American Indian Science And Engineering Society

American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES), headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is a non-profit organization dedicated to substantially increasing the representation of American Indians and Alaska Natives in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Founded in 1977, AISES maintains an extensive network of over 7,200 individual members, 202 higher education chapters, 20 professional chapters, 239 affiliated pre-K-12 schools serving over 55,000 Indigenous students, and three tribal chapters, positioning itself as the leading organization for providing STEM occupational pathways to American Indian and Alaska Native communities. Through its federal awards, AISES provides conference sponsorship services, exhibit booth space, educational sessions, customized engagement opportunities, and networking platforms designed to facilitate STEM recruitment, professional development, and career advancement for Native American students and professionals.

AISES has received numerous federal contract awards totaling approximately $615,430 in aggregate ceiling value, primarily in the form of firm fixed-price purchase orders from multiple federal agencies. The contracts focus predominantly on conference sponsorship and participation opportunities at AISES's National Conference and related events, with funding agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of State Bureau of Diplomatic Security, Department of Energy Office of Science, Environmental Protection Agency, National Science Foundation Division of Biological Infrastructure, NASA Shared Services Center, Army Corps of Engineers Humphreys Engineer Center Support Activity, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Navy Recruiting Command, and Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Contract values have ranged from $10,000 to $106,430, with awards frequently made on a sole source basis recognizing AISES as the designated provider for these specialized services. Many contracts have included sponsorship tiers such as Lapis Gemstone Sponsorship, Coral Sponsorship with booth upgrades, and Full Circle Sponsorship, along with membership dues arrangements and customized networking suites with federal speaking panels. AISES has also served as a subcontractor to The Regents of the University of California and Terc, Inc. on federal grant projects. No set-aside designations have been applied to any of the identified contract awards, reflecting AISES's status as a sole source provider.

AISES has been awarded multiple federal grants totaling substantial funding to support comprehensive STEM education and workforce development initiatives targeting Indigenous communities. Primary funding agencies include the U.S. Department of Education Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, National Resources Conservation Service, Indian Health Service Office of the Director, National Science Foundation, and Department of the Interior Office of the Secretary. Grant awards have been structured as Project Grants and Cooperative Agreements, with completion dates extending into 2029. Notable grant initiatives include the "SOAR: STEM Opportunities Advancing Readiness for the Public Schools of Robeson County" ($139,452 Project Grant, 2025-2026), a multi-year Indian Health Service partnership to enhance diversity recruitment in sanitation and engineering management ($2024-2029), the "Indigenous Knowledge to Grow Successful STEM Teachers" program developing educator professional development retention models, NSF-sponsored grantsmanship workshops for tribal college faculty, and the five-year "RCN: LEAPS: Culture Change for Inclusion of Indigenous Voices in Biology" collaborative project partnering with the Botanical Society of America, Ecological Society of America, and Entomological Society of America. Additional grants support culturally-relevant computer science education programs, traditional ecological knowledge research integration with Western science methodologies, and Native Food, Energy, and Water Systems (FEWS) Alliance activities. These grants encompass conference sponsorships, internship programs, curriculum development, professional development workshops, data collection and evaluation services, and strategic coordination across multiple partner institutions and tribal nations.