2514731
Project Grant
Overview
Grant Description
Epscor Crest Phase I: Center for Energy Technologies
With support from the Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology (CREST), this project aims to begin a center at Montana Technological University.
The center’s mission is to repurpose the thousands of acres of dead forest debris consumed annually in wildfires by developing technologies that use this resource for electricity generation and storage applications.
While the need is acute, progress is currently limited by 1) lack of accessible and reliable energy conversion approaches, and 2) challenges with cold weather electricity storage.
The center’s goals include producing inexpensive, efficient fuels from biomass, generating electricity from these fuels, and making cold-weather batteries from new materials produced from biomass along with student cohorts studying these specific issues and making their own new solutions.
This project aims to 1) develop a mobile reactor to transform forest biomass into economic products and through machine learning process optimization, 2) develop solid oxide fuel cells to generate electricity from wood-debris syngas, 3) create nanostructured carbon web electrodes for bio-oil upgrading and supercapacitors, and 4) develop radical organic batteries optimized for cold weather.
Methods include electrospinning for web fabrication, in-situ electrochemical/optical analysis, and machine learning.
Expected results include scalable methods for biomass conversion to value-added products, materials development for electricity conversion and storage from these products, and improved process control technologies.
A new workforce will be developed through the student cohorts capable of producing solutions to local energy needs.
The Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology (CREST) program provides support to enhance the research capabilities of institutions through the establishment of centers that effectively integrate education and research.
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.
Subawards are not planned for this award.
With support from the Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology (CREST), this project aims to begin a center at Montana Technological University.
The center’s mission is to repurpose the thousands of acres of dead forest debris consumed annually in wildfires by developing technologies that use this resource for electricity generation and storage applications.
While the need is acute, progress is currently limited by 1) lack of accessible and reliable energy conversion approaches, and 2) challenges with cold weather electricity storage.
The center’s goals include producing inexpensive, efficient fuels from biomass, generating electricity from these fuels, and making cold-weather batteries from new materials produced from biomass along with student cohorts studying these specific issues and making their own new solutions.
This project aims to 1) develop a mobile reactor to transform forest biomass into economic products and through machine learning process optimization, 2) develop solid oxide fuel cells to generate electricity from wood-debris syngas, 3) create nanostructured carbon web electrodes for bio-oil upgrading and supercapacitors, and 4) develop radical organic batteries optimized for cold weather.
Methods include electrospinning for web fabrication, in-situ electrochemical/optical analysis, and machine learning.
Expected results include scalable methods for biomass conversion to value-added products, materials development for electricity conversion and storage from these products, and improved process control technologies.
A new workforce will be developed through the student cohorts capable of producing solutions to local energy needs.
The Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology (CREST) program provides support to enhance the research capabilities of institutions through the establishment of centers that effectively integrate education and research.
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.
Subawards are not planned for this award.
Awardee
Funding Goals
THE GOAL OF THIS FUNDING OPPORTUNITY, "EPSCOR CENTERS OF RESEARCH EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY", IS IDENTIFIED IN THE LINK: HTTPS://WWW.NSF.GOV/PUBLICATIONS/PUB_SUMM.JSP?ODS_KEY=NSF24575
Grant Program (CFDA)
Awarding / Funding Agency
Place of Performance
Butte,
Montana
59701-8955
United States
Geographic Scope
Single Zip Code
Related Opportunity
Montana Technological University was awarded
Energy Technologies Center at Montana Tech - EPSCOR CREST Phase I
Project Grant 2514731
worth $7,500,000
from the Division of Human Resource Development in September 2025 with work to be completed primarily in Butte Montana United States.
The grant
has a duration of 5 years and
was awarded through assistance program 47.076 Education and Human Resources.
The Project Grant was awarded through grant opportunity EPSCoR Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology.
Status
(Ongoing)
Last Modified 8/12/25
Period of Performance
9/1/25
Start Date
8/31/30
End Date
Funding Split
$7.5M
Federal Obligation
$0.0
Non-Federal Obligation
$7.5M
Total Obligated
Activity Timeline
Additional Detail
Award ID FAIN
2514731
SAI Number
None
Award ID URI
SAI EXEMPT
Awardee Classifications
Public/State Controlled Institution Of Higher Education
Awarding Office
491106 DIVISION OF EQUITY FOR EXCELLENCE IN STEM
Funding Office
491106 DIVISION OF EQUITY FOR EXCELLENCE IN STEM
Awardee UEI
JJKGF97BMBE1
Awardee CAGE
1CZH4
Performance District
MT-01
Senators
Jon Tester
Steve Daines
Steve Daines
Modified: 8/12/25