Cultivating Indigenous Research Communities for Leadership in Education and STEM (CIRCLES)
Cultivating Indigenous Research Communities for Leadership in Education and STEM at University of Idaho focuses on creating the conditions in which Indigenous STEM is recognized within academic institutions. CIRCLES seeks to cultivate leaders and teachers able to engage Indigenous STEM in integrated and holistic ways within formal and non-formal contexts of learning. CIRCLES works to engage faculty and institutions understand and contribute to Tribal Nation building efforts in all STEM areas. To create conditions where Indigenous STEM can thrive, CIRCLES Idaho:
- Is guided by an Advisory Committee of tribal representatives who have expertise in Indigenous education and university-tribal research partnerships.
- Developed an interdisciplinary graduate certificate that supports interdisciplinary and Indigenous research, Certificate for Indigenous Research and Education.
- Is developing a faculty Nation Building Institute for reciprocal University-Tribal Nation partnerships in research and education.
- Is contributing to the direction of the Center for Indigenous Research and Education (CIRE), an institutional space for the sustained work realized in projects such as CIRCLES.
The U of I project supports two cohorts of graduate students attaining their graduate degrees in interdisciplinary degrees in STEM education. Researchers seek to understand how furthering critical conversations about the interdisciplinary nature of knowledge and our relationships with environments contribute to higher education re-thinking curriculum and faculty awareness of Native peoples and lands.
The University of Idaho works together with the CIRCLES project Alliance, a six states initiative consisting of Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. Formed in 2020 with support from NSF’s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (#2038371) and INCLUDES programs (#2217344), the CIRCLES Alliance, through research and collaboration with tribal communities, aims to inform educational institutions and the NSF in Indigenous cultural understanding and humility and to shift approaches toward Indigenous education.
Questions? Contact us or see our FAQ below.
1 of 18: CIRCLES scholars taking a break on the beach during a day-trip on the Snake River
2 of 18: CIRCLES scholars learning about watershed restoration in the Payette National Forest
3 of 18: CIRCLES scholar examining native plants in the Payette National Forest
4 of 18: CIRCLES scholars engaging in a place-based learning workshop at Ponderosa State Park
5 of 18: CIRCLES scholars engaging in a place-based learning workshop at Ponderosa State Park
6 of 18: CIRCLES and IKEEP students counting huckleberry plants at Ponderosa State Park
7 of 18: CIRCLES scholars and faculty learning about watershed restoration in the Payette National Forest
8 of 18: CIRCLES scholars engaging in a workshop at the McCall Field Campus
9 of 18: CIRCLES scholar sharing artwork created as part of workshop activity
10 of 18: CIRCLES and IKEEP students counting huckleberry plants at Ponderosa State Park
11 of 18: CIRCLES scholars rafting on the Snake River
12 of 18: CIRCLES scholars taking a break on the beach during a day-trip on the Snake River
13 of 18: CIRCLES scholars sharing their research project at the 2024 Tribal Research Summit hosted by the Office of Tribal Relations at UI
14 of 18: CIRCLES scholars sharing their research project at the 2024 Tribal Research Summit hosted by the Office of Tribal Relations at UI
15 of 18: CIRCLES scholars sharing their research project at the 2024 Tribal Research Summit hosted by the Office of Tribal Relations at UI
16 of 18: CIRCLES scholars sharing their research project at the 2024 Tribal Research Summit hosted by the Office of Tribal Relations at UI
17 of 18: CIRCLES scholars taking a break on the beach during a day-trip on the Snake River
18 of 18: CIRCLES scholars sharing their research project at the 2024 Tribal Research Summit hosted by the Office of Tribal Relations at UI
CIRCLES FAQ
The 13-credit certificate sequence prepares students to work and design at the intersections of natural resources, social and cultural well-being, and enhancing learning settings to address epistemological diversities. There is a need for increased graduate preparation to build capacity among both Tribal and non-Tribal citizens to develop an integrated understanding and application of Native American law, educational philosophies, and integrated natural resource management. This certificate will prepare Indigenous and non-Indigenous graduates to engage in research informed by Indigenous and relational methodologies that can assess and address contemporary social and environmental challenges.
The Faculty Nation Building Institute (FNBI) means to build capacity for higher education faculty and staff to contribute to Indigenous driven research goals. This initiative was launched in Spring 2025 and will be repeated in 2026 with the participation of University of Idaho cohorts. Faculty cohorts will be invited to attend a workshop series where they will build skills for seeing and supporting Indigenous students and Indigenous knowledge in courses and research practices. They will also learn how to ethically engage in research with communities.
In addition to the CIRCLES program supporting and mentoring students while they engage in independent research projects, scholars contribute as a member of our research team to a qualitative research study that uses collaborative autoethnography. This study examines the impacts of Indigenous-centered research training while seeking to engage in relational and community-driven STEM and education research. Findings will add a multidisciplinary lens to understanding how students and faculty co-produce institutional changes in research apprenticeships and curriculum. Findings from student and faculty experiences will help educational institutions to identify barriers and foster joint engagement to improve the experiences of Native people and communities in higher education.
At this time, we are not recruiting additional cohorts. The CIRCLES team is engaged in deep research and evaluation of the initiatives that have been implemented in the first three years of the grant.
While the team is currently evaluating the certificate as it's two cohorts of CIRCLES scholars are moving through the course sequence, it has not announced when open enrollment will be made for University of Idaho graduate students. Please reach out to Crissy Oliver at coliver@uidaho.edu if you have questions or would like to stay informed of when open enrollment will be launched.
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under cooperative agreement EES 2217344. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.