Using Collaboratively Designed Research Based Courses to Develop Tribal College Research Capacity and Increase Student Success

部落学院和大学方案的一个目标是提高为全国土著学生服务的特定高等教育机构的科学、技术、工程和数学教学和研究能力。扩大这些机构的研究能力，扩大了学生在STEM领域追求具有挑战性和回报的职业的机会，为可能与当地相关的领域提供了研究，并鼓励教师社区超越传统课堂寻求智力和专业成长。该项目与这一目标直接相关，而且可能成为其他小型社区学院类似参与的典范。该项目为学生和教师创建了生命科学方面的强化研究培训课程，使用斑马鱼作为课堂实验的多功能模式生物。在目标1中，将在部落学院（A'aniih Nakoda学院，Chief Dull Knife学院，Little Big Horn学院和Fort Peck社区学院）的教师与蒙大拿州立大学博兹曼（MSU）的研究教师之间建立一系列课程。每一套课程将反映与特定教师，学生和社区相关的问题。目标2，通过为期一周的强化课程，为部落学院教师奠定了基础，以发展或提高他们的研究思维和技能，以指导各自学院的本科生研究工作。部落学院教师和密歇根州立大学科学家之间的合作将继续支持部落学院教师，因为他们开发新的，或加强现有的研究项目和研究为基础的课程。目标3建议学生参加课程，然后作为学生助教参与，以更深入地参与研究思维。在部落学院提供这些课程允许学生参加他们的社区内的课程，并允许这些课程作为未来努力的垫脚石，包括在他们的部落学院和在4年制大学如密歇根州立大学的方案研究计划。

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 may prove to be a model for similar engagement at other small community colleges.The project creates intensive research-based training courses in the life sciences for students and faculty, using zebrafish as a versatile model organism for classroom experiments. In Aim 1, a series of courses will be created, in partnership between faculty at tribal colleges (A'aniiih Nakoda College, Chief Dull Knife College, Little Big Horn College, and Fort Peck Community College) and research faculty at Montana State University-Bozeman (MSU). Each set of course curricula will reflect issues relevant to the specific faculty, students, and community. Aim 2, through week-long intensive courses, lays the foundation for tribal college faculty to develop or enhance their research mindset and skills to mentor undergraduate research endeavors at their respective colleges. Collaboration between tribal college faculty and the MSU scientists will continue to support tribal college faculty as they develop new, or enhance existing research projects and research-based courses. Aim 3 proposes that students will attend courses and then participate as student TAs for deeper engagement with the research mindset. Offering these courses at the tribal colleges allows students to attend the courses within their communities and permits these courses to act as stepping stones for future endeavors, including research programs at their tribal colleges and programs at 4-year universities like MSU.