84.015C CAANN Announcement and Notice Instructions (ANI)_FINAL 6.5.26.pdf

U.S. Department of Education in coordination with the

U.S. Department of State Centers Aligned with Areas for National Need

(CAANN) Program

Assistance Listing Number: 84.015C

FY 2026 Grant Competition Posted June 5, 2026

Contents Program Information

Eligibility

Eligible Applicants

Costs

Submission Requirements and Deadlines

Program Description

Priorities

Application Requirements

Program Requirements

Selection Criteria

Performance Measures

Reporting

Application Review Information

Definitions

Award Requirements

Application Checklist

Program Information In coordination with the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State (State), the U.S.

Department of Education (ED) is soliciting applications in support of the administration of the Centers Aligned with Areas for National Need program.

This program provides grants to institutions of higher education (IHEs) or consortia of IHEs to address one or more of the following areas of national need by teaching languages of strategic importance to the United States’ national security and economic prosperity, such as Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Hungarian, Polish, Russian, Czech, Arabic, Swahili, Hausa, Hindi, Urdu, Mandarin, Korean, Japanese, Farsi, Bahasa, Thai, and other languages;

providing instruction in fields needed to provide understanding of areas, regions, or countries in which the language is used; supporting research and training in international studies and the international and foreign language aspects of professional and other fields of study; and advancing the national

1 According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 210 hours per response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering, and maintaining the data needed, and completing and security interests of the United States by providing instruction on critical regions such as Latin America, Europe, Eurasia, Middle East, Africa, and Asia.

Assistance Listing Number: 84.015C.

Program Authority: Title VI, Part A, Section 602(a)(4) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA) (20 U.S.C.

1122(a)(4)).

OMB Control Number: 1894-00061

For Further Information: Margarita Meléndez, Telephone: 202-987-0408, Email: CAANN@ed.gov

Type of Award: Discretionary grants.

Estimated Available Funds: $70,000,000.

Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of applications, we may make additional awards in subsequent years from the list of unfunded applications from this competition.

Estimated Range of Awards: $1,200,000- $1,400,000 for the 48-month project period.

reviewing the collection of information. The obligation to respond to this collection is required to obtain or retain benefit and voluntary. Send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to ICDocketMgr@ed.gov and reference the OMB Control Number 1894-0006. Note: Please do not return completed applications to this address.

mailto:ICDocketMgr@ed.gov definitions, application requirements, and other requirements. Section 437(d)(1) of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA), however, provides ED an exemption from rulemaking requirements and regulations governing the first grant competition under a new or substantially revised program authority. This is the first grant competition for this program under Section 602(a)(4)(C)-(E) of the HEA and therefore qualifies for this exemption.

Note: This application notice and instructions is the official document governing the grant competition. ED is not bound by any estimates in this notice.

Estimated Average Size of Awards:

$1,400,000 for the 48-month project period.

Maximum Award: $1,400,000 for the 48-month project period.

Estimated Number of Awards: 50.

Project Period: Up to 48 months.

Application Deadline: July 7, 2026

Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: Under the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553), ED generally offers interested parties the opportunity to comment on proposed priorities, selection criteria, Eligibility

Eligible Applicants An institution of higher education (as defined in this notice) or a consortium of institutions of higher education is eligible to receive a grant under this part as either a comprehensive Center or undergraduate Center.

Costs Cost Sharing or Matching

This program does not require cost sharing or matching.

Supplement-Not Supplant

This program uses the waiver authority of section 437(d)(1) of GEPA for supplement-not-supplant funding requirements.

Indirect Cost Rate Information

This program uses the waiver authority of section 437(d)(1) of GEPA to limit a grantee’s indirect cost reimbursement to 8 percent of a modified total direct cost base. We are establishing this indirect cost limit for the FY 2026 grant competition and any subsequent https://www.govinfo.gov/link/uscode/5/553 https://www.govinfo.gov/link/uscode/5/553 https://www.govinfo.gov/link/uscode/20/1232 https://www.govinfo.gov/link/uscode/20/1232 https://www.govinfo.gov/link/uscode/20/1232 year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition in accordance with section 437(d)(1) of GEPA. For more information regarding indirect costs, or to obtain a negotiated indirect cost rate, please see https://www.ed.gov/about/ed-offices/ofo#Indirect-Cost-Division.

Administrative Cost Limitation

This program does not include any program-specific limitation on administrative expenses.

All administrative expenses must be reasonable and necessary and conform to Cost Principles described in 2 CFR part 200 subpart E of the Uniform Guidance.

