Opportunity Information: Apply for 11 538
Apply for 11 538
- 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 Jul 18, 2012 and posted on Apr 22, 2011.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 17, 2012 Full Proposal Accepted Anytime Planning Grant Proposals Broadening Participation Research in STEM Education Proposals. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $7,000,000.00 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 23 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 Tribal Colleges and Universities, Alaska Native serving institutions and Native Hawaiian serving institutions as defined in Section IV of this solicitation.Priority for TSIPawards will be given to TCUP eligible institutions that have not previously received Implementation level support. PI LimitFor the Planning Grant and Initiation Project award tracks, thePrincipal Investigator (PI) is expected to be the chief academic officer of the institution, or another senior academic officer responsible for oversight and management of curriculum and instructional policies for the institution. All full time faculty membersat TCUP eligible institutions are eligible to serve as PI on Broadening Participation Research in STEM Education. Typically, the PI forTargeted STEM Infusion Projects and Research Initiation Awardproposals would be a member of the STEM faculty. Prospective PIs are encouraged to consult TCUP program staff.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) is a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant program designed to strengthen science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, research, and outreach at eligible Tribal Colleges and Universities, Alaska Native serving institutions, and Native Hawaiian serving institutions. These institutions are often two-year or community college settings, so the program is built to support STEM capacity in environments that frequently serve place-based communities and students who may be newly entering STEM pathways. The overall purpose is to improve the quality of undergraduate STEM programs at these institutions and, in the long run, increase the participation of Native individuals in STEM degrees and careers. TCUP also encourages applicants to include activities that benefit veterans where it makes sense for the institution and community.
The program offers several distinct funding tracks that match different stages of institutional development and different types of STEM improvement work. Planning Grants are meant for an institution-wide self-study of undergraduate STEM programs. The focus is on identifying what needs strengthening (curriculum, student supports, faculty capacity, facilities, or other components) and building a clear, evidence-based plan to raise STEM quality. Initiation Projects are a more comprehensive implementation step, supporting the design, rollout, and assessment of broad efforts to increase the number of STEM students and improve how well they are prepared. These projects are expected to strengthen STEM education and research together, often by developing or adapting innovative teaching and learning models, using what is known about how students learn STEM effectively, and bringing current STEM advances into the undergraduate experience.
A separate track, Broadening Participation Research in STEM Education (BPR), funds research (not just program implementation) that develops and studies new models or innovations in STEM teaching and learning, improves understanding of what affects participation of diverse groups in STEM, and produces findings that can inform future interventions and education practice. BPR projects are meant to contribute research-based strategies to the broader field while also building the research capacity of scholars at TCUP-eligible institutions to conduct this kind of work.
For institutions that have a specific short-term improvement goal, Targeted STEM Infusion Projects (TSIP) provide support for focused, well-defined upgrades that can quickly raise the quality of undergraduate STEM education. Examples described in the opportunity include updating or modernizing curriculum, adding traditional knowledge in a systematic way to the content or scope of a STEM course, improving laboratory or research equipment, or strengthening computing and network infrastructure that supports research and instruction. The solicitation notes that priority for TSIP awards is given to eligible institutions that have not previously received implementation-level support, which signals an intent to spread capacity-building opportunities across more campuses.
TCUP also supports faculty research development through Research Initiation Awards (RIA). These awards help STEM faculty at TCUP-eligible institutions build their research capability by conducting research at an NSF-funded center, a research-intensive institution, or a national laboratory. The intent is practical and long-term: strengthen the faculty member as a researcher, improve research and teaching back at the home institution, and include undergraduate students in research experiences. This track is also framed as a tool for recruiting and retaining strong STEM faculty at TCUP institutions, where hiring and retention can be a persistent challenge.
