PREM Vision for Excellence at Navajo Technical University in Research and Education in STEM (VENTURES)

The Partnership for Research and Education in Materials: Vision for Excellence at Navajo Technical University in Research and Education in STEM (PREM VENTURES) is a partnership between Navajo Technical University (NTU) and the NSF Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) at Harvard University. As the first PREM based at a Tribal University, the partnership will build robust pathways for Native American students in STEM education and careers, from K-12 to undergraduate and from undergraduate to graduate programs.

The goals of the partnership are to: (1) Increase the number of Native Americans earning undergraduate degrees in STEM fields, (2) Increase the research infrastructure at NTU so that students and faculty can investigate problems within their community, (3) Increase the number of Native Americans entering and completing graduate programs in materials science, and related fields, (4) Integrate Native American perspectives and methods of inquiry into materials science research. The partnership focuses on investigating scientific problems whose solutions can improve the lives and environment of the Navajo Nation.

The research and educational activities are designed to engage and attract NTU students to STEM careers and provide resources and tools for their retention and success in STEM fields. The partnership will explore the materials science of traditional foods, dyes for weaving, and other Navajo technologies, with an approach imbued with respect for Navajo Traditional Knowledge.

This approach will provide culturally-centered research and educational infrastructure, supporting the growth of STEM pathways for Native American students. This project is supported by the Division of Materials Research with co-funding from the TCUP program in the Division of Human Resource Development of the Directorate for Education and Human Resources.

The three research areas of the partnership will apply materials research to important issues of priority for the Navajo Nation. These research approaches will facilitate the transfer of technology and expertise to Navajo Technical University (NTU) from the Harvard Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) to establish a research culture at NTU that both attracts Native American undergraduates and enables in-place experiments that will excite, engage, and retain the cadre of student researchers at NTU.

The first research area will train Navajo students in using microfluidic platforms for a variety of detection, analysis and production applications, from analyzing soil microbes and soil composition adjacent to abandoned uranium mines on the Navajo Nation, to creating controlled release hydrogel and capsule systems, with potential applications in treating diabetes, which is highly prevalent in the Navajo Nation. The second research area, which focuses on fabrication of 2D and 3D electrochemical materials, addresses the need for energy storage in remote parts of the Navajo Nation without access to reliable electricity, and also focuses on developing low-cost electrochemical sensors to monitor mining contaminants in the soil and water.

The third research area, dynamic soft materials, will harness the shape-morphing capabilities of soft actuators for applications in health care, agriculture, manufacturing, and veterinary care, which are all areas of interest for the Navajo Nation. Because the research is motivated by current priorities in the Navajo Nation and is accessible to K12 students, discoveries will be integrated into outreach programs aimed at recruiting Native American students into the STEM pathway.

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.