Opportunity Information: Apply for 09 509
Apply for 09 509
- The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Tribal Colleges and Universities Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.076 Education and Human Resources.
- This funding opportunity was created on Mar 5, 2010 and posted on Mar 4, 2009.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 25, 2009 August 25, 2009 Innovation through Institutional Integration October 20, 2009 October 20, Annually Thereafter TCUP Implementation Projects. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $2,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2,500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 4 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- Organization Limit Proposals may only be submitted by the following TCUP Organizations eligible to submit TCUP proposals are Tribal Colleges and Universities, Alaska Native serving institutions and Native Hawaiian serving institutions as defined in Section IV of this solicitation. Only those institutions that have received an Initiation award are eligible to propose under STEM Teachers of Excellence Education Projects (STEEP). I3Eligibility for Innovation through Institutional Integration (I3) is limited to institutions of higher education (including two and four year colleges) accredited in, and with a campus located in the US. If the proposal is exclusively for I3 STEM educational or related research, then all categories of proposers identified in the NSF Grant Proposal Guide are eligible to submit. PI LimitThe TCUP Principal Investigator is expected to be the chief academic officer of the institution, or other senior academic officer responsible for oversight and management of curriculum and instructional policies for the institution. Proposers are strongly encouraged to identify lead faculty to help implement the project and serve as co Principal Investigators. The Principal Investigator for an Innovation through Institutional Integration (I3) proposal must be the university provost or equivalent chief academic officer, unless the proposal is exclusively for I3 STEM educational or related research.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP), run by the National Science Foundation (NSF), is a discretionary grant opportunity designed to strengthen STEM education at eligible Indigenous-serving institutions. Its core purpose is to improve the quality, reach, and long-term sustainability of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics instruction and related outreach at Tribal Colleges and Universities, Alaska Native-serving institutions, and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions. The program emphasizes institution-wide approaches rather than isolated activities, with the expectation that funded work will meaningfully improve how students enter STEM pathways, persist in them, and ultimately graduate from STEM programs.
A central theme of TCUP is building comprehensive, campus-level capacity to deliver stronger STEM teaching and learning. This includes efforts that expand access to STEM programs, increase student retention and completion, and strengthen preparation for careers in information technology, science, math, and engineering. The solicitation also highlights “bridging the digital divide” as a major motivation, meaning proposals can focus on strengthening the institutional infrastructure, learning environment, and support systems that enable students to succeed in modern STEM fields. Proposed projects are expected to be grounded in a careful assessment of institutional needs, align with both institutional goals and NSF priorities, and show a clear pathway to significant and lasting improvements in STEM offerings.
The opportunity invites several types of proposals. Planning Grants support early-stage work that helps an institution analyze needs, build partnerships, design strategies, and prepare for larger-scale implementation. Implementation funding is available through two tracks: Initiation projects, which typically help institutions establish or substantially strengthen core STEM capacity, and STEM Teachers of Education Excellence Projects (STEEP), which focus on advancing excellence in STEM teacher education. A key eligibility detail is that only institutions that have already received an Initiation award may apply for the STEEP track, so STEEP is positioned as a more advanced step for institutions that have already begun TCUP-supported capacity building.
The solicitation also references Innovation through Institutional Integration (I3), which is related but conceptually distinct in emphasis. I3 projects are meant to help institutions integrate and strategically align multiple NSF-funded efforts, especially those managed by NSF’s Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR), though integration is not limited to EHR awards. The idea is to encourage coordinated planning and decision-making across initiatives so that separate awards reinforce one another and produce broader institutional impact. For the referenced fiscal year, I3 goals were advanced across multiple EHR programs, including TCUP as well as CREST, GSE, HBCU-UP, ITEST, LSAMP, MSP, Noyce, and RDE.
From an administrative standpoint, this opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number 09-509; NSF Publication 09-509) uses a cooperative agreement as the funding instrument, indicating NSF expects substantial involvement during the life of the award compared to a standard grant. The total estimated funding amount listed is $2,000,000, with an award ceiling of $2,500,000, and the solicitation indicates an expectation of four awards. The CFDA number is 47.076 (Education and Human Resources). No cost sharing or matching is required, which can reduce barriers for smaller institutions with limited non-federal funding capacity.
Eligibility is tightly defined for TCUP tracks: only Tribal Colleges and Universities, Alaska Native-serving institutions, and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions as defined in the solicitation may submit TCUP proposals. There are also leadership expectations for who serves as Principal Investigator (PI). For TCUP proposals, the PI is expected to be the institution’s chief academic officer (or a comparable senior academic leader responsible for curriculum and instructional oversight), reflecting the program’s emphasis on institution-wide change. Institutions are encouraged to name lead faculty as co-PIs to support implementation and embed the work in academic departments. For I3 proposals, the PI is generally expected to be the provost or equivalent chief academic officer, unless the proposal is exclusively for I3 STEM education or related research, in which case different proposer categories may be eligible under the NSF Grant Proposal Guide.
In terms of timing, the original and current closing date listed for the 2009 cycle was August 25, 2009 for the Innovation through Institutional Integration component, with additional dates noted for TCUP Implementation Projects (October 20, 2009, and then annually thereafter). The archive date is March 5, 2010, which signals the specific posting is historical, but the summary still reflects the structure, goals, and requirements described in that solicitation.
Overall, TCUP is best understood as a capacity-building STEM education program aimed at measurable student success outcomes and durable institutional improvements. Competitive proposals under this solicitation are expected to present a clear, data-informed rationale for the work, show how activities connect into a coherent institutional strategy, and explain how improvements will be maintained beyond the grant period, particularly in ways that expand high-quality STEM learning opportunities and workforce preparation for students at eligible Indigenous-serving institutions.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): NSF Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) and I3 (NSF 09-509)
1. What is the Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP)?
TCUP is a discretionary funding opportunity run by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to strengthen STEM education at eligible Indigenous-serving institutions. The focus is on improving the quality, reach, and long-term sustainability of STEM instruction and related outreach, with an emphasis on institution-wide change rather than isolated activities.
