National Resource Centers

News

On August 27, 2024, the U.S. Department of Education published a Notice of Final Rule with important updates to the regulations that govern the Title VI National Resource Centers (NRC) program and Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) fellowships programs. IFLE will host a series of webinars over the coming months to review these regulatory changes.

PDF of Upcoming Webinars - PDF (1M)

• October 24, 2024 
  Overview of Revised Regulations: 34 CFR parts 655, 656, and 657
  • Recording Link 
  • Slide Deck: PDF (705K) 
• November 14, 2024 
  Geographic World Area Requirement and Allowable Costs for NRC and FLAS
  • Recording Link
  • Slide Deck: PDF (2M)
• December 12, 2024 – 2:00 pm ET
  FY 2026 Selection Criteria for NRC and FLAS
  • Recording Link
  • Slide Deck  
• January 23, 2025 – 2:00 pm ET
  FLAS Eligibility and Administrative Planning Considerations
  Click here to register for the January 23 webinar 
• February 20, 2025 – 2:00 pm ET
  FY 2026 NRC and FLAS Competition Updates
  Click here to register for the February 20 webinar

The Title VI National Resource Centers (NRC) program provides grants to institutions of higher education or consortia of institutions of higher education to establish, strengthen, and operate comprehensive and undergraduate Centers that act cooperatively as national resources for-- 

1. Teaching of modern foreign languages, especially less commonly taught languages;
2. Instruction in fields of study needed to provide full understanding of areas, regions, or countries in which such languages are commonly used;
3. Research and training in international studies and the international and foreign language aspects of professional and other fields of study; and
4. Instruction and research on issues in world affairs that concern one or more countries.

The NRC Program contributes to the purposes of the programs authorized by part A of title VI of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended.

A Center’s area of focus for research, teaching, training, instruction, and project activities must be aligned with both of the following requirements:

1. The area of focus must be a geographic world area or a geographically designated region that spans multiple world areas.
2. Research, teaching, training, and instruction in specific languages, countries, regions, societies, or other units of analysis related to the area of focus described in this paragraph (1) must be conducted at the institution.

A comprehensive Center is an administrative unit of an eligible institution of higher education that independently or through collaboration with other administrative units--

1. Provides intensive modern foreign language training, especially for less commonly taught languages, in the Center’s area of focus;
2. Contributes significantly to the national interest in advanced research and scholarship in the Center’s area of focus;
3. Employs a critical mass of scholars in diverse disciplines related to the Center’s area of focus;
4. Maintains important library collections related to the Center’s area of focus;
5. Makes training available in language and area studies in the Center’s area of focus, to graduate, postgraduate, and undergraduate students;
6. Addresses national needs for modern foreign language and area studies expertise and knowledge, including through, but not limited to, the placement of students into postgraduate employment, education, or training in areas of need; and
7. Disseminates information about the Center’s area of focus to audiences in the United States.

An undergraduate Center independently or through collaboration with other administrative units—

1. Teaches modern foreign languages, especially less commonly taught languages, related to the Center’s area of focus;
2. Prepares undergraduate students to matriculate into advanced modern foreign language and area studies programs and professional school programs;
3. Incorporates substantial content related to the Center’s area of focus into baccalaureate degree programs;
4. Engages in research and curriculum development designed to broaden knowledge and expertise related to the Center’s area of focus;
5. Employs faculty with strong language, area, and international studies credentials related to the Center’s area of focus;
6. Maintains library holdings sufficient to support high-quality training and instruction in the Center’s area of focus for undergraduate students;
7. Makes training related to the Center’s area of focus available predominantly to undergraduate students in support of the objectives of a undergraduate education;
8. Addresses national needs for language and area studies expertise and knowledge, including through, but not limited to, the placement of undergraduate students into postgraduate employment, education, or training in areas of need; and
9. Disseminates information about the Center’s area of focus to audiences in the United States.

Notes:

• 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.
   

|| Competition Timeline || Application Materials || Tips & Assistance || Eligibility ||

IFLE Home

FY 2024

Appropriation: $29,332,911
Number of Continuation Awards: 113
Average Award: $259,583

List of Grantees and Funding Amounts: MS Excel (37K)
Application Narratives of Funded FY 2022-2025 NRCs
Google Map of FY 2024 IFLE Grantees

FY 2023

Appropriation: $29,332,911
Number of New Awards: 15
Number of Continuation Awards: 98
Average Award: $259,583

FY 2023 List of Grantees and Funding Amounts: MS Excel (37K)
Application Narratives of Funded FY 2022-2025 NRCs
Google Map of FY 2023 IFLE Grantees

IFLE Home

Useful Links

• Notice of Final Rule (August 27, 2024) with regulatory updates to the NRC program (see “Regulations” section below for a list of upcoming technical assistance webinars)
• Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (February 22, 2024) regarding regulatory updates to the NRC program
• Program Administration Manual for FY 2022-2025: PDF (2.63M)
• FY 2022 Consultation on Areas of National Need with Federal Agencies: MS Word (103K)
• Related Program - Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships Program (FLAS)
• International Resource Information System (IRIS): a performance reporting system and searchable database for 14 international education programs
• OPE - Applicant and Grantee Resources
• FY 2022-2025 NRC/FLAS Project Directors Meeting
  • Contact List for FY 2022-2025 NRC and FLAS Programs (as of 20 Oct 2022): Excel (75K)
  • Engage with IFLE Flyer: PDF (137K)
  • Excerpts of Select Quotes from Remarks by Ambassador Lee Litzenberger, Retired: PDF (186K)
  • FLAS Funds Reminders for 2022 Project Directors Meeting: PDF (327K)
  • Google Map of FY 2022 IFLE Grantees
  • IFLE Peer Review Flyer: PDF (334K)
  • IFLE Programs of Particular Interest to NRC/FLAS: PDF (124K)
  • Snapshots of FY 2022-2025 NRC and FLAS Grantees: Excel (60K)
  • U.S. Government All Language Programs Website

IFLE Home

NOTE: These FAQS apply to both the National Resource Centers and the Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships Programs.

Please refer to the below PDF document for the complete listing of frequently asked questions and answers for the Fiscal Year 2022 National Resource Centers (NRC) and Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships programs:

•  PDF (371K)

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