Opportunity Information: Apply for 12 568
Apply for 12 568
- 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 Sep 19, 2013 and posted on Jun 13, 2012.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Archived. Replaced by NSF 13 572.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $6,000,000.00 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 TCUP Proposals 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 Instructional Capacity Excellence in TCUP Institutions 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 Catalyzing Opportunities for Research and Education proposals 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 STEM education, research, and outreach at institutions that primarily serve Native communities. The opportunity is specifically aimed at Tribal Colleges and Universities, Alaska Native serving institutions, and Native Hawaiian serving institutions, which are often two-year or community college institutions. The overall goal is to raise the quality of STEM programs at these schools while also increasing the participation of Native individuals in STEM education pathways and, ultimately, STEM careers. The program also notes a strong encouragement to include activities that benefit veterans, signaling that proposals that thoughtfully incorporate veteran-serving components may align well with NSF priorities under this solicitation.
TCUP offers multiple project types so institutions can apply for support that matches their current stage of STEM program development and their near-term or long-term needs. Planning Grants are intended to help an eligible institution take a hard, structured look at its current undergraduate STEM programs. These awards support internal assessment and self-analysis to identify gaps, barriers, and areas needing improvement, with the purpose of building a clear plan for strengthening undergraduate STEM education quality. In practice, this could involve examining curricula, student support structures, faculty capacity, lab resources, transfer pathways, and how well programs align with workforce or four-year degree expectations.
For institutions ready to implement broader improvements, Instructional Capacity Excellence in TCUP Institutions (ICE-TI) projects support more comprehensive institutional efforts to increase the number of STEM students and improve how well those students are prepared. These projects focus on strengthening STEM education and research capacity in ways that can shift an institution's overall outcomes, not just a single course or lab. ICE-TI projects emphasize designing, implementing, and assessing innovative teaching and learning models, incorporating what is known about effective STEM learning, and ensuring undergraduate education reflects current STEM disciplinary advances. This track is meant for deeper, more integrated reforms that can transform instructional quality and student success at scale.
TCUP also funds Broadening Participation Research in STEM Education (BPR) projects, which are research-focused rather than purely programmatic improvement efforts. BPR projects support studies that develop and test new models for STEM teaching and learning, build understanding of how diverse groups participate and persist in STEM, and generate evidence that can inform interventions and educational practice. A key element of this track is building research capacity at TCUP-eligible institutions themselves, helping scholars at these colleges develop the ability to conduct rigorous broadening participation research and contribute strategies and models that can be used more widely.
For more targeted, shorter-term improvements, Targeted STEM Infusion Projects (TSIP) provide support to achieve a clearly defined goal that can measurably improve undergraduate STEM education quality. This track can support practical upgrades or focused enhancements such as updating curriculum, modernizing laboratory or research equipment, improving computing infrastructure for research and education, or integrating traditional knowledge into STEM course content in a systematic way. The solicitation notes that priority for TSIP awards will be given to TCUP-eligible institutions that have not previously received implementation-level support, which suggests NSF is trying to broaden access to meaningful funding across more institutions.
Another component, Catalyzing Opportunities for Research and Education (CORE), focuses on faculty development and research immersion. CORE awards support STEM faculty at TCUP-eligible institutions to pursue research experiences at NSF-funded Centers, research-intensive institutions, or national laboratories. The intent is to strengthen faculty research capability and effectiveness, translate that growth into improved teaching and research at the home institution, and expand undergraduate research opportunities by involving students in authentic research experiences. This track is also positioned as a tool for recruiting and retaining highly qualified STEM faculty at TCUP institutions, recognizing that sustained instructional and research quality depends heavily on faculty capacity and career stability.
From an administrative standpoint, this opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number 12-568) was a discretionary NSF grant program in the Education and Human Resources area (CFDA 47.076), with no cost-sharing or matching requirement listed. The estimated total funding in the competition was $6,000,000 with an award floor of $50,000 and an award ceiling of $2,500,000, and NSF expected to make about 23 awards. The original deadlines varied by track: ICE-TI proposals were due 09/11/12, TSIP proposals were due 09/25/12, and Planning Grants, BPR, and CORE proposals were accepted anytime under that particular solicitation. The listing is archived and was replaced by NSF 13-572, but the structure described here captures the core intent and major funding mechanisms of TCUP as presented in this notice.