2. What is the main goal of TCUP-funded projects?
The core goal is to build comprehensive campus-level capacity that improves how students enter STEM pathways, persist in STEM, and graduate from STEM programs. Projects are expected to result in significant and lasting improvements in STEM offerings and student success outcomes.
3. Which institutions are eligible to apply for TCUP under this solicitation?
Eligibility is limited to the institution types defined in the solicitation: Tribal Colleges and Universities, Alaska Native-serving institutions, and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions. Only those eligible categories may submit TCUP proposals under NSF 09-509.
4. What kinds of STEM improvements does TCUP prioritize?
TCUP prioritizes institution-wide strategies that expand access to STEM programs, increase retention and completion, and strengthen preparation for careers in information technology, science, mathematics, and engineering. The solicitation also emphasizes strengthening infrastructure, learning environments, and support systems connected to modern STEM education.
5. What does “bridging the digital divide” mean in the context of this opportunity?
Within the solicitation, “bridging the digital divide” is described as a motivation for proposals that strengthen institutional infrastructure and the broader learning and support environment needed for students to succeed in modern STEM fields.
6. What proposal types are available under TCUP?
The opportunity describes multiple proposal types: Planning Grants and Implementation funding. Implementation funding includes two tracks: Initiation projects and STEM Teachers of Education Excellence Projects (STEEP).
7. What is a TCUP Planning Grant meant to support?
Planning Grants support early-stage work such as analyzing institutional needs, building partnerships, designing strategies, and preparing for larger-scale implementation.
8. What is a TCUP Initiation project?
Initiation projects are an implementation track that typically helps an institution establish or substantially strengthen core STEM capacity as part of a broader campus-level approach.
9. What is the STEEP track?
STEEP stands for STEM Teachers of Education Excellence Projects. This implementation track focuses on advancing excellence in STEM teacher education.
10. Can an institution apply directly to the STEEP track?
No. A key eligibility requirement in the solicitation is that only institutions that have already received an Initiation award may apply for the STEEP track, positioning STEEP as a more advanced step after TCUP-supported capacity building begins.
11. What is Innovation through Institutional Integration (I3) and how is it related to TCUP?
I3 is referenced as related but distinct in emphasis. I3 projects are meant to help institutions integrate and strategically align multiple NSF-funded efforts so that separate awards reinforce one another and create broader institutional impact. The solicitation notes that I3 particularly emphasizes integration across NSF’s Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR) awards, though it is not limited to EHR awards.
12. What kinds of NSF programs were associated with I3 goals in the referenced fiscal year?
The solicitation states that I3 goals were advanced across multiple EHR programs, including TCUP, CREST, GSE, HBCU-UP, ITEST, LSAMP, MSP, Noyce, and RDE.
13. What is the funding instrument for this opportunity?
The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement. This indicates NSF expects substantial involvement during the life of the award compared to a standard grant.
14. How much funding is available under this solicitation?
The total estimated funding amount listed is $2,000,000. The award ceiling is $2,500,000, and the solicitation indicates an expectation of four awards.
15. What is the CFDA number for this program?
The CFDA number provided is 47.076 (Education and Human Resources).
16. Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The solicitation states that no cost sharing or matching is required, which may reduce barriers for institutions with limited non-federal funding capacity.
17. Who is expected to serve as Principal Investigator (PI) for TCUP proposals?
For TCUP proposals, the PI is expected to be the institution’s chief academic officer (or a comparable senior academic leader responsible for curriculum and instructional oversight). This reflects the program’s emphasis on institution-wide change.
18. Are co-PIs encouraged for TCUP proposals?
Yes. Institutions are encouraged to name lead faculty as co-PIs to support implementation and help embed the work in academic departments.
19. Who is expected to serve as PI for I3 proposals?
For I3 proposals, the PI is generally expected to be the provost or equivalent chief academic officer. The solicitation also notes that if a proposal is exclusively for I3 STEM education or related research, different proposer categories may be eligible under the NSF Grant Proposal Guide.
20. What does TCUP expect in terms of project design and institutional fit?
Proposed projects are expected to be grounded in a careful assessment of institutional needs, align with institutional goals and NSF priorities, and present a clear pathway to significant and lasting improvements in STEM offerings.
21. Does the program prefer isolated activities or coordinated institutional strategies?
The solicitation emphasizes institution-wide approaches rather than isolated activities. Projects should connect activities into a coherent institutional strategy with durable improvements beyond the grant period.
22. What timeline information is included in the solicitation summary?
The summary notes that for the 2009 cycle the closing date listed for the I3 component was August 25, 2009. Additional dates are noted for TCUP Implementation Projects (October 20, 2009, and then annually thereafter).
23. Is this specific posting current or historical?
The archive date is March 5, 2010, which indicates the specific posting is historical, even though the summary describes the structure, goals, and requirements included in that solicitation.
24. What NSF publication and funding opportunity identifiers are associated with this solicitation?
The opportunity is identified as Funding Opportunity Number 09-509 and NSF Publication 09-509.
25. What kinds of outcomes should a competitive proposal be able to explain?
Based on the solicitation summary, competitive proposals are expected to provide a clear, data-informed rationale; show how project activities connect into a coherent institutional plan; describe measurable improvements in student entry, persistence, and graduation in STEM; and explain how improvements will be sustained beyond the grant period.
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