SKC Indigenous Research Center Planning Grant

美国印第安人在STEM领域的代表性不足。部落学院正在努力发展他们的研究能力，以便扩大美国印第安人对研究的参与。萨利什库特奈学院(SKC)是南部萨利什部落和库特奈部落的部落学院，近年来也一直在扩大其研究工作，学生和教职员工都有。SKC教职员工认识到研究在招募和留住学生和教职员工、为学生从事STEM职业和研究生学习做准备以及产生有益于部落社区和社会其他方面的知识方面的重要性。土著研究中心(IRC)是部落大学中的第一个此类中心，已被设想为在SKC和其他部落大学进一步发展研究能力和扩大研究参与的一种手段。作为发展这样一个中心的第一步，SKC将进行自我研究和需求评估，以收集有助于构思该中心的信息。这项为期一年的研究将由SKC领导，并将包括其他部落和非部落学院以及相关部落实体，以收集数据，为SKC的IRC的可行性、设计、作用和运作提供信息。将利用各种战略收集各种数据类型，包括重点小组、调查、访谈、实地考察、电话会议和视频会议以及存档的机构数据。这项研究将寻求以下问题的答案：“TCU目前有哪些研究努力和资源？TCU中发现了哪些与研究工作相关的优势和障碍？TCU的研究优先事项是什么？IRC可以提供什么类型的援助，以支持TCU研究能力的发展和扩大对TCU研究的参与？在SKC建立和运营IRC的后勤将是什么？IRC是否与SKC的愿景和使命一致？SKC已经存在哪些资源来支持IRC的维护，以及必须获得或建立什么样的东西？”需求评估和自学将分阶段进行，在每个阶段增加参与者并收集更细粒度的信息。对于每种数据类型，将以多种适当的方式分析数据，例如，对定量数据使用描述性统计，对定性数据使用专题分析。在研究的头几个月后产生的一份形成性报告将为工作的后期阶段提供信息。在这项研究的后期阶段，一大批技术合作与合作伙伴将反复修订信息与通信技术中心的初步框架。研究过程及其最终结果的全面报告将与国家科学基金会和项目利益攸关方分享，并将在SKC网站上向更多的受众提供。

American Indian people are underrepresented in the STEM fields. Tribal colleges are working to develop their research capacity so as to broaden participation in research by American Indian people. Salish Kootenai College (SKC), the tribal college of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, has in recent years likewise been expanding its research work, with both students and faculty. SKC faculty and administration recognize the importance of research in the recruitment and retention of students and faculty, in preparing students for STEM professions and graduate study, and in generating knowledge that benefits tribal communities and the rest of society. An indigenous research center (IRC), the first of its kind at a tribal college, has been envisioned as a means to further develop research capacity and broaden participation in research at SKC and other tribal colleges.As a first step toward the development of such a center, SKC will conduct a self study and needs assessment to gather information that will assist in conceptualizing the center. The one-year study will be led by SKC and will include other tribal and non-tribal colleges, as well as related tribal entities, in gathering data to inform the feasibility, design, role, and operation of an IRC at SKC. A wide array of data types, both quantitative and qualitative, will be collected using a variety of strategies including focus groups, surveys, interviews, site visits, teleconferencing and video conferencing, and archived institutional data. The study will seek answers to questions such as "What kinds of research efforts and resources currently exist at TCUs? What strengths and hindrances related to research work are found within TCUs? What are the research priorities for TCUs? What types of assistance could an IRC provide to support the development of research capacity and broaden participation in research at TCUs? What would be the logistics of establishing and operating an IRC at SKC? Does the IRC align with SKC's vision and mission? What kinds of resources already exist at SKC to support the maintenance of an IRC and what kinds of things would have to be acquired or established?" The needs assessment and self study will occur in stages, adding participants and collecting finer-grained information at each stage. Data will be analyzed in several ways as appropriate for each data type, using descriptive statistics for quantitative data and thematic analysis for qualitative data, for example. A formative report generated after the first few months of the study will inform later stages of the work. A preliminary framework for he IRC will be iteratively revised by a broad range of TCU partners in the later stages of the study. A comprehensive report of the study process and its final findings will be shared with the NSF and project stakeholders and will be made available to a wider audience on the SKC web site.