The Department of Education has announced funding opportunities for the fiscal year (FY) 2025 under the Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad (GPA) Program, which supports study and development of modern foreign languages and area studies. The GPA program allows U.S. faculty, teachers, and students to conduct group projects abroad in various regions, including Africa, East and South Asia, Eastern Europe, and more. Projects can be categorized as short-term (4-12 weeks) for seminars, curriculum development, and group study, or long-term (up to 12 months) for advanced language programs. Applications open on October 25, 2024, with a submission deadline of January 21, 2025.

Eligible applicants include institutions of higher education, state education departments, nonprofit educational organizations, and consortia of these entities. Participants must be U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents and include faculty, K-12 teachers, educational administrators, or graduate students focused on language or area studies. Notably, applications are only considered if they propose projects in eligible geographic areas and are limited to modern foreign languages other than French, German, or Spanish.

The funding amount is anticipated at $8.2 million, with an estimated $3.35 million available for this competition. Short-term project awards range from $50,000 to $180,000, while long-term awards may reach up to $300,000. The program includes a priority for projects focusing on less commonly taught languages, and additional points are awarded to applications that include K-12 educators, propose thematic studies in STEM and other key fields, or are submitted by Minority-Serving Institutions, community colleges, or first-time applicants.

Applications will be evaluated based on project design, personnel quality, cost effectiveness, evaluation plans, and resource adequacy. Projects with strong ties to U.S. educational objectives in foreign language and area studies, effective use of host-country resources, and potential for broad dissemination of project results will be prioritized. Performance measures will assess participants’ outreach activities post-return for short-term projects and language proficiency improvements for long-term participants.