NSF 16-531: Tribal Colleges and Universities Program
Closed
This grant is closed. A newer notice from the same program is open now: Major Research Instrumentation Program: (MRI) (NSF 27-500). Status: Closes January 29, 2027 (83 days left). It is in our archive of U.S. National Science Foundation notices from 2025.
U.S. National Science Foundation offered grants of up to $2.5 million (at least $150,000) to the applicants described in the notice. It expected to make about 45 awards worth $11.8 million in total. It is no longer open on Grants.gov.
From the official notice on Grants.gov, last changed June 7, 2025. Checked November 7, 2026.
- Award ceiling$2.5 million
- Award floor$150,000
- Total funding$11.8 million
- Expected awards45
- Cost sharingNot required
- Funding typeGrant
Other notices with this title
| Notice | Posted | Deadline | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSF 14-572 | June 6, 2025 | Closed | Closed |
| NSF 08-533 | June 6, 2025 | Closed | Closed |
Key dates
| Posted | June 6, 2025 |
|---|---|
| Archived by Grants.gov | June 7, 2025 |
Who can apply
This opportunity was open to the applicants described in the notice.
- Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)
*Who May Submit Proposals: Proposals may only be submitted by the following: -Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs): Two- and four-year IHEs (including community colleges) accredited in, and having a campus located in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty members. Special Instructions for International Branch Campuses of US IHEs: If the proposal includes funding to be provided to an international branch campus of a US institution of higher education (including through use of sub-awards and consultant arrangements), the proposer must explain the benefit(s) to the project of performance at the international branch campus, and justify why the project activities cannot be performed at the US campus. *Who May Serve as PI: For the Instructional Capacity Excellence in TCUP Institutions, PArtnerships for Geosciences Education, Partnerships for Documentary Linguistics Education, and Pre-Engineering Education Collaboratives Phase II award tracks, the principal investigator (PI) is expected to be the chief academic officer of the institution, or another senior academic officer responsible for oversight and management of curriculum and instructional policies for the institution, although senior STEM faculty may be considered. Typically, the PI for Targeted STEM Infusion Projects and Small Grants for Research proposals would be a member of the STEM faculty. Prospective PIs are encouraged to consult TCUP program staff.
Is this a realistic fit?
- Most of the money in the 3 programs behind this notice (80% over five years) went to colleges and universities.
- No cost sharing or match is required.
What the grant funds
The Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) provides awards to Tribal Colleges and Universities, Alaska Native-serving institutions, and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions to promote high quality science (including sociology, psychology, anthropology, economics, statistics, and other social and behavioral sciences as well as natural sciences and education disciplines), technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education, research, and outreach. Support is available to TCUP-eligible institutions (see the Additional Eligibility subsection of Section IV of this solicitation) for transformative capacity-building projects through Instructional Capacity Excellence in TCUP Institutions (ICE-TI), Targeted STEM Infusion Projects (TSIP), and Preparing for TCUP Implementation (Pre-TI). Collaborations that involve multiple institutions of higher education led by TCUP institutions are supported through PArtnerships for Geoscience Education (PAGE), Partnerships for Documentary Linguistics Education (PADLE), and Pre-Engineering Education Collaboratives Phase II (PEEC-II). Finally, research studies that further the scholarly activity of individual faculty members are supported through Small Grants for Research (SGR) and Science Education Alliance Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science in Tribal Colleges and Universities (SEA-PHAGES in TCUs). Through the opportunities highlighted above, as well as collaborations with other National Science Foundation (NSF) units and other organizations, TCUP aims to increase Native individuals' participation in STEM careers and the quality of STEM programs at TCUP-eligible institutions. TCUP strongly encourages the inclusion of activities that will benefit veterans. Transformative Capacity Building Instructional Capacity Excellence in TCUP Institutions (ICE-TI) projects provide support to design, implement and assess comprehensive institutional improvements in the STEM instructional and research capacity in TCUP-eligible institutions of higher education. Successful projects are transformative in their approaches to increasing the numbers of STEM students and the quality of their preparation by strengthening STEM education and research.
Who has won Geosciences grants before
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Geosciences (47.050) awarded $5.4 billion across 7,605 grant awards, an average of $710,829 per award.
| Recipient | State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| University Corporation for Atmospheric Research | Colorado | 78 | $725 million |
| Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution | Massachusetts | 288 | $627 million |
| Texas a & M Research Foundation | Texas | 3 | $287 million |
| University of California San Diego | California | 170 | $223 million |
| The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York | New York | 160 | $193 million |
Who has won Engineering grants before
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Engineering (47.041) awarded $4.3 billion across 11,244 grant awards, an average of $385,774 per award.
| Recipient | State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia Tech Research Corp | Georgia | 193 | $106 million |
| Purdue University | Indiana | 238 | $106 million |
| Regents of the University of Michigan | Michigan | 250 | $101 million |
| University of California, San Diego | California | 114 | $96.4 million |
| The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | 59 | $80.6 million |
Who has won Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences grants before
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (47.075) awarded $1.1 billion across 4,434 grant awards, an average of $247,002 per award.
| Recipient | State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regents of the University of Michigan | Michigan | 105 | $112 million |
| National Bureau of Economic Research Inc | Massachusetts | 79 | $36.3 million |
| National Opinion Research Center | Illinois | 8 | $25.7 million |
| Arizona State University | Arizona | 88 | $20.3 million |
| Regents of the University of Minnesota | Minnesota | 44 | $16.4 million |
Applying now
This notice no longer takes applications. Apply under the newer notice, NSF 27-500, which is open now.
The notice on Grants.gov keeps its full text and attachments, which is useful for planning a resubmission.
Questions people ask
Is NSF 16-531 still open?
No. It is no longer open on Grants.gov. A newer notice is open: NSF 27-500, closes January 29, 2027 (83 days left).
Who can apply for Tribal Colleges and Universities Program?
U.S. National Science Foundation accepted applications from the applicants described in the notice. The notice adds further conditions, so read its eligibility section.
What is the deadline for Tribal Colleges and Universities Program?
Closed. Applications are no longer accepted; the program's newer notices are on this page when there are any.
How much funding is available?
Awards of up to $2.5 million each. About $11.8 million in total across about 45 awards.
Who has won Engineering grants before?
The largest recipients over five fiscal years were Georgia Tech Research Corp, Purdue University, Regents of the University of Michigan. The program made 11,244 awards worth $4.3 billion in that time.