Faculty Development Applications
Fellowships for TCU Faculty Members
The American Indian College Fund offers three fellowships for TCU faculty members. Fellowships applicants must:
- be a faculty member at a Tribal College or University (TCU).
- be adjunct/part-time instructors, administrators, or TCU leaders who teach at least one course.
- obtain administrative approval from their TCU administrators to take sufficient leave time to complete all requirements of the fellowship within the fellowship’s time limit. (A full sabbatical is not required, but the amount of appropriate release time to ensure successful completion of the program).
- sign an agreement stating they will continue teaching at a TCU for at least two years following the completion of the fellowship (or one year in the case of the pre-dissertation fellowship).
Mellon Faculty Career Enhancement Fellowship
Faculty who are “all but dissertation” (ABD) in a Ph.D. program are eligible to apply. The amount of the Mellon Faculty Career Enhancement Fellowship award is $40,000 for a one-year period. It is expected that the fellow will be conferred their Ph.D. (or other terminal degree) by the end of this period.
Tribal College President Approval
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation supports the American Indian College Fund’s goal to increase and enrich intellectual capacity at tribal colleges. Therefore, as tribal college president, the Fund requests your signature of approval for appropriate release time for this faculty applicant.
Mellon Master’s Fellowship
The Mellon Master’s Fellowship is for TCU faculty members and staff members with teaching responsibilities who are likely to become faculty may apply for up to $25,000 in assistance to complete master’s degrees. Preference is given to master’s study in the humanities and humanistic social sciences. For further information and application materials, check back here for future funding opportunities.
Letter of Reference: Master’s Fellowship
The goal of the American Indian College Fund’s Mellon Master’s Fellowship Program is to increase the number of tribal college faculty members with master’s degrees in the humanities and humanistic social sciences.
Mellon Graduate Credit Hours Fellowship
Provides funding for faculty seeking to complete 18 credit hours in their respective fields in order to meet recent accreditation requirements for highly qualified faculty (priority will be given to faculty at TCUs accredited by the Higher Learning Commission). Fellowships are awarded for a period of up to three consecutive semesters for each faculty member; the amounts received will be based on candidates’ necessary credits (minimum of 6 and maximum of 18), with an upper limit of $15,000.
Graduate Hours Fellowship Program is accepting applications on a rolling basis.
For further information please contact: Faculty Development Program Officer | (303) 426-8900
Letter of Reference Graduate Hours Fellowship Program
The goal of the American Indian College Fund’s Graduate Hours Program is to assist tribal college faculty members in completion of necessary graduate credits/courses to meet accreditation standards to continue teaching their current courses.
Nyswander Blanchard Grant Application
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.
Letter of Support
Recognizing the need to assist tribal college and university (TCU) faculty in the process of terminal degree attainment, the American Indian College Fund has partnered with its supporters to establish the American Indian College Fund Pre-Dissertation Faculty Grant.
Professional Development Opportunities
The American Indian College Fund hosts an annual Tribal College and University Faculty Research Convening and publishes an annual Tribal College and University Research Journal, the only research journal in the country dedicated to tribal colleges and universities. The College Fund also hosts an Intensive Writing Retreat to develop manuscripts by tribal college faculty for publication. In addition, Faculty Professional Development grants are provided to tribal college faculty so that they may attend and present at regional and national conferences in their field of study.
7th Annual TCU Faculty Research Convening Call for Proposals and Registration Form
TCUs are incubators of innovation within higher education as faculty engage in place-based research and curriculum/program/policy development that blends local and traditional knowledge with contemporary methods.
TCU Faculty Research Initiatives Professional Development Grants
The American Indian College Fund received a grant from the Henry Luce Foundation to cultivate research among Tribal College and University (TCU) faculty and adjunct instructors.
Application for Direct TCU Faculty Emergency Aid Grants
The American Indian College Fund created an emergency fund to provide direct support for TCU faculty impacted by the rapid transition to distance delivery due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This emergency fund is designed to quickly provide much-needed support to tribal college faculty (full-time and part-time) to transition to remote teaching.
Intensive Writing Retreat to Develop Manuscripts for Publication
The College Fund recognizes the importance of writing retreats as supplemental support within current and previous Faculty Development initiatives. A recent external evaluation of faculty fellowships revealed that TCU faculty identified a need for supplemental support in the area of developing manuscripts for publication. The Intensive Writing Retreat (WR) provides the space and time that many TCU faculty need to focus on developing a manuscript from their research. The WR also provides mentorship and presentations from senior Native faculty in the development of manuscripts, conference proposals, presentations (poster, roundtable and conference etiquette. The Intensive Writing Retreat will be held October 21 & 22, 2021.
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News and Events
American Indian College Fund Receives $5.315 Million to Support Indigenous Early Childhood Education
Denver, Colo.—October 6, 2021– The American Indian College Fund’s Indigenous Early Childhood Education program is poised to continue its work at tribal colleges and universities over the next four years thanks to a $5,315,000 grant from the Bezos Family Foundation.
Help Raise Native Voices on Indigenous Peoples’ Day: Join Our Indige-Bration Concert
This year to mark Indigenous Peoples’ Day the American Indian College Fund will host a live, online concert celebration, Indige-Bration of and for Indigenous peoples, featuring the music of entertainers from across the nation.