two students taking samples in a conifer forest meadow

Graduate School

Indigenous Students

On this page, you'll find helpful resources, information about the Indigenous Graduate Student Association, the Food Sovereignty Scholarship, and the SIGP Application. 

Students participating in a powwow

Finding Your Stride

These resources are intended to assist in indigenous student success in their graduate academic program by providing relevant information focusing on campus resources, scholarship opportunities, law resources as well as educational resources. For more on campus resources, please visit American Indian Student Services.

Available Resources

  • The University of Montana SIGP Program

    The UM SIGP Program was established in the fall of 2005. Indigenous (Native American, Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian – U.S. Citizenship) graduate students pursuing degrees in STEM at The University of Montana are eligible to apply for the scholarship program established by the A.P. Sloan Foundation. The UM SIGP Program is intended to increase the number of Indigenous Americans earning master’s and doctoral degrees in STEM disciplines. Dr. Aaron Thomas, Director of Indigenous Research and STEM Education, is the principal investigator of the UM SIGP program.

    The UM SIGP program provides supplemental funding to selected graduate students on a competitive basis. The amount for master’s level students is $20,000 over the duration of their program. Doctoral students are awarded $40,000 over the duration of their program. In addition to the supplemental funding, students may be offered tuition waivers, faculty mentoring, and academic support services through The University of Montana Graduate School.

    The program has attracted an extraordinary group of Indigenous American graduate students who are pursuing degrees in the natural sciences. Among our students, research has ranged from wild rice, black bears, white bark pine trees, fish, neurology, water, buffalo, toxic dumping, to many other areas close to the heart of indigenous peoples.

    If you are an Indigenous American who is interested in a graduate degree in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM), we are very interested in talking with you. We believe you will see that the UM SGIP program can offer you a unique opportunity to earn your graduate degree. Not only will you be given the opportunity for financial support, you will also have access to top faculty here on campus and the chance to connect with other Indigenous Americans pursuing graduate degrees.

    Montana University System SIGP Program Overview

    Since November 2001, the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME) has been proud to partner with the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation in managing two innovative graduate scholarship programs focusing on increasing the number of underrepresented American minorities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) graduate programs. The Sloan Indigenous Graduate Partnership (SIGP), initiated in 2003 through a partnership between the University of Arizona and the Sloan Foundation, was expanded in the fall of 2005 to include the participation of select faculties and departments at The University of Montana (Missoula, MT) and Montana Tech of The University of Montana (Butte, MT). In 2012, the Montana University System (MUS) SIGP program was expanded again to include students and faculty at Montana State University (Bozeman, MT). The Partnership now includes the three MUS schools, University of Arizona, Purdue University, and the University of Alaska at Anchorage and Fairbanks.

     UM SIGP Students (past and present)

    UM SIGP Students (past and present)

    Kodi Augare

    Florence (Flo) Gardipee

    Chauncey Means

    Daniela Aranda Caro

    John Gilham

    Jada Molton

    Kirsten Barnett

    Vernon Grant

    Chelsea Morales

    Donald Belile

    Celina Gray

    Michael O'Brien

    Nicole Benally

    Kristen Green

    Sierra Paske

    Anthony (Tony) Berthelote

    Jennifer Harrington

    Kim Paul

    Meredith Berthelson

    Aislinn Heavy-Runner Rioux

    Clarice Pina

    Daniel Bird

    Katie Hoffman

    Michael Powell

    Michael Ceballos

    Harold Kihega

    Michael Price

    Jackson Chief Elk

    Cierra Keith

    Jeffrey Ross

    Shelby Cole

    Brandon Kittson

    Wendy Running Crane

    Kelly Crispen

    Michel Kohl

    Casey Ryan

    Kenneth Edmo

    Karly Law

    Ruth Short Bull

    Kari Eneas

    Moses Leavens

    Robin Stewart

    Leanne Falcon

    Martin Lorenzo

    Rachel Smith

    Ren Freeman

    Roger MadPlume

    Ronalda Tsosie

    Sattie Fisher

    Josh Marceau

    Sarah Twoteeth
     

    UM SIGP Eligibility Criteria

    A scholarship applicant must be accepted into a qualifying science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) program. A primary research advisor must be identified, and each UM SIGP applicant must have a teaching assistantship (TA) or research assistantship (RA) as defined by the UM TARA policy.

    Explanation or evidence of indigenous affiliation (U.S. citizenship) required.

    Qualifying STEM Programs:

    • Biological Sciences

    • Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences

    • Chemistry

    • Computer Science

    • Forest Management

    • Geosciences

    • Geography

    • Mathematical Sciences

    • Environmental Studies (Scientific Concentration Only)

    • Anthropology (Archeology and Forensic Anthropology Only)

    SIGP Application

    To apply for the UM SIGP, fill out the application. You can view the application deadline and access the application form. Thank you for your interest in the UM SIGP and The University of Montana.

    Contact Information

    Please contact Aaron Thomas (email Aaron.thomas@umontana.edu or phone 243-2052) if you have any questions or need more information.

  • Funding opportunities from UM HHMI Coalition for Indigenous STEM project:

    • Tribal Hometown Visit: For Native graduate students in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) to have their non-Indigenous advisor to go visit their hometown to develop more holistic understanding about where the Indigenous STEM graduate student comes from and their culture contexts. Details and application site is available on the CIS Hometown Visits webpage.

    • Childcare Assistance: The CIS is actively working on opening our own culturally sustaining childcare space on or near UM campus. It’s unclear how/when that will be a possibility. Meantime, the project is offering childcare assistance to a limited number of students who are established with childcare provider. More information and how to apply can be found on the CIS Childcare Assistance webpage.

    • Emergency housing basic needs scholarship information can be found on the CIS Emergency Support Fund webpage.