Low cost, durable, commercially viable polymer-based anion-exchange membranes, a critical component in fuel cells and other energy-conversion devices, are the focus of a $2,300,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to an industry, government, university collaboration including Penn State.

Researchers at Penn State, the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company have developed methods to control defects in two-dimensional materials, such as graphene, that may lead to improved membranes for water desalination, energy storage, sensing or advanced protective coatings.

Penn State will lead a University Coalition for Fossil Energy Research (UCFER) that will identify, select, execute, review and disseminate knowledge from research that will advance basic and applied research for clean energy in support of the U.S. Department of Energy mission. UCFER will identify, select, execute, review and disseminate knowledge from research that will improve the efficiency of production and use of fossil energy resources while minimizing the environmental impacts and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The National Science Foundation announced March 4 the award of $17.8 million over five years to Penn State to fund one of only two Materials Innovation Platform national user facilities in the country. These MIP awards are the first of what will become a national infrastructure to support key scientific research areas.

A lithium-ion battery that self heats if the temperature is below 32 degrees Fahrenheit has multiple applications, but may have the most impact on relieving winter "range anxiety" for electric vehicle owners, according to a team of researchers from Penn State and EC Power, State College.

Seven Penn State faculty members have been named Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the organization announced November 23, 2015.