“When our communities need expertise, capacity and partnership, Marshall is ready to answer the call,” Marshall President Brad D. Smith said. “We appreciate the governor’s confidence in Marshall and are proud to partner with the state, our friends at WVU, local communities and regional experts to translate local priorities into meaningful solutions and strategic investment.”
In partnership with the governor’s office, the West Virginia Grant Resource Centers, housed at both Marshall and WVU, will work with state agencies, local entities and regional partners to provide additional writing capacity, research and other technical assistance to understaffed water systems to help secure competitive funding.
“West Virginia is making a historic investment in the infrastructure our communities need to grow and thrive,” Morrisey said. “By partnering with our state’s two largest universities, we are adding the expertise and capacity needed to help communities compete for every available dollar and turn good projects into successful investments. I appreciate Marshall stepping up to serve West Virginians and helping us build a stronger future for our state.”
As communities prepare applications for competitive funding, the Grant Resource Centers will leverage university expertise to help communities develop stronger projects and compete for federal and discretionary funding.
“For more than three years, the WV Grant Resource Centers have helped West Virginians secure more than $55 million in competitive funding,” said Sara Payne Scarbro, principal investigator of the WV Grant Resource Centers. “We appreciate Gov. Morrisey’s leadership and are ready to work alongside local and regional experts to help communities compete for these investments.”
Marshall brings expertise in engineering, water quality, treatment systems, GIS, flood mitigation, project development, grant writing and health-related research. The university also has longstanding partnerships with Regional Planning and Development Councils, higher education institutions and economic development organizations throughout the state.
“Our role is to support the experts already doing this important work in their communities,” Scarbro added. “By expanding the state’s collective project development capacity and pooling Marshall’s experts, we can help turn local priorities into competitive projects and bring more investment to West Virginia.”
The initiative builds on Marshall’s commitment to serving communities across the state, particularly rural communities where infrastructure investment can have a significant impact on economic development, public health and quality of life.
For more information, visit wvgrantcenters.com