Montana State University will study what COVID-19 testing strategies are the most effective in underserved populations in Montana and Washington after receiving a federal grant.
The $1.8 million grant is part of a National Institutes of Health initiative to study the rapid acceleration of tests associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
The universityâs Center for American Indian and Rural Health Equity, or CAIRHE, will lead the two-year study in partnership with the University of Washington.
The $1.4 billion NIH program was started in the initial phases of the pandemic to help scale up testing across the country, according to the project description. A portion of those NIH dollars is specifically for underserved and vulnerable populations that are hardest hit by the virus.