EPSCoR Graduate Fellowship Program (EGFP): Graduate fellowships to propel wildfire research in Montana

The National Science Foundation (NSF), NSF EPSCoR Graduate Fellowship Program (EGFP) supports EGFP designated institutions/programs in EPSCoR jurisdictions by providing funding for graduate fellowships for eligible applicants. Institutions receive a total of three years of stipend and associated cost-of-education (COE) allowance for each NSF EPSCoR Graduate Fellow. This award at the University of Montana seeks to enhance research competitiveness and capacity through an investment in talent development. Fellow research topics will align with goals and programs supported by the NSF Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO). Research topics and activities will focus on emerging issues in wildfire science from the perspective of different disciplines in support of the research topic area of Building a Resilient Planet. Fellows will conduct research in the biological, ecological, health, and/or social interactions of wildfire. Research results will increase resiliency of forests and infrastructure to wildfire risk and expand knowledge needed for wildfire mitigation. The research is important because wildfire has multiple societal impacts including loss of life and property, harm to human health and wellbeing, and damage to timber and water resources. The research and training students will participate in is aligned with the NSF priority in AI. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.