Eligibility is limited to the defined set of TCUP-eligible institutions described in the solicitation's eligibility section, meaning proposals cannot be submitted by general universities unless they meet the specific eligibility definitions for Tribal, Alaska Native, or Native Hawaiian serving institutions. The solicitation also sets expectations for who should serve as Principal Investigator depending on the project type. For Planning Grants and ICE-TI projects, the PI is expected to be the institution's chief academic officer or a similarly senior academic leader responsible for curriculum and instructional policy oversight. For BPR projects, all full-time faculty at TCUP-eligible institutions are eligible to serve as PI. For TSIP and CORE proposals, the PI would typically be a STEM faculty member. NSF encourages prospective PIs to consult TCUP program staff, which is often helpful for confirming fit, interpreting track expectations, and avoiding common compliance or scope issues.
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 education, research, and outreach at institutions that primarily serve Native communities. The program’s overarching purpose is to raise the quality of STEM programs at these schools and increase the participation of Native individuals in STEM education pathways and, ultimately, STEM careers.
Which institutions are eligible to apply?
Eligibility is limited to TCUP-eligible institutions as defined in the solicitation’s eligibility section: Tribal Colleges and Universities, Alaska Native serving institutions, and Native Hawaiian serving institutions. General universities that do not meet these specific definitions are not eligible under this opportunity.
What types of institutions does TCUP primarily serve?
The opportunity is aimed at institutions that primarily serve Native communities and are often two-year or community college institutions (as described in the notice).
What is TCUP trying to achieve at an institutional level?
TCUP is intended to improve STEM program quality and build institutional capacity in STEM education and research. Across its tracks, the program supports activities such as strengthening curricula, student support, faculty capacity, research capability, laboratories and equipment, computing infrastructure, transfer pathways, and alignment with workforce or four-year degree expectations.
Are veteran-focused activities relevant to TCUP proposals?
Yes. The program notes a strong encouragement to include activities that benefit veterans. Proposals that thoughtfully incorporate veteran-serving components may align well with NSF priorities under this solicitation.
What project types (tracks) are available under TCUP in this notice?
This notice describes multiple project types so institutions can seek support aligned with their needs and stage of development. The tracks described are:
- Planning Grants
- Instructional Capacity Excellence in TCUP Institutions (ICE-TI)
- Broadening Participation Research in STEM Education (BPR)
- Targeted STEM Infusion Projects (TSIP)
- Catalyzing Opportunities for Research and Education (CORE)
What are Planning Grants for?
Planning Grants support an eligible institution in conducting a structured internal assessment of its undergraduate STEM programs. The goal is to identify gaps, barriers, and improvement needs and produce a clear plan for strengthening undergraduate STEM education quality.
What kinds of activities might a Planning Grant support, based on the notice?
Examples described include examining STEM curricula, student support structures, faculty capacity, laboratory resources, transfer pathways, and how well programs align with workforce needs or four-year degree expectations.
What are ICE-TI projects designed to do?
Instructional Capacity Excellence in TCUP Institutions (ICE-TI) projects support comprehensive institutional efforts to increase the number of STEM students and improve how well those students are prepared. They focus on strengthening STEM education and research capacity in ways that can shift an institution’s overall outcomes, not just a single course or lab.
What does ICE-TI emphasize in terms of teaching and learning?
ICE-TI emphasizes designing, implementing, and assessing innovative teaching and learning models; incorporating what is known about effective STEM learning; and ensuring undergraduate education reflects current STEM disciplinary advances. The track is described as supporting deeper, integrated reforms that can transform instructional quality and student success at scale.
What are BPR projects, and how are they different from program improvement projects?
Broadening Participation Research in STEM Education (BPR) projects are research-focused rather than purely programmatic improvement efforts. They support studies that develop and test new models for STEM teaching and learning, build understanding of how diverse groups participate and persist in STEM, and generate evidence that can inform interventions and educational practice.