Subgrantees

Under 34 CFR 75.708(b) and (c), a grantee under this competition may award subgrants— to directly carry out project activities described in its application—to the following types of entities: IHEs, nonprofit organizations, professional organizations, or businesses. The grantee may award subgrants to entities it has identified in the approved application or that it selects through a competition under procedures established by the grantee.

Use of Funds

Other: (a) Reasonable and Necessary Costs: Applicants must ensure that all costs included in the proposed budget are necessary and reasonable to meet the goals and objectives of the proposed project. Any costs determined by the Secretary to be unreasonable or unnecessary will be removed from the final approved budget.

Audits: (i) A non-Federal entity that expends $1,000,000 or more during the non-Federal entity's fiscal year in Federal awards must have a single or program-specific audit conducted for that year in accordance with the provisions of 2 CFR part 200. (2 CFR 200.501(a))

(ii) A non-Federal entity that expends less than $1,000,000 during the non-Federal entity's fiscal year in Federal awards is exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in 2 CFR 200.503 (Relation to Other Audit Requirements), but records must be available for review or audit by appropriate officials of the Federal agency, pass-through entity, and Government Accountability Office (GAO) (2 CFR 200.501(d)).

Submission Requirements and Deadlines

Applications Available June 5, 2026 Application Deadline July 7, 2026 Deadline for Intergovernmental Review September 4, 2026 https://www.ed.gov/about/ed-offices/ofo#Indirect-Cost-Division https://www.ed.gov/about/ed-offices/ofo#Indirect-Cost-Division https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/section-75.708%22%20/l%20%22p-75.708(b) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/section-75.708%22%20/l%20%22p-75.708(c) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.501%22%20/l%20%22p-200.501(a) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.501%22%20/l%20%22p-200.501(a) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.503 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.501%22%20/l%20%22p-200.501(d)

ED will be able to review grant applications more efficiently if we know the approximate number of applicants that intend to apply. Therefore, we strongly encourage each potential applicant to notify us of their intent to submit an application. To do so, please email the program contact person listed above with the subject line “Intent to Apply,” and include the applicant’s name and a contact person’s name and email address. Applicants that do not submit a notice of intent to apply may still apply for funding; applicants that do submit a notice of intent to apply are not bound to apply or bound by the information provided.

Applicants are required to follow the 2025 Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on August 29, 2025 (90 FR 42234) and available at ED 2025 Common Instructions.

Program Description

Priorities This notice includes four (4) Absolute Priorities and two (2) Competitive Preference Priorities. The Absolute Priorities are from section 602(a)(4)(C)-(E) of the HEA (20 U.S.C.

1122(a)(4)(C)-(E)) and the focus of the administration on world regions and languages.

Competitive Preference Priority 1 is from the Secretary’s Supplemental Priorities and Definitions on Evidence-Based Literacy, Education Choice, and Returning Education to the States (90 FR 43514) (Supplemental Priorities), published in the Federal Register on September 9, 2025. Competitive Preference Priority 2 is from the Secretary’s Supplemental Priority and Definitions on Advancing Artificial Intelligence in Education (Supplemental Priority on AI) (91 FR 18774), published in the Federal Register on April 13, 2026. All priorities that are being addressed must be identified in the Abstract Form, the Other Attachments Form (Competitive Preference Priority Narrative), and the Project Narrative section of the application.

Absolute Priorities: For Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, this priority is an Absolute Priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that meet Absolute Priorities 1 and 2. In addition, each application must identify either Absolute Priority 3 (Comprehensive Center) or Absolute Priority 4 (Undergraduate Center) for its area of focus. Each application must clearly identify the specific subset of the Absolute Priority for which a grant is submitted.

Competitive Preference Priorities: An application may receive 0 or 10 points under Competitive Preference Priority 1 and up to 10 additional points for Competitive Preference https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/08/29/2025-16571/common-instructions-and-information-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant https://https/%E2%80%8B/%E2%80%8Bwww.ecfr.gov/%E2%80%8Bcurrent/%E2%80%8Btitle-34/%E2%80%8Bpart-75/%E2%80%8Bsection-75.105%22%20/l%20%22p-75.105(c)(3)

Priority 2, for a maximum of 20 additional points under the competitive preference priorities. ED will not review or award points for a competitive preference priority if an applicant fails to clearly identify it as a competitive preference priority that it wishes ED to consider for purposes of awarding competitive preference priority points. For FY 2026, and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, these priorities are Competitive Preference Priorities.

