NSF Org:	EES Div. of Equity for Excellence in STEM
Recipient:	AANIIIH NAKODA COLLEGE
Initial Amendment Date:	August 27, 2021
Latest Amendment Date:	November 1, 2024
Award Number:	2054877
Award Instrument:	Continuing Grant
Program Manager:	Jody Chase lchase@nsf.gov  (703)292-5173 EES  Div. of Equity for Excellence in STEM EDU  Directorate for STEM Education
Start Date:	September 1, 2021
End Date:	August 31, 2026 (Estimated)
Total Intended Award Amount:	$3,500,000.00
Total Awarded Amount to Date:	$3,500,000.00
Funds Obligated to Date:	FY 2021 = $930,514.00 FY 2022 = $1,169,486.00 FY 2023 = $1,400,000.00
History of Investigator:	Scott Friskics (Principal Investigator) friskics@hotmail.com William McShea (Co-Principal Investigator) Dennis Jorgensen (Co-Principal Investigator) Olivia Cosby (Co-Principal Investigator) Elizabeth McClain (Former Co-Principal Investigator) Dan Kinsey (Former Co-Principal Investigator) Michael Kinsey (Former Co-Principal Investigator)
Recipient Sponsored Research Office:	Aaniiih Nakoda College 269 BLACKFEET AVE HARLEM MT  US  59526-8083
Sponsor Congressional District:	02
Primary Place of Performance:	Aaniiih Nakoda College MT  US  59526-8083
Primary Place of Performance Congressional District:	02
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI):	V91EHQY5N9R4
Parent UEI:
NSF Program(s):	Tribal College & Univers Prog, Centers for Rsch Excell in S&T
Primary Program Source:	04002122DB NSF Education & Human Resource 04002223DB NSF Education & Human Resource 04002324DB NSF STEM Education 04002122DB NSF Education & Human Resource
Program Reference Code(s):	9150
Program Element Code(s):	174400, 913100
Award Agency Code:	4900
Fund Agency Code:	4900
Assistance Listing Number(s):	47.076

ABSTRACT

A goal of the Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) is to increase the intellectual leadership of TCUP institutions so that they can address scientific or engineering needs or interests, specifically for their tribes or communities, or broadly for the Nation. The TCU Enterprise Advancement Centers (TEA Centers) strand allows TCUP institutions to capitalize on their investments in STEM instructional and research capacity. This project aligns directly with that goal, and moreover will extend the body of knowledge and number and credentials of tribal members who seek to ensure stewardship of the ecology and restoration of sovereignty over reservation lands.

Aaniiih Nakoda College embarks on an extensive and interconnected set of studies to learn about and restore and sustain the native ecology of the Fort Belknap Indian Community (FBIC). Working with partners from FBIC, the Smithsonian?s Conservation Biology Institute, the World Wildlife Fund, and Little Dog Wildlife, the TEA Center will study the impact of reintroduction of several native species to the reservation. Key among these studies is the effect of buffalo (American bison) on the plains ecology, including flora, and is paralleled by studies on the curlew, black-footed ferret, swift fox, and prairie dogs. Project personnel will conduct ecological research on the Fort Belknap buffalo herd and its associated grassland habitat and species. Research projects will address identified needs and priorities of the FBIC and support the sustainable management and protection of the buffalo herd and surrounding prairie landscapes ? now and in the future. The project will provide academic training and community education to prepare future caretakers of tribal wildlife and associated natural resources and to increase community knowledge of, and support for, sustainable management of Fort Belknap's buffalo herd and its habitat.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

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