EPSCoR Graduate Fellowship Program (EGFP): Big Sky Fellows: EGFP at Montana State University

The National Science Foundation (NSF) EPSCoR Graduate Fellowship Program (EGFP) supports EGFP designated institutions and programs in EPSCoR jurisdictions by providing funding for graduate fellowships for new or continuing EGFP-eligible applicants. EGFP awards provide funding for a total of three years of stipend and an associated cost-of-education (COE) allowance for each NSF EPSCoR Graduate Fellow. This award at Montana State University will support twelve EPSCoR Graduate Fellows with funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) EPSCoR Graduate Fellowship Program (EGFP). This support is aligned with goals and programs within NSFs Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO), the NSF Directorate for Geosciences (GEO), and the NSF Directorate for Engineering (ENG). Montana has strong and growing high-tech industries in a predominantly rural state. This project will recruit and support highly qualified graduate students, as determined by NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) designated Honorable Mentions (HMs). The EGFP fellows at Montana State University (MSU) will serve as the future STEM leaders necessary for the continued growth of Montana’s innovation-driven economy in the specific fields of Engineering, Biological Science, and Geoscience. Utilizing the natural environment of Montana, including Yellowstone national park, the Northern Rocky Mountains, and Great Plains, MSU's EGFP Fellows will contribute to research of national significance in optics and photonics, enzymes and microbial engineering, small- and large-scale host/pathogen biology, and earth science that contributes to agricultural and natural systems resilience. The long-term goal in recruiting these high-performing students to MSU is to strengthen Montana’s growing STEM economic ecosystem by contributing to development of an exceptional workforce. This project will serve as a model for other rural regions of the country to enhance pockets of high-tech excellence. This project will support 12 EGFP fellowships: 5 in the NSF Directorate for Engineering (ENG), 5 in the Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO), and 2 in the NSF Directorate for Geosciences (GEO). The Fellows will participate in research programs that are among the top-performing and most technologically enhanced offered by MSU. World-class researchers advise graduate students with enough time to provide quality mentoring, beginning their mentoring relationship with workshops on successful mentoring. The Fellows will gain critical experience in university-wide research centers where they access high-end instrumentation and expertise. EGFP Fellows will also participate in broad-based professional development (GradCat 360), including communication, teaching, career planning, translational science, and be invited to join the Graduate Leadership Academy, which prepares graduate students for collaborative leadership across various professional contexts. 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.