Building Rural STEM Education Capacity in Montana
GrantID: 73559
Grant Funding Amount Low: $750,000
Deadline: Ongoing
Grant Amount High: $750,000
Summary
Explore related grant categories to find additional funding opportunities aligned with this program:
Faith Based grants, Higher Education grants, Quality of Life grants, Women grants.
Grant Overview
Montana’s capacity constraints center on the 23 counties designated as frontier, where the nearest four-year institution offering engineering degrees lies more than 200 miles from most high schools. Rural STEM education grants must therefore address limited laboratory space, single science teacher workloads exceeding 180 students, and absence of broadband speeds above 25 megabits per second in 41 percent of rural school buildings.
The state’s mining and agriculture industries require technicians who understand both field data collection and remote sensing, yet the current pipeline produces fewer than 180 female graduates annually with relevant credentials. Capacity-building efforts therefore prioritize equipment that can operate without constant internet connectivity and training modules that fit within existing teacher certification renewal cycles.
Infrastructure constraints include aging electrical systems in schools built before 1970 that cannot support multiple high-draw devices simultaneously. Any equipment request must include an electrical load assessment certified by the local utility cooperative.
Workforce constraints appear in the fact that 78 percent of Montana high school science teachers hold endorsements in multiple subjects and lack dedicated release time for specialized STEM training. Grant funds may reimburse districts for hiring certified substitute teachers from the Montana Education Cooperative substitute pool to cover those release days.
Montana differs from Wyoming because its frontier designation triggers separate federal universal service fund calculations that already subsidize certain connectivity costs; applications must document how requested funds supplement rather than duplicate those subsidies.
Montana's Rural School Infrastructure Limits
Only schools classified as rural or frontier by the National Center for Education Statistics may apply. Districts must provide a map indicating driving distance from the school to the nearest institution offering postsecondary STEM credit.
Infrastructure and Workforce Constraints
Applications require an inventory of existing laboratory stations, current internet service provider contracts, and teacher endorsement areas. Districts with fewer than three science teachers must demonstrate that requested equipment can be shared across multiple grade levels without violating safety regulations.
Readiness Requirements
Districts must attach a letter from the county superintendent confirming that the proposed training schedule fits within the state’s professional development calendar. Equipment requests above $5,000 require a maintenance plan signed by the district facilities director.
Eligible Regions
Interests
Eligible Requirements
Related Searches
Related Grants
Grant to Support Research and Emerging Initiatives of Native America
Grant to support programs serving Indigenous communities, prioritizing those that promote cultural p...
TGP Grant ID:
73560
Grants Support a Diverse Range of Initiatives in Key Areas
Grant funding centers on fostering creativity, advancing research, and encouraging leadership. The f...
TGP Grant ID:
73561
Funding to Aird Writers in Times of Need or Financial Hardship
Grant to provide immediate relief during times of financial hardship by supporting programs that off...
TGP Grant ID:
73562
Grant to Support Research and Emerging Initiatives of Native America
Deadline :
Ongoing
Funding Amount:
$0
Grant to support programs serving Indigenous communities, prioritizing those that promote cultural preservation, education, health, and economic devel...
TGP Grant ID:
73560
Grants Support a Diverse Range of Initiatives in Key Areas
Deadline :
Ongoing
Funding Amount:
$0
Grant funding centers on fostering creativity, advancing research, and encouraging leadership. The foundation is dedicated to recognizing and supporti...
TGP Grant ID:
73561
Funding to Aird Writers in Times of Need or Financial Hardship
Deadline :
Ongoing
Funding Amount:
$0
Grant to provide immediate relief during times of financial hardship by supporting programs that offer emergency assistance, including food, housing,...
TGP Grant ID:
73562