Montana Science and Technology Grants

This grant provides financial support and mentorship to early-stage cleantech entrepreneurs in the Midwest who are developing innovative solutions to promote economic growth and environmental sustainability.

This funding opportunity supports conservation-focused educational initiatives for youth in Montana, providing resources for schools, educators, and community groups to promote environmental awareness and stewardship.

This funding opportunity supports researchers and students conducting mycological studies on mushroom-forming fungi in the Pacific Northwest, covering expenses like lab work, equipment, and conference participation.

This funding opportunity is designed to strengthen research capabilities in eligible jurisdictions by supporting collaborations among academic institutions, government agencies, and private industry to develop sustainable research infrastructure.

This program provides funding to non-profit organizations for innovative projects that improve the economic and social well-being of rural communities in several western states.

This grant provides funding for nonprofit organizations in the Pacific Northwest to support strategic projects that promote community well-being, education, health, and cultural initiatives.

This grant provides funding to nonprofit organizations and public institutions in Montana for innovative community projects that promote humanities themes through storytelling, discussions, and public engagement.

This program provides funding to tribal communities in Montana for forestry projects that enhance green spaces, improve air and water quality, and support cultural practices and climate resilience.

The First Nations’ Young Natural Resource Professionals Cohort is a 12-month enrichment opportunity designed to enhance the knowledge and networks of young natural resource professionals in the Northern Great Plains. This program directly aligns with the First Nations Development Institute's mission to support Native American communities, particularly in areas of natural resource management and tribal sovereignty. The grant, ranging from $1,000 to $10,000, aims to foster professional development and community-led conservation efforts within tribal lands. The primary beneficiaries of this program are 15 early-career natural resource professionals, aged 18-30, who are tribally-affiliated and employed by tribal natural resource and/or environmental departments in Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. The program's impact goals are to develop professional, leadership, and technical skills among these individuals, enabling them to effectively employ tribal and community conservation priorities. The cohort prioritizes a deeper understanding of traditional stewardship practices, specialized project management training, and the ability to communicate the importance of upholding tribal sovereignty, cultural grounding, and connection to ancestral lands in resource management. Participants will gain access to a $5,000 stipend for their hosting Tribe, travel support for professional development, a $50,000 tribal grant to lead a conservation-focused project, and a supportive network with mentorship opportunities. Expected outcomes include participants gaining a deeper understanding of traditional stewardship practices, receiving specialized training in project management, and becoming adept at communicating the importance of tribal sovereignty and cultural connection in resource management. Measurable results will be demonstrated through the completion of conservation-focused projects and the sustained professional growth of the cohort members within their tribal communities. The project period runs from October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is offering a funding opportunity to a CESU partner to support a study of grassland bird communities under a changing climate. Over the last half-century, populations of grassland birds declined by more than any other bird group in North America. This is because native grasslands have largely been converted to agricultural row crops, and the remaining prairies have become degraded through altered fire regimes, woody encroachment, the spread of invasive plants, and human development. Land managers and conservation organizations are racing to preserve and restore these ecosystems to stem further loss of grassland birds. Given limited resources, bird habitat models are needed to help managers prioritize where conservation efforts will be most effective. In addition to habitat loss and degradation of native grasslands, increasing greenhouse gas emissions will likely change temperatures and rainfall patterns across the Great Plains. This changing climate is expected to alter vegetation communities and the bird species that depend on them. To date, predictions of bird response to a changing climate have focused on changes in temperature and precipitation, but vegetation productivity also depends on factors such as vegetation type and soils. By studying how vegetation influences grassland birds across the western Great Plains, are creating maps of projected bird distribution, given vegetation and land-use change under multiple future climate scenarios. Predictive bird distribution maps will help land managers and other decision-makers understand how the site-level projects fit within regional and climatic contexts. A web-based application and raining modules accompanying these maps will increase capacity among Federal, State, Tribal, and private partners in their conservation planning under a changing climate.

The Renewable Resource Grant and Loan Program (RRGL) is designed to support the conservation, management, development, and preservation of Montana's renewable resources. The program offers funding primarily for public facility projects like water, wastewater, and solid waste development, as well as projects related to irrigation rehabilitation, dam repair, and forest enhancement. Eligible applicants are divisions of state government, tribal governments, and other local political subdivisions, with funding available in the form of grants or loans for feasibility studies, construction plans, and implementation efforts.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to universities in specific states and territories to enhance their research capabilities in science and engineering, aligning with the needs of the Department of Defense.

This scholarship provides financial assistance to LGBTQ+ students from Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, or Washington who demonstrate leadership and face systemic barriers to education, prioritizing those in marginalized communities.

This funding opportunity supports projects that improve habitats and migration routes for big game species in the western U.S., targeting conservation organizations, state and tribal agencies, and community groups involved in wildlife management.