Priority Type Priority Title Required Priority Language Points Absolute Priority (from the purposes specified in section 602(a)(4)(C)- (E)of the HEA)

Centers Creating Programs of Linkage

Yes Projects that include centers and programs for addressing areas of national need, that also seek to create one or more of the following:

(1) Programs of linkage or outreach between or among— (i)postsecondary programs or departments in foreign language, area studies, or other international fields; and (ii)State educational agencies or local educational agencies.

(2) Partnerships or programs of linkage and outreach with departments or agencies of Federal and State governments, including Federal or State scholarship programs for students in related areas.

(3) Programs of linkage or outreach with the news media, business, professional, or trade associations.

Not applicable

Absolute Priority

Projects Addressing Areas of National Need

Yes Projects that provide programs of study or instruction to address the following areas of national need identified by the Secretary:

- Area studies involving Latin America, Europe, Eurasia, Middle East, Africa, and Asia, including foreign language

Not applicable

Priority Type Priority Title Required Priority Language Points studies connected with these areas such as Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Hungarian, Polish, Russian, Czech, Arabic, Swahili, Hausa, Hindi, Urdu, Mandarin, Korean, Japanese, Farsi, Bahasa, Thai and other associated languages.

Absolute Priority

Comprehensive Center Projects

Yes – Select either AP 3 or 4

Projects or proposals that will be carried out through a Comprehensive Center, as defined in the notice (training at the graduate, professional, and undergraduate levels)

Not applicable

Absolute Priority

Undergraduate Center Projects

Yes – Select either AP 3 or 4

Projects or proposals that will be carried out through an undergraduate Center, as defined in this notice (undergraduate level only)

Not applicable

Competitive Preference Priority 1 (from the Secretary’s Supplemental Priorities (90 FR 43514))

Returning Education to the States (from SSPs)

No Projects or proposals that will be carried out by the following:

entities identified, designated, or endorsed by a Governor or chief state education official for purposes of implementing the project or proposal.

0 or 10 points

Competitive Preference Priority 2 (from the Secretary’s Supplemental Priority ((91 FR 18774)

Artificial Intelligence

No Projects or proposals that expand the appropriate use of artificial intelligence technology in education through integrating AI-driven tools into classrooms to personalize learning, improve student outcomes, and support differentiated instruction. This integration may include, but is not limited to, adaptive learning technologies, virtual teaching assistants, tutoring, and data analytics tools to support student progress.

Up to 10 points

Application Requirements Grants will be awarded to Centers that focus on—

1. A single country or on a world area identified in this notice as an area of national need – which are Latin America, Europe, Eurasia, Middle East, Africa, and Asia;

instruction in the principal language or languages of that country or area (such as Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Hungarian, Polish, Russian, Czech, Arabic, Swahili, Hausa, Hindi, Urdu, Mandarin, Korean, Japanese, Farsi, Bahasa, Thai, and other associated languages) and those disciplinary fields necessary to provide a full understanding of the country or area; and

2. Area studies involving those areas of national need including foreign language instruction; and which either

3. Provide training at the graduate, professional, and undergraduate levels, as a comprehensive Center; or

4. Undergraduate level only, as an undergraduate Center.

Under 20 USC 1122(e), each application shall include — (1) an explanation of how the activities funded by the grant will reflect diverse perspectives and a wide range of views and generate debate on world regions and international affairs; and (2) a description of how the applicant will encourage government service in areas of national need, as identified by the Secretary, as well as in areas of need in the education, business, and nonprofit sectors.

Note: The Department strongly cautions potential applicants to ensure that their response on how “activities funded by the grant will reflect diverse perspectives and a wide range of views and generate debate on world regions and international affairs” does not include unconstitutional race-based preferences or other treatment that risks violating federal civil rights laws. Please refer to U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) July 29, 2025, non-regulatory “Guidance for Recipients of Federal Funding Regarding Unlawful Discrimination,” for additional information and guidance on the application of federal anti-discrimination laws to programs or initiatives that may involve discriminatory practices.

See “Other Attachment Forms” for information on required application components including the applicant’s policy regarding non-discriminatory hiring practices, applicant’s travel policies, and submission of a group agreement (consortium agreement) if applying as a consortium.

Program Requirements

Open Licensing Requirements

Unless an exception applies, if you are awarded a grant under this competition, you will be required to openly license to the public grant deliverables created in whole, or in part, with Department grant funds. When the deliverable consists of modifications to pre-existing works, the license extends only to those modifications that can be separately identified and only to the extent that open licensing is permitted under the terms of any licenses or other legal restrictions on the use of pre-existing works. Additionally, a grantee or subgrantee that is awarded competitive grant funds must have a plan to disseminate these public grant deliverables. This dissemination plan can be developed and submitted after your application has been reviewed and selected for funding. For additional information on the open licensing requirements please refer to 2 CFR 3474.20.

