Chai - strengthening cyber infrastructure for enhanced stem education and research at TMC

The National Science Foundation Division of Undergraduate Education awarded Turtle Mountain College $250,000 on July 15, 2026, under the STEM Education program (CFDA 47.076) to strengthen cyber infrastructure for enhanced STEM education and research at the institution.

The award funds upgrading Turtle Mountain College's physical network backbone and cybersecurity systems to improve the resiliency and security of STEM operations, data management, teaching, and research enterprises. The project eliminates physical latency for data-intensive, multi-disciplinary workflows, safeguards data integrity of high-precision laboratory experiments, and enables students increased access to online resources and virtual courses. Improvements address remote access concerns and future-proof the college's digital infrastructure to support implementation of STEM curricular advances. STEM engagement activities in language and biological sciences are enabled by the cyberinfrastructure advances.

The award is classified as a Project Grant and carries a period of performance from the award date through June 30, 2027. Work is performed in Belcourt, North Dakota. Turtle Mountain College, a tribal college serving the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians and registered as a 1994 Land Grant College, is the recipient. The project aligns with the Tribal Colleges and Universities Program goal of increasing STEM instructional and research capacity at institutions serving indigenous students.

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 turtle mountain college (TMC) 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. This project will future-proof the institution's digital infrastructure by upgrading its physical network backbone to improve the resiliency and security of stem operations, data management, teaching, and research enterprises. Improvements to TMC's network and cybersecurity advance the college's ability to implement future stem curricular advances and address concerns associated with remote access. The design eliminates physical latency for data-intensive, multi-disciplinary workflows, safeguards the data integrity of high-precision laboratory experiments, and contributes valuable empirical data to the broader field of academic network design. Students will benefit from increased access to online resources and virtual courses. Stem engagement activities in language and biological sciences, among others, 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.