Raised in a traditional Unangax (Aleut) village in Alaska's Aleutian chain, Dr. Michele Yatchmeneff is a graduate of the Sloan Indigenous Graduate Partnership, receiving an MS in Engineering Management from the University of Alaska Anchorage in 2009 and a Ph.D. in Engineering Education from Purdue in 2015. She is now an Associate Professor of Engineering and Executive Director of Alaska Native Education and Outreach at University of Alaska, Anchorage and a faculty mentor in the SIGP program.
Program Goal
To strengthen and expand university initiatives to recruit, train, and graduate American Indian and Alaska Native students in STEM graduate programs.
Strategy
According to recent estimates, American Indian and Alaska Native peoples make up 1.7 percent of the U.S. population, but earned just 0.4 percent of all doctorates. Of the doctorates earned, just 8.6 percent are in the STEM fields.
This historically low level of participation is in part due to the unique challenges graduate study poses to American Indian and Alaska Native students, which often include feelings of cultural and social isolation and obstacles to meaningful participation in tribal life.
Grantmaking in this program provides funds for the creation and operation of regional centers that aim to foster welcoming and supportive environments that cater to the needs of Indigenous students. Grant funds provide fellowships, and support a diverse variety of programs aimed at recruitment and retention, mentoring, and professional development.
Almost all funds provided through the Sloan Indigenous Graduate Partnership go directly to American Indian or Native Alaska students in the form of scholarships and stipend support.
SIGP Institutional Partners
Participating institutions in the Sloan Indigenous Graduate Partnership include:.
Day-to-day operations of the Sloan Indigenous Graduate partnership are administered by the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME).
Resources
Apply
The Foundation is not currently seeking new institutional partners for the Sloan Indigenous Graduate partnership.
The program does not accept unsolicited letters of inquiry or grant applications.
This program does not award scholarships or fellowships directly to American Indian or Alaska Native students. Graduate students interested in acquiring funding through the program should inquire with one of our UCEM partners about relevant processes, eligibility, etc.