The University of South Carolina (USC) was awarded a $600,000 Project Grant from the Office of the Secretary of Defense under the Basic Scientific Research program (CFDA 12.431) to conduct research on "Unraveling the Role of Cation Solvation in Aqueous Zn-Ion Batteries: A Combined Theoretical and Experimental Approach." This 3-year research project, which commenced on August 15, 2023, aims to investigate the fundamental mechanisms underlying aqueous zinc-ion battery technology to support potential improvements to U.S. Army programs and operations. As a public research university, USC has a track record of delivering diverse services to federal agencies through contract and grant awards, including animal husbandry support for the Department of Veterans Affairs' biomedical research programs.