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) is offering the 2024 Monarch Butterfly and Pollinators Conservation Fund (Pollinator Fund) to advance pollinator conservation. The core mission of this fund is to protect, conserve, and increase habitat for the monarch butterfly and other native insect pollinators. This aligns with NFWF’s broader Monarch Butterfly Business Plan, indicating a strategic, long-term commitment to these species. The fund aims to support both technical assistance for private working lands and direct habitat improvement projects. The target beneficiaries of this grant program include monarch butterflies and other at-risk native insect pollinator species, such as the rusty patched bumble bee, Franklin’s bumble bee, Karner blue butterfly, Dakota skipper, Poweshiek skipperling, and Mitchell’s satyr. The program also indirectly benefits private landowners, farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners, especially those in Historically Underserved and Special Emphasis categories, by providing resources and incentives for conservation practices on their lands. The overall impact goal is to significantly enhance the quality, quantity, and connectivity of pollinator habitat across eligible states. The Pollinator Fund has two main categories of focus. The first is Technical Assistance for Private Working Lands, which prioritizes increasing voluntary engagement of private landowners in conservation practices through staff resources and targeted outreach for Farm Bill programs like CSP and EQIP. The second category, Habitat Improvement, focuses on on-the-ground restoration and enhancement of pollinator habitat, emphasizing regionally appropriate milkweed and diverse native nectar plants, as well as increasing the supply of native seeds and seedlings. These priorities align with NFWF's strategic goal of fostering sustainable ecosystems through direct habitat restoration and incentivizing private land stewardship. Expected outcomes and measurable results are central to this program. All proposals must demonstrate how they will directly and measurably contribute to the Pollinator Fund's goals, specifically by providing the number of acres restored or enhanced. A minimum of 100 acres in California or 500 acres in all other eligible states must be restored or enhanced. Historically, successful projects have averaged 2,120 acres, indicating a substantial scale for expected impact. The program's theory of change posits that by providing financial assistance and technical support, and by focusing on key geographical areas and species, NFWF can effectively reverse declines in monarch and other native pollinator populations, thereby contributing to broader ecosystem health and biodiversity. The total funding of up to $5.1 million in 2024, contributed by a diverse group of partners, underscores the collaborative and impactful nature of this strategic initiative.

This funding opportunity provides financial support for non-federal partners in the Rocky Mountains to conduct research on snow water equivalent and soil moisture in areas affected by wildfires, using advanced mobile sensing technology.

This funding opportunity supports doctoral-granting institutions in underfunded regions to establish and expand research centers that enhance STEM education and workforce development.

This program provides funding to Montana communities to develop sustainable tourism initiatives that enhance local economies while preserving their unique character and culture.

This funding opportunity is designed for research institutions and organizations within the Rocky Mountain Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit to study the interactions and resource use among cattle, wildlife, and wild horses in Utah's fragile ecosystems.

The Social Justice Fund NorthWest (SJF) is offering the 2024 Base Building Grant, aimed at strengthening grassroots organizations in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming. This grant directly aligns with SJF's mission to foster social justice by investing in community organizing as a primary strategy. The program focuses on "Base Building," defined as a tactic that expands the number and engagement of people who share a vision for social justice and actively work to achieve it through organized strategies. This approach underscores SJF's strategic priority of empowering communities to drive systemic change. The grant targets organizations committed to community organizing and led by those most directly affected by the issues they address. Specifically, SJF prioritizes organizations with at least 51% leadership from Black, Indigenous, and people of color communities, or those working predominantly in reservation, rural, or small-town communities. The impact goals are to build collective power, widen the base of engaged individuals, develop strong leadership within communities, and implement effective long-term strategies. The expected outcomes include a critical mass of collective power capable of winning and defending policy, cultural, or institutional changes, as well as a diverse and actively engaged membership. SJF's community organizing framework emphasizes four key areas: Collective Power, Widening the Base, Leadership Development, and Strategy and Long-Term Planning. Under Collective Power, the focus is on building a diverse membership and achieving policy or cultural wins. Widening the Base involves fostering authentic relationships with those most affected, recruiting new people, and using varied, tailored communication methods, including face-to-face engagement. Leadership Development ensures clear entry points to leadership, accessible political education, and continuous engagement and agitation. Finally, Strategy and Long-Term Planning requires organizations to develop and adapt a comprehensive base-building plan with clear goals, timelines, infrastructure, and accountability structures. The grant, providing $100,000 over two years ($50,000 annually), is open to nonprofit organizations, tribal agencies, or fiscally sponsored groups with 501(c)3 or 501(c)4 status, or federally recognized American Indian tribal governments. This funding mechanism directly supports SJF's theory of change, which posits that sustained investment in community-led organizing, focused on these core elements, will lead to meaningful and lasting social justice outcomes in the specified regions.