South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham and the director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) were at Clemson University's International Center for Automotive Research campus today in Greenville for a special announcement. The two met with Clemson President Jim Clements and other university officials. The university will apply for an NSF designation to be an engineering research center, Sen. Graham said. He said he believes Clemson can be a leader in research and development for electric vehicles and said he'd like to see America be the global leader in electric vehicle and battery production. "Right now, almost all processing centers to make batteries are in China, so we're going to work together with Clemson to break that cycle of dependency," said Graham. "Change is coming. The power source for a car is going to change dramatically in the next 20 or 30 years, and I'd like South Carolina and Clemson University to be on the tip of the spear when it comes to change," he said. "The CU-ICAR is truly, truly an exemplar," said NSF director Sethuraman Panchanathan. "If only we can create this kind of an innovation center and strongly connect it to the universities everywhere across our nation, I can tell you we will outcompete any nation for years and centuries to come."It could be about a year to a year and a half before the university receives the designation. If approved, Sen. Graham said it will give Clemson University more money for research. Founded in 2007, CU-ICAR is an advanced-technology research campus where education, research, and economic development collaborate to create a global venue for the automotive industry, according to the university's website.