Chai: increasing cyberinfrastructure security at red lake nation college

The National Science Foundation Division of Undergraduate Education awarded Red Lake Nation College $250,000 on July 1, 2026, under the STEM Education program (CFDA 47.076) to strengthen cyberinfrastructure security and STEM instructional and research capacity at the institution.

The project upgrades STEM IT resources, network infrastructure, and cybersecurity systems across Red Lake Nation College's two campuses to improve the resiliency and security of STEM operations, data management, and instructional and research enterprises. The award funds training for staff, faculty, and student interns in equipment use, maintenance, and cybersecurity practices. Improved network and cybersecurity strengthen the college's ability to deliver in-person and online STEM courses and facilitate communication between the two campuses, expanding student access to online resources and virtual courses while enabling STEM research activities.

Red Lake Nation College, a 1994 Land Grant tribal college located in Red Lake, Minnesota, serves primarily Native American students from the Red Lake Nation with a focus on STEM fields and preservation of Ojibwe language and culture. The project period runs from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, with performance at Red Lake, Minnesota.

Abstract

A goal of the tribal colleges and universities program (tcup) is to increase the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (stem) instructional and research capacities of specific institutions of higher education that serve the nation's indigenous students. Expanding the instructional, research, and development capacity at these institutions expands the opportunities for students to pursue challenging, rewarding careers in stem fields, provides for research studies in areas that may be locally relevant, and encourages a faculty community to look beyond the traditional classroom for intellectual and professional growth. This project aligns directly with that goal by strengthening the stem cyberinfrastructure at red lake nation college (rlnc) for instructional and research activities. The project aims to enhance cyberinfrastructure and cybersecurity necessary to facilitate development of the institution in stem fields and for the protection of sensitive data. The project upgrades specific stem IT resources at the institution to improve the resiliency and security of stem operations, data management, and instruction and research enterprises. Providing training for staff, faculty, and student interns in use and upkeep of equipment along with good cybersecurity practices hardens the human element of cybersecurity. Improvements to rlnc's network and cybersecurity strengthen the college's ability to offer in-person and on-line courses at two campuses, including communication between the campuses. The activities for developing stem cyberinfrastructure directly support current and future projects. Students benefit from increased access to online resources and virtual courses. Stem research activities are aided and enabled by advances in cyberinfrastructure at the institution. 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.