TCUP Leaders' Forum 2016: Widening Horizons: Partnerships and Tribal Colleges

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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 research capacity at these institutions expands the opportunities for students to pursue challenging, rewarding careers in STEM fields, provides for research studies in areas that may be locally relevant, and encourages a faculty community to look beyond the traditional classroom for intellectual and professional growth. This project aligns directly with that goal, and moreover will increase the efficacy of partnerships between TCUP institutions and their mainstream university or private sector partners.The awardee will convene a 2016 Leaders' Forum for NSF-TCUP project leaders. At this workshop, TCUP leaders will share experiences and collaboratively develop strategies to improve their programs with an emphasis on building partnerships. Collaborations, whether between programs existing at an individual TCU or with other institutions, are an important tactic to increase the impact these programs and opportunities for their students. During the two-day Leaders' Forum participants will immerse in formal sessions during which they will share and explore innovative best practices related to building collaborations with other institutions and partnerships between programs in order to improve the STEM educational and research capacity at TCUs. In addition, participants will discuss workforce challenges, opportunities, and the economic impact of TCUP on the tribal communities served. A secondary focus of the workshop will target dissemination strategies and opportunities that will allow faculty and staff at TCUs to reach a broader audience. The two-day workshop will focus on practices for successful partnerships between tribal colleges and mainstream universities or research facilities. Participants will participate in formal sessions during which they will hear presentation and share their experiences and ideas regarding current collaborative initiatives at tribal colleges. Participants will actively engage in discussions focusing of the issues and possibilities of partnering with major research institutions. Additional conversations will target the opportunities of collaborative programs involving multiple funding agencies, which could significantly increase the overall impact of a project.