RED Centers & Institutes

The mission of CAIRHE is to reduce significant health disparities in Native and rural communities through community-based participatory research that is considerate of and consistent with their cultural beliefs.

Director: Alexandra Adams

The CBE is the world’s first, largest, and best-known biofilm research center. This interdisciplinary resource has two facilities to support research and education for faculty, staff, students, and visitors: an Analytical Core and a Bioimaging Core.

Director: Matthew Fields

The CHSC is an interdisciplinary center serving communities and organizations through research, training, and support services to cultivate healthy and safe cultures. The Center is dedicated to applying research to develop sustainable solutions to complex social problems.

Director: Kari Finley

CMHRR  is an interdisciplinary MSU research center, established in 2014 as part of the Office of Research and Economic Development. CMHRR facilitates collaborative and inclusive research related to mental health and wellbeing, with a particular focus on mental health needs of Montanans and rural communities, including K-12 public school communities.

Director: Katey Franklin

The faculty and students in MSU's Center for Research on Rural Education are on a mission to repond to the pressing concerns of small, rural, and remote schools and communities across Montana, the nation, and the world through carefully designed service and research.

Director: Jayne Downey

The Center for the Communication of Science (CCS) is based within the College of Arts and Architecture. Through the formal integration of the arts and sciences, we plan to generate new knowledge, as well as work towards closing the gap in public understanding of science.

Director: Jack Schnepf

The ERI conducts energy investigations in a wide variety of fields including basic energy science, bioenergy, fuel cells, smart grid and controls, energy efficiency, renewable energy, and carbon sequestration. 

Director: Colin Shaw

The EBI is a multidisciplinary team of scientists forging a new path in scientific discovery focused on the unique thermal environments within Yellowstone National Park.

Director: Roland Hatzenpichler

Institute for National Security Research and Education (INSRE) aligns the people and programs at Montana State University that have a shared focus on national security efforts. This collaboration allows for cross-pollination of ideas and resource sharing that leads to better outcomes and positive impacts on the University, the state of Montana, and national security.

Director: Al Deibert

 

The Montana IOE is a community of scholars and partners with a shared vision to advance integrated environmental sciences and related fields as we work to understand complex ecosystems.

Director: Sarah Church

The MSU Interdisciplinary Institute on Artificial Intelligence (IIAI), aims to help enhance research, empower students to understand and critically evaluate AI, and provide Montanans with knowledge related to AI through research, teaching, and workforce development efforts.

Director: The institute is guided by a steering committee made up of program-area leads from across campus 

The Ivan Doig Center  seeks to use creative, interdisciplinary approaches to study the lives of Americans in the West’s diverse landscapes. It integrates research, learning, and engagement by bringing together students, faculty, community members, and outside institutional partners.

Director: Daniel Grant

The mission of MilTech is to accelerate the transition of new technology to the U.S. Government. Since 2004 MilTech has performed over 600 technology acceleration and transition projects for DHS and every military service, including joint and special commands. 

Director: Nikki Tuss

MSU houses the Montana Office of Rural Health and Area Health Education Centers  (AHEC), which improve healthcare access across Montana by enhancing the supply and distribution of health professionals through community and academic educational partnerships, and by delivering technical assistance and leadership support to rural health organizations.

The mission of MEERC is to transform engineering education through interdisciplinary, empirical research. MEERC research projects span all levels of engineering education from K-12 to graduate school. The MEERC is comprised of interdisciplinary faculty with a common interest in improving engineering education.

Director: Brock LaMeres

The MMEC a statewide manufacturing outreach and assistance center that provides solutions to help Montana manufacturers grow, innovate and enhance their businesses. We serve the manufacturers of Montana by helping them assess and improve their manufacturing operations, providing trainings and workforce development, and leveraging research and technological developments at Montana State University to keep manufacturing competitive in the state.

Director: Paddy Fleming 

The goal of OpTeC is  to maintain a nationally competitive optics and photonics program that promotes student opportunities, economic development, and collaboration with industry.

Director: Joe Shaw

Members of the Pollinator Health Center at Montana State University carry out research that aims to improve pollinator health and mitigate pollinator losses and engage with learners of all ages at numerous educational outreach events.

Co-Directors: 

The Science Math Resource Centeris devoted to the advancement of science and mathematics teaching and learning. We provide professional development, conduct educational research and host youth STEM events such as the statewide Science Olympiad.

Director: Suzi Taylor

The Spectrum Lab was established to advance the emerging opto-electronic and photonics technologies and foster their transition to Montana companies; and in the process, provide enhanced educational opportunities for our undergraduate and graduate students. The current areas of research and development include microwave photonics, coherent lidar imaging and quantum technologies. 

Director: Krishna Rupavatharam

TechLink helps innovation-minded businesses and entrepreneurs identify, evaluate, and license technology developed within Department of Defense and Veterans Administration research laboratories nationwide.

Director: Brett Cusker

The Montana Water Center aims to address Montana’s water challenges by fostering statewide water-related research and stewardship, connecting water investigators and students seeking employment with USGS, state agencies, and watershed groups. We offer faculty and graduate student grants with USGS base funding, and support water-related proposals.

Director: Stephanie Ewing

WTI is the country’s largest university-based research center focused on rural transportation issues, including eight transportation research programs.

Director: Hillary Isebrands

Montana INBRE is a statewide network of Ph.D.-granting institutions, baccalaureate schools and community and tribal colleges that invests in Montana’s biomedical research capacity and workforce pipeline.

Director: Brian Bothner

The goal of Montana Space Grant and NASA EPSCoR is to strengthen education and research in fields related to aerospace science and engineering. Space Grant provides STEM workforce development opportunities that are available to all Montana higher education students. NASA EPSCoR provides funding to develop long-term, self-sustaining, nationally competitive capabilities in NASA-related research.

Director: Angela Des Jardins

Montana NSF EPSCoR is focused on stimulating statewide sustainable improvements in Montana’s Research and Development capacity and competitiveness in the natural sciences, social sciences, and engineering disciplines.

Director: Rob Walker

SARE is a program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute for Food and Agriculture that provides competitive grants and educational materials. SARE grants programs are conducted cooperatively by farmers, ranchers, researchers, and ag professionals to advance farm and ranch systems that are profitable, environmentally sound, and good for communities.

Director: Darrell Donahue

QCORE  has undertaken an ambitious research agenda with a focus on quantum computing, quantum communications and quantum sensing. Success in these fields relies on principles established in quantum physics such as entanglement, superposition and coherence. Technology based on these principles of quantum physics can lead to computation with exponential speedup over classical techniques for certain problems, provably secure communication, and higher precision sensors.

Director: Jayne Morrow