The Collective Spirit and Unifying Voice of our Nation's Tribal Colleges and Universities | |
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Congratulations
Marvene Tom on 20 Years with AIHEC and the Tribal College Journal!
| This week, we are thrilled to celebrate Marvene Tom’s 20th Anniversary with AIHEC and the Tribal College Journal! Marvene started working for the TCJ in 2003, in a temporary position as office manager. | |
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Over the past 20 years, Marvene has helped the TCJ transition from a print only magazine to a vibrant online publication with a renewed focus on TCU students. A diligent, committed, and always smiling co-worker, Marvene has become an indispensable member of Team AIHEC. She’s grown from office manager to Accounts Administrator & Advertising Coordinator, where she continues to break all records through her amazing skills as a salesperson and administrator. We congratulate Marvene on this significant milestone; we thank her for her years of service and friendship; and we wish her many more years of success and happiness! | |
Report: HBCU and Tribal Land-Grant Universities Significantly Underfunded | |
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PEARC23 Day Three: Data Sovereignty and Collaboration with Indigenous Groups | | |
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THE USDA 1994 Tribal Scholars Program
Application Period Closes Nov. 30
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Agencies are hiring Tribal College Students and Graduates!
HIRING Webinar: August 24 at 1PM EST – Forest Service Positions
Register here: Tribal Colleges and Universities Webinars
For a current listing of positions: email 1994@usda.gov
The USDA 1994 Tribal Scholars Program seeks to increase the number of American Indian and Alaska Native students studying agriculture, food, natural resource sciences, and related disciplines.
The USDA 1994 Tribal Scholars Program combines classroom study with paid work experience that leads to employment at USDA. Through this program, USDA seeks to boost the number of tribal college and university students studying and graduating in food, agriculture, natural resources, and other related fields of study, and help build the pipeline of future agricultural scientists and professionals. The program also strengthens USDA partnerships with 1994 land-grant institutions.
The program provides full tuition, employment, housing or a living stipend, employee benefits, fees, and books each year for up to 4 years to selected students pursuing a bachelor’s degree in agriculture, food science, natural resource science, or a related academic discipline beginning at one of 35 federally recognized tribal colleges and universities and continuing at other higher education institutions. The scholarship may be renewed each year, contingent upon satisfactory academic performance and normal progress toward the bachelor's degree.
Eligibility –
You plan to attend and are enrolled, currently attend, or recently graduated from a Tribal College or University. For the purposes of this application, a recent graduate is someone who does not yet have a bachelor’s degree and who has graduated with an Associate’s degree within the last two years.
Permanent Federal Position Potential -
Scholars accepted into the program will be eligible for noncompetitive conversion to a permanent appointment with USDA upon successful completion of their degree requirements by the end of the agreement period. (5 CFR 213.3202) (Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 - Section 12519)
If selected, scholars must commit to at least one year of service to USDA for each year of financial assistance provided. The details of this requirement will be outlined in the service agreement for the scholar, their university, and the USDA sponsoring agency.
We have open positions in the following Agencies:
- Food Production and Conservation Opportunities
- Natural Resources Conservation Service
- Farm Service Agency
- Forest Service
- National Institute of Food and Agriculture
How to prepare an application
Preparation - An application package includes an essay, your resume, two letters of recommendation, and your transcripts.
Resume – Submit your current resume.
Essay – Submit an essay answering these questions below with a word count of 500 – 800 words. Note the position for which you are applying.
- What motivates you to consider a career in public service working for the U.S. Department of Agriculture? Include information about your educational and career goals and how this scholarship may assist you.
- How did you become interested in studying food, agriculture, and natural resource sciences or another related discipline in college?
Two Letters of Recommendation – You will need to request two people to submit letters of recommendation on your behalf.
One must be from your academic counselor, advisor, or faculty member. Each letter must address your:
- Personal strengths.
- Leadership qualities and potential.
- Academic and extracurricular achievements.
- Future academic and career aspirations.
Transcript – Submit transcripts indicating your most recent academic work.
For questions regarding the 1994 Tribal Scholar Program:
Please phone 202-845-5646, 202-870-8035 or email 1994@usda.gov
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Federal Communications Commission Tribal Libraries Update and New Low Power FM Filing Window | |
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Tribal Libraries Update
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) held an open meeting last month to adopt an order that provides Tribal communities and other E-Rate participants with greater access to the E-Rate program to provide high-speed internet to schools and libraries. The FCC will also be extending an additional funding year, the Tribal Libraries Pilot Program, to provide one-on-one support for libraries seeking E-Rate support for equipment and services. For more information about the adopted order, please visit the Federal Communications Commission.
