Research
About Our Research
The American Indian College Fund researches the impact of our scholarships and programs on students and Native communities and provides avenues for collecting and disseminating research for those interested in Native higher education.
Research Areas – What We Do
Faculty Development
We support tribal college and university (TCU) faculty and staff through fellowships, professional development grants, and scholarly research opportunities.
Tribal College and University Research Journals
The journal publishes articles from a variety of fields such as environmental science, Indigenous health and wellness, student success, and tribal college program development.
Research Archive
Browse our extensive library of research articles, abstracts, reports, documents, and links to outside sources.
Featured Research
Featured Reports
Report on Native Higher Education Success Strategies
The American Indian College Fund held a joint convening with the Brookings Institute and the Institute of Higher Education Policy to examine the status of Native higher education policy and create a proactive, strategic approach to increase policy engagement for Native students and their allies. This report highlights the findings and recommendations of the convening and lays the groundwork for further activities.
A Landscape Analysis Illustrating How TCUs Can Leverage Assessment to Drive Their Missions
This report presents the findings from a landscape analysis looking at how TCUs have integrated culturally grounded practices in their assessment work. Relying on previously published literature, strategic documents shared on TCU websites, and first-hand interviews with TCU staff about their college’s current culturally grounded assessment practices (CAPs), a model identifying actions that TCUs take when engaging in CAPs work, along with the characteristics that accompany this work, was created. By sharing this report, we aim to highlight the potential for TCUs to leverage assessment to actualize and drive their cultural missions.
Additional Reports
Alumni of Tribal Colleges and Universities Better Their Communities
The Tribal Colleges and Universities #RealCollege Survey
College Affordability Study
Creating Visibility and Healthy Learning Environments for Native Americans in Higher Education
Learning and Impact
The American Indian College Fund is an Indigenous Learning Organization
The College Fund engages in research, evaluation, and learning to understand the outcomes and impacts of our work and to be better relatives to our partners: the Native students, tribal colleges, and Native communities we serve. Having an organizational learning strategy and a data gathering system to support our organizational learning are best practices for data-driven non-profit organizations focused on clearly communicating their impacts.
