For many Indigenous students attending undergraduate colleges or universities, the path to graduate school can feel like crossing an ever-widening canyon.
While the transition from traditional Native American communities to places of higher education presents its own challenges, taking the next step to a major research university often seems like an impossible leap for some. But thanks to a new $250,000 grant from the , that gap is beginning to close.
Melissa Clutter, Ph.D., assistant professor of Geosciences at Fort Lewis College and a member of the Cherokee Nation, knows this journey intimately. Clutter, who graduated from 麻豆免费高清无砖码区before pursuing graduate studies at the University of Arizona, experienced firsthand the cultural and academic challenges that Indigenous students face when entering large research institutions.
“It’s already a big leap for Native students to leave their home community and come to a college or university,” Clutter said. “But making that bigger leap to an R1 institution can be even more intimidating. Not only is the environment very unfamiliar, but so is the language and way of thinking – it’s very non-Indigenous, and it’s not very holistic.”
Now, Clutter is leading a collaborative effort between Fort Lewis College, the University of Arizona, Din茅 College, Tohono O'odham Community College, and others to transform how institutions support Indigenous students in STEM fields. The grant – through The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, a major philanthropic organization that funds scientific research and education in the United States – focuses on two key initiatives: developing culturally responsible faculty mentoring and creating hands-on research opportunities for undergraduate students.
The grant will support the development of comprehensive mentoring modules to be shared across all participating institutions and made available to any college interested in better supporting Indigenous STEM students. These modules will address important themes, including fostering community, defining meaningful mentorship, and incorporating Indigenous research methods.
Perhaps the most exciting component of the grant, Clutter said, is a 10-week Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) scheduled for July 2026 at the University of Arizona. Participating students will live together on campus, receive stipends for travel and living expenses, and participate in environmental science research projects.
“We want to create a gentler landing into graduate school rather than having students go in without any background or knowledge of what to expect,” Clutter said. “The students will be part of a cohort, living in dorms around each other and participating in community-building activities. They’ll get to experience what it means to go to graduate school while having a built-in support system.”
The timing of this grant is particularly crucial for the University of Arizona, Clutter said, which recently learned it will no longer receive Sloan graduate fellowships that have historically helped fund Indigenous graduate students. “This grant is a lifeline to continue fostering the community of Native students at the University of Arizona,” she said. “There’s already a strong infrastructure there – a Native center, advisors, a whole community. This grant helps us continue building those pathways.”
The program's development team includes representatives from all participating institutions, including faculty who will teach the CURE course and graduate students who can share their own experiences. Clutter said this diverse committee ensures that the program remains grounded in the needs and perspectives of Indigenous students and communities.
“We don’t want to reinvent the wheel,” Clutter said of the committee’s approach. “There are good resources out there, but we’re figuring out our niche. We’re focusing on what’s truly important when working with Native students – community, understanding mentorship and embracing cultural humility.
Indeed, Clutter said at the heart of the program is a recognition that successful mentoring of Indigenous students requires more than just cultural awareness. “There’s a difference between being culturally competent and being humbled to it,” Clutter explained. “Rather than just understanding that someone has to go home for an extended time for a ceremony, it’s about being humbled to appreciate the importance of different ways of thinking.”
For Indigenous students interested in graduate school, Clutter said this grant represents more than just a funding opportunity – it’s an invitation to see themselves in spaces where they have historically been underrepresented. “Indigenous students do belong in that space, but it may not feel like that from the outside,” she said. “We’re trying to get them in a space that feels welcoming, where they can see where they would belong.”
Clutter said the impact of this grant could extend far beyond the individual students who participate in the program. By developing and sharing resources for culturally responsive mentoring, the initiative has the potential to transform how institutions across the country support Indigenous students in STEM fields.
“We want students to hear about this opportunity and realize that this could be a space for them.” she said. “It’s about planting that seed – showing them that not only do they belong in graduate STEM programs, but that their Indigenous perspectives are valuable contributions to these fields.”
