The Social Science Research component (SSR) aims to examine: (1) the personal, relational, and collective experiences of Native American STEM Faculty that enhance or inhibit their professional development and career advancement; (2) underlying institutional issues impacting the advancement and promotion of Native American STEM Faculty in academia; (3) Native American STEM Faculty approaches and strategies to increase their promotion and advancement in academia; (4) environmental differences in how support is provided to Native American STEM Faculty between Tribal Colleges and non-Tribal Colleges; and (5) establish a comparison of Native American STEM Faculty experiences with professional development, promotion, and advancement with non- Native American STEM Faculty after an examination of the climate of STEM departments at all three alliance institutions.

The multidisciplinary team uses a mixed methods Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) design, resulting in culturally-attuned practices replicable at a range of institutions.