Faculty and students from Little Big Horn College

Montana NSF Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR)

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About Montana NSF EPSCoR

Montana NSF EPSCoR is a Montana University System program focused on stimulating sustainable improvements in Montana's R&D capacity and competitiveness in science and engineering research. We partner with the National Science Foundation EPSCoR (Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research) program to develop and manage strategic projects funded by competitive NSF EPSCoR awards to the state.

Our current RII Track-1 project (2018-2023) is the Consortium for Research on Environmental Water Systems (CREWS).

News and CREWS Blog

A volunteer takes a water sample on the Crow Reservation. MSU photo.

CREWS researchers and partners from MSU and LBHC awarded funding through USDA NIFA New Beginnings for Tribal Students Program

Jul 26 2021

CREWS researchers from MSU and LBHC and partners receive a $500,000 award from the USDA NIFA New Beginnings for Tribal Students Program

Image of an individual handling cyberinfrastructure

Montana State University to collaborate with partner NSF EPSCoR institutions on cyberinfrastructure research and education

Jul 13 2021

A workshop will be held to assess cyberinfrastructure across the nation

The CREWS-PRB team poses in front of a groundwater well

CREWS researchers and students tour Rosebud Mine outside of Colstrip

Jul 1 2021

Researchers and students from the CREWS Powder River Basin team had the opportunity to tour the Rosebud Mine outside of Colstrip, MT

CREWS Careers: Jessica Andriolo

Jun 14 2021

Meet Jessica Andriolo, a research associate in the mechanical engineering department at …

Upper Clark Fork Working Group releases first newsletter

Jun 8 2021

The Upper Clark Fork Working Group (UCFWG) has released its first official newsletter

What we do

We develop and manage NSF ESPCoR Research Improvement Investment (RII) Awards to Montana to promote 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

Featured Projects

RII Track-1: 2018-2023

PI: Ragan Callaway (UM) Project Director
The Consortium for Research on Environmental Water Systems (CREWS) is a five-year, $20M NSF EPSCoR RII Track-1 partnership between the University of Montana, Montana State University, Montana Technological University, Salish Kootenai College, Little Bighorn College, and business and government partners to study Montana’s environmental water systems and specific water quality issues.
RII Track-1: 2011-2018

PI: Ray Callaway (UM)
Montana research on ecosystems from microbes to landscapes, including creation of the Montana Institute on Ecosystems (IoE)
RII Track-2 FEC: 2017-2021

PI: Zac Cheviron (UM)
UM partnership with University of Nebraska Lincoln focused on understanding how organisms function in complex environments and how they acclimate and adapt to environmental challenges.