Selection Criteria

For the FY 2026 CAANN competition, readers who serve on the peer review panels are selected based on their expertise in the specialized area studies, international studies, and modern foreign language(s) necessary to review, score, and rank the assigned applications in each distinct category. The Department will select applications for funding based on the ranking of each application in its distinct regional or language focus panel. However, the Department may fund out of rank-order, consistent with 34 CFR 75.217, where an application proposes activities that do not align with the program purpose, administrative priorities, or Executive Orders that will apply to the Federal award.

Selection criteria outline how the application will be scored. The following selection criteria for this program are from 75.210 and apply to applications for a comprehensive Center or an undergraduate Center. The maximum possible score an application can receive for addressing the selection criteria is 125 points. The maximum score for each criterion is included in parenthesis following the title of the specific selection criterion.

Each criterion also includes the factors that reviewers will consider in determining the extent to which an applicant meets the criterion.

Points awarded under the competitive preference priorities are in addition to any points an applicant earns for all of the selection criteria in this notice. The maximum score that an application may receive under the competitive preference priorities and the selection criteria is 145. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), an application may be awarded 0 or 10 points under competitive preference priority 1 and may receive up to 10 additional points under competitive preference priority 2. ED will not review or award points where an applicant https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-3474.20 fails to clearly identify the competitive preference priority that it wishes ED to consider for purposes of awarding competitive preference priority points.

Selection criteria are as follows:

(a) Need (10 points)

In determining the need for the proposed project, the Secretary considers one or more of the following factors:

(i) The data presented (including a comparison to local, State, regional, national, or international data) that demonstrates the issue, challenge, or opportunity to be addressed by the proposed project. (5 points)

(ii) The extent to which the proposed project demonstrates the magnitude of the need for the services to be provided or the activities to be carried out by the proposed project. (5 points)

(b) Significance. (20 points)

In determining the significance of the proposed project, the Secretary considers one or more of the following factors:

(i) The extent to which the proposed project is relevant at the national level. (10 points)

(ii) The potential contribution of the proposed project to the development and advancement of theory, knowledge, and practices in the field of study, including the extent to which the contributions may be used by other appropriate agencies, organizations, institutions, or entities. (5 points)

(iii) The importance or magnitude of the results or outcomes likely to be attained by the proposed project, especially contributions toward improving teaching practice and student learning and achievement. (5 points)

(c) Quality of the project design. (50 points)

In determining the quality of the design of the proposed project, the Secretary considers one or more of the following factors:

(i) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified, measurable, and ambitious yet achievable within the project period, and aligned with the purposes of the grant program. (12 points)

(ii) The extent to which performance feedback and formative data are integral to the design of the proposed project and will be used to inform continuous improvement. (10 points)

(iii) The extent to which the design of the proposed project reflects the most recent and relevant knowledge and practices from research and effective practice. (10 points)

(iv) The extent to which the proposed project will integrate or build on ideas, strategies, and efforts from similar external projects to improve relevant outcomes, using existing funding streams from other programs or policies supported by community, State, and Federal resources. (5 points)

(v) The applicant’s capacity (such as qualified personnel, financial resources, or management capacity), together with any project partners, to further develop and bring the proposed project effectively to scale on a national level during the grant period, based on the findings of the proposed project. (8 points)

(vi) The quality of the mechanisms the applicant will use to broadly disseminate information and resources on its project to support further development, adaptation, or replication by other entities to implement project components in additional settings or with other populations. (5 points)

(c) Adequacy of resources. (10 points)

In determining the adequacy of resources for the proposed project, the Secretary considers one or more of the following factors:

(i) The adequacy of support for the project, including facilities, equipment, supplies, and other resources, from the applicant or the lead applicant organization. (4 points)

(ii) The relevance and demonstrated commitment of each partner in the proposed project to the implementation and success of the project. (3 points)

(iii) The potential for the purposes, activities, or benefits of the proposed project to be institutionalized into the ongoing practices and programs of the applicant, agency, or organization and continue after Federal funding ends. (3 points)

(d) Quality of the management plan. (15 points)

In determining the quality of the management plan for the proposed project, the Secretary considers one or more of the following factors:

