Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE): Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad (GPA) Program Short-Term Project, Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number 84.021A | ED GRANTS 121719 003

Opportunity Information: Apply for ED GRANTS 121719 003

The Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad (GPA) Program Short-Term Project opportunity (CFDA 84.021A) is a discretionary grant offered by the U.S. Department of Education through the Office of Postsecondary Education. Its central aim is to strengthen and expand modern foreign language learning and area studies in the United States by supporting structured overseas projects. In practice, the program funds group-based international experiences that help educators and students deepen their knowledge of a world region, build language and cultural competence, and bring those insights back into U.S. classrooms and curricula. The short-term competition described in the notice is part of a broader GPA program that also includes a separate long-term track (CFDA 84.021B), and applicants are required to clearly identify which track they are applying to on the SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance).

At a high level, the GPA program is designed to promote, improve, and develop instruction and expertise in modern foreign languages and area studies across multiple education levels. To do that, it creates opportunities for faculty, K-12 teachers, and undergraduate and graduate students to carry out overseas research, study, training, and curriculum-related activities as a cohort. The focus is not simply travel, but structured academic work abroad that can be translated into stronger teaching, learning materials, and institutional capacity back home. Because the notice is a synopsis of the official Federal Register application notice, prospective applicants are directed to rely on the Federal Register version for the full requirements, selection criteria, priorities, performance measures, and submission instructions.

For the short-term GPA option (84.021A), the Department recognizes three eligible project types, each with its own typical duration and purpose. First are short-term seminar projects, generally four to six weeks long, built to help institutions or school systems integrate international studies into their general curriculum. These seminars typically concentrate on a defined aspect of area studies, such as the history, society, or culture of a particular country or region, and are explicitly intended to strengthen participants ability to teach and contextualize that content in U.S. educational settings (see 34 CFR 664.11). Second are curriculum development projects, usually four to eight weeks long, which emphasize acquiring and developing resource materials overseas for modern foreign language and area studies instruction. A key feature of these projects is that the materials gathered or created are meant for use and dissemination in the United States, so the overseas component directly supports domestic curriculum improvement and sharing of resources (34 CFR 664.12). Third are group research or study projects, ranging from three to twelve months, which give participants the opportunity to conduct more extended research or structured study in a foreign country (34 CFR 664.13). Taken together, these three models offer options that range from intensive short seminars to longer research-driven experiences, all anchored in the goal of improving U.S.-based language and area studies education.

The same competition announcement also references the separate long-term GPA track (84.021B), which differs from short-term projects in both structure and intent. Long-term projects are described as advanced overseas intensive language programs that can run for a full year, academic year, semester, trimester, quarter, or summer. They are meant to take advantage of in-country opportunities for high-level language study and real-world language use in cultural context. The notice highlights important eligibility conditions for participants in these long-term language projects, including having completed at least two academic years of prior study in the language, studying a language that is indigenous to the host country, and making maximum use of local institutions and personnel (34 CFR 664.14). Even though your question is focused on 84.021A, this distinction matters because applicants must select the correct track at the time of application and design the project to match the applicable regulatory framework.

In terms of who can apply, eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education, with additional eligible entities indicated in the full notice (the summary points to an "Additional Information on Eligibility" section for specifics). The opportunity is administered by the Department of Education, categorized as an education-related discretionary grant. For this particular posting, applications were made available on December 17, 2019, with a deadline for transmittal of applications of February 18, 2020. The announcement also notes that the Department planned a pre-application webinar for prospective applicants, with details to be posted on the program website.

The funding details in the synopsis indicate an award ceiling of $100,000 and an expectation of about 10 awards. Because this is a Federal Register-driven competition, applicants are repeatedly reminded to follow the Department of Education "Common Instructions" for discretionary grant programs for the official procedures on obtaining and submitting an application, along with other government-wide requirements tied to discretionary grants. Those common instructions were published in the Federal Register on February 13, 2019 (84 FR 3768) and are linked in the synopsis for reference.

Finally, the opportunity provides a direct federal program contact for questions: Cory Neal at the U.S. Department of Education (400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 258-12, Washington, DC 20202), phone (202) 453-6137, and email GPA@ed.gov. For authoritative guidance on exact application components, required forms, competitive priorities, performance reporting expectations, and any special conditions, the synopsis emphasizes that applicants should consult the official Federal Register notice, since that document governs the competition.

• The Department of Education in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE): Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad (GPA) Program Short-Term Project, Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number 84.021A" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 84.021.
• This funding opportunity was created on Dec 17, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 18, 2020 Applications Available December 17, 2019. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications February 18, 2020. Pre-Application Webinar information The Department will hold a pre-application meeting via webinar for prospective applicants. Detailed information regarding this webinar will be provided on the Group Projects Abroad website at www2.ed.gov/programs/iegpsgpa/index.html. ADDRESSES For the addresses for obtaining and submitting an application, please refer to our Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on February 13, 2019 (84 FR 3768) and available at www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-02-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT Cory Neal, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 258-12, Washington, DC 20202. Telephone (202) 453-6137. Email GPA@ed.gov.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $100,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 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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