Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE):National Resource Centers Program CFDA Number 84.015A | ED GRANTS 052518 001

Opportunity Information: Apply for ED GRANTS 052518 001

The Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE) National Resource Centers (NRC) Program, CFDA 84.015A, is a discretionary grant opportunity run by the U.S. Department of Education to strengthen the nation s capacity in international education and foreign language expertise. The notice described here is a summary of what was formally published in the Federal Register, and applicants are expected to rely on the Federal Register application notice for the official rules, required forms, submission instructions, priorities, performance measures, and contact details. The opportunity is structured as two separate competitions under the same overall notice, with funding details and other key award information provided in the Award Information section of the Federal Register notice.

At its core, the NRC Program funds institutions of higher education (IHEs), or consortia of IHEs, to establish, strengthen, and operate centers that function as national resources. These centers are meant to support both comprehensive and undergraduate programming that improves U.S. education, research, and training related to global regions and world affairs. The program emphasizes four main activity areas: teaching modern foreign languages; providing instruction in disciplines needed to understand world regions where those languages are used (such as history, politics, economics, culture, and related fields); supporting research and training in international studies and in the international or foreign language dimensions of professional and other academic fields; and promoting instruction and research on significant issues in world affairs. In practice, this means funded centers are expected to build robust language and area studies capacity and make those resources useful beyond a single department, often serving broader campus and public audiences as national models or hubs of expertise.

The notice also references the Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowship Program, which is closely tied to NRC activities and typically operates in parallel to reinforce the same national goals. Under FLAS, fellowship funding is allocated to IHEs and consortia so they can award academic year and summer fellowships to high-achieving undergraduate and graduate students. The fellowships support students who combine serious modern foreign language training with area studies, international studies, or the international aspects of professional programs (for example, international business, public health, law, education, engineering, or other applied fields where global and language competence matters). For graduate students in particular, FLAS support can extend into key stages of doctoral preparation, including predissertation study, preparation for dissertation research, dissertation research conducted abroad, and dissertation writing, reflecting an intent to build deep, research-level expertise that contributes to U.S. national capacity.

Eligibility is aimed primarily at public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education, with additional eligibility details indicated as available in the official notice (including the possibility of other eligible applicants as clarified in the Federal Register text). The funding instrument is a grant, the activity category is education, and the opportunity is labeled as discretionary, meaning awards are made through a competitive review process rather than by formula. The opportunity number is ED GRANTS 052518 001. The application package was made available May 25, 2018, with a deadline for transmittal of applications on June 25, 2018. The listing indicates an expected number of awards of around 100, while the posted award ceiling is shown as 0, which usually signals that applicants should consult the Federal Register notice for the actual per-award limits, funding ranges, project periods, and any caps that apply to different categories within the competition.

Overall, this opportunity is designed to invest in university-based infrastructure and student support that expand instruction, research, and professional training related to foreign languages, world regions, and international affairs. The NRC component concentrates on building and operating the institutional centers themselves, while FLAS concentrates on developing the next generation of language and area experts through fellowships, together advancing a national pipeline of knowledge and skills that can be applied in government, education, research, and internationally engaged professions.

• The Department of Education in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE):National Resource Centers Program CFDA Number 84.015A" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 84.015.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 25, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 25, 2018 Applications Available May 25, 2018. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications June 25, 2018 .Note This notice invites applications for two separate competitions. For funding and other key information for the two competitions, see the Award Information section of this notice.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 100 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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