New Low Power FM Filing Window
The FCC released a Public Notice for an application filing window for the new Low Power FM (LPFM) radio stations. This filing window will provide Tribes, among others, the opportunity to apply for a new LPFM station that can cover a localized service area in need of a radio station. Potential applicants should carefully read the Public Notice, which provides an overview of application procedures, filing requirements, and comparative selection process that will apply to the upcoming filing window for LPFM new station construction permits. The filing window will be open at 12:01 am ET on November 1, 2023, and closes at 6:00 pm ET on November 8, 2023. Applications should be submitted through the FCC’s Media Bureau’s Licensing and Management System.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture
Funding Opportunity Announcement
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released a new funding opportunity that Tribal College and Universities are eligible for. The purpose of the Food and Nutrition Service funding opportunity is to develop, design, and implement fresh produce safety and handling training for program operators and staff of the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR).
The handling training will be a one-week experiential learning program that immerses child nutrition professionals in the fresh produce supply chain, arming graduates with skills to address real-life scenarios and critically analyze and respond to food safety issues.
For more information about the funding opportunity, please visit Grants.gov.
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The Department of Education:
Tribal Consultation
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EVENTS & WEBINARS TO CHECK OUT | |
The Emergency Medicine Rural and Indigenous Communities (emRIC) Conference | |
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The conference is free 2 day gathering September 27-28, 2023 in Rapid City, SD (both in-person and virtual options for joining are available) to empower our communities to not only provide excellent emergency medical care, but to do so in a manner that honors and respects the historical and cultural context of the communities they serve. This year, the Great Plains emRIC 2023 gathering hopes to bring together community leaders, nurses, administrators, medics, physicians, pharmacists, pre-health students, and all who are interested, to share our stories, culture, history, language, smiles and good humor, learn from one another and to discuss opportunities rural Emergency Departments have to better serve rural and Indigenous communities – with follow-up virtual ECHO clinics to continue learning, knowledge sharing and support. CE will be provided.
To learn more and register, please visit: https://www.em-ric.org/registration-rapidcity
We look forward to collaborating with each of you and your care teams to improve emergency care for Indigenous and rural communities through education, advocacy, and collaboration. If you have any questions or comments, please contact echo@npaihb.org.
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Healing the Indigenous Way
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Historical trauma can manifest itself in many ways, as evidenced by the ghost sickness that afflicted the Comanche Nation. Today, tribal colleges are taking the lead in the healing process by connecting Indigenous communities to their culture. | |
“From beyond the horizon she flew, dark wings, pale face, closer…” | | |
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Small Business Administration Funding Opportunity | |
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The Small Business Administration is providing funding via the Tribal College Small Business Achievement Grant Program for up to four (4) Tribal Colleges and Universities that will provide entrepreneurial development services to American Indian communities. This funding opportunity will focus on supplying services to economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs in rural geographical locations. The deadline for applications has been extended to Saturday, August 12, 2023 at 11:59 PM EST.
For more information, visit the Small Business Administration here .
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Dr. Tomi Kay Philips Takes the Helm of Sitting Bull College as New President | |
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The Sitting Bull College Board of Trustees is pleased to announce Dr. Tomi Kay Phillips has been named the new President of Sitting Bull College (SBC).
Dr. Phillips will take the helm on January 1, 2024. She will begin a mentoring period on August 1, 2023 with current president, Dr. Laurel Vermillion until Dr. Vermillion’s retirement on January 1, 2024.
Sitting Bull College is currently celebrating its 50th Anniversary as an education institution serving the higher education needs of the Standing Rock Nation. This is a critical time, as Sitting Bull College is currently renewing its accreditation with a visit from the Higher Learning Commission scheduled for October of 2023.
Dr. Laurel Vermillion will be retiring as the SBC president on January 1, 2024. Laurel’s future plans include working with K-12 schools and teachers on Standing Rock to provide mentoring and support. Being an educator for many years, Laurel is concerned that the K-12 teachers coming to the Standing Rock schools need cultural awareness and education about the Lakota/Dakota way of life, native students, native families, and the communities on Standing Rock. Laurel also plans to support the Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) by continuing to serve on several Advisory Boards. Laurel will miss the SBC Family immensely, but she is confident the great work will continue for SBC with the strong leadership from Dr. Tomi Kay.
