Cyberinfrastructure
Cyberinfrastructure (CI) Team
As cited in the recent National Science Foundation (NSF) Missing Millions Report [1] there are substantial access barriers to cyberinfrastructure resources in support of science research and education activities at smaller minority-serving institutions (MSI), such as the Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs). Since 2017 the AIHEC Cyberinfrastructure (CI) Team has worked to further the TCUs’ advancement and adoption of campus cyberinfrastructure by leveraging NSF funding including the TCU CI Study (NSF 1644185), North Dakota Cyber Team (NSF 2018975), CC* CIRA TCU CI Strategies (NSF 2018979), and most recently TCU Cybersecurity (NSF 2226083). In AIHEC CI team’s usage, cyberinfrastructure encompasses all the social and technical information technology (IT) resources that are necessary to connect laboratories, data, hardware, and people that support academic research and education at the TCUs. As indicated in Figure 1, recent funding for the CI Team has led to 14 cyberinfrastructure initiatives. Each TCU has participated in at least two initiatives with an average of five initiatives per Tribal College. During this time, many TCUs achieved significant progress enhancing their campus IT departments and capabilities, began to reduce the barriers, expanded and adopted cyberinfrastructure technologies into their campus environment, and laid the foundation for better alignment with their academic and research departments. Thus, the findings, recommendations, experiences, and interactions with TCU faculty, staff, and students associated with these activities are the catalyst for additional AIHEC CI Team initiatives.
Despite this progress, many challenges remain, including access to monetary, management, and human network resources, the ability to train and retain a technical staff, and facilitation of a comprehensive understanding of programmatic cyberinfrastructure requirements. Although these barriers are very similar to those faced by other under-resourced colleges and universities, including other MSIs, TCUs have a unique set of mission-specific priorities. These priorities associated with maintaining, preserving, and restoring Native languages and cultural traditions present additional barriers to the adoption and use of cyberinfrastructure technologies.
Thus, a crosscutting set of science applications tied to the overall TCU missions will serve as the initial set of STEM focus areas for this project. These areas, which include Native language, climate science, and geographic information systems (GIS), leverage research and education activities common at the TCUs, have similar initial cyberinfrastructure requirements, and are expandable to both other discipline areas as well as to other campuses.
Navigate the links below for an overview of the major AIHEC CI Team initiatives with the Tribal Colleges and Universities. Please contact Alex Grandon (agrandon@aihec.org) if you are interested in learning more about the AIHEC Cyberinfrastructure Team and its initiatives.
Please contact Alex Grandon (agrandon@aihec.org) if your Tribal College wishes to participate in the TCU Cybersecurity Initiative.
Major AIHEC CI Team Initiatives
TCU IT Directors Community of Practice
TCU IT DIRECTORS / CIO COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE
The AIHEC Cyberinfrastructure (CI) Team hosts the Tribal College and University (TCU) IT Directors/CIOs Community of Practice once every three weeks to tackle topics in cyberinfrastructure that impact the Tribal College community.
Primary outcomes or results:
- Share best practices and work together to address common IT challenges that impact the Tribal College and University community.
- Provide expert support from the AIHEC CI team and colleagues in the national CI community.
- Increase understanding of information technology issues that are impacting the Tribal College community
Previous Topic Areas Include:
- Professional development opportunities with Cisco Academy
- Broadband access on Tribal Lands
- Cybersecurity: policies and practices for managing vulnerabilities
- Cyberinfrastructure strategic planning
- CI Funding Opportunities
- Enterprise Resource Planning solutions
- New classroom technologies
The TCU IT Directors/CIOs Community of Practice meets every third week on Wednesdays at 2pm CT.
Please contact Alex Grandon for an invitation to join.
TCU Cyberinfrastructure Facilitation
Through the Tribal College and University (TCU) CI Facilitation National Science Foundation award (#2334701) AIHEC collaborates with the 37 TCUs nationwide to enable the identification, refinement, adoption, and integration of cyberinfrastructure resources into the TCU campus information technology environment in support of STEM applications. Specific activities including campus cyberinfrastructure facilitation, cyberinfrastructure engagement, strategy and policy development, and CI workforce and professional development activities to support the advancement and use of cyberinfrastructure resources and technologies for crosscutting mission-driven applications such as Native language, climate science, and geographic information systems. Communities of practice, starting with the IT Directors/CIOs and STEM faculty communities provide collaboration and capacity building opportunities within the TCUs. The initiative’s flexibility allows each TCU to tailor project activities to their individual science application, campus information technology, and faculty and student needs.
