This EPS proposal request support to conduct four day workshop in a tribal college setting. The objective of this planning meeting will be to bring together universities in three EPSCoR states and Tribal Colleges/Alaska Native serving Institutions (TCU/ANSIs), with a focus on developing plans for teaching and research collaborations in the basic sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The strength of this workshop will be the participants that are Native American serving institutions with a TCU/ANSI focus. The collaborative effort will be led by Salish Kootenai College (SKC) faculty with other participants which include Oglala Lakota College (OLC), Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI), University of Montana (UM), South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (SDSMT), and University of New Mexico. The workshop fits the parameters of the EPSCoR Workshop solicitation well; however, a special condition will be made to ensure participation by underrepresented groups. These are: 1. Workshops will address multi-jurisdictional efforts that need collaboration for optimum success. Speakers from non-EPSCoR institutions can be involve in the workshop through logistical support for their participation, but funding cannot go to non-EPSCoR institutions. 2. Workshops will address major regional themes of relevance to EPSCoR's goals/objectives and NSF's mission. 3. The goal of the workshop will be the development of high quality collaborations that are capable of competing for multi/interdisciplinary perspectives now common to major initiatives in science and engineering. 4. Workshop will have appropriate representation by underrepresented groups.
