Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE) Fulbright Hays Group Projects Abroad Program Short Term Projects CFDA Number 84.021A | Apply Online

Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad (GPA) - Short Term Projects (CFDA 84.021A): FAQs

1) What is this grant opportunity?

This is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE), under the Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad (GPA) Program, Short Term Projects (CFDA 84.021A). It is designed to strengthen modern foreign language and area studies in the United States by supporting organized overseas experiences for groups working toward a shared academic or professional goal.

2) What is the main purpose of the Fulbright-Hays GPA Short Term Projects grant?

The program supports overseas projects that help participants build deeper language and regional expertise so that they return better prepared to teach, design courses, develop instructional materials, and improve foreign language and area studies instruction and capacity in U.S. classrooms and institutions.

3) What kinds of activities does the short-term format typically support?

The short-term project format typically covers activities such as structured seminars abroad, collaborative curriculum development work, and group research, study, or field-based learning tied to a specific world region and its languages and cultures.

4) What types of projects are funded under this program?

The program funds overseas projects focused on training, research, and curriculum development. Projects are organized for groups and are built around a shared academic or professional goal connected to a particular world region and its languages and cultures.

5) Who is the intended audience or participant group for these projects?

The synopsis indicates that teachers, students, and faculty may participate in well-designed overseas group projects. The emphasis is on participants returning with enhanced capacity to teach and contribute to foreign language and area studies in the United States.

6) Which organizations are eligible to apply?

Eligibility is limited to specific types of educational entities, including institutions of higher education (IHEs), state departments of education, private nonprofit educational organizations, and consortia made up of these eligible organizations.

7) Can a consortium apply, and who can be in the consortium?

Yes. Consortia are eligible when they are made up of eligible organizations identified in the synopsis (IHEs, state departments of education, and/or private nonprofit educational organizations).

8) Where do applicants find the complete and authoritative eligibility requirements?

The opportunity states that full eligibility details and requirements are contained in the official Federal Register notice. Applicants are expected to rely on that notice for authoritative guidance.

9) What else is controlled by the Federal Register notice?

According to the synopsis, the Federal Register notice provides complete and controlling instructions for priorities, selection criteria, required application components, any performance measures that may apply, and any pre-application steps and submission requirements.

10) How many awards were anticipated for the FY 2015 competition referenced?

For the FY 2015 competition referenced in the listing, the Department anticipated making about 17 awards.

11) What was the estimated total funding available for the FY 2015 competition referenced?

The synopsis lists an estimated total funding pool of $1,361,000 for the referenced FY 2015 competition.

12) What was the maximum (ceiling) award amount per grant for the referenced FY 2015 competition?

The award ceiling listed for the referenced FY 2015 competition was $125,000 per grant.

13) Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. The listing states there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.

14) What is the funding instrument for this opportunity?

The funding instrument is a grant.

15) What is the activity category for this opportunity?

The activity category is education, reflecting the program focus on improving instruction and academic capacity related to foreign languages and area studies through international, group-based projects.

16) How were applications required to be submitted?

Applications had to be submitted electronically through Grants.gov rather than by email or direct electronic transmission to the agency.

17) How do applicants find the application package on Grants.gov?

Applicants were instructed to locate the application package by searching the CFDA number without the letter suffix. In other words, search for "84.021" rather than "84.021A".

18) What were the key dates listed for this particular posting?

The posting states that applications became available on February 19, 2015, the deadline for transmittal was March 23, 2015, and the archive date was April 22, 2015.

19) What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this announcement?

The Funding Opportunity Number listed is ED GRANTS 021915 001.

20) What is the full title of the opportunity as listed?

The title provided is "Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE) Fulbright Hays Group Projects Abroad Program Short Term Projects CFDA Number 84.021A."

21) Who should be contacted for Grants.gov technical or system access issues?

The synopsis lists a Grants.gov systems contact for technical access issues: Julius Cotton (ED Grants.gov FIND Systems Admin).

22) Who should be contacted for program-related questions?

The announcement lists a program manager contact for program-related questions: Reha Mallory.

23) Is the information provided in the listing considered complete application guidance?

No. The listing emphasizes that the text provided is only a synopsis and repeatedly directs applicants to the Federal Register notice for complete and controlling instructions and official contact channels.

24) What is the core idea behind why overseas group projects are supported?

The central idea described is that participants in well-designed overseas projects return better prepared to teach, design courses, develop instructional materials, and bring deeper regional and language expertise into U.S. classrooms and institutions.