(i) The feasibility of the management plan to achieve project objectives and goals on time and within budget, including clearly defined responsibilities, timelines, and milestones for accomplishing project tasks. (10 points)

(ii) The adequacy of plans for ensuring the use of quantitative and qualitative data, including meaningful community member and partner input, to inform continuous improvement in the operation of the proposed project. (5 points)

(e) Quality of the project evaluation or other evidence-building. (20 points)

In determining the quality of the evaluation or other evidence-building, the Secretary considers one or more of the following factors:

(i) The extent to which the methods of evaluation or other evidence-building are thorough, feasible, relevant, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the proposed project. (10 points)

(ii) The extent to which the methods of evaluation or other evidence-building include the use of objective performance measures that are clearly related to the intended outcomes of the project and will produce quality data that are quantitative and qualitative. (3 points)

(iii) The extent to which the methods of evaluation or other evidence-building will provide performance feedback and provide formative, diagnostic, or interim data that is a periodic assessment of progress toward achieving intended outcomes. (4 points)

(iv) The extent to which the evaluator has the qualifications, including the relevant training, experience, and independence, required to conduct an evaluation of the proposed project, including experience conducting evaluations of similar methodology as proposed and with evaluations for the proposed population and setting. (3 points)

Performance Measures

For the purposes of evaluating the success of the CAANN program under the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 and ED reporting under 34 CFR 75.110, ED has established a set of performance measures.

Applications must describe:

The data collection and reporting methods the applicant would use and why those methods are likely to yield reliable, valid, and meaningful performance data.

The applicant’s capacity to collect and report reliable, valid, and meaningful performance data, as evidenced by high-quality data collection, analysis, and reporting in other projects or research.

Program Measure Description Program Performance Measure 1 The number of project participants who enrolled in intermediate or advanced level language courses in the priority areas as defined by the Secretary of Education during the course of the grant period.

Program Performance Measure 2 The number of project participants who completed intermediate or advanced level language courses in the priority areas as defined by the Secretary of Education during the course of the grant period.

Program Performance Measure 3 The increase in number of certificate, minor, or major degree programs in the priority area and/or foreign languages, area studies, or international fields during the course of the four-year grant period.

Program Performance Measure 4 The number of project participants active in research and training in international fields, and the international and foreign language aspects of professional and other fields of study.

Program Performance Measure 5 The number of project participants active in post-graduate employment, education, or training in areas of national need related to language and area studies knowledge.

Reporting

(a) If you apply for a grant under this competition, you must ensure that you have in place the necessary processes and systems to comply with the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 170, should you receive funding under the competition. This does not apply if you have an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b).

(b) At the end of your project period, you must submit a final performance report, including financial information, as directed by the Secretary. If you receive a multiyear award, you must submit an annual performance report that provides the most current performance and financial expenditure information as directed by the Secretary under 34 CFR 75.118.

The Secretary may also require more frequent performance reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements on reporting, please go to www.ed.gov/ fund/ grant/ apply/ appforms/ appforms.html.

Pre-Application Webinar

ED will hold a pre-application meeting via webinar for prospective applicants. For information about the pre-application webinar, visit our website at https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-170 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-170 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-170.110%22%20/l%20%22p-170.110(b) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/section-75.118 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/section-75.720%22%20/l%20%22p-75.720(c) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/section-75.720%22%20/l%20%22p-75.720(c) http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html https://www.ed.gov/grants-and-programs/grants-higher-education/international-and-foreign-language-education.

Registration

To apply, you must first be registered in two systems: SAM.gov and Grants.gov. If you are already registered, make sure your registration is active and up to date.

Grants.gov registration involves several steps, including registration on SAM.gov which may take approximately one week to complete, but could take upwards of several weeks to complete, depending upon the completeness and accuracy of the data entered into the SAM database by an applicant. You may begin working on your application while completing the registration process, but you cannot apply until all registration steps are complete. Once your SAM registration is active, it will take 24-48 hours for the information to become available in Grants.gov. For detailed information on the registration steps, please go to Grants.gov Applicant Registration. Please note that your organization will need to update its SAM registration annually.

Please note that your organization will need to update its SAM registration annually.

ED strongly recommends that you do not wait until the last day to submit your application.

Grants.gov will put a date/time stamp on your application and then process it after it is fully uploaded. If Grants.gov rejects your application, you will need to resubmit successfully to Grants.gov before 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the deadline date.

Grants.gov

You must also have an active account with Grants.gov.

To register, go to Grants.gov and click “Register.” When ready, click on “Get Registered Now” and complete the required fields.

For more information or assistance, click on “Applicant Registration Page.”

