"Researchers Who Exposed VW Gain Little Reward From Success"

"MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The scientific detective work that forced Volkswagen into a $15 billion settlement began with a handful of researchers armed with just $70,000.

For years, the research team at West Virginia University, which first noticed big discrepancies in Volkswagen’s diesel emissions, has scrounged for grants and research funding to survive. Only a fraction of its $1.5 million annual budget comes from the university, and that is being cut.

“I still have sleepless nights trying to figure out how I’m going to pay the guys the next pay cycle,” said Dan Carder, director of the university’s Center for Alternative Fuels Engines and Emissions."

Jack Ewing reports for the New York Times July 24, 2016.