Tea center: research into land base on the fort berthold indian reservation

Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College (NHSC) received a $1.725M Project Grant from the National Science Foundation's Division of Undergraduate Education under the STEM Education program (CFDA 47.076), awarded September 15, 2025, and extending through August 31, 2030. The award funds the establishment of a Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) Enterprise Advancement Centers (TEA Center) focused on research and workforce development related to the land base of the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation. NHSC will lead efforts to train technicians to assist in geographic and agricultural surveys, develop expertise in ecological monitoring, and provide restoration services for traditional plants that promote food security in remote communities.

The project delivers multiple interconnected services and products designed to address both tribal and national workforce needs. Primary deliverables include technician training programs aligned with advanced technological education standards, curriculum development in ecological monitoring and agricultural surveying, and applied research and restoration services conducted by NHSC faculty and students in partnership with tribal agencies and STEM professionals. By capitalizing on prior investments in STEM instruction and research, this initiative aims to create new STEM employment opportunities for the Three Affiliated Tribes while simultaneously building a qualified workforce to meet national demands for skilled technicians in ecological and agricultural fields. No sub-awards are planned for this grant.

Abstract

The TCU enterprise advancement centers (tea centers) strand allows tcup institutions to capitalize on their investments in stem instruction and research. 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. This project aligns directly with that goal, and moreover will impact the economic strength of the three affiliated tribes by fostering new stem employment opportunities and, through multiple pathways, providing the high-skilled workforce required for those opportunities, in partnership with tribal agencies and stem professionals. With this award, nueta hidatsa sahnish college (nhsc) takes a leading role in training technicians to assist scientists in surveys that are geographic or agricultural in nature, in order to sustain the tribes? Land base. The efforts and services provided by nhsc faculty and students include restoration of traditional plants, to promote food security remote communities. This project also aims to serve the national interest by producing more qualified technicians to meet workforce demands in ecological monitoring. This project is funded by the advanced technological education program, which focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. 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.- subawards are not planned for this award.