SAM.gov

You must have an active account with SAM.gov. This includes having a Unique Entity Identifier. SAM.gov registration can take several weeks. Begin that process early.

To register, go to SAM.gov and click on "Get Started."

Click on the Entity Registration Checklist for the information you will need to register in SAM.gov.

If you need help, you can call 866-606-8220 or live chat with the Federal Service Desk.

https://www.ed.gov/grants-and-programs/grants-higher-education/international-and-foreign-language-education https://www.ed.gov/grants-and-programs/grants-higher-education/international-and-foreign-language-education http://www.sam.gov/ https://grants.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration https://grants.gov/ https://grants.gov/register https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/register.faces?INITIAL_LOAD=true https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/register.faces?INITIAL_LOAD=true https://grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration https://sam.gov/ https://sam.gov/entity-registration https://sam.gov/sites/default/files/2024-11/entity-checklist.pdf https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp

You must provide the Unique-Entity ID (UEI) on your application that was used when you registered as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) on Grants.gov. This UEI is assigned to your organization in SAM at the time your organization registers in SAM. If you do not enter the UEI assigned by SAM on your application, Grants.gov will reject your application.

A Grants.gov applicant must apply online using Workspace, a shared environment in Grants.gov where members of a grant team may simultaneously access and edit different web forms within an application. The Grants.gov website contains further instructions on how to apply.

Intergovernmental Review

This is subject to Executive Order 12372 (Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs) and the regulations in 34 CFR Part 79. One of the objectives of Executive Order 12372 is to strengthen federalism – or the distribution of responsibility between localities, States, and the Federal government – by fostering intergovernmental partnerships. This idea includes supporting processes that State or local governments have developed to coordinate and review proposed Federal financial grant applications. Grant applicants need to contact State Single Points of Contact (SPOC) for information on their State’s procedures. Multi- State applicants should follow procedures specific to each state. Further information about the SPOC List and the official list of entities can be found online.

Absent specific State review programs, applicants may submit comments directly to the point of contact listed in this notice.

Verify Submission

Verify that Grants.gov received your application submission on time and that it was validated successfully. To see the date/time your application was received, log in to Grants.gov and click on the Track My Application link. For a successful submission, the date/time received should be earlier than 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time, on the deadline date, and the application status should be: Validated, Received by Agency, or Agency Tracking Number Assigned.

If the date/time received is later than 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the deadline date, your application is late. If your application has a status of “Received,” it is still awaiting validation by Grants.gov. Once validation is complete, the status will either change to “Validated” or “Rejected with Errors.” If the status is “Rejected with Errors,” your application has not been received successfully. Some of the reasons Grants.gov may reject an application can be found on the Encountering Error Messages webpage at Grants.gov.

https://www.grants.gov/applicants/grant-applications/how-to-apply-for-grants https://www.grants.gov/applicants/grant-applications/how-to-apply-for-grants https://www.ojp.gov/IntergovernmentalReviewSPOCList.pdf https://www.grants.gov/applicants/encountering-error-messages

For more detailed information on troubleshooting Adobe errors, you can review the Adobe Reader Software Tip Sheet. If you discover your application is late or has been rejected, please see the instructions below. Note: You will receive a series of confirmations both online and via e-mail about the status of your application. Please do not rely solely on e-mail to confirm whether your application has been received timely and validated successfully.

Helpful Hints When Working with Grants.gov

Please go to the Grants.gov Support Center for help with Grants.gov. For additional tips related to submitting grant applications, please refer to the Grants.gov Applicant FAQs as well as additional information on Workspace.

Submission Problems – What should you do?

If you have problems submitting to Grants.gov before the closing date, please contact Grants.gov Customer Support at 1-800-518-4726 or via email at: support@grants.gov. You may also access the Grants.gov Self- Service Knowledge Base web portal.

Application Review Information Review and Selection Process: The Secretary determines the order in which applications will be selected for grants. The Secretary may determine a minimum total score required to demonstrate a sufficient degree of excellence to receive a grant under this competition, and in allocating funds between undergraduate and comprehensive Centers. In addition, we remind potential applicants that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition, ED may consider, under 34 CFR 75.217, information outside the rank order of applications, including the information in each application; and any other information—

(a) Relevant to a criterion, priority, or other requirement that applies to the selection of applications for new grants;

(b) Concerning the applicant’s performance and use of funds under a previous award under any ED program; and

(c) Concerning the applicant’s failure under any ED program to submit a performance report or its submission of a performance report of unacceptable quality.

