National Resource Centers Program for Foreign Language and Area Studies or Foreign Language and International Studies Program and Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship Program
Active
- Assistance listing
- 84.015
- Agency
-
Office of Postsecondary Education
Department of Education
- Grant awards
- 1,625 $1,170,303,646 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Also known as
- National Resource Centers Program and Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships
- Assistance type
-
- Project Grant
- Treasury account
-
- 91-0201-0-1-502
- More information
Program details come from SAM.gov Assistance Listings. Updated . Grant award figures come from USAspending.gov.
About this program
The Department of Education Office of Postsecondary Education administers the National Resource Centers Program for Foreign Language and Area Studies (CFDA 84.015), which funds the establishment and operation of university-based centers teaching modern foreign languages combined with area studies, international studies, and foreign language aspects of professional fields, alongside fellowships for undergraduate and graduate students pursuing language training with regional expertise—most recently awarding grants on August 15, 2023.
This program funds two primary activities: comprehensive and undergraduate centers providing instruction in modern foreign languages, world regions, international studies, and issues in world affairs; and Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) fellowships supporting meritorious students in academic-year and summer study combining language training with area or international studies. Recent awards reflect geographic diversity across regional centers—Middle East studies, African studies, South Asian studies, East Asian studies, Southeast Asian studies, European studies, Latin American and Caribbean studies—each paired with fellowship allocations. Centers operate for up to 48 months and must submit annual performance reports in years two through four for continued funding.
The program is heavily concentrated in the Department of Education Office of Postsecondary Education, which obligated $1.13 billion across 1,583 awards; a smaller Department of Education tranche obligated $39.7 million across 42 awards. All funding takes the form of Project Grants. The portfolio spans 1,625 total awards since 2001, with uneven recent cadence: 210 awards in 2022 and 202 in 2018, but only 15 in 2023 and 4 in 2020. The combined federal and non-federal share totals $1.18 billion, indicating minimal cost-share requirements.
Recent awards cluster in the $500 thousand to $1 million range. Representative 2023 grants include $663,738 to support the Center for Middle Eastern Studies National Resource Center and FLAS fellowships, $536,930 to the Center for South Asian Studies for both center and fellowship operations, and $528,808 to support the Center for African Studies. The program actively funds consortial arrangements; multiple University of Wisconsin centers operate across regions.
A current solicitation (ED-GRANTS-060526-001, due July 7, 2026) invites applications under the Centers Aligned with Areas for National Need (CAANN) program (84.015C) targeting languages and regions of strategic national importance—including Spanish, Arabic, Mandarin, Hindi, Urdu, and others—with instruction on Latin America, Europe, Eurasia, Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Eligible applicants are higher education institutions or consortia. Earlier posted opportunities from December 2021 (84.015A and 84.015B) for the core NRC and FLAS programs have closed.
Objective and description
- Objective
Centers: To promote instruction in modern foreign languages and area and international studies that are critical to national needs by supporting the establishment, strengthening and operation of such programs at colleges and universities. Centers m
- Description
Centers: To promote instruction in modern foreign languages and area and international studies that are critical to national needs by supporting the establishment, strengthening and operation of such programs at colleges and universities. Centers may focus on undergraduate training only or may be comprehensive, including undergraduate, graduate, and professional training components. Fellowships: To meet the needs of the United States for experts in modern foreign languages combined with area studies and world affairs by supporting fellowships for undergraduate and graduate study at institutions of higher education.
Eligibility
- Applicant eligibility
Centers: U.S. institutions of higher education or consortia of institutions of higher education are eligible to apply. Applying institutions provide evidence of existing resources and institutional commitment to language and area and international studies through a curriculum that provides instruction dealing with a particular country or world area and its languages, or with international studies and modern foreign languages, including the international aspects of professional or other fields of study. Fellowships: Accredited U.S. institutions of higher education or consortia of institutions of higher education offering area or international studies programs combined with language study are eligible to apply for allocations of fellowships.
- Beneficiary eligibility
Centers: U.S. institutions of higher education or consortia of institutions of higher education will benefit. Fellowships: Undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in funded centers and programs will benefit. Student candidates must be U.S. citizens or nationals or permanent residents training in area or international studies and in modern foreign languages programs that have or are developing performance-based language instruction. Undergraduate students must be engaged in intermediate level study or advanced study of a less commonly taught language. Training must be undertaken through an institution that has an allocation of Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships.
- Uses of assistance
Centers: Funds may be used for instructional costs of language and area and international studies programs, administration, lectures, conferences, library resources and staff, outreach, and travel. Fellowships: Funds may be used for academic year and summer fellowships to institutions of higher education (IHEs) in order to assist undergraduate and graduate students in acquiring foreign language and either area or international studies competencies. A fellowship awarded to an undergraduate student may include an allowance for educational programs in the United States or education programs abroad that meet certain criteria.
