Understanding Trauma and Strength in Indigenous Communities
Official title: Indigenous Trauma & Resilience Research Center
Funded at University of North Dakota · NIH-11109385 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This center helps us understand how historical trauma and community strengths affect the health of American Indian and Alaska Native people, particularly in the Dakotas.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of North Dakota NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Grand Forks, United States) |
| Project start | March 1, 2021 |
| Project end | February 28, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $780,024 |
| NIH project number | 5P20GM139759-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11109385 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This research is focused on understanding the health experiences of American Indian and Alaska Native individuals, particularly those in the Dakotas.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not part of American Indian or Alaska Native communities may not directly benefit from this specific research.
What this research studies
This center is being established to address serious health conditions like addiction, posttraumatic stress disorder, and chronic diseases that disproportionately affect American Indian and Alaska Native communities, especially in the Dakotas. We want to understand how historical experiences and the loss of Tribal members have impacted health over generations. Researchers will explore how historical stress and resilience relate to biological health, the effects of boarding school attendance on stress and well-being, and the broader connection between stress and health in American Indian individuals. The goal is to identify both the challenges and the powerful protective factors, like Tribal connectedness, that promote resilience.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to better ways to support the health and well-being of American Indian and Alaska Native communities by understanding and strengthening their resilience.
How similar studies have gone: While the specific combination of projects is novel, there is existing research on the health impacts of historical trauma and the importance of cultural resilience in Indigenous populations.
Where this research is happening
-
University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Steele, Joel Summer — University of North Dakota
- Study coordinator: Steele, Joel Summer
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.