About the Consortium for Research on Environmental Water Systems (CREWS)

Project leads

• Maury Valett (UM) – UCFR & SEES Lead
• Stephanie Ewing (MSU) – JRW Lead
• Rob Walker (MSU) – PRB Lead
• Jerry Downey (MTech) – MEES Lead
• Joseph Shaw (MSU) – ESSS Lead
• Libby Metcalf (UM) – NRSS Lead
• Jakki Mohr (UM) – Commercialization Lead
• Rob Payn (MSU) – Cyber Co-Lead
• Aaron Thomas (UM) – Diversity Lead
• Suzi Taylor (MSU) – Education & Outreach Lead
• Todd Kipfer (MSU) – Associate Project Director
• Michelle Terwilliger (UM) – Project Administrator

The Consortium for Research on Environmental Water Systems (CREWS) project was a five-year, $20M NSF EPSCoR RII Track-1 partnership between the University of Montana, Montana State University, Montana Technological University, Salish Kootenai College, Little Bighorn College, and business and government partners to study Montana’s environmental water systems and specific water quality issues. CREWS’ science focus was on water quality impacts related to hard rock mining, intensive agriculture, and energy extraction. The project brought together faculty and students from molecular science and engineering, environmental and earth science, synoptic signal and sensors technology, and natural resource social sciences to address National Research Council-identified challenges to develop a better understanding of how contaminants affect water quality. Topics tackled by CREWS included relationships between ground and surface water quality and chemistry, restoration of damaged ecosystems, development of field-deployable sensors, and strategies that integrate social science into cooperative research. Research activities focused on three representative Montana water systems: 1) hard rock mining in the Upper Clark Fork River; 2) agriculture in the Judith Basin, and 3) energy extraction in the Powder River Basin. Research activities included studying the origin, persistence and transformation of contaminants in water and their impact on ecological and social systems. CREWS supported building new research competitiveness and infrastructure for the Montana University System (MUS) and partners in ways that advanced workforce development, commercialization of project science, STEM education, and inclusion.

Start date: October 1, 2018

Project Components

Disciplinary Research Synthesis Areas

• Systems Ecology and Earth Sciences (SEES)
• Molecular Engineering and Environmental Science (MEES)
• Environmental Synoptics Signals and Sensors (ESSS)
• Natural Resource Social Sciences (NRSS)

Broader Impacts and Engagement

Project research is integrated with internal and external engagement, networking, and training programs, including but not limited to:

• Small Town STEM: Outreach program for rural K-12 students, citizens, and teacher training
• Montana STEM Exchange: Outreach network connecting educators and organizations across MT
• Montana Girls STEM Collaborative: programming and network to advance girls in STEM
• Native Research Network: training and networking opportunities for Native American researchers at tribal colleges
• CREWS Professional Development Certificate Programs: trainings and educational modules for project participants and working professionals
• Institutional Collaborations for Innovation and Commercialization (IC2): commercialization networking and training program
• Montana Water Consortium: state-wide network promoting partnerships between the research team, government, NGO and private sectors (a partnership with the Montana Water Center)

Media

• MT CREWS Project Story – September 12, 2022 – ArcGIS Story Maps
• UMW Professors Receive Grants to Continue Upper Clark Fork Drainage Research – November 23, 2021- Montana Western
• City College instructor creates virtual reality water plant simulation – May 18, 2021 – Montana State University Billings News
• National Science Foundation EPSCoR awards Montana $20 million to advance research and education in water quality – May 30, 2019 – Montana State University News