Greetings Colleagues,

Here are three recent funding opportunities announced this week from the US Department of Education.

Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE): Effective Educator Development Programs: American History and Civics Education: Presidential and Congressional Academies for American History and Civics Program, Assistance Listing Number (ALN) 84.422A

https://oese.ed.gov/offices/office-of-discretionary-grants-support-services/effective-educator-development-programs/american-history-and-civics-academies/applicant-info/

Deadline for Notice of Intent To Apply: May 30, 2023.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 12, 2023.
Estimated Range of Awards: $300,000–$1,000,000 per year.
Project Period: Up to 60 months.
Eligible Applicants: An institution of higher education or nonprofit educational organization, museum, library, or research center with demonstrated expertise in historical methodology or the teaching of American history and civics; or a consortium of these entities. In its application, an applicant must submit documentation of its organization's demonstrated expertise in historical methodology or the teaching of American history or civics.

Purpose of Program: The Academies Program supports the establishment of (1) Presidential Academies for the Teaching of American History and Civics that offer workshops for both veteran and new teachers to strengthen their knowledge of American history, civics, and government education (Presidential Academies); and (2) Congressional Academies for Students of American History and Civics that provide high school students opportunities to enrich their understanding of these subjects (Congressional Academies).

Background: The Academies Program supports projects to raise student achievement in American history and civics by improving teachers' and students' knowledge, understanding, and engagement with these subjects, including principles of the Constitution, through intensive workshops with scholars, master teachers, and curriculum experts. The Department encourages applications to include strong partnerships and active, ongoing collaboration between eligible entities, local educational agencies (LEAs), and State educational agencies (SEAs) in their design and proposed implementation. Project activities should reflect the best available research and practice in teaching and learning.

Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE): Effective Educator Development Programs: American History and Civics Education National Activities (AHC-NA) Program, Assistance Listing Number 84.422B

https://oese.ed.gov/offices/office-of-discretionary-grants-support-services/effective-educator-development-programs/national-activities-grant/applicant-information/

Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: May 30, 2023.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 12, 2023.
Estimated Range of Awards: $500,000–$1,000,000 per year
Project Period: Up to 36 months, with potential for renewal of up to an additional 24 months.
Eligible Applicