The Collier Report of U.S. Government Contracting

Sampling of Federal Government Funding Actions/Set Asides

In order by amount of set aside monies.

• $149,147 - Tuesday the 9th of February 2016
  National Aeronautics And Space Administration
  NASA SHARED SERVICES CENTER
  THIS PROPOSAL ADDRESSES THE NEED TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF NATIVE AMERICANS WHO PURSUE AND EXCEL IN ADVANCED COURSES AND CAREERS IN STEM SUBJECTS. NAVAJO TECHNICAL COLLEGE (NTC), IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY NATIONAL CENTER FOR ADVANCED MANUFACTURING (NCAM), INTENDS TO STRENGTHEN EXISTING STEM (SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS) CURRICULUM AND INCREASE THE NUMBER OF UNDERREPRESENTED AND UNDERSERVED NATIVE AMERICANS PURSUING STEM DEGREES AT THE UNDERGRADUATE LEVEL, INCREASE THE COMPLETION RATES OF STUDENTS ENROLLED IN STEM PROGRAMS, AND STRENGTHEN TEACHER PREPARATION IN THESE AREAS SO THAT THEY WILL BE BETTER EQUIPED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF STUDENTS ENROLLED IN THESE PROGRAMS. WE ALSO INTEND TO DISSEMINATE INFORMATION ABOUT NTC##S UNIQUE STEM PROGRAMS AND CURRICULUM APPROACH WHICH HAS PROVEN SUCCESSFUL IN PREPARING STUDENTS AND FACULTY FOR GRADUATE STUDY AND EMPLOYMENT IN THE STEM WORKFORCE, SO THAT OTHER TRIBAL INSTITUTIONS MAY BENEFIT FROM OUR LESSONS LEARNED. NTC HAS JUST COMPLETED THE ACCREDITATION PROCESS AND IS NOW OFFERING A BACCALAUREATE OF APPLIED SCIENCE IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY WHICH FOCUSES ON THE DIGITAL MANUFACTURING TRACK. NTC HAS BEGUN TO INCORPORATE THE LASER SCANNING TECHNOLOGY INTO OTHER AREAS OF THE SCHOOL SUCH AS THE GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND THE GEOGRAPHICAL ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY DEGREE PROGRAMS. THE COMPUTER DEPARTMENT IS WORKING WITH THE CAD PROGRAM TO HELP WITH DATA MANAGEMENT. WE PROPOSE TO INCREASE COMPETENCY BY PROVIDING TECHNICAL TRAINING FOR NTC FACULTY AT LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY (LSU) NATIONAL CENTER FOR ADVANCED MANUFACTURING LOUISIANA PARTNERSHIP IN THE DELIMA, INVENTOR, LATTICE TECHNOLOGIES, AND MAYA SIMULATION SOFTWARE PACKAGES. FUNDING WILL ENABLE NAVAJO INSTRUCTORS TO INCORPORATE THESE PROGRAMS INTO THEIR CURRICULUM AND THEREBY INCREASE COMPETENCIES SO THAT GRADUATING STUDENTS ARE EQUIPPED TO MEET CURRENT INDUSTRY WORKFORCE NEEDS IN STEM FIELDS. THESE CURRICULUM IMPROVEMENTS WILL ALSO ASSIST THE COLLEGE IN ITS QUEST FOR ITS MASTERS ACCREDITATION IN ENGINEERING. NCAM IS A PARTNERSHIP OF GOVERNMENT, ACADEMIA AND INDUSTRY FULFILLING THE TECHNOLOGY NEEDS OF AEROSPACE AND COMMERCIAL MARKETS IN THE AREA OF COMPOSITES MANUFACTURING AND TECHNOLOGIES. NTC PLANS TO LEVERAGE THE CENTER##S COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH-EDUCATIONAL-INDUSTRIAL ASSOCIATIONS AND STRENGTHEN OUR CURRENT CURRICULUM BY INFUSING ENTREPRENEURSHIP INTO OUR EXISTING STEM COURSEWORK SO THAT STUDENTS ARE BETTER PREPARED FOR GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT IN TODAY##S CHALLENGING WORK CLIMATE. WE ALSO INTEND TO PREPARE STUDENTS FOR WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENTS BY ENGAGING STUDENTS IN THE CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT AND REVIEW PROCESSES AND PEER-TO-PEER MENTORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES. THIS PROPOSAL FOCUSES ON STRENGTHENING AND INSTITUTIONALIZING PERMANENT CONNECTIONS BETWEEN TRIBAL COLLEGES AND LEADING RESEARCHERS, THEREBY ALLOWING NASA TO MEET THE EMERGING EDUCATIONAL NEEDS OF ITS INDUSTRIES. CURRICULUM REFORM IS BEING UNDERTAKEN USING A PROJECT-BASED LEARNING APPROACH. OUR OVERARCHING GOAL IS TO ENSURE THAT TRIBAL STUDENTS GRADUATE WITH A SKILL SET THAT WILL BEST POSITION THEM TO OBTAIN GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT IN 21ST CENTURY INDUSTRY NEEDS. NASA INTERNSHIPS HAVE PROVIDED OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR RESERVATION-BASED MINORITY STUDENTS TO FAMILIARIZE THEMSELVES WITH THE CULTURE AND DAY-TO-DAY ACTIVITIES OF NASA CENTERS. FOR MOST OF THESE STUDENTS THEIR INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCES AT NASA CENTERS ARE THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY THEY HAVE WITH SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS OFF THE RESERVATION. OUR MANAGEMENT TEAM INCLUDES A CONSORTIUM OF HIGHER EDUCATION SPECIALISTS AND NASA AND THE NAVAJO NATION CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT AND ASSESSMENT SPECIALISTS. ALL OUR EFFORTS CULTIVATE SUSTAINABILITY AS WELL AS OPPORTUNITIES TO EXCHANGE INFORMATION ON EMERGING EDUCATIONAL PRIORITIES WITHIN THE TRIBAL COMMUNITIES AND NASA. EVALUATION PERMEATES THE PROJECT; AND PROGRESSIONS AND LESSONS LEARNED WILL BE SHARED WITH THE NASA E/PO COMMUNITY.

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