Pre-Dissertation Faculty Grant Application

Program Overview
Personal Information
Academic Information
Requirements
Permission Signatures
References
Personal Statement
Application Checklist

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The Program

Recognizing the need to assist tribal college and university (TCU) faculty in the process of terminal degree attainment, the American Indian College Fund, with support and funding from American Indian College Fund Board Member Kim Blanchard and the Nyswander-Manson family, established the American Indian College Fund Pre-Dissertation Faculty Grant. The program offers small grants of $3,000-10,000 to TCU faculty members currently enrolled in doctoral programs to support activities that contribute to degree attainment.

Guidelines

Eligible applicants must be a current faculty member at an accredited tribal college that is a full member of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC). Applicants must be actively enrolled in a doctoral degree program. Grant funding must be used to cover expenses associated with degree attainment including, but not limited to: research design, data collection and analysis, purchasing software, periodicals or books, coursework, or conducting necessary travel for completion of research. The grant is for a one-year term and recipients are required to provide a detailed budget of how funds will be utilized. A final report must be submitted to the American Indian College Fund along with receipts documenting expenses by the end of the one-year term of the grant.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

Current faculty member at a TCU that is accredited for higher education and a full member of AIHEC
Enrolled in an accredited Ph.D., Ed.D., or other doctoral program
Demonstrated commitment to American Indian education and scholarship
Commitment to continue serving on faculty at a TCU for at least one year after receiving grant
Recipients of Nyswander-Manson Fellowships must be faculty at a 4-year TCU; Blanchard Fellows may be from any 2- or 4-year TCU

Application Submission

A complete application consists of the following:

Application
Curriculum Vitae
Personal statement
Degree Plan
Itemized budget and timeline for completing proposed work within the established year-long time frame
Official copy of graduate school transcripts or letter of admission
Two letters of recommendation. One letter must be from a faculty member of applicant’s graduate program. Please make additional copies of the “Recommendation Request” sheet as necessary

Selection

Applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

Academic competence of the applicant
Potential of applicant’s PhD achievement and research to strengthen teaching, curriculum, program development, research, and leadership at the TCU
Demonstrated commitment of applicant to American Indian education and TCU scholarship
Demonstrated persistent and respectful engagement with communities served by the TCU