Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE): Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad (GPA) Short-Term Project CFDA Number 84.021A | ED GRANTS 012419 001

Opportunity Information: Apply for ED GRANTS 012419 001

The Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE) Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad (GPA) Short-Term Project grant (CFDA 84.021A) is a discretionary grant program run by the U.S. Department of Education that supports overseas group projects aimed at strengthening modern foreign language instruction and area studies in the United States. The central goal is to promote, improve, and expand international and regional expertise across multiple education levels by giving faculty, K-12 teachers, and undergraduate and graduate students structured opportunities to travel abroad as part of organized projects that involve research, training, and the collection of resources that can be brought back and used in U.S. classrooms and academic programs.

This competition specifically covers the short-term version of the GPA program (84.021A), though the broader notice also references a long-term option (84.021B). Applicants are required to be explicit about which track they are applying to by selecting and indicating the correct CFDA number on the SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance). In other words, an application must clearly be labeled as either a short-term project (84.021A) or a long-term project (84.021B), and the submission requirements and details are tied to that selection as laid out in the official application package and the Federal Register notice.

Within the short-term GPA category, the program supports three distinct project types, each with its own intended use and time frame. First are short-term seminar projects, typically four to six weeks long, which are designed to help schools, districts, or institutions integrate international studies into general curricula. These seminars usually focus on a defined theme within an area studies context, such as the history, culture, or social realities of a particular country or region, with the expectation that participants return with deeper content knowledge and practical ways to incorporate it into instruction. Second are curriculum development projects lasting about four to eight weeks, structured around giving participants time in-country to gather materials and build the knowledge base needed to create or enhance U.S.-based curricula in modern foreign languages and area studies; a key emphasis here is not just developing curriculum, but also using and disseminating it back home so the benefits extend beyond the travel group. Third are group research or study projects, which can run from three months up to twelve months, and are intended to give participants a more extended period abroad to conduct research or intensive study in a foreign country, supporting deeper specialization and stronger academic or instructional outputs.

Eligibility for this opportunity is broad across the education and nonprofit landscape. It includes public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)) that are not institutions of higher education. The notice also indicates there may be additional eligibility clarification in the official text, meaning some applicants may fall under an "other" category depending on the specific conditions described in the Federal Register application notice.

From a funding and competition standpoint, the listing indicates an award ceiling of $100,000 and an expectation of about 10 awards in the referenced competition cycle. The opportunity was posted with applications available beginning January 24, 2019, and a deadline for transmittal of applications of March 25, 2019, reflecting the timeline for that specific year’s competition. Like many federal education discretionary grants, the synopsis emphasizes that the authoritative requirements are not in the summary itself but in the official Federal Register notice and the Department of Education’s Common Instructions for Applicants to Discretionary Grant Programs. Those official sources contain the controlling details applicants need for compliance, including submission addresses and procedures, pre-application and application requirements, any program priorities, performance measures, and contact information for program staff.

Overall, this grant opportunity is best understood as support for well-designed, supervised overseas group experiences that directly translate into stronger U.S. teaching and learning in modern foreign languages and area studies. The program is not simply funding travel; it is funding projects that produce concrete educational returns, such as improved courses, expanded instructional materials, stronger institutional internationalization, and enhanced expertise among educators and students who can bring global and regional knowledge back to their communities.

• 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) Short-Term Project 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 Jan 24, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 25, 2019 Applications available January 24, 2019. Deadline for transmittal of applications March 25, 2019.. (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, Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for ED GRANTS 012419 001

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: