University of Kansas Center for Research
To pilot an SIGP program at the University of Kansas that will recruit, retain, and graduate Indigenous students in STEM undergraduate and graduate programs at the University of Kansas and its partner institution, Haskell Indian Nations University
This grant supports Joseph Brewer and a largely Indigenous-led project team at the University of Kansas (KU) to improve Indigenous representation in the STEM professoriate and workforce by piloting a Sloan Indigenous Graduate Partnership (SIGP) program at their university. SIGP is a coalition of nine higher education institutions devoted to creating and sustaining inclusive, connected, and supportive educational environments conducive to successful advanced degree completion and subsequent career success for Indigenous students. Brewer and project team member Melinda Adams are themselves SIGP alumni. Grant funds will support the Kansas team in providing robust funding packages for SIGP Sloan Scholars; developing and offering training and resources to university faculty to improve their skills and abilities in mentoring Indigenous students; creating a supportive community for Indigenous graduate students, and establishing and broadening support networks for all Indigenous students at KU; and engaging with the national SIGP team to support the adoption of best practices for supporting Indigenous students. A central feature of the project is the development of a Sloan Undergraduate Scholars Program via KU’s existing partnership with Haskell Indian Nations University (HINU). This partnership will bolster efforts to connect STEM-specific pathways between HINU and KU and facilitate a near-peer mentoring program, with SIGP scholars at KU serving as mentors to SUSP scholars at HINU.