Three universities received a share of $775,000 via the Mobility Public-Private Partnership & Programming (MP4) Grant.
Western Michigan University’s Center for Advanced Vehicle Design and Simulation, along with the University of Michigan and Michigan Technological University, has received a share of a $775,000 grant from the State of Michigan’s Mobility Public-Private Partnership & Programming Grant.
According to an article on Western Michigan University’s website, Michigan Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II, was quoted as saying of the grant funding, “The state of Michigan has been laser-focused on building the talent necessary to make Michigan the best place to build the future. We’re proud to support our internationally renowned higher education institutions in their efforts to provide opportunities for our workforce to experience entrepreneurship, get hands-on testing experience, and explore world-changing ideas. Together, we’re making it clear that the future of cars, batteries, and tech is being made here in Michigan.”
The grant funding is intended to support universities as they train and educate the future of the mobility industry.
Dr. Claudia Fajardo-Hansford is a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Western Michigan University and also serves as a leader of CAViDS. Dr. Fajardo-Hansford will be investigating the grant along with Dr. John Bair and Dr. Parviz Merati.
“As part of this grant, we are developing a unique piece of equipment to test gears at high rotational speeds. This effort aligns with electric vehicle drivetrain needs. CAViDS is simultaneously developing models to predict gear failure at those speeds, so this equipment is much needed to generate experimental data to validate those models. It puts Western at the forefront of research in this area both from theoretical and applied standpoints,” said Dr. Fajardo-Hansford.
For more information about Western Michigan University, visit the school’s website.