Beyond these main tracks, the opportunity describes additional options such as funding for conferences, symposia, and workshops, as well as NSF mechanisms like EAGER (early concept exploratory research) and RAPID (rapid response research) awards and supplements to existing awards. There is also a pathway to seek supplemental NSF support for students and faculty who are accepted into specific U.S. Department of Energy summer research initiatives hosted at national laboratories, including Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI), Faculty Student Teams (FaST), Community College Institutes (CCI), and Pre-Service Teacher (PST) internships. These supplements are meant to expand access to hands-on research experiences and strengthen institutional connections to national lab research environments.
From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary NSF grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number 11-538) in the Science and Technology/Research and Development category, listed under CFDA 47.076 (Education and Human Resources). The estimated total funding noted is $7,000,000 with an expected 23 awards, and the stated award range spans from $50,000 up to $2,500,000. Cost sharing is not required. Eligibility is limited to the specific categories of institutions defined in the solicitation (Section IV), and applicants are encouraged to consult TCUP program staff to align their proposed track and scope with program expectations.
The program also sets expectations for who should lead proposals depending on the track. For Planning Grants and Initiation Projects, the Principal Investigator is expected to be the institution’s chief academic officer or another senior academic leader responsible for curriculum and instructional policy, reflecting that these tracks involve institution-wide analysis and reform. For BPR projects, all full-time faculty at eligible institutions may serve as PI, since these projects are framed as research efforts. For TSIP and RIA proposals, the PI is typically a STEM faculty member, consistent with their more targeted academic, infrastructure, or faculty research focus. Deadlines in the archived listing varied by track (with some proposals accepted anytime), and the official details were published as NSF Publication 11-538.
Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) - FAQs
What is the Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP)?
TCUP is a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant program designed to strengthen STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education, research, and outreach at eligible Tribal Colleges and Universities, Alaska Native serving institutions, and Native Hawaiian serving institutions.
What is TCUP trying to accomplish overall?
The program aims to improve the quality of undergraduate STEM programs at eligible institutions and, over the long term, increase the participation of Native individuals in STEM degrees and careers.
What kinds of institutions is TCUP designed to support?
TCUP is built for eligible Tribal Colleges and Universities, Alaska Native serving institutions, and Native Hawaiian serving institutions. The opportunity notes these institutions are often in two-year or community college settings and frequently serve place-based communities and students who may be newly entering STEM pathways.
Does TCUP include research, or is it only for education?
TCUP supports both STEM education improvement and research capacity-building, depending on the funding track. Some tracks focus on program planning or implementation, while others explicitly fund research in STEM education or support faculty research development.
What funding tracks are available through TCUP?
The opportunity describes multiple tracks, including Planning Grants, Initiation Projects, Broadening Participation Research in STEM Education (BPR), Targeted STEM Infusion Projects (TSIP), and Research Initiation Awards (RIA). It also mentions additional options such as conferences, symposia, and workshops, plus NSF mechanisms like EAGER and RAPID, and supplements to existing awards.
What is a TCUP Planning Grant?
Planning Grants support an institution-wide self-study of undergraduate STEM programs. The purpose is to identify what needs strengthening (such as curriculum, student supports, faculty capacity, facilities, or other components) and to build a clear, evidence-based plan to raise STEM quality.
What is a TCUP Initiation Project?
Initiation Projects support a broader implementation step. They fund the design, rollout, and assessment of efforts to increase the number of STEM students and improve how well they are prepared, while strengthening STEM education and research together.
What types of activities are expected in Initiation Projects?
The opportunity indicates these projects often develop or adapt innovative teaching and learning models, use what is known about how students learn STEM effectively, and bring current STEM advances into the undergraduate experience.
What is the Broadening Participation Research in STEM Education (BPR) track?
BPR funds research (not just program implementation) that develops and studies new models or innovations in STEM teaching and learning, improves understanding of what affects participation of diverse groups in STEM, and produces findings that can inform future interventions and education practice.
How is BPR different from implementation-focused projects?
BPR is framed as a research track. It is intended to contribute research-based strategies to the broader field, while also building the research capacity of scholars at TCUP-eligible institutions to conduct this work.
What is a Targeted STEM Infusion Project (TSIP)?