Access to better cyberinfrastructure resources accelerate the exposure and adoption of new technologies and techniques including data storage policies and technologies that preserve data sovereignty and reflect cultural data access requirements. The CI-enabled STEM research at the TCUs provides education and workforce development opportunities to the underrepresented American Indian and Alaska Native populations serving many first-generation students. The use of cyberinfrastructure resources to support, preserve, and promote Native American culture, languages, and heritage empowers the TCU community, including students, faculty, and staff, to become leaders grounded in indigenous values.
Please contact Alex Grandon (Agrandon@aihec.org), CI Coordinator for the AIHEC CI Team, if you are interested in additional details about the initiative.
Press Release: The National Science Foundation Awards AIHEC $5 Million for Cyberinfrastructure Facilitation with the Tribal Colleges and Universities.
TCU Cyberinfrastructure Strategic Planning
The AIHEC Cyberinfrastructure (CI) Team works with TCUs in small cohorts to develop strategic plans for their IT organization and campus-wide cyberinfrastructure that compliments the comprehensive strategic plan of the TCU.
Primary outcomes or results:
- Comprehensive campus cyberinfrastructure baseline assessment for the TCU
- Expert recommendations for cyberinfrastructure strategic plan
- A draft CI strategic plan for the campus to consider and implement
TCUs who have engaged in AIHEC’s CI strategic planning initiative:
- Little Priest Tribal College
- Turtle Mountain Community College
- Aaniiih Nakoda College
- Nebraska Indian Community College
- Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute.
Please contact Alex Grandon for more information on the CI Strategic Planning initiative. The AIHEC CI Team is seeking the next cohort of Tribal Colleges for this initiative.
TCU Cybersecurity
The AIHEC Cyberinfrastructure (CI) Team encourages TCUs to seek cybersecurity assessments to provide guidance on developing more security campus networks. After the assessments, the CI team supports the TCUs on addressing the recommendations including developing policies and procedures that encourage more cyber secure behaviors among campus end users.
Primary outcomes or results:
- Cybersecurity Assessments from vetted and trusted cybersecurity firms or non-profits
- Cybersecurity resources and notifications for TCUs
- TCU Cybersecurity Working Group
- TCU Cybersecurity Baseline Handbook
Please contact Alex Grandon for more information on the TCU Cybersecurity initiative.
CI Funding Support
The AIHEC Cyberinfrastructure (CI) Team provides support to TCUs in support of proposal development for federal, state or other identified funding opportunities specifically focused on supporting cyberinfrastructure resources or collaborations.
Primary outcomes or results:
- Overview of the currently available CI funding opportunities
- Proposal best practices, solicitation review and identification of proposal requirements
- Identification of CI based collaborations.
Please contact Alex Grandon for more information on the CI Funding Support initiative.
Minority Serving Cyberinfrastructure Consortium (MS-CC)
The AIHEC Cyberinfrastructure (CI) Team collaborates with the larger MS-CC, a CI community of practice of all Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). The MS-CC is interested in similar initiatives as the AIHEC CI Team, with the MS-CC collaborating with a larger set of colleges and universities that serve other under-resourced populations.
Primary outcomes or results:
- CI Strategic Planning for the entire MSI community
- Cybersecurity for the entire MSI community
- Regular MS-CC community meetings and working groups
- CI Site Visits and Recommendations to advance MSIs networks
Please contact Alex Grandon for more information on the MS-CC.
Annual TCU CI Workshop
The AIHEC Cyberinfrastructure (CI) Team hosts an annual Cyberinfrastructure Workshop for the Tribal College and University community. The first workshop is scheduled for spring 2024.
Primary outcomes or results:
- Presentations from aross the TCU community on advancements in cyberinfrastructure
- Presentations from trusted partners on available CI resources for the TCU Community
- Discussions on recent CI challenges and possible solutions among the TCU Community
- Available funding to support travel by TCU personnel
Please contact Alex Grandon for more information on the Annual TCU CI Workshop.
TCU Cyber Teams
The AIHEC Cyberinfrastructure (CI) Team has released an application for all Tribal Colleges and Universities to use to consider becoming a Cyber Team. TCUs selected to become a Cyber Team will be provided a $100,000 subaward to advance campus cyberinfrastructure and be engaged with the AIHEC CI Team over a two-year period in a customize program to further develop CI on your TCU campus. Initiatives included in the customized program may include:
● A CI site visit resulting in focused engagements to assess and address cyberinfrastructure issues and campus priorities identified during the site visit.
● CI strategic planning and policy development
● Hands-on proposal development support to fund future CI activities and equipment.
● Campus-specific cybersecurity support and guidance.
● CI facilitation for campus research activities, especially in Native language, Climate Science, GIS, and Data Storage.
● CI professional and workforce development support.
Deadline to apply is September 1, 2024. For more information, please contact Alex Grandon, Cyberinfrastructure Coordinator (AGrandon@aihec.org).
Download the The Cyber Team Application
