Center for Integrated Research on the Environment
Executive Summary
1. The Center for Integrated Research on the Environment (CIRE) will function
within the academic environment and culture of the UM-Missoula campus and be
administered by the PD/PI of the US Army Corps of Engineers Cooperative
Agreement that began June 1, 2014 ($45M/5 yr) and end May 31, 2019. Professor F.
Richard Hauer is the PD/PI of this award and will serve as the CIRE Director. He will
report directly to the UM Vice President for Research and Creative Scholarship.
2. CIRE will provide leadership and the administrative umbrella for research, education
and outreach in natural resource management, cultural resource management and
ecosystem environmental sciences associated with the UM-USACE Cooperative
Agreement. CIRE will draw from the faculty, post-docs, and student expertise from
across the UM campus representing at least 5 colleges and schools. CIRE-based
research will also reach out across the Montana University System whenever
research topics so dictate, thus involving researchers from Montana State University,
Montana Tech and others.
3. CIRE will also collaborate with tribal colleges; federal, state and local agencies; nongovernmental organizations; businesses; and communities to grow the business and
workforce of Montana.
4. CIRE will develop inter-institutional collaborations that bridge institutional structures
and will engage the faculty, post-docs, professional staff, graduate students and
undergraduate students in research and internship opportunities, primarily at UM.
5. CIRE will harness the scientific, technological and educational strengths of UMMissoula by fostering interdisciplinary collaborations among faculty and students
across diverse subjects (e.g., freshwater ecology, wetland science, fisheries and
wildlife management, forest ecology, watershed hydrology, invasive species, landuse change, environmental statistics, and cultural resources and social sciences
related to the environment, environmental human health sciences, environmental law
and policy, and business innovation in the environment).
6. CIRE will increase state and national visibility for the University of Montana’s
environmental, ecosystem science and cultural resources research and education
programs by showcasing the strengths within and across colleges and schools. This
will, in turn, enhance UM-Missoula’s capacity to recruit and retain nationally
competitive faculty, provide post-doc opportunities, and draw top graduate and
undergraduate students in the natural and cultural resources.
7. CIRE operations and institutional costs will be dependent upon its success in
execution of the current USACE Cooperative Agreement. Neither CIRE nor UM are
expecting state support or university General Fund for current CIRE support or long
term sustainability. Extending the Award beyond the current 5-year award period will
depend on on-going support for research in future Cooperative Agreements. We
believe further Cooperative Agreements are highly likely. However, in the event that
CIRE does not receive awards beyond the current Agreement, the Center will be
closed because its primary function will no longer be relevant.