Using Course Based Research Experiences (CUREs) to Support Tribal College Students and Enrich Tribal College STEM Research Capacity

A goal of the Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) is to increase the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) instructional and research capacities of specific institutions of higher education that serve the Nation's Indigenous students. Expanding the STEM curricular offerings at these institutions expands the opportunities of their students to pursue challenging, rewarding careers in STEM fields, provides for research studies in areas that may be culturally significant, and encourages a community and generational appreciation for science and mathematics education.

This Targeted STEM Infusion Project (TSIP) aligns directly with that goal, and moreover seeks to increase research activities and opportunities for students to conduct research at several tribal colleges. The project aims to strengthen existing relationships among STEM faculty at the participating institutions (Aaniiih Nakoda College (ANC), Little Big Horn College (LBHC), Stone Child College (SCC), and Montana State University (MSU)) and build new course-based research experiences for American Indian students.

The project aims to increase participation of American Indian students in STEM research and increase research capacity at tribal colleges in Montana. The project supports the expansion of locally relevant CUREs at ANC and LBHC while initiating course-based research experiences (CUREs) at two additional tribal colleges. MSU faculty will provide training on implementing an existing co-developed CURE module, using zebrafish as an environmental indicator species, and support tribal college faculty in designing novel CUREs based on research conducted at tribal colleges.

CUREs are integrated into the curriculum at each institution, reaching a range of students who have not been exposed to research opportunities. Students will develop independent hypotheses to test within the larger CURE theme. Participating faculty will learn research techniques and receive training on instrumentation and curriculum.

Research findings will be shared through community exhibitions and presentations at national conferences. This project is jointly funded by the Tribal College and Universities Program (TCUP), the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), and the Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO) Division of Environmental Biology (Ecosystem Science Cluster), Division of Integrative Organismal Systems (Behavioral Systems Cluster, Developmental Systems Cluster, Neural Systems Cluster), and Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences (Cellular Dynamics and Function Cluster, Genetic Mechanisms Cluster, Molecular Biophysics Cluster, Systems and Synthetic Biology Cluster)

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.