The U.S. Department of Education announced the award of 59 new grants—totaling more than $4.4 million—under two Fulbright-Hays international education programs to institutions and organizations in 34 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia:

• $1.43 million for 17 new grants to institutions and organizations in 12 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia for Group Projects Abroad (GPA) short-term projects; and
• $3 million to 42 institutions of higher education in 22 states and the District of Columbia for Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad (DDRA) projects.

“International collaboration helps students develop global competencies necessary to succeed in the 21st century,” said Jamienne Studley, deputy under secretary of education. “These collaborations help strengthen our reform efforts here in the United States as our students, teachers and faculty work with and learn from cultures and societies different from their own.”

The GPA short-term projects support overseas training, research and curriculum development in modern foreign languages and area studies for groups of teachers, students and faculty who return to the United States to share their new global learning with their students and fellow educators.

At the 42 institutions receiving DDRA grants, 86 individual fellowships are being awarded to doctoral students to conduct research in modern foreign languages and area studies in other countries for periods of six to 12 months.

The goal of these grants is to deepen knowledge of areas of the world not generally included in U.S. educational programs and to build a cadre of students, educators and other professionals with deep global expertise. These programs are part of the larger Fulbright-Hays Program, which dates to 1961 when the late U.S. Sen. J. William Fulbright sponsored legislation for several programs that aim to increase mutual understanding between the United States and the rest of the world.

This year, both competitions invited applications from minority-serving institutions, community colleges, and, in the case of DDRA, other institutions that promote the participation of students from minority and less-advantaged backgrounds. Competitive preference was given to projects that focus on Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia, and both programs encouraged applications that focus on one of 78 less commonly taught languages.

In addition to these new grants, the Department also awarded $1.9 million for 11 continuation grants for GPA long-term projects, which provide advanced intensive language training overseas. Unlike the projects announced today, which hold annual competitions, the GPA long-term program is competed every four years. Finally, the Office of International and Foreign Language Education also awarded $63,968,643 in continuation grants under the following Title VI discretionary grant programs to support the capacity of institutions of higher education to establish and strengthen area studies, and world language training:

• $22,743,107 for 100 National Resource Centers focused on developing expertise in foreign languages and the world regions in which they are used, and $30,339,238 for 108 Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships training programs at institutions in 27 states and the District of Columbia.
• $4,571,400 for 17 Centers for International Business Education at institutions of higher education in 14 states and the District of Columbia.
• $649,700 to support 10 American Overseas Research Centers in Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Mongolia, Cyprus, Bangladesh, Senegal, Armenia, and Italy.
• $2,746,768 for 16 Language Resource Centers at institutions of higher education in 13 states and the District of Columbia.
• $2,928,430 to support 31 Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language projects at institutions of higher education in 16 states.