Notice Announcing Centers Aligned With Areas of National Need Program Competition

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Notice Announcing Centers Aligned With Areas of National Need Program Competition AGENCY: Department of Education, Department of State. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: In coordination with the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State (State), the U.S. Department of Education (ED) is soliciting applications in support of the administration of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Centers Aligned with Areas of National Need program, Assistance Listing Number 84.015C. DATES: Complete proposals must be submitted electronically through the Grants.gov “APPLY” function by 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern time July 7, . FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Margarita Melendez, Telephone: 202-987-0408, Email: CAANN@ed.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This program provides grants to institutions of higher education (IHEs) or consortia of IHEs to address one or more of the following areas of national need: teaching modern foreign languages, such as Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Hungarian, Polish, Russian, Czech, Arabic, Swahili, Hausa, Hindi, Urdu, Mandarin, Korean, Japanese, Farsi, Bahasa, Thai and other languages; providing instruction in fields needed to provide understanding of areas, regions, or countries in which the language is used; supporting research and training in international studies and the international and foreign language aspects of professional and other fields of study; and providing instruction and research on issues in world affairs in areas such as Latin America, Europe, Eurasia, Middle East, Africa, and Asia. The FY 2026 competition includes four absolute priorities, two competitive preference priorities, selection criteria, and requirements. The absolute priorities are Centers Creating Programs of Linkage, Projects Addressing Areas of National Need, Comprehensive Center Projects, and Undergraduate Center Projects. The competitive preference priorities are: Returning Education to the States and Artificial Intelligence. Maximum Award: $1,400,000 for the entire 48-month project period. Eligible Applicants: An institution of higher education or a consortium of institutions of higher education is eligible to receive a grant under this part as either a comprehensive Center or undergraduate Center. Program Authority: Title VI, Part A, Section 602(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (20 U.S.C. 1122). To Apply: The complete funding opportunity announcement and all information needed to apply, including the priorities and program requirements, are available on ED's website at https://www.ed.gov/grants-and-programs/grants-higher-education/international-and-foreign-language-education, and on Grants.gov at https://grants.gov/search-results-detail/362705. The application notice and instructions on Grants.gov is the official document governing the grant competition. Accessible Format: On request to the program contact person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT , individuals with disabilities can obtain this document in an accessible format. Note: Victoria Roberts signs this notice in furtherance of State's role in providing support to ED. David Barker, Assistant Secretary, Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education. In concurrence. Victoria Roberts, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Academic Programs, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department of State. [FR Doc. 2026-11893 Filed 6-11-26; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000-01-P