The University of Idaho received a $1.4 million grant to train students in wildfire science.
The grant from the National Science Foundation will fund nine doctorate-level researchers, according to a UI news release.
Students will study fire physics, mitigation and forest regeneration. They will also focus on strengthening the resilience of rural communities to wildfires.
“Wildland fire is inherently complex. It can have catastrophic impacts on human communities, yet it is also an essential natural disturbance in many types of ecosystems,” Jessica Miesel, associate professor in the Department of Forest, Rangeland and Fire Sciences and a co-principal investigator of the grant, said in the news release. “Understanding fire requires an interdisciplinary scientific approach, as well as close partnerships between scientists and land managers to develop practical and effective management solutions.”