FARGO, N.D. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp, a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, announced a $2.6 million dollar federal grant to United Tribes Technical College (UTTC) to establish an Intertribal Research and Resource Center (IRRC) with the goal of addressing community needs and improve the sustainability of natural resources and agricultural sustainability in Indian Country.

“The tribal colleges and universities across North Dakota are important resources for students from across Indian Country to gain an education that will help them grow and succeed,” said Heitkamp. “UTTC in Bismarck is one of these important institutions that has proven to set students on the path to success with new research and development that takes place right on campus. These federal funds will support UTTC’s efforts to establish a research center that will help tribal communities meet their needs.”

These federal funds are made available through the National Science Foundation’s Tribal Colleges and Universities Program. This federal grant is expected to continue through 2023 with an additional $900,000 in federal funds expected to be made available.

Heitkamp has been a staunch advocate for tribal colleges and universities. In May, Heitkamp worked to pass legislation that granted a waiver to UTTC allowing the school to continue to participate in the Federal Pell Grant Program which is critical for helping low-income students afford a higher education. Should UTTC have lost its ability to participate in the Pell Grant Program it would have significantly impacted their ability to operate. In February she led a bipartisan group of Senators to recognize the week of February 11, 2018 as National Tribal Colleges and Universities Week. This recognition highlights the unique and critically important role these institutions of higher education play in supporting students from Indian Country.