Congratulations to Stephanie Rainie (Ahtna Athabascan), NNI’s Associate Director and Manager, Tribal Health Program, who is part of two projects that recently received competitive federal funds.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded $499,006 over four years to the project “Networking Indigenous Arctic and U.S. Southwest Communities on Knowledge Co-Production in Data Sciences”, which will focus on the creation of a research network among Arctic and U.S. Southwest Indigenous groups focused on food security and Indigenous food sovereignty. In person and through other forms of communication, members will discuss best practices and challenges as they work to achieve food sovereignty during rapid social and environmental changes. Colleen Strawhacker, of the National Snow and Ice Data Center at the University of Colorado-Boulder is lead principal investigator. Rainie is a co-principal investigator and will lead network discussions about data sovereignty as it relates to food sovereignty. NNI Research Analyst Mary Beth Jäger (Citizen Potawatomi) will assist Rainie on the project.

Also this fall, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) renewed its funding to the Climate Assessment for the Southwest (CLIMAS) program at the University of Arizona with a five-year $3.75 million award. Rainie partners with CLIMAS to advocate for data sovereignty as Indigenous people in the Southwest work to adapt and innovate within the region’s climate. Further information on CLIMAS and the NOAA grant is available here.