The purpose of this initiative is to provide technical assistance to Tribal Colleges and Universities that are currently implementing or plan to implement projects funded by NSF?s Tribal College and Universities Program (NSF TCUP). Through the proposed AIHEC-NSF TCU Technical Assistance Program, AIHEC will work with NSF TCUP grantees to identify and address project implementation challenges. Emphasis is on helping TCU project personnel develop the skills and strategies needed to more effectively and efficiently manage and administer their projects. Successful implementation of the proposed AIHEC-NSF TCU Technical Assistance Program will result in a higher success rate among Tribal Colleges and Universities in implementing their STEM program improvement projects, and strengthening their institutional capacity to develop and sustain high quality STEM instructional and research programs. The project is intended to support TCUs in implementing their STEM projects with a continual focus on the cultural relevance. This will be accomplished through use of the AIHEC Indigenous Framework for Evaluation, which provides specific guidelines for project implementation as well as evaluation. AIHEC?s ground-breaking work in this area will inform all aspects of the technical assistance implementation.