- Length and time phasing of assistance
Centers: Grants are awarded for project periods of up to 48 months. Payments are made as stipulated in the grant. Renewals are subject to the availability of funds. Fellowships: Academic year and summer fellowship awards to student recipients are made by the institutions on a competitive basis. If summer fellowships are issued, they will be for a summer session in which the equivalent of an academic year's foreign language study is completed. Payments are made by the grantee institution.
How to apply
- Preapplication coordination
See above.
- Criteria for selecting proposals
34 CFR 655, 656, and 657 apply to the Centers and Fellowships Programs. Selection criteria for evaluating applications and selecting centers are listed in the Title VI, International and Foreign Language Education Program Regulations in 34 CFR 655.31, 656.21 or 656.22. The Secretary will weigh criteria using points indicated in the application package or in a notice published in the Federal Register. 34 CFR 657.21 gives the criteria for selection of institutional awards for fellowship allocations. The Secretary will weigh criteria using points indicated in the application package or in a notice published in the Federal Register.
- Award procedure
Centers: Final recommendations are made to the Secretary following evaluations from panels of experts that evaluate applications according to published selection criteria. Fellowships: The student should contact his/her sponsoring institution for information concerning application forms, deadlines, and related matters. Institutional proposals are approved or disapproved by the Secretary, following the same procedures as for Center applications.
- Time to approval or disapproval
About 120 days.
- Renewals
Higher education institutions receiving funds for four-year phased program support must submit annual performance reports for the second, third and fourth year for continuation of such support. Students seeking fellowships apply to their institutions for each summer or academic year award period. Renewals are subject to the availability of funds.
Grant opportunities
Grant awards
Latest 10 of 1,625 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University Of Wisconsin System | $73,263,299 | 6% |
| 2 | The Regents Of The University Of California | $67,549,775 | 6% |
| 3 | University Of Washington | $59,265,470 | 5% |
| 4 | Trustees Of Indiana University | $58,246,079 | 5% |
| 5 | Regents Of The University Of Michigan | $54,520,800 | 5% |
| 6 | University Of Illinois | $52,583,955 | 4% |
| 7 | University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill | $40,924,078 | 3% |
| 8 | University Of Texas At Austin | $38,340,871 | 3% |
| 9 | The Trustees Of Columbia University In The City Of New York | $38,131,514 | 3% |
| 10 | The University Of Chicago | $33,723,272 | 3% |
10 of 66 recipients listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2025 | -$119,441 |
| FY2024 | $58,435,165 |
| FY2023 | $60,390,419 |
| FY2022 | $56,796,677 |
| FY2021 | $52,756,197 |
| FY2020 | $54,831,037 |
| FY2019 | $54,226,723 |
| FY2018 | $53,595,223 |
| FY2017 | $48,816,623 |
| FY2016 | $51,539,648 |
| FY2015 | $53,789,845 |
| FY2014 | $53,141,607 |
| FY2013 | $52,495,520 |
| FY2012 | $53,325,762 |
| FY2011 | $54,332,170 |
| FY2010 | $70,506,893 |
| FY2009 | $180,754,203 |
| FY2006 | $57,749,500 |
| FY2004 | $2,301,277 |
| FY2003 | $56,955,598 |
| FY2002 | $27,495,000 |
| FY2001 | $16,188,000 |
Show all 22
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 84.015?
Assistance Listing 84.015 is National Resource Centers Program for Foreign Language and Area Studies or Foreign Language and International Studies Program and Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship Program, a federal grant program run by Office of Postsecondary Education (Department of Education).
What is the CFDA number for National Resource Centers Program for Foreign Language and Area Studies or Foreign Language and International Studies Program and Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship Program?
Its CFDA number is 84.015: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 84.015 awarded?
1,625 grant awards under 84.015 have obligated $1,170,303,646 in federal funds to 66 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 84.015?
The recipients obligated the most under National Resource Centers Program for Foreign Language and Area Studies or Foreign Language and International Studies Program and Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship Program are University Of Wisconsin System ($73,263,299), The Regents Of The University Of California ($67,549,775) and University Of Washington ($59,265,470).
How much did 84.015 obligate in fiscal year 2025?
Grants under 84.015 obligated -$119,441 in federal funds in fiscal year 2025.
Are there open grant opportunities under 84.015?
No opportunity listed under 84.015 is open now. The latest, Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE): Centers Aligned with Areas for National Need (CAANN) Program Assistance Listing Number: 84.015C, was posted on June 5, 2026.
On GovTribe
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