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Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Pledges $100,000 to American Indian College Fund for Tribal College Faculty Fellowships in Natural Science, Mathematics and Engineering Fields

Denver, Colorado – April 5, 2010 – The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation has announced it is granting $100,000, or $50,000 in 2010 and another $50,000 in 2011, to the American Indian College Fund. The purpose of the grant is to provide two fellowships to tribal college faculty pursuing their doctoral degrees in the natural science, mathematics, and engineering fields. As part of the program, the foundation will also fund a retreat, direct recruiting, and fellow outreach to ensure the participants’ success.

Richard B. Williams, American Indian College Fund President and CEO, said “As we see the number of Native students entering the STEM fields growing, we need well-educated faculty at our tribal colleges to ensure that Native students get the best possible education so that they can succeed both in degree attainment and in their careers. This generous gift from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation will help us achieve this goal. We are delighted that are supporting the education of American Indian faculty in these fields.”

Dr. Ted Greenwood, Program Director for the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, said, “It is important to the education of American Indian students that the mathematics and science faculty of tribal colleges and universities be well educated and fully credentialed.  The Sloan Foundation, therefore, is pleased to partner with the American Indian College Fund to help tribal college faculty complete their Ph.D.s in these disciplines.”

About the American Indian College Fund

With its credo “Educating the Mind and Spirit,” the Denver-based American Indian College Fund is the nation’s largest provider of private scholarships for American Indian students, providing more than 5,000 scholarships annually for students seeking to better their lives and communities through education at the nation’s 33 accredited tribal colleges and universities. For more information about the American Indian College Fund or to make a donation, visit www.collegefund.org.