# Bridging Arizona Native American Students to Bachelor's Degrees

> **NIH NIH R25** · NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $174,111

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
The objective of the proposed project is to increase the transfer of Native American students from
accredited 2-year degree-granting institutions with historically high Native American student enrollments
to baccalaureate degree programs in biomedical and behavioral sciences with the ultimate goal to assist
these students in attaining their baccalaureate degrees. The program resides at Northern Arizona
University (NAU), located in Flagstaff, AZ and is centered on a summer research experience for Native
American students from Diné College (DC, the first established and one of the largest tribal college in the
United States) and Coconino Community College (CCC, a community college located in Flagstaff).
During the past five years, the program has supported 42 Native American students; of these 15
students have transferred to NAU or other 4-year institutions with four students earning or 36% of the 42
Bridges students. Our goal in the next funding cycle is to improve this percentage to 75% transfer rates
of the students participating in the program. Programmatic modifications are proposed for the next
funding cycle guided by the evaluation from the previous cycle. The program combines a summer
program for the students to participate in a faculty mentored research experience as well as enrolling in
HS299, a three-credit course focused on science communication. Additionally, the program offers
workshops throughout the summer on topics ranging from transferring to NAU to resume development to
research training grants at NAU. During the academic year, research and professional development is
provided to Bridges alumni at CCC and DC. In 2008, NAU and CCC began a transfer program called
CCC2NAU which provides a seamless transition for students at CCC to NAU by matriculating in both
institutions with shared resources for the students. In February 2016, a memorandum of understanding
was signed between NAU and DC to establish the DC2NAU program; the NAU Bridges program played
a significant role in the DC2NAU program. Part of NAU’s strategic plan, is to provide a university climate
and culture that enhance the academic experiences of Native American students, staff, and faculty
including improving the recruitment, retention, and progress of Native American students with the goal of
graduating these students with baccalaureate and graduate degrees. An important part of the NAU
strategic plan is to expand partnerships with tribal colleges to enhance opportunities for Native American
students to continue their education. NAU’s geographic location is ideal for this mission since Flagstaff is
considered a border town for the Navajo and Hopi Nations and near the White River Apache and
Hualapai Nations. With such a strong commitment to Native American students and an excellent
geographic location with respect to a number of tribal lands, the NAU Bridges to Baccalaureate program
plays a key role in Arizona in partnering with 2-year institutio...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10016334
- **Project number:** 5R25GM102788-08
- **Recipient organization:** NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Alvin Altamirano
- **Activity code:** R25 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $174,111
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2012-09-15 → 2022-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10016334

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10016334, Bridging Arizona Native American Students to Bachelor's Degrees (5R25GM102788-08). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10016334. Licensed CC0.

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