Carroll College Receives $50,000 Grant, Upgrades Spectroscopy Lab

Carroll College announced on November 20, 2025 that Dr. Rebecca Coates, assistant professor of chemistry, received a $50,000 Infrastructure Grant from the Montana IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence to fund a modern Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy system. The new instrument will replace aging lab equipment and expand resolution and analytical capabilities for courses including Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry, Instrumental Analysis and the senior capstone.

The college said roughly 100 students use FTIR analysis each year and that the new instrument will expand research opportunities while strengthening preparation for graduate school and industry. Donor funds will cover the remaining costs of the purchase, a sign of private support complementing the grant. Carroll framed the award as part of recent investments to build its undergraduate research capacity.

The immediate effect will be on laboratory instruction and student research. FTIR spectroscopy is a common tool for identifying functional groups and assessing molecular composition, and higher resolution instruments can enable more sophisticated class demonstrations and more precise data in student projects. For a small liberal arts college, replacing long served equipment can reduce downtime, lower maintenance costs and permit more students to conduct independent analyses during a term.

Local economic implications extend beyond classroom benefits. Enhanced laboratory capacity can help Carroll prepare students for graduate programs and technical roles in the life sciences, contributing to the regional talent pipeline. Helena and Lewis and Clark County host a mix of healthcare services and small technology firms that can benefit from graduates with stronger analytical skills. Investment in campus research infrastructure also supports faculty scholarship, which can attract additional grants, partnerships and student enrollment over time.

The award fits into a broader policy context in which targeted infrastructure grants can have outsized effects at institutions with limited capital budgets. Federal and state research networks and related programs seek to broaden participation in biomedical research by supporting equipment that individual departments struggle to fund on operating budgets. For Carroll, combining grant funding with donor contributions demonstrates a mixed funding model that many small colleges use to maintain competitiveness in STEM education.

For local residents the grant matters because it reinforces Carroll College as an educational and economic asset to Lewis and Clark County. Improved lab facilities can enhance the college experience for current students, make graduates more market ready and support faculty efforts to bring research opportunities to campus. As the region seeks to diversify its economic base, investments like this strengthen the human capital that underpins future growth.