Montana State University announced on Apr. 21 the recipients of the first round of its 2026–2027 Faculty Excellence Grants, which provide up to $5,000 for faculty across all disciplines to support scholarly work.
The grants are intended to help faculty enhance their research and academic projects, contributing to the university’s mission as a leading institution in Montana. Montana State University operates as Montana’s land-grant university, focusing on research, education and community outreach to address key challenges, according to the official website.
Recipients from several colleges were named in this round. In the College of Agriculture, Andrew Felton will conduct a pilot study on belowground forage phenology in eastern Montana rangelands; Laura Jennings will explore hidden subpopulations of bacterial pathogens; and Emily Sewell will focus on agricultural education. The College of Arts and Architecture saw awards go to Benjamin Fuhrman for CRANE Lab 2026 and Dani Huvaere for participation in an international medieval conference.
Other awardees include Anna Bartkowiak from Counseling who will investigate somatic trauma treatment; Sarah Pennington who will study successful middle schools; Malory Peterson supporting Indigenous youth wellness interventions; Mohammad Khosravi working on permafrost geomechanics collaboration; Anja Kunze researching neural energy signaling; Brock LaMeres addressing satellite-based cyberattacks; Kyndra Campbell supporting literacy among developmental readers at Gallatin College; Elizabeth Noonan developing classroom changes based on student feedback; Prasanta Bandyopadhyay examining Bayesianism and Indian philosophy themes; Laura Burkle advancing plant-pollinator biodiversity research; James Thull collecting stories from underrepresented groups at MSU Library; and Sally Moyce analyzing Spain’s immigration policy.
The deadline for the next round of proposals is Oct. 30. Faculty with questions about the program are encouraged to contact Shannon Willoughby and Nika Stoop at the Center for Faculty Excellence at cfe@montana.edu or call 406–994–4555.
Montana State University leads in research funding within the state with annual expenditures exceeding $288 million according to its official website. The university enrolls approximately 17,165 students evenly split between residents and nonresidents according to its official website. It ranks among the top five percent of global universities per rankings by the Center for World University Rankings and leads within Montana according to its official website.
In addition to research activities, Montana State University contributes through volunteer efforts, outreach programs, and initiatives aimed at improving lives and environments across communities according to its official website.