Before making awards, ED staff will screen applications submitted in accordance with the requirements in this notice to determine whether applications have met eligibility and other requirements, including whether an application may fail to meet the “Terms and Conditions” applicable to awarded funds referenced elsewhere within this notice. This screening process may occur at various stages of the review and selection process.

https://www.grants.gov/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility https://www.grants.gov/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility https://www.grants.gov/support https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-faqs https://www.grants.gov/applicants/workspace-overview mailto:support@grants.gov https://grants-portal.psc.gov/Welcome.aspx?pt=Grants https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/section-75.217#p-75.217(d)(3)

Applicants that are determined to be ineligible will not receive a grant, regardless of whether the application was included in the peer review process. Applications not selected for funding will be informed of the Secretary’s decision in accordance with 34 CFR 75.218.

In addition, in making a competitive grant award, ED requires various assurances including those applicable to Federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities receiving Federal financial assistance from ED (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).

Tiebreakers

If there are insufficient funds for all applications with the same total scores, the Secretary will choose among the tied applications based on the applicant’s record of placing students into postgraduate employment, education, or training in areas of national need and an applicant’s stated efforts to increase the number of such students that go into such placements.

If there are still insufficient funds for all applications with the same score, the secretary will select based on the following procedure to determine which application, or applications will receive an award:

First Tiebreaker: Under the first tiebreaker, the Secretary will select the application(s) with the highest percentage of students who are Pell grant recipients. If after implementing this tiebreaker, there are still tied applications and insufficient funding to support each application, the Secretary will implement the second tiebreaker.

Second Tiebreaker: The second tiebreaker will be the highest average score for the selection criterion “Quality of the Project Design.” If a tie remains, the third tiebreaker will be utilized.

Third Tiebreaker: The third tiebreaker will be the application(s) that promotes equitable geographic distribution of program grantees.

Definitions This competition uses the GEPA waiver to adopt the following definitions from: “areas of national need,” “area studies,” “comprehensive center,” “undergraduate center,” “educational program abroad,” and “intensive language instruction.” The following definitions are from 34 CFR 77.1: “continuous improvement,” “evaluation,” “evidence-building,” “local educational agency,” “national level,” “performance measure,” “performance target,” “project component,” “quality data,” “relevant outcome,” and “state https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/section-75.218 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/section-75.218 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/section-100.4 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/section-104.5 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/section-106.4 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/section-108.8 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/section-110.23 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/section-77.1 educational agency.” “Artificial intelligence” or “AI” has the meaning set forth in 15 U.S.C.

9401(3). “Institution of higher education” has the meaning as defined in section 631 of the

HEA (20 U.S.C. 1132).

Areas of national need means the various needs in the government, education, business, and nonprofit sectors for expertise in foreign language, area, and international studies identified by the Secretary as significant for maintaining or improving the security, stability, and economic vitality of the United States. (34 CFR §655)

Area studies means a program of comprehensive study of the aspects of a world area’s society or societies, including study of history, culture, economy, politics, international relations, and languages. (34 CFR §655)

Artificial intelligence (AI) has the meaning set forth in 15 U.S.C. 9401(3).

Comprehensive Center means an administrative unit of an eligible institution of higher education that independently or through collaboration with other administrative units—

(1) Provides intensive modern foreign language training, especially for less commonly taught languages, in the Center's area of focus;

(2) Contributes significantly to the national interest in advanced research and scholarship in the Center’s area of focus;

(3) Employs a critical mass of scholars in diverse disciplines related to the Center’s area of focus;

(4) Maintains important library collections related to the Center’s area of focus;

(5) Makes training available in language and area studies in the Center’s area of focus, to graduate, postgraduate, and undergraduate students;

(6) Addresses national needs for modern foreign language and area studies expertise and knowledge, including through, but not limited to, the placement of students into postgraduate employment, education, or training in areas of need; and

(7) Disseminates information about the Center’s area of focus to audiences in the United States. (34 CFR §656)

Undergraduate Center means a center that independently or through collaboration with other administrative units—

(1) Teaches modern foreign languages, especially less commonly taught languages, related to the Center’s area of focus;

(2) Prepares undergraduate students to matriculate into advanced modern foreign language and area studies programs and professional school programs;

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(3) Incorporates substantial content related to the Center’s area of focus into baccalaureate degree programs;

(5) Employs faculty with strong language, area, and international studies credentials related to the Center's area of focus;

(7) Makes training related to the Center’s area of focus available predominantly to undergraduate students in support of the objectives of an undergraduate education;

