Montana Science and Technology

Montana Science and Technology Plan

Montana’s Science & Technology Plan highlights the Montana University System as a major driver of the state’s economic growth, emphasizing research that tackles Montana‑specific challenges in rural health, agriculture, natural resources, energy, materials science, and computation. The plan identifies five focus areas—Health & Biomedicine; Agriculture & Natural Resources; Energy and the Energy/Food/Water nexus; Materials & Manufacturing; and Computational & Information Sciences—and describes how advances in these fields can attract investment, support technology transfer, and create high‑quality jobs. It underscores the importance of STEM education, workforce development, and strong partnerships between universities, industry, and communities. With steadily rising research expenditures and nationally recognized research institutions, the plan outlines strategies to bolster innovation, entrepreneurship, graduate education, and statewide collaboration to strengthen Montana’s long‑term economic competitiveness.

Montana Science and Technology Committee

The Montana Science and Technology Committee (MSTC) advises state leaders—including the Board of Regents, the Commissioner of Higher Education, the legislature, and the Governor—on policies to strengthen Montana’s science and technology ecosystem and better align university research with the state’s economic and societal needs. As the body responsible for developing and communicating Montana’s Science and Technology Plan, the MSTC also serves as the required steering committee for Montana’s NSF EPSCoR Track I program. Its membership includes senior research leaders from Montana State University, the University of Montana, Montana Tech, and other MUS campuses, along with two Regents’ Professors and several ex officio members representing major statewide research initiatives (EPSCoR, INBRE, and NASA EPSCoR).