TSIP supports focused, well-defined upgrades aimed at quickly improving the quality of undergraduate STEM education when an institution has a specific short-term improvement goal.
What are examples of activities that TSIP can support?
Examples described include updating or modernizing curriculum, adding traditional knowledge in a systematic way to the content or scope of a STEM course, improving laboratory or research equipment, and strengthening computing and network infrastructure that supports research and instruction.
Is there any stated priority for TSIP awards?
Yes. The solicitation notes that priority for TSIP awards is given to eligible institutions that have not previously received implementation-level support, reflecting an intent to spread capacity-building opportunities across more campuses.
What is a Research Initiation Award (RIA) under TCUP?
RIA supports STEM faculty research development by enabling faculty at TCUP-eligible institutions to build research capability through conducting research at an NSF-funded center, a research-intensive institution, or a national laboratory.
What is the purpose of the RIA track?
The intent is to strengthen the faculty member as a researcher, improve research and teaching back at the home institution, and include undergraduate students in research experiences. The opportunity also describes RIA as a tool that can support recruiting and retaining strong STEM faculty at TCUP institutions.
Does TCUP encourage activities related to veterans?
Yes. TCUP encourages applicants to include activities that benefit veterans where it makes sense for the institution and community.
Are conferences, symposia, or workshops supported under TCUP?
Yes. The opportunity describes additional options such as funding for conferences, symposia, and workshops.
Does TCUP mention NSF EAGER or RAPID options?
Yes. The opportunity references NSF mechanisms like EAGER (early concept exploratory research) and RAPID (rapid response research) awards, along with supplements to existing awards.
Does TCUP offer any pathway connected to U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) summer research opportunities?
Yes. The opportunity describes a pathway to seek supplemental NSF support for students and faculty accepted into certain DOE summer research initiatives hosted at national laboratories.
Which DOE summer research initiatives are listed for potential supplemental support?
The listed initiatives include Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI), Faculty Student Teams (FaST), Community College Institutes (CCI), and Pre-Service Teacher (PST) internships.
What is the purpose of these NSF supplements tied to DOE summer programs?
They are meant to expand access to hands-on research experiences and strengthen institutional connections to national laboratory research environments.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this TCUP listing?
The opportunity is identified as Funding Opportunity Number 11-538.
What NSF publication is associated with this opportunity?
The official details were published as NSF Publication 11-538.
What is the CFDA listing associated with TCUP in this description?
The description lists CFDA 47.076 (Education and Human Resources).
What is the funding category for this opportunity?
It is described as a discretionary NSF grant opportunity in the Science and Technology/Research and Development category.
How much total funding is estimated for this opportunity?
The estimated total funding noted is $7,000,000.
How many awards are expected?
The opportunity notes an expectation of 23 awards.
What is the award size range?
The stated award range spans from $50,000 up to $2,500,000.
Is cost sharing required?
No. The opportunity states that cost sharing is not required.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is limited to the specific categories of institutions defined in the solicitation (Section IV): eligible Tribal Colleges and Universities, Alaska Native serving institutions, and Native Hawaiian serving institutions.
Who should serve as the Principal Investigator (PI) for Planning Grants and Initiation Projects?
For Planning Grants and Initiation Projects, the PI is expected to be the institution's chief academic officer or another senior academic leader responsible for curriculum and instructional policy, since these tracks involve institution-wide analysis and reform.
Who can serve as PI for BPR projects?
For BPR projects, all full-time faculty at eligible institutions may serve as PI, because BPR projects are framed as research efforts.
Who typically serves as PI for TSIP and RIA proposals?
For TSIP and RIA proposals, the PI is typically a STEM faculty member, consistent with the targeted academic, infrastructure, or faculty research focus of those tracks.
Should applicants contact NSF program staff before applying?
Yes. Applicants are encouraged to consult TCUP program staff to align the proposed track and scope with program expectations.
Are deadlines the same across all TCUP tracks?
No. The archived listing notes that deadlines varied by track, and that some proposals were accepted anytime.
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