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SMART FIRES RII Track-1 Project

Wildfire plays a vital role in Montana’s diverse ecosystems but also poses a growing threat to Montanans’ health, safety, and livelihoods. The National Science Foundation’s EPSCoR program is supporting a research and education project to understand and improve the use of prescribed fire to manage wildfire and its impacts in our state. Researchers from Montana universities and colleges are working with state agencies, private companies, and non-profit organizations to develop technologies, partnerships, and educational opportunities that strengthen our ability to prevent, respond to, and live with wildfire.

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Middle Schoolers looking for insects on a beating sheet

Citizen Science Activities at Chief Joseph Middle School Outdoor Days

On Thursday, September 27th, employees of the Montana State University Science Math Resource Center attended Chief Joseph Middle School Outdoor Days at Gallatin County Regional Park. They set up an activity station and information table for six classes of sixth grade students. The students participated in three hands-on, citizen science activities.

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NSF by The Numbers

NSF by the Numbers

NSF provides a helpful resource called NSF by the Numbers.

ReadBlog NSF by the Numbers
Gathering at Lubrecht Experimental Forest

SMART FIRES team investigates citizen science opportunities during Lubrecht Experimental Forest visit

On a beautiful fall day in September, a team of Montana NSF EPSCoR researchers, students and outreach professionals from several Montana colleges and universities gathered at the University of Montana’s Lubrecht Experimental Forest near Greenough, Mont.

ReadBlog SMART FIRES team investigates citizen science opportunities during Lubrecht Experimental Forest visit
Land Cover GLOBE Observer

Citizen Science demo during All-Hands Meeting 2024

All participants in the EPSCoR All-Hands Meeting on Sept. 16-17, 2024 are invited to participate in citizen science investigation using a free app supported by NASA that allows volunteers to learn more about our shared environment by taking observations of the land, clouds, trees and mosquito habitat.We will use the app, called GLOBE Observer, during our trip to the Lubrecht Experimental Forest on Tuesday, Sept. 17.

ReadBlog Citizen Science demo during All-Hands Meeting 2024
Photo of Dr. Owen with a background of colorful grass.

Interview with Dr. Lucy Owen: New UM Machine Learning Hire

What is your specialty? I am a computational cognitive neuroscientist. I’m really interested in brain network dynamics and larger systems that relate to patients where you can pick out biomarkers that are similar across patients to help diagnoses.

ReadBlog Interview with Dr. Lucy Owen: New UM Machine Learning Hire
NSF by The Numbers

NSF by the Numbers

NSF provides a helpful resource called NSF by the Numbers.

ReadBlog NSF by the Numbers
Gathering at Lubrecht Experimental Forest

SMART FIRES team investigates citizen science opportunities during Lubrecht Experimental Forest visit

On a beautiful fall day in September, a team of Montana NSF EPSCoR researchers, students and outreach professionals from several Montana colleges and universities gathered at the University of Montana’s Lubrecht Experimental Forest near Greenough, Mont.

ReadBlog SMART FIRES team investigates citizen science opportunities during Lubrecht Experimental Forest visit
NSF EPSCoR

NSF E-RISE Awards 2024

The U.S. National Science Foundation has awarded $35 million through the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) Research Incubators for STEM Excellence Research Infrastructure Improvement (E-RISE RII) to boost research competitiveness, build partnerships across academic institutions and non-academic sectors and create workforce development opportunities.

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A graduate student works in the Spectrum Lab at Montana State University on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023, in Bozeman, Mont. (Colter Peterson/MSU Photo)

$41M award to Montana Tech Hub

A regional technology hub focused on photonics and smart sensors, of which Montana State University is a founding member, will receive a $41 million federal grant to help create tech jobs across Montana.

ReadBlog $41M award to Montana Tech Hub
NSF ESPCoR

2024 EPSCoR Annual PI Meeting Presentations

Access to presentations from the 2024 NSF EPSCoR Annual PI meeting. These presentations provide helpful information on ESPCoR funding opportunities.You can access meeting presentations web page here.

ReadBlog 2024 EPSCoR Annual PI Meeting Presentations
A graduate student works in the Spectrum Lab at Montana State University on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023, in Bozeman, Mont. (Colter Peterson/MSU Photo)

$41M award to Montana Tech Hub

A regional technology hub focused on photonics and smart sensors, of which Montana State University is a founding member, will receive a $41 million federal grant to help create tech jobs across Montana.

ReadBlog $41M award to Montana Tech Hub

Montana STEM Summit 2023 findings and next steps will be presented online Dec. 12

Key findings from the 2023 Montana STEM Summit will be shared in an online presentation on Tuesday, Dec.

ReadBlog Montana STEM Summit 2023 findings and next steps will be presented online Dec. 12

Project Highlight: "The Future Isn't Written"

Dr. Arica Crootof of UM Western assists in a project surrounding effective communication about contamination and remediation efforts of the Warm Springs Ponds at the headwaters of the Clark Fork River.

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New article from CREWS JRW Natural Resource Social Science team focuses on challenges rural communities face with public water systems

A recent publication from the Natural Resource Social Science team highlights the challenges facing rural communities in the arena of public water systems—namely, the locally-managed infrastructure that delivers domestic water to homes in settled areas like small towns and cities.

ReadBlog New article from CREWS JRW Natural Resource Social Science team focuses on challenges rural communities face with public water systems
Graduate student Tasha Stryker stands next to a development version of the online Crash Course game

Online college simulation game introduces players to STEM concepts and pathways

The online learning game, Crash Course, is a virtual college simulation that introduces players to various STEM concepts and pathways.

ReadBlog Online college simulation game introduces players to STEM concepts and pathways

Upcoming Events

Fire Science Week at spectrUM

Fire Science Week at spectrUM. December 3-7, 2024. 2-6 pm each day.

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Montana Reverse Site Visit with NSF

The Reverse Site Visit is required in Year 2 of an RII Track-1 project. Montana is scheduled to meet with NSF On April 3, 2025.The RSV is a review/evaluation conducted by teams of external reviewers and the NSF staff.

More Montana Reverse Site Visit with NSF

Fire Science Week at spectrUM

Fire Science Week at spectrUM. December 3-7, 2024. 2-6 pm each day.

More Fire Science Week at spectrUM

Montana Reverse Site Visit with NSF

The Reverse Site Visit is required in Year 2 of an RII Track-1 project. Montana is scheduled to meet with NSF On April 3, 2025.The RSV is a review/evaluation conducted by teams of external reviewers and the NSF staff.

More Montana Reverse Site Visit with NSF

What We Do

More about us
We develop and manage NSF ESPCoR Research Improvement Investment (RII) Awards to Montana to promote the development of science and technology capacity across the Montana University System. With RII support we have:
125
Faculty hired in strategic areas
300+
Graduate students supported on projects
1K+
Undergraduate students supported on projects
100+
Native American Students supported on projects