The National Science Foundation awarded the University of Montana Climate Office with a $500,000 grant to support a project to strengthen drought resilience in Montana and surrounding states.

The Foundation’s Regional Resilience Innovation Incubators, or the R2I2 program, awarded the university $500,000 in phase one to strengthen drought resilience across Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska, according to a UM press release.

Phase one is a two-year planning grant building up to a $15 million proposal in 2027, according to lead researcher Kelsey Jencso.

The resilience plan is slated to use satellite data, ground sensors and artificial intelligence to monitor and forecast water availability and drought conditions, according to a press release from UM. The project is a

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