# About SMART Fires -[ About | Montana NSF EPSCoR ](https://www.mtnsfepscor.org/about)
> A National Science Foundation initiative to prevent, fight, and study wildfires through prescribed burning and a multi-disciplinary approach through universities and colleges across Montana. The project aims to increase education and resources to rural communities by understanding the effects of wildfires. The five-year project partnerships with Montana State University, University of Montana, Montana Technological University, Salish Kootenai College, Little Bighorn College, Flathead Valley Community College, and business and government partners to address knowledge gaps associated with prescribed fire usage and to understand prescribed fire’s impact on individuals and communities.
## Q&A- General Questions
- ### What is Montana NSF EPSCoR?
  - Montana NSF EPSCoR is a Montana University System (MUS) program focused on stimulating sustainable improvements in Montana's R&D capacity and competitiveness in science and engineering research.
- ### Who are our partners?
    - We work with the state’s higher education institutions, including 7 tribal colleges and partners from business, government, and non-profit organizations.
- ### When was Montana NSF EPSCoR established?
    - Montana NSF EPSCOR was established in 1980.

## Overview of SMART FIRES - [SMART FIRES: Sensors, Machine Learning, and Artificial Intelligence in Real Time Fire Science | Montana NSF EPSCoR](https://www.mtnsfepscor.org/projects/smart-fires): A partnership among Montana universities and colleges to study wildfires and the impact of prescribed burning on communities.
- ### What is SMART FIRES?
    - SMART FIRES (Sensors, Machine Learning, and Artificial Intelligence in Real Time Fire Science) is a five-year, $20M NSF EPSCoR RII Track-1 partnership between Montana State University, University of Montana, Montana Technological University, Salish Kootenai College, Little Bighorn College, Flathead Valley Community College, and business and government partners to address knowledge gaps prescribed fire usage and to understand prescribed fire’s impact on individuals and communities. The PI is Dr. Robert Walker (MSU), and the co-PIs are Dr. Libby Metcalf (UM), Dr. Joseph Shaw (MSU), and Dr. Lu Hu (UM).
- ### How do projects help Montana?
    - Montana NSF EPSCoR is governed by the Montana Science and Technology Committee (MSTC) and guided by the state science and technology plan. Research areas for project proposals are selected on a competitive basis by the MSTC as (1) being one of the most compelling long-term issues for Montana; and (2) having the best potential to improve the future research and development (R&D) competitiveness of the State.
- ### How does NSF EPCOR help Montana?
    - NSF EPSCoR enhances research competitiveness through strengthening science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) capacity and capability through a diverse portfolio of investments from talent development to local infrastructure.
- ### What questions does SMART FIRES address?
    - SMART FIRES is guided by two foundational questions: 1) How do prescribed fire energy and emissions depend on fuel properties, topography, and environmental conditions? 2) How do the smoke emissions from prescribed fire affect individuals and communities?”
- ### What technologies will SMART FIRES generate?
    - This project requires a new generation of smart optical sensors that couple emerging engineering technologies with advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). SMART FIRES will build infrastructure to deploying these instruments to measure prescribed fire behavior in real time. SMART FIRES researchers will develop methods to assess and communicate the benefits and risks of prescribed fire to the public. SMART FIRES will catalyze research capability through strategic hires and integration across disciplines and institutions, and develop a strong workforce in the fields of ecosystem management, optical engineering, artificial intelligence and machine learning, environmental chemistry and social science.
 ## What are the different thrusts of SMART FIRES?
  - ### Thrust 1: Fire and Smoke Science (FSS)
     - Better understand the production of remotely detectable fire radiative energy, prescribed fire emissions, and the air quality impacts at local to regional scales to improve management practices that protect people and the natural resources on which they rely. FSS Team: Lu Hu (UM), Carl Seielstad (UM), Lloyd Queen (UM), Robert Yokelson (UM), Robert Walker (MSU), Xiaobing Zhou (MTU)
  - ### Thrust 2: Smart Optical Sensors (SOS)
     - Develop ground- and UAS-based optical remote sensors using on-board computing and AI/ML algorithms where appropriate to provide data uniquely tailored to answering the questions posed across the other thrusts. SOS Team: Joseph Shaw (MSU), Kevin Repasky (MSU), Ross Snider (MSU), Timothy Price (FVCC), Cody Sifford (SKC)
  - ### Thrust 3: Social Psychology, Economics, and Ethics (SPEE)
     - Understand how trust in information sources about prescribed fire and smoke can increase adaptive capacity and lead to better decision-making processes. SPEE Team: Libby Metcalf (UM), Kristen Intemann (MSU), Katrina Mullan (UM), New hire (LBHC)
  - ### Thrust 4: Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AIML)
     - Develop new understanding of AI and apply it to efficient processing of data and model predictions for prescribed fires and emissions characterization. AIML Team: John Sheppard (MSU), Brad Whitaker (MSU), Jesse Johnson (UM), Drew Grennel (SKC), 2 new hires (UM), 2 new hires (MSU).
