MOSCOW, ID – The University of Idaho has secured a $1.4 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to support the next generation of wildland fire scientists. The three-year award, funded through the NSF EPSCoR Graduate Fellowship Program, will provide support for nine new doctoral researchers studying fire physics, forest regeneration, mitigation, and the resilience of rural communities.

The fellowship is open to students nationwide who received an honorable mention from the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program within the last three years. Fellows will have the opportunity to pursue doctoral degrees in bioinformatics and computational biology, environmental science, or water resources.

“Wildland fire is inherently complex,” said Jessica Miesel, associate professor in the Department of Forest, Rangeland and Fire Sciences and a co-principal investigator. “Understanding fire requires an interdisciplinary scientific approach, as well as close partnerships between scientists and land managers.”

Researchers will collaborate with NSF EPSCoR-funded postdoctoral scientists and faculty across the university. Fellows will also be able to pursue a graduate certificate in Environmental Education and Science Communication at U of I’s McCall Outdoor Science School.

“This award will help prepare future professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to create practical solutions,” Miesel said.

The project is led by Jerry McMurtry, dean of the U of I College of Graduate Studies. “We’re well positioned to equip future scientists with the interdisciplinary knowledge and skills needed to address wildland fire challenges facing our world today and in the future,” McMurtry said.

The total federal funding for the project is $1,431,000. For more information about the opportunity, visit etap.nsf.gov/award/8247/opportunity/11307.