Research center a win for Concord
Jan. 19—One of the more unusual projects included in the 2023 omnibus appropriations bill was a $642,000 funding award for a research center for rare earth elements in coal. The new research center will be located on the campus of Concord University right here in Mercer County.
It was one of two federal funding awards announced for the university, which also received a $1 million earmark to start a new physician assistant program.
U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., worked to secure funding for the new rare earth elements research center.
Rare earth elements are increasingly required for many different modern applications in defense and renewable energy technologies and in commercial products, including magnets, batteries, wind turbines and catalysts. Mercer County is an ideal location for a rare earth element research center because it is at the heart of the southern West Virginia metallurgical coal fields.
"Concord University continues to make our state proud with innovative scientific research, which is why I successfully fought to secure this funding to help establish their new research center," Manchin said during last week's announcement.
Concord will expand its existing laboratory infrastructure by building a prototype for a new instrument specially optimized for measuring rare earth elements and other economically critical elements present in trace quantities, according to Manchin's office. The research will be utilized by government, academia and the private sector.
The university's research center will specifically use Electron Probe Microanalysis, which is a major analytical and micro-imaging technique commonly applied to natural and synthetic solid materials, according to Concord University President Dr. Kendra Boggess.
"Concord University's project will enhance economic development by establishing core infrastructure to attract and support new research enterprise in southern West Virginia," Boggess said.
The planned rare earth elements research center is an exciting development for Concord University, its student body and the region.
We look forward to the development of the research center on the Athens campus and all of the data that will be generated locally to help with strengthening our nation's energy security.