     - RESEARCH AND DATA CYBERINFRASTRUCTURE (CI) SMART FIRES will partner with the MSU Library's Research Optimization Analytics and Data Services Group, the MSU Research Alliance, the MSU Research Cyberinfrastructure group, the UM IT department, the UM College of Forestry IT group. CI Team: Venice Bayrd (MSU), Coltran Hophan-Nichols (MSU), Zach Rossmiller (UM), Sherri McWilliams (UM), Jason Clark (MSU), Todd Kipfer (MSU)
 ## Partners of SMART FIRES - [Established Program to Simulate Competitive Research | National Science Foundation](https://www.nsf.gov/funding/initiatives/epscor)
> The U.S. National Science Foundation EPSCoR program pursues a mission to enhance the research competitiveness of targeted jurisdictions by strengthening science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) capacity and capability through a diverse portfolio of investments from talent development to local infrastructure. The EPSCoR program envisions its jurisdictions as recognized contributors to the national and global STEM research enterprise.
- [Blackfoot Challenge](https://blackfootchallenge.org/): A non-profit, landowner-led organization in Montana that coordinates efforts to conserve and enhance the natural resources and rural way of life in the Blackfoot watershed.
- [Montana Department of Environmental Quality(DEQ)](https://deq.mt.gov/): The state agency in Montana responsible for protecting the state's air, land, and water resources by administering and enforcing environmental laws and regulations.
- [Montana Photonics Industry Alliance](https://www.mpqa.org/):A non-profit organization that serves as a hub for Montana's optics, photonics, and quantum technology companies, universities, and labs to promote economic growth and innovation in the field.
- [Montana Idaho Airshed Management](https://mi.airshedgroup.org/): A cooperative organization of federal, state, and local government agencies, along with private industry, that manages smoke from prescribed burning to minimize its impact on public health and air quality in Montana and Idaho.
- [Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation](https://dnrc.mt.gov/): The state agency that manages Montana's trust lands, water resources, and forests. It is also responsible for wildfire protection and conservation efforts across the state.
- [Montana Wildfire Smoke program with Climate Smart Missoula and the Missoula County Public Health Department](https://montanawildfiresmoke.org/):A collaborative effort (including Climate Smart Missoula and local health departments) that provides information, resources, and health guidance to help Montanans prepare for and respond to wildfire smoke events.
- [NASA AERONET](https://https://aeronet.gsfc.nasa.gov/): A global network of ground-based remote-sensing instruments established by NASA that measures aerosol properties to support climate research and validate satellite data.
- [New Horizons Studio, Hyundai America Technical Center, Inc.](https://www.hatci.com/): A research and development unit of Hyundai focused on creating "Ultimate Mobility Vehicles" (UMVs), including robotic vehicles and walking cars designed to traverse extreme and unconventional terrain.
- [Northern Rockies Fire Science Network](https://www.nrfirescience.org/): A regional organization that facilitates and shares wildland fire science research among scientists, land managers, and other stakeholders in the Northern Rocky Mountains.
- [Polaris Sensor Technologies](https://www.polarissensor.com/): A company based in Huntsville, Alabama, that develops and manufactures advanced electro-optic sensor systems, specializing in polarization-based imaging for military, commercial, and environmental applications.
- [Resonon, Inc.](https://resonon.com/): A Bozeman, Montana-based company that designs and manufactures hyperspectral imaging systems, which are used for advanced remote sensing and analysis in research, agriculture, and industrial quality control.
- [SensorLogic](https://sensorlogic.ai/): An electrical engineering firm that specializes in developing advanced radar systems, including Ultra-Wideband (UWB) and millimeter-wavelength radar, for a variety of applications.
- [National Center for Atmospheric Research](https://ncar.ucar.edu/): A federally funded research and development center based in Boulder, Colorado, dedicated to studying and understanding the Earth's atmosphere, weather, climate, and the sun-Earth system.
- [U.S. Forest Service Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory](https://firelab.org/): A leading research facility in Missoula, Montana, where scientists study wildland fire behavior, fire ecology, and smoke management to develop tools and knowledge for fire managers.
- [Vision Aerial](https://www.visionaerial.com/): A Bozeman, Montana-based company that designs and manufactures industrial-grade unmanned aerial systems (drones) for applications like surveying, inspection, and remote sensing.
## Related - [Team | Montana NSF EPSCOR](https://www.mtnsfepscor.org/projects/smart-fires/team):
- Team members of SMART FIRES. - [Strategic Plan | Montana NSF EPSCoR](https://www.mtnsfepscor.org/projects/smart-fires/strategic-plan): Strategic Plan for the R-II Track including project goals.
- [Citing SMART FIRES | Montana NSF EPSCoR](https://www.mtnsfepscor.org/projects/smart-fires/acknowledge): Language for acknowledging SMART FIRES.
- [Reporting Resources | Montana EPSCoR](https://www.mtnsfepscor.org/projects/smart-fires/reporting): Reporting resources and submission documents.
- [Broader Impacts | Montana NSF EPSCoR](https://www.mtnsfepscor.org/projects/smart-fires/broader-impacts): The initiative's focus on outreach programs for K-12, rural, and Tribal colleges. - [Fire and Smoke Science (FSS) | Montana NSF EPSCoR](https://www.mtnsfepscor.org/programs/research): The FSS research sector dedicated to engineering technology to combat wildfires and generate data.
- [Faculty Hires | Montana EPSCoR](https://www.mtnsfepscor.org/research/projects/faculty-hires): Faculty hires of Montana EPSCoR.
- [News | Montana NSF EPSCor](https://www.mtnsfepscor.org/news): News features regarding projects, people, and interviews.
- [Events | Montana NSF EPSCoR](https://www.mtnsfepscor.org/events): Updates of meetings and symposiums from universities.
- [Opportunities | Montana NSF EPSCoR](https://www.mtnsfepscor.org/opportunities): Positions available for the SMART FIRES project.