The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Renews $500,000 Grant for Faculty Research Program

August 3, 2010

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has renewed a $500,000 grant for the American Indian College Fund for the Mellon Faculty Research Program for tribal colleges and university (TCU) faculty.

The renewal of the three-year project will permit selected TCU faculty to take time off to complete scholarly research projects and write books and articles pertaining to the research, with the goal of increasing the intellectual capacity at the nation’s tribal colleges and universities and driving the research agenda in Indian country. Despite being one of the fastest-growing populations in America, Native people are often deemed statistically insignificant, and their voices are often excluded, resulting in a lack of accurate or relevant research data on American Indians. This project will continue to allow Native professors to serve as gatekeepers for research conducted at their schools and in their communities, putting them in the rightful place of telling the Indian story.

The project will continue to impact undergraduates by providing them with the opportunity to serve as research assistants, sparking an interest in research, writing, and advanced studies, helping drive the future of Native scholarship.
Faculty chosen to participate in the program will receive substantial financial support and mentoring throughout the research process.

At the conclusion of the three-year project, the American Indian College Fund will publish the awardees’ research.

Richard B. Williams, President and CEO of the American Indian College Fund, said, “The generosity of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation is helping America’s tribal colleges and universities increase their intellectual capital and is improving the quality of education across Indian Country. As tribal college faculty increase their research, they add to their teaching and research skills. Tribal college faculty not only provide a first-rate education to American Indian students in remote, rural locations, but they also serve as role models and mentors to Native youth. By pursuing research opportunities, our tribal college faculty members are serving as role models to Native students while also providing significant contributions in their academic disciplines.”