Trans-formative Capacity Building: Targeted STEM Infusion Project Grant

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The goal of the Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) is to support Native-serving institutions of higher education in building their science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) instructional and research capacities. The project directed by Nebraska Indian Community College (NICC) titled “Transformative Capacity Building: Targeted STEM Infusion Project” directly addresses TCUP’s goal through the establishment of a microbiology laboratory and the development of a microbiology laboratory course that better prepares their students to enter the workforce and/or matriculate to another institution to pursue a four-year STEM degree. The project’s objectives are to ensure that the laboratory is fully equipped and protocols and training are in place that prioritize student and staff safety. The laboratory course will include locally relevant content and evidence-based instructional methods and will be pilot tested to optimize its effectiveness in support student learning. The course is guaranteed fully transferable across Nebraska institutions of higher education. NICC's videoconferencing capabilities successfully enable the delivery of courses, including this one, to serve three campuses, broadening the reach of the project.NICC’s mission is to provide quality higher education and lifelong educational opportunities to all learners. Expansion of the science disciplines at the college is one way to advance that mission. The addition of microbiology, a required course and/or approved elective for numerous STEM baccalaureate degree programs, supports students’ pathways to baccalaureate degrees as well as additional careers options for graduates with public, private, and tribal entities. The project’s work to strength NICC’s Laboratory Health and Safety Plan (HSP) and to train all STEM faculty in the HSP protocols benefits all laboratory courses and degree programs at the college, thereby building NICC’s capacity in STEM education and research.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.