TEA Center: íítaanní/Tataga (Buffalo) Research and Education Center

TEA 中心：阿塔安/塔塔加（布法罗）研究和教育中心

• 批准号: 2054877
• 负责人: Scott Friskics
• 金额: $ 350万
• 依托单位: Aaniiih Nakoda College
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-09-01 至 2026-08-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2054877&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: TEA; Center; taann; Tataga; Buffalo

A goal of the Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) is to increase the intellectual leadership of TCUP institutions so that they can address scientific or engineering needs or interests, specifically for their tribes or communities, or broadly for the Nation. The TCU Enterprise Advancement Centers (TEA Centers) strand allows TCUP institutions to capitalize on their investments in STEM instructional and research capacity. This project aligns directly with that goal, and moreover will extend the body of knowledge and number and credentials of tribal members who seek to ensure stewardship of the ecology and restoration of sovereignty over reservation lands.Aaniiih Nakoda College embarks on an extensive and interconnected set of studies to learn about and restore and sustain the native ecology of the Fort Belknap Indian Community (FBIC). Working with partners from FBIC, the Smithsonian’s Conservation Biology Institute, the World Wildlife Fund, and Little Dog Wildlife, the TEA Center will study the impact of reintroduction of several native species to the reservation. Key among these studies is the effect of buffalo (American bison) on the plains ecology, including flora, and is paralleled by studies on the curlew, black-footed ferret, swift fox, and prairie dogs. Project personnel will conduct ecological research on the Fort Belknap buffalo herd and its associated grassland habitat and species. Research projects will address identified needs and priorities of the FBIC and support the sustainable management and protection of the buffalo herd and surrounding prairie landscapes – now and in the future. The project will provide academic training and community education to prepare future caretakers of tribal wildlife and associated natural resources and to increase community knowledge of, and support for, sustainable management of Fort Belknap's buffalo herd and its habitat.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.

部落学院和大学计划（TCUP）的一个目标是提高TCUP机构的知识领导力，使他们能够解决科学或工程需求或利益，特别是为他们的部落或社区，或广泛的国家。 TCU企业发展中心（TEA中心）链允许TCUP机构利用他们在STEM教学和研究能力方面的投资。 该项目直接与这一目标相一致，而且将扩大知识体系和数量，以及寻求确保生态管理和恢复对保留地主权的部落成员的资格。Aaniih Nakoda学院开始了一系列广泛而相互关联的研究，以了解和恢复并维持Fort Belknap Indian Community（FBIC）的原生生态。 TEA中心将与FBIC、史密森尼保护生物学研究所、世界野生动物基金会和Little Dog Wildlife的合作伙伴合作，研究将几种本土物种重新引入保护区的影响。这些研究中的关键是布法罗（美洲野牛）对平原生态的影响，包括植物群，并通过对杓鹬、黑脚雪貂、雨燕狐和草原土拨鼠的研究得到证实。项目人员将对贝尔纳普堡的布法罗群及其相关的草原生境和物种进行生态研究。研究项目将解决FBIC确定的需求和优先事项，并支持可持续管理和保护布法罗群和周围的草原景观-现在和未来。 该项目将提供学术培训和社区教育，为部落野生动物和相关自然资源的未来管理者做好准备，并增加社区对贝尔纳普堡布法罗群及其栖息地可持续管理的知识和支持。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估来支持。