First established in 1971, Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI) in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is one of two tribal colleges that the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) operates and funds. SIPI offers a variety of certificate and two-year associate's degree programs, but its primary curricular focus remains the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. Pre-engineering, computer-aided drafting and design, network management, geospatial information technology, and natural resources are among the programs available at SIPI. SIPI's operating budget falls under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of the Interior, which in turn is subject to the congressional appropriations process. Recent political gridlock at the federal level has led to appropriations disputes, leaving SIPI with a lean and uncertain budget that covers little more than basic operations. Nevertheless, due to the work of dedicated faculty and a handful of large grants from NASA and the National Science Foundation, SIPI has developed state-of-the-art programs in engineering and engineering technology.