Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need
Active
- Assistance listing
- 84.200
- Agency
-
Office of Postsecondary Education
Department of Education
- Grant awards
- 1,216 $579,591,429 in federal obligations
Program facts
- 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 funds graduate fellowship awards under the Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need program (CFDA 84.200) through academic departments and programs at institutions of higher education, with the most recent grant awards issued on October 1, 2024.
The program distributes fellowships to graduate students with excellent academic records and demonstrated financial need pursuing the highest available degree in fields designated as areas of national need. Recent awards span STEM disciplines including physics, chemistry, mathematics, computer science, engineering (biomedical, electrical, mechanical, materials), neuroscience, biology, and biotechnology, alongside education and special education. Award recipients include institutions such as NYU, Indiana University, Dartmouth College, Georgia Institute of Technology, and North Carolina A&T State University. Individual awards range from approximately $168 thousand to $997 thousand, with most clustering between $373 thousand and $997 thousand. Fellowship support extends for up to five years, though initial awards typically run three years subject to annual appropriations. Eligible applicants are academic departments or programs of institutions of higher education that provide courses of study leading to graduate degrees in areas of national need and have been in existence for at least four years; nondegree-granting institutions may submit joint proposals with degree-granting institutions. Recipients must be U.S. citizens or nationals, permanent residents of the U.S., permanent residents of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, or citizens of Freely Associated States.
The program remains actively funded. Over the past several years, annual award volume has fluctuated from 11 to 79 awards, with 67 awards distributed in 2024. The portfolio consists entirely of Project Grants. Total federal dollars obligated across 1,216 awards since 2002 reached $579.6 million. The Department of Education Office of Postsecondary Education dominates funding, accounting for 1,145 awards and $536.4 million federal dollars obligated, while a subordinate Department of Education entity issued 71 awards totaling $43.2 million.
The most recent posted opportunity (Solicitation ED-GRANTS-042424-003) closed on June 24, 2024. No currently open solicitation appears in the source.
Objective and description
- Objective
To provide fellowships through graduate academic departments, programs, and units of institutions of higher education to graduate students of superior ability who demonstrate financial need for the purpose of sustaining and enhancing the capacity for
- Description
This program provides fellowships, through academic departments and programs of IHEs, to assist graduate students with excellent records who demonstrate financial need and plan to pursue the highest degree available in their course study at the institution in a field designated as an area of national need.
Eligibility
- Applicant eligibility
Academic departments and programs of IHEs that provide courses of study leading to a graduate degree may apply. Nondegree-granting institutions may submit joint proposals with degree-granting IHEs.
- Beneficiary eligibility
Graduate students receiving fellowships must demonstrate financial need, have excellent academic records, plan to pursue the highest degree in the field, and be a U.S. citizen or a National, or a permanent resident of the U.S., or intend to become a U.S. citizen, be a permanent resident of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, or a citizen of any one of the Freely Associated States.
- Uses of assistance
Awards made to institutions under this part shall be used exclusively to provide direct fellowship aid that will include need-based stipends, based on the support level of National Science Foundation fellowships and an institutional allowance for each individual awarded a fellowship to be adjusted annually in accordance with the Department of Labor's Consumer Price Index. This program is subject to non-supplanting requirements and must use a restricted indirect cost rate which is referenced under 34 CFR 75.563. For assistance call the Office of the Chief Financial Officer/Indirect Cost Group at 202-708-7770.
- Length and time phasing of assistance
The length of the award is three years, subject to annual appropriations. However, students may receive support for up to five years.
How to apply
- Criteria for selecting proposals
This program uses the selection criteria contained in program regulations made available in the application package. Contact the program office for additional information. See program website for further information.
- Award procedure
Panels of experts from outside the Government will appraise all applications. The program office will recommend funding to the Secretary, who will make the final decisions.
- Time to approval or disapproval
The range is approximately three months.
- Renewals
Noncompeting continuation applications must be given funding preference subject to the availability of funds.
Grant opportunities
Grant awards
Latest 10 of 1,216 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University Of California Irvine | $28,874,368 | 5% |
| 2 | The Regents Of The University Of California | $25,773,396 | 4% |
| 3 | University Of Missouri System | $21,099,806 | 4% |
| 4 | University Of Connecticut | $19,461,162 | 3% |
| 5 | The University Of Chicago | $16,532,484 | 3% |
| 6 | Drexel University | $14,189,622 | 2% |
| 7 | The Regents Of The University Of Colorado | $13,428,198 | 2% |
| 8 | Rutgers, The State University | $13,226,798 | 2% |
| 9 | The Research Foundation For The State University Of New York | $13,143,412 | 2% |
| 10 | Georgia TECH Research Corp | $12,665,095 | 2% |
10 of 165 recipients listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2026 | -$581,064 |
| FY2025 | $21,493,070 |
| FY2024 | $23,182,200 |
| FY2023 | $23,004,088 |
| FY2022 | $23,520,789 |
| FY2021 | $21,649,731 |
| FY2020 | $22,463,394 |
| FY2019 | $22,735,056 |
| FY2018 | $21,051,532 |
| FY2017 | $26,858,260 |
| FY2016 | $27,887,242 |
| FY2015 | $29,066,344 |
| FY2014 | $27,570,145 |
| FY2013 | $25,269,060 |
| FY2012 | $30,562,336 |
| FY2011 | $32,323,676 |
| FY2010 | $30,759,765 |
| FY2009 | $48,529,450 |
| FY2008 | $39,158,631 |
| FY2006 | $29,979,041 |
| FY2005 | $20,426,175 |
| FY2003 | $14,233,464 |
| FY2002 | $18,449,046 |
Show all 23
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 84.200?
Assistance Listing 84.200 is Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need, a federal grant program run by Office of Postsecondary Education (Department of Education).
What is the CFDA number for Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need?
Its CFDA number is 84.200: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 84.200 awarded?
1,216 grant awards under 84.200 have obligated $579,591,429 in federal funds to 165 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 84.200?
The recipients obligated the most under Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need are University Of California Irvine ($28,874,368), The Regents Of The University Of California ($25,773,396) and University Of Missouri System ($21,099,806).
How much did 84.200 obligate in fiscal year 2025?
Grants under 84.200 obligated $21,493,070 in federal funds in fiscal year 2025.
Are there open grant opportunities under 84.200?
No opportunity listed under 84.200 is open now. The latest, Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE): Higher Education Programs (HEP): Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN), Assistance Listing Number 84.200A, was posted on April 24, 2024.
On GovTribe
See this program's full record
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