Program Office: International Education Programs Service

CFDA Number: 84.015A
Program Type: Discretionary/Competitive Grants
Also Known As: National Resource Centers, NRC

Program Brochure PDF (106K) | MS Word (35K)

The program provides grants to establish, strengthen, and operate language and area or international studies centers that will be national resources for teaching any modern foreign language. Grants support: instruction in fields needed to provide full understanding of areas, regions or countries; research and training in international studies; work in the language aspects of professional and other fields of study; and instruction and research on issues in world affairs.

This program supports comprehensive undergraduate National Resource Centers, which: teach at least one modern foreign language; provide instruction in fields needed for full understanding of areas, regions, or countries where a language is commonly spoken; provide resources for research and training in international and foreign language aspects of professional and other fields of study; and provide opportunities for instruction and research on important issues in world affairs.

This program provides grants to institutions of higher education or consortia of institutions of higher education to establish, strengthen, and operate comprehensive and undergraduate language and area/international studies centers that will be national resources for:

• Teaching of any modern foreign language;
• Instruction in fields needed to provide full understanding of areas, regions, or countries in which the language is commonly used;
• Research and training in international studies;
• Language aspects of professional and other fields of study; and
• Instruction and research on issue in world affairs.

A comprehensive or undergraduate National Resource Center (NRC):

• Teaches at least one modern foreign language.
• Provides -- Instruction in fields necessary to provide a full understanding of the areas, regions, or countries in which the languages are commonly used; Resources for training and research in international and foreign language aspects of professional and other fields of study; or Opportunities for training and research on issues in world affairs that concern one or more countries.
• Provides outreach and consultative services on a national, regional and local basis.
• Maintains linkages with overseas institutions of higher education and other organizations that may contribute to the teaching and research of the Center.

In the case of a comprehensive Center --

• Maintains specialized library collections; and
• Employs scholars engaged in training and research which relates to the subject area of the Center.

In the case of an undergraduate Center --

• Maintains library holdings, including basic reference works, journals, and works in translation; and
• Employs faculty with strong credentials in language, area, and international studies.

Note:

• Equipment costs exceeding ten percent of the grant are not allowable.
• Funds for undergraduate travel are allowable only in conjunction with a formal program of supervised study in the subject area on which the center focuses.
• Grant funds may not be used to supplant.