Collaborating With the Office of Tribal Relations

Collaborating with the Office of Tribal Relations

The Office of Tribal Relations (OTR) is available to assist on all projects and research that involve Tribal Nations. The OTR will assist to:

1. Provide opportunities to engage and collaborate with Tribal Nations;
2. Review research and projects to assure that Tribal Protocols are being properly respected and adhered to;
3. Review research and projects for Tribal culturally appropriate goals, objectives and outcomes;
4. Provide Cultural Competency Training for researchers, interns and graduate students working within Tribal communities; and
5. Provide assistance in Tribal Resource Referral.

All members of the University of Idaho community, including faculty, staff and students, developing research, proposals, programming, and outreach with Tribal communities should be prepared to work with the OTR. At a minimum, University representatives should have a preliminary meeting with OTR to discuss any proposed research or project involving Tribal Nations and to provide an initial outline on the project to OTR.

The University OTR will serve as the initial point of contact for University faculty, staff and students on all activities involving Tribal Nations. The OTR will assist with contacting the proper Tribal authorities and stakeholders for research and project proposals. The OTR will be available to identify whether a research topic or project may implicate critical culturally sensitive information or other areas that may raise tribal concerns. The review processes of the OTR are to aid researchers in developing collaborative beneficial proposals and projects in furtherance of the University commitment to Tribal Nation partnerships.

Preliminary Considerations

The Office of Tribal Relations will request that potential researchers engage the following considerations in seeking research activities, projects or outreach with Tribal Nations. For the initial meeting with the OTR, potential researchers should be prepared to discuss the following.

• Where will the research/activities be conducted? Will the research/activities be located on or near tribally-owned lands?
• Is there an Authorized Tribal Representative working in collaboration with the project? Have the relevant Tribal laws, research protocols, and guidelines been reviewed prior to proceeding with the proposed research/activities? Is assistance required to identify the relevant tribal documents?
• If other Tribal Representatives have been contacted, will they assist with contacting the Tribal Council for authorization of the proposed research/activities? Has the Tribal Council, or if available the Tribal Research Department, been contacted to seek collaboration and approval for the proposed research/activities? Has a proper Tribal Resolution or other documentation been provided on the research/activities?
• Does the proposed research/activities involve Traditional Knowledge, cultural customs or practices? Has there been a discussion on whether the research/activities are culturally relevant to the tribal community with Tribal Representatives?
• Does the proposed research/activities involve human participants?
• What is the proposed funding source(s) for the research/activities (Tribal, Federal, State, Non-Profit or Organization, etc.)? Have these considerations been reviewed for the funding requirements?
• What methodology will be employed? What data collection will be required? Will there be an initial review of data collection by Tribal partners prior to University researcher review? What will be the storage mechanism for information collected?
• What will be the end product of the research/activities? What will be the ownership or ownership interests in the product?
• Will the research/activities result in publication?

In the preliminary meeting with the OTR, potential researchers may request assistance on any and all of the above considerations. During the preliminary meeting, the OTR will assist the potential researcher(s) with other University processes necessary for approval. These processes may include: the Office of Sponsored Programs, the Office of Research Assurances, the University General Counsel's Office, and the University Accounting Office.