North Dakota colleges, tribal schools awarded $7.96M to boost STEM research

Ten colleges and universities in North Dakota, including all five of the state’s tribal colleges, will collaborate on a $7.96 million National Science Foundation award to expand STEM research and education, according to the Minot Daily News. The four-year Sustainable Programs Advancing Research and Knowledge across North Dakota (SPARK-ND) project will be led by North Dakota State University.

The initiative aims to strengthen the state’s STEM ecosystem by building research capacity, connecting research communities and increasing STEM literacy in rural areas. Planned activities include outreach to rural schools, recruitment and retention of STEM students and development of multi-institutional research teams. Participating institutions include Cankdeska Cikana Community College, Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College, Sitting Bull College, Turtle Mountain College, United Tribes Technical College and five state universities.