Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE) Fulbright Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad (DDRA) Fellowship Program CFDA Number 84.022A | Apply Online

Fulbright-Hays DDRA Fellowship Program (CFDA 84.022A) - FAQs

1) What is the Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad (DDRA) Fellowship Program?

The Fulbright-Hays DDRA Fellowship Program (CFDA 84.022A) is a discretionary grant opportunity administered by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE). It supports doctoral candidates who must conduct full-time dissertation research outside the United States.

2) What is the main purpose of the DDRA program?

The central aim is to strengthen modern foreign language and area studies expertise in the United States. The program supports extended overseas research activities (such as collecting data, working in archives, and conducting fieldwork) that cannot be done adequately from within the U.S., with a broader goal of building long-term national capacity in foreign languages and world regions.

3) What kinds of activities does the DDRA fellowship support while abroad?

Based on the opportunity description, the fellowship supports full-time dissertation research overseas, including activities like collecting data, working in archives, conducting fieldwork, and other research tasks needed to complete dissertation research that cannot be adequately carried out in the U.S.

4) Who is the official applicant for this opportunity: the student or the university?

Eligible U.S. institutions of higher education (IHEs) are the official applicants and submitters. Individual doctoral students do not apply directly to the U.S. Department of Education as stand-alone applicants. Instead, students prepare fellowship materials through their home institution, and the IHE submits eligible student applications to the Department.

5) What types of institutions are eligible to apply as the submitting entity?

The opportunity indicates that eligible applicants include U.S. institutions of higher education (IHEs), including public/state-controlled institutions and private nonprofit institutions, which serve as the official applicants.

6) If students do not apply directly, how does the student participate in the application?

The student prepares and submits fellowship materials through their home institution as part of the institution-led application process. Both the IHE and the student applicant enter required information online using system forms, and the institution submits the final package.

7) How must applications be submitted?

Applications must be submitted electronically through the U.S. Department of Education G5 system at www.G5.gov. The announcement states that emailing electronic copies to the agency is not an acceptable submission method.

8) Can an application be submitted by email instead of through G5?

No. The notice explicitly states that applications cannot be submitted by emailing electronic copies to the agency. The official submission route is through the Department of Education G5 system.

9) What is the G5 system and what happens there during the application process?

G5 (www.G5.gov) is the Department of Education's electronic system for submitting applications. The notice explains that both the institution and the student enter required information into online forms that are saved into a database within the system, and submission occurs through G5 rather than by sending emailed documents.

10) Where can applicants find the official, controlling requirements for this competition?

The announcement emphasizes that any brief summary is only a synopsis, and the controlling, official requirements are contained in the Federal Register notice inviting applications. That Federal Register notice is the authoritative source for detailed rules on eligibility, required components, submission procedures, any priorities, performance measures, and program contacts.

11) Where can the Federal Register and related regulations be accessed?

The notice points readers to free online access to the Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations through Government Publishing Office (GPO) resources.

12) What is the CFDA number for this program?

The program is listed as CFDA 84.022A.

13) What is the funding instrument type and how is the opportunity categorized?

The opportunity uses a grant as the funding instrument type. It is categorized as a discretionary grant opportunity, and the activity category is education.

14) Is there a cost-sharing or matching requirement?

No. The opportunity indicates there is no cost-sharing or matching requirement.

15) What was the application posting date and deadline for the competition described?

For the specific competition described (FY 2014), the opportunity was posted on May 19, 2014, with applications available the same day. The deadline for transmittal of applications was June 24, 2014.

16) What was the estimated total funding and expected number of awards for the referenced competition?

The estimated total funding listed for the FY 2014 competition is $2,889,223, and the opportunity indicates an expected 86 awards.

17) What overall field or focus area does this program support?

The program supports full-time overseas dissertation research connected to modern foreign languages and area studies, with an emphasis on strengthening U.S. expertise in foreign languages and world regions.

18) Who should be contacted for technical or access issues related to the announcement?

For technical or access issues, the announcement lists Julius Cotton (ED Grants.gov/FIND Systems Admin) at 202-245-6288 and the email address EducationGrantInquiries@ed.gov.

19) Who should be contacted for program-level questions about DDRA?

For program-level questions, the announcement lists Pamela J. Maimer, Ph.D. (International and Foreign Language Education, U.S. Department of Education) at 202-502-7704 and the program email mailbox ddra@ed.gov.

20) Why does the program emphasize institutional submission instead of student direct application?

The opportunity is structured so that the institution serves as the formal grantee and submitting entity, while fellowship support is intended for student researchers carrying out dissertation work abroad. The institution-mediated model is described as a key structural feature of this program.