(8) Addresses national needs for language and area studies expertise and knowledge, including through, but not limited to, the placement of undergraduate students into postgraduate employment, education, or training in areas of need; and

(9) Disseminates information about the Center’s area of focus to audiences in the United States. (34 CFR §656)

Continuous improvement means using plans for collecting and analyzing data about a project component’s implementation and outcomes (including the pace and extent to which project outcomes are being met) to inform necessary changes throughout the project. These plans may include strategies to gather ongoing feedback from participants and stakeholders on the implementation of the project component. (34 CFR §77.1)

Educational program abroad means a program of study, internship, or service learning outside the United States that is part of a foreign language or other international curriculum at the undergraduate or graduate education level. (34 CFR §655)

Evaluation means an assessment using systematic data collection and analysis of one or more programs, policies, practices, and organizations intended to assess their implementation, outcomes, effectiveness, or efficiency (34 CFR §77.1).

Evidence-building means a systematic plan for identifying and answering questions relevant to programs and policies through performance measurement, exploratory studies, or program evaluation (34 CFR §77.1).

Institution of higher education means, in addition to institutions which meet the definition of section 101 of the HEA, institutions which meet the requirements of section 101 of the HEA except that (1) they are not located in the United States, and (2) they apply for assistance under this subchapter in consortia with institutions which meet the definition of section 101 of the HEA;

Intensive language instruction means instruction of at least five (5) contact hours per week during the academic year or the equivalent of a full academic year of language instruction during the summer. (34 CFR §655) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/subtitle-B/chapter-VI/part-655 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/section-77.1 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/section-77.1 https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/20/1001 https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/20/1001 https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/20/1001 https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/20/1001 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/subtitle-B/chapter-VI/part-655

Local educational agency, as defined in 34 CFR §77.1, means:

i. A public board of education or other public authority legally constituted within a State for either administrative control of or direction of, or to perform service functions for, public elementary or secondary schools in:

a. A city, county, township, school district, or other political subdivision of a State; or

b. Such combination of school districts or counties a State recognizes as an administrative agency for its public elementary or secondary schools; or

ii. Any other public institution or agency that has administrative control and direction of a public elementary or secondary school.

iii. As used in 34 CFR parts 400, 408, 525, 526 and 527 (vocational education programs), the term also includes any other public institution or agency that has administrative control and direction of a vocational education program.

National level means the level of scope or effectiveness of a project component that is able to be effective in a wide variety of communities, including rural and urban areas, as well as groups with different characteristics (such as socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, gender, disability, language, and migrant status), populations, and settings. (34

§CFR 77.1)

Performance measure means any quantitative indicator, statistic, or metric used to gauge program or project performance (34 CFR §77.1).

Performance target means a level of performance that an applicant would seek to meet during the course of a project or as a result of a project. (34 CFR §77.1)

Project component means an activity, strategy, intervention, process, product, practice, or policy included in a project. Evidence may pertain to an individual project component or to a combination of project components (e.g., training teachers on instructional practices for English learners and follow-on coaching for these teachers). (34 CFR 77.1)

Quality data encompasses utility, objectivity, and integrity of the information. “Utility” refers to how the data will be used, either for its intended use or other uses. “Objectivity” refers to data being accurate, complete, reliable, and unbiased. “Integrity” refers to the protection of data from being manipulated. (34 CFR §77.1)

Relevant outcome means the student outcome(s) or other outcome(s) the key project component is designed to improve, consistent with the specific goals of the program. (34

§CFR 77.1)

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State educational agency means the State board of education or other agency or officer primarily responsible for the supervision of public elementary and secondary schools in a State. In the absence of this officer or agency, it is an officer or agency designated by the Governor or State law (34 CFR §77.1).

Award Requirements Terms and Conditions

If you are awarded a grant under this competition, you must ensure and may be required to demonstrate that federal funds will not be used under this project in any manner that violates the United States Constitution, Title VI or Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000d et seq. or 42 U.S.C. 2000e et seq.), Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.), section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. 794), the Age Discrimination Act of 1975 (42 U.S.C. 6101 et seq.), Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12131 et seq.), the Boy Scouts of America Equal Access Act of 2001 (20 U.S.C. 7905), section 117 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (20 U.S.C. 1011f), or other applicable federal law. To the extent that a grantee uses grant funds for such unallowable activities, ED may take appropriate enforcement action including the potential recovery of funds or may pursue termination or non-continuation.

Please note the provisions of Executive Orders 14151, 14168, 14173, and 14190 as well as the U.S.