MISSOULA — A University of Montana partnership with the state has proved doubly lucrative, supporting Montana families’ health needs while garnering nearly $16 million in grants to fund health-related programs.
The state-UM partnership has received 12 competitive federal grants that help small rural hospitals, mental health therapists, doctors and clinics – and even public schools – that often lack a grant writer on staff to secure much-needed money.
“Within one year, we got $16 million,” said Ryan Tolleson Knee, executive director of the Center Children, Families and Workforce Development at UM. “I have internal people who work for me as grant writers. If they don’t have the personnel, we try to build infrastructure to help with grant-writing.”