Does the BPR track include an institutional capacity-building component?
Yes. A key element described is building research capacity at TCUP-eligible institutions, helping scholars at these colleges develop the ability to conduct rigorous broadening participation research and contribute strategies and models that can be used more widely.
What are TSIP awards intended to support?
Targeted STEM Infusion Projects (TSIP) support shorter-term, targeted improvements designed to achieve a clearly defined goal that can measurably improve undergraduate STEM education quality.
What are examples of TSIP-appropriate activities mentioned in the notice?
The notice provides examples such as updating curriculum, modernizing laboratory or research equipment, improving computing infrastructure for research and education, or integrating traditional knowledge into STEM course content in a systematic way.
How does prior funding affect TSIP priority?
The solicitation notes that priority for TSIP awards will be given to TCUP-eligible institutions that have not previously received implementation-level support. This suggests an intent to broaden access to meaningful funding across more institutions.
What is the CORE track focused on?
Catalyzing Opportunities for Research and Education (CORE) focuses on faculty development and research immersion. CORE awards support STEM faculty at TCUP-eligible institutions to pursue research experiences at NSF-funded Centers, research-intensive institutions, or national laboratories.
What outcomes is CORE intended to produce for the home institution?
CORE is intended to strengthen faculty research capability and effectiveness, translate that growth into improved teaching and research at the home institution, and expand undergraduate research opportunities by involving students in authentic research experiences.
How does CORE relate to recruiting and retaining faculty?
The notice positions CORE as a tool for recruiting and retaining highly qualified STEM faculty at TCUP institutions, recognizing that sustained instructional and research quality depends heavily on faculty capacity and career stability.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this notice?
The Funding Opportunity Number is 12-568.
What NSF area and CFDA number are associated with this opportunity?
This was described as a discretionary NSF grant program in the Education and Human Resources area, with CFDA 47.076.
Is cost-sharing or matching required?
No cost-sharing or matching requirement is listed in the information provided for this solicitation.
How much funding was estimated to be available, and how many awards were expected?
The estimated total funding was $6,000,000, and NSF expected to make about 23 awards under this competition.
What are the minimum and maximum award sizes listed?
The award floor was $50,000 and the award ceiling was $2,500,000.
What were the proposal deadlines by track?
The deadlines varied by track under this notice:
- ICE-TI proposals were due 09/11/12.
- TSIP proposals were due 09/25/12.
- Planning Grants, BPR, and CORE proposals were accepted anytime under that particular solicitation.
Is this funding opportunity still active?
No. The listing is archived and was replaced by NSF 13-572. The description provided captures the core intent and major funding mechanisms as presented in this notice.
Who should serve as Principal Investigator (PI) for a Planning Grant?
For Planning Grants, the PI is expected to be the institution’s chief academic officer or a similarly senior academic leader responsible for curriculum and instructional policy oversight.
Who should serve as PI for an ICE-TI project?
For ICE-TI projects, the PI is expected to be the institution’s chief academic officer or a similarly senior academic leader responsible for curriculum and instructional policy oversight.
Who is eligible to serve as PI for a BPR project?
For BPR projects, all full-time faculty at TCUP-eligible institutions are eligible to serve as PI.
Who typically serves as PI for TSIP proposals?
For TSIP proposals, the PI would typically be a STEM faculty member.
Who typically serves as PI for CORE proposals?
For CORE proposals, the PI would typically be a STEM faculty member.
Does NSF encourage contacting program staff before submitting?
Yes. NSF encourages prospective PIs to consult TCUP program staff, which can help confirm fit, interpret track expectations, and avoid common compliance or scope issues.
How should an institution choose among the tracks?
The tracks are described as supporting different stages and needs: Planning Grants for structured self-analysis and planning; ICE-TI for broader, integrated institutional reforms; BPR for research studies and building broadening participation research capacity; TSIP for targeted, measurable improvements such as equipment, curriculum, or infrastructure upgrades; and CORE for faculty research immersion experiences that strengthen teaching and research back at the home institution.
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