Northwest Nazarene University Secures $150K NSF Grant for Wildfire Research

The grant supports a multi-institutional project focused on improving prescribed burns and managed wildfire use.

Published on Feb. 26, 2026

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Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Idaho has received a $150,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to enhance its wildfire research efforts. The funding will support a multi-institutional project titled 'Good Fire' that aims to improve the effectiveness of prescribed burns and 'managed wildfire use' across the western United States.

Why it matters

Wildland fire management is a critical issue facing the western U.S. as wildfires become more frequent and intense. This research seeks to provide better data, modeling, and field application to support improved decision-making around prescribed fires and managed wildfires, which are important tools for forest management and community protection.

The details

The $150,000 NSF grant will fund the 'Good Fire' project, a collaboration between Northwest Nazarene University, Boise State University, the University of New Mexico, and the University of Oklahoma. The research will focus on enhancing the spatial and temporal precision of fire management practices to increase the efficacy of prescribed burns and managed wildfires.

  • Northwest Nazarene University received the $150,000 NSF grant in February 2026.
  • The grant funding will support the 'Good Fire' project over the next three years.

The players

Northwest Nazarene University

A private Christian university located in Nampa, Idaho that is leading the 'Good Fire' multi-institutional research project on wildfire management.

Dr. Dale Hamilton

Professor of Computer Science at Northwest Nazarene University who is working on the 'pyroecoinformatics' research to support better wildfire decision-making.

Dr. Mark DeMichael

President of Northwest Nazarene University, who stated the research reflects the university's commitment to scholarship that prepares students to lead with excellence and character.

U.S. Forest Service

The federal agency that currently funds Northwest Nazarene University through collaboration on the USFS Fuels Academy, and has expressed interest in expanding funding and collaboration efforts with the university.

National Science Foundation

The federal agency that awarded the $150,000 grant to Northwest Nazarene University to support the 'Good Fire' wildfire research project.

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What they’re saying

“Wildland fire management is one of the most complex and urgent difficulties facing our region. Through our work in pyroecoinformatics, we're helping bring together data science, modeling and field application to support better decision-making in prescribed fire and managed wildfire use.”

— Dr. Dale Hamilton, Professor of Computer Science, Northwest Nazarene University (idahobusinessreview.com)

“We are committed to scholarship that prepares students to lead with both excellence and character. Our collaboration with the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Forest Service demonstrates what can happen when faith, intellectual rigor and community partnership come together. It is research that matters deeply; to our students, to our region and to the future stewardship of our world.”

— Dr. Mark DeMichael, President, Northwest Nazarene University (idahobusinessreview.com)

What’s next

The 'Good Fire' research project will continue over the next three years, with the goal of enhancing the spatial and temporal precision of prescribed burns and managed wildfires to improve wildfire management across the western United States.

The takeaway

Northwest Nazarene University's wildfire research, supported by over $1 million in funding over the past decade, demonstrates how academic institutions can partner with federal agencies and leverage advanced data science to tackle critical environmental challenges facing local communities and the broader region.