Dr. Philips is an US Army Veteran, and a Bush Fellow. She has a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from the University of Mary and a Master of Science in Education Leadership from the University of North Dakota.
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She received her doctorate in Educational Leadership and Administration from the University of Mary.
Dr. Tomi Kay’s Lakota name is Cante Wakan Win. She is Hunkpapa and Minnecoujou Lakota. Her mother is Maxine Claymore Phillips and her father is the late Duane Phillips. Paternal grandparents are John Lends His Horses Phillips and Emma Brush Horn Phillips. Her maternal grandparents are Sam Claymore and Leona Many Wounds Claymore.
Dr. Phillips’ life partner is John Montclair and she has two daughters, Sondi and Regan, three sons, Trevor, Sam, and Alex and one grandson, Cruz Montclair.
Sitting Bull College’s new president has lived on Standing Rock for the majority of her life. She is an educator with over 28 years of experience with 18 of those years as an administrator. Dr. Phillips has worked in the capacity of teacher, mentor, director, and administrator. Her teaching experience include teaching in an inner-city school system, in rural public and tribal schools. Her administrator experience includes working in the public-school system, BIE and Tribal Grant school system, and a private school on Standing Rock.
After these many years as a teacher and school administrator, Dr. Phillips said she understood fully the importance of how education can offer more choices for not only children but the citizens of Standing Rock. She plans to be a voice for education at Sitting Bull College for the Standing Rock Nation. She wants our children to see people who look like them be successful and inspire them to do well in whatever they choose in life.
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Department of Education Announces New Grant Opportunities for Tribal Colleges and Universities | |
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The Department of Education announced this week that it is launching two grant opportunities that will provide nearly $100 million to expand research infrastructure and increase completion and retention rates in Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs).
The Research and Development Infrastructure Grant Program (RDI) will provide $50 Million to implement transformational research infrastructure. For TCUs, the funds will support an increase in research activities, undergraduate research opportunities, faculty development, and more. Applications for this program are due Monday, October 2, 2023.
The Postsecondary Student Success Grant (PSSG) Program will provide $45 million to fund evidence-based strategies that result in improved student outcomes for underserved students. Applications for this program are due Monday, September 25, 2023.
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New Funding Opportunity: ADVANCE Predoctoral T32 Training Program to Promote Prevention Workforce Diversity
Help diversify the prevention workforce with a predoctoral research training program!
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Disease Prevention (ODP) and participating Institutes, Centers, and Offices are inviting applications to develop ADVANCE T32 programs to train predoctoral scholars from diverse backgrounds in all three of the following areas:
· Health disparities/health equity research
· Development and implementation of multi-level preventive interventions
· Methods for the design and analysis of studies to evaluate multi-level preventive interventions
The funding opportunity (RFA-OD-23-018) encourages institutions to diversify the trainee applicant pool by recruiting potential candidates from diverse backgrounds, including groups that are underrepresented in the biomedical, clinical, behavioral, and social sciences.
Applications are due October 31, 2023.
This funding opportunity was developed by the ODP-coordinated Advancing Prevention Research for Health Equity (ADVANCE) initiative, an NIH-wide effort to develop and evaluate preventive interventions that address health disparities.
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The 2023 Farm Bill Must Address Inequities in the Land-Grant University System | |
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The CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 was created by the Biden-Harris Administration to implement an industrial strategy to revitalize domestic manufacturing, create good-paying jobs, strengthen American supply chains, and accelerate the industries of the future. On July 6, 2023, the Department of Commerce formalized the creation of a “CHIPS Partner List,” which allows entities to share their contact information and services that are relevant to the CHIPS incentives program. The list includes educational and workforce training providers; childcare providers; organizations that engage or support minority-owned, women-owned, and veteran-owned businesses; community-based organizations; labor unions; and others. | |
Strengthening Community Colleges Training Grants Program | |
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Important Information for TCUs on Dept. of Labor “Strengthening Community College Training Grants!”: For the latest information about Dept. of Labor’s Strengthening Community Colleges Training Grants, click here. This opportunity is specifically for 2-year colleges to develop and implement job training programs (including short term certificate programs) in “in-demand” industries, with a focus on ensure equitable participation in the labor force by individuals from underserved communities, including Tribal communities.
In addition to the Strengthening Community College Training program website, you can go directly to the forecast for FOA-ETA-23-15, the fourth round (SCC4) on grants.gov. We anticipate that the FOA will be issued in August, and proposals will be due 90 days later. The purpose of the forecast is to let potential applicants know about the grant opportunity so they can begin planning and collaborating with prospective partners. Interested parties may also find information about current SCC grants useful.
In the last round, DoL awarded 15 multi-year grants of $1.5-5.75 million. As mentioned above, the goal is to increase community colleges' capacity and responsiveness to meet employers' skill development needs and equitably support students in obtaining good jobs in in-demand industries. Partnerships with industry (including public entities) is required. Applicants should focus on tested strategies designed to build further evidence on the effectiveness of sector-based career pathways programs in promoting positive employment outcomes. These strategies will also address identified equity gaps to increase full access to educational and economic opportunities–particularly for individuals from historically underserved communities.
To date, DoL has made three rounds of grants to community colleges around the country, but no TCUs have received an award. We encourage you to investigate this program and consider applying. DoL is anxious to receive TCU applications! If you have immediate questions, send your questions to the forecast. At this time there is limited information that may be shared with the public as this FOA is currently under development. DoL encourages prospective applicants and interested parties to use the grants.gov subscription option to register for future updates provided for this particular FOA.
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The Office of Indian Education would like to clarify that Tribally Controlled Universities (TCUs) are eligible and encouraged to apply for the Native American Teacher Retention Initiative (NATRI). In the original list of eligible applicants, TCUs were not specifically listed but they are eligible to apply. The Department of Education is updating the form and will post a Correction Notice. You may find the update and funding announcement here. | |
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U.S. Department of Agriculture: Tribal Advisory Committee
On Wednesday, June 28, 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that they are creating a Tribal advisory committee and they are accepting nominations for membership until Monday, August 14, 2023. One of the main tasks of this committee is to provide advice and guidance to the Secretary of Agriculture on matters related to Tribal and Indian affairs.
The USDA encourages nominations from federally recognized Tribes, Alaska Native Corporations, Tribal organizations, or National/Regional organizations that deal with tribal food and agriculture issues. Memberships will be approved by the Secretary of Agriculture and the Chair and Ranking Member of the House Committee on Agriculture; Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; and Senate Committee on Indian Affairs.
For more information, please visit the Federal Reserve website.
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Dental Therapy Funding Announcement
The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) announced it is accepting applications for three Dental Therapy opportunities through the Tribal Oral Health Initiative at NIHB.
Applications are due Monday, August 14, 2023, at 11:59 PM EDT. Completed applications should be submitted to Brett Weber (bweber@nihb.org) with their corresponding grant code. Each project will provide funding for nine months, from September 1, 2023, to May 31, 2024.
Please follow the links below for information about each funding opportunity:
· Tribal Colleges and Universities Implementation Activities or Feasibility Study for Dental Therapy Training
· Tribes and Tribal Organizations Implementation of Dental Health Aide Therapy
· Tribes and Tribal Organizations Education and Outreach Programs for Dental Health Aide Therapy
For more information contact, Brett Weber, Environmental Health Programs Director, at bweber@nihb.org.
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National Institutes of Health (NIH) STrengthening Research Opportunities for NIH Grants (STRONG): Structured Institutional Needs Assessment and Action Plan Development for Resource Limited Institutions (RLIs) | |
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This just-released grant provides institutions like TCUs with funding to conduct needs assessment and develop action plans related to biomedical research (and other research), including developing an Office of Sponsored Programs!
There are key dates and activities listed in the PAR. NIH could benefit from learning more about their infrastructure needs and plans at TCUs, and we strongly urge you to apply if your institution is interested in doing more work with NIH. This is very important. For more information, click here: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-23-144.html
Letters of Intent are due August 18, 2023 and applications are due September 18, 2023. If your college currently has an NIH grant or other research grant, you should apply for this funding.
NIH will conduct a Technical Assistance Webinar for prospective applicants on July 21 from 2-3:30 pm EST. Please join the webinar using this link: https://nih.zoomgov.com/j/1614627302?pwd=RmVXc0RjWjV2WTZsUzd1WmFSWU1NZz09&from=addon
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