston, W.Va.) to support a program which aims to prepare new Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) to effectively provide primary care by supporting the establishment, expansion and/or enhancement of existing community-based Nurse Practitioner (NP) residency and fellowship training at accredited programs.
$421,500 in HHS funding to West Liberty University (West Liberty, W.Va.) to support blood diseases and resources research.
$400,000 in DOE funding to WVU (Morgantown, W.Va.) for a research project entitled “Modular Integrated System for Carbon-Neutral Methanol Synthesis Using Direct Air Capture and Carbon-Free Hydrogen Production-Phase I.” This project aims to conduct a conceptual design and feasibility study of a proposed integrated process for producing green methanol.
$331,170 in NSF funding to WVU (Morgantown, W.Va.) for a research project entitled “Toward a Complete Census of Galactic Supernova Remnants.”
$266,816 in EPA funding to the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WV DEP) (Charleston, W.Va.) to support the development and implementation of an authorized hazardous waste management program in the State of West Virginia to control the generation, transportation, treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste; to minimize hazardous waste production; and to protect health and the environment from inactive hazardous waste facilities.
$131,346 in EPA funding to WVU (Morgantown, W.Va.) to provide technical assistance (e.g., information, training, tools) to businesses to help them develop and adopt source reduction practices (also known as pollution prevention (P2)).