Program Overview

• Stipend per summer: In-service $5,500 and Pre-service $4,000
• Funding for Murdock conferences
• Travel funds for rural Partners
• Tailored in/pre- service working sessions
• Classroom Innovation Grants provide supplies for in-service teachers' classrooms
• Possible graduate-level course credit (cost not covered by program)

• Commit 7-8 weeks over two consecutive summers
  • Minimum four weeks on-site at MSU Billings
• Research commitment to one Mentor
  • Poster 1^st summer
  • Oral Presentation 2^nd summer
• Weekly cohort meetings
• In-service Partners will develop a Classroom Innovation Grant to provide supplies for their classrooms
• Commitment to the Murdock Trust requirements, including two required conferences:
  1. 1. Partners in Science Virtual Orientation:  
        1. May 16 from 9:00-10:30 am Pacific, OR
        2. May 19 from 5:00-6:30 pm Pacific
     2. Teaching Practices Conference (TPC) in Vancouver, WA: 
        1. First-year partners: July 28-31, 2026 
        2. Second-year partners: July 30-31, 2026

• Research Symposium: January 15-16, 2027; Portland, OR 

Applicants must be:

• A full-time middle or high school science teacher (in-service) or enrolled in an accredited teacher preparation program (pre-service)
• Hold or be pursuing an education degree or certification in a STEM discipline, with preference to those with strong content knowledge in the natural sciences (biology, chemistry, geology, etc.)
• Demonstrate a commitment to professional growth, inquiry-based instruction, and the integration of original research experiences into their classrooms
• Exhibit the ability to collaborate effectively with peers, faculty, and undergraduate researchers  
• Available for the entire duration of the program, including two consecutive summers of full-time, minimum 4 weeks in-person participation in Billings, MT
• Available to travel to Partners in Science conferences annually   

The application will consist of a Qualtrics survey requesting contact information, prior experience and interests, travel needs, etc. Applications will open March 16 and close April 19. Applications will be reviewed the week of April 20 and offers will be made shortly thereafter.

 

Six mentors have developed unique research opportunities, and each Partner will be placed under the direct mentorship of one faculty mentor, gaining authentic experience. Drs. Collins, Comer, and Cuddy designed projects around a unifying research theme of ecosystem health and sustainability that bridges chemistry, microbiology, botany, and bioinformatics.

Participating Mentors for 2026:

• Dr. Madison Collins – Infectious Disease and Antimicrobial Discovery. Partners will integrate into that active research team with a focus on discovering novel antimicrobial agents in Montana soils.

• Dr. Jason Comer – Botanical Systematics and Community Genomics. Partners will study plant community dynamics in relation to environmental changes through field work and next-generation DNA sequencing.

• Dr. Michael Cuddy – Water Quality and Environmental Chemistry. Partners will engage directly in these projects, gaining experience in field sampling, chemical analysis of pollutants and nutrients, and introductory geospatial methods.

• Dr. Hashini Herath – Organic Synthesis and Green Chemistry. Partners will focus efforts on the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles from food waste and assess their potential as catalysts for biomass conversion and as antibacterial agents.

• Dr Richard Warner – Cancer Biology and Molecular Methods. Partners will gain experience in cancer research and in advanced molecular techniques.

• Dr. Daniel Willems – Biochemistry and Molecular Dynamics. Partners will gain experience in molecular interactions, explore the mechanisms of neurodegenerative disease, and contribute to advancing innovative technologies for biomedical research.

Full project descriptions.