The Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) supports eligible institutions in promoting high-quality science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, research, and outreach. Administered by the U.S. National Science Foundation, the programme provides awards to federally recognized Tribal Colleges and Universities, Alaska Native-serving institutions, and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions for transformative capacity-building, community engagement, and research projects.

Overview

TCUP aims to increase Native individuals' participation in STEM careers, improve the quality of STEM programmes at eligible institutions, and facilitate the development of a strong STEM enterprise in the institutions' service areas. The programme offers multiple funding tracks designed to address institutional needs at various stages of development and to support collaborations that broaden opportunities for students and faculty.

Funding and Benefits

• Program Funding: $10,799,836
• Expected Awards: 55
• Award Minimum: $100,000
• Award Maximum: $3,500,000
• Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: No
• Funding Instrument Type: Grant
• Opportunity Category: Discretionary

Research Areas and Activities

TCUP supports projects in STEM fields including natural sciences, computer science (including artificial intelligence, quantum information science, and cybersecurity), engineering, mathematics, and social and behavioral sciences (including sociology, psychology, anthropology, linguistics, economics, and statistics). The programme includes the following funding tracks:

• Instructional Capacity Excellence in TCUP Institutions (ICE-TI): Supports design, implementation, and assessment of comprehensive institutional improvements in STEM education and research capacity.
• Targeted STEM Infusion Projects (TSIP): Supports short-term, well-defined goals to improve STEM education quality, such as curriculum updates, laboratory equipment modernization, or professional development.
• TCUP for Secondary and Elementary Teachers in STEM (TSETS): Provides in-service professional development in STEM content and research for K-12 teachers.
• TCU Enterprise Advancement Centers (TEA Centers): Coalesces STEM expertise into teams to address critical tribal or community needs.
• Cyberinfrastructure Health, Assistance, and Improvements (CHAI): Supports upgrades to cyberinfrastructure for STEM programmes and research.
• Preparing for TCUP Implementation (Pre-TI): Supports self-studies and strategic planning for institutions new to TCUP or embarking on novel STEM plans.
• TCUP Partnerships: Supports collaborations between TCUP and non-TCUP institutions to build instructional and research capacity.
• Small Grants for Research (SGR): Supports STEM and STEM education faculty to initiate or pursue research projects and professional development.

Eligibility

Proposals may only be submitted by federally recognized Tribal Colleges and Universities, Alaska Native-serving institutions, and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, as defined in Executive Order 13021 and applicable federal statutes. Alaska Native-serving institutions must have an undergraduate enrollment that is at least 20 percent Alaska Native students. Native Hawaiian-serving institutions must have an undergraduate enrollment that is at least 10 percent Native Hawaiian students. Other institutions of higher education may submit collaborative proposals as non-leads under the TCUP Partnerships strand. Principal investigator requirements vary by funding track; prospective PIs are encouraged to consult TCUP programme staff.

Deadline and Timeline

• Closing Date: June 1, 2026
• Posted Date: June 24, 2021
• Archive Date: November 13, 2026
• Funding Opportunity Number: 21-595

Contact Information

For questions about this funding announcement, contact NSF grants.gov support at grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov. Additional information is available at http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf21595. Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov.