Pre-TI: Expansion of the Science Discipline at the Nebraska Indian Community Project

部落学院和大学方案的目标是支持为土著服务的高等教育机构建设其科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）教学和研究能力。由内布拉斯加州印第安社区学院（NICC）指导的名为“内布拉斯加州印第安社区项目科学学科的扩展”的项目通过实施规划补助金来帮助指导学院制定长期STEM能力建设计划来实现这一目标。该项目的目标是进行需求评估和可行性研究，以收集有关最有利于学院和社区的STEM项目类型的信息，以及NICC准备提供这些项目。调查结果将用于指导资源和申请未来的资金，以支持他们的STEM产品的扩展学院。提供优质的高等教育和终身教育机会，所有学习者是NICC的使命。推进这一使命的一种方法是扩大该学院的STEM学位和研究项目。该项目的工作将通过对NICC现有STEM能力的全面评估以及有关部落社区和学生对STEM项目扩展兴趣的数据汇编来支持这一议程。研究结果将被应用于通知学院的未来步骤，通过增加新的STEM学士学位课程和STEM研究项目来扩大他们的STEM能力。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

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 “Expansion of the Science Discipline at the Nebraska Indian Community Project” addresses this goal through the implementation of a planning grant to assist in guiding the college in the development of a long-term STEM capacity-building plan. The project’s objectives are to conduct a needs assessment and feasibility study to gather information about the types of STEM programs that would most benefit the college and community and NICC’s readiness to deliver those programs. Findings will be used to guide the college in directing resources and applying for future funding to support the expansion of their STEM offerings.Providing quality higher education and lifelong educational opportunities to all learners is NICC’s mission. One way to advance that mission is through the expansion of the STEM degree and research programs at the college. This project’s work will support that agenda through a comprehensive assessment of NICC’s existing STEM capacity and compilation of data about tribal community and student interest in STEM program expansion. Findings generated will be applied to informing the college’s future steps for expanding their STEM capacity through the addition of new STEM baccalaureate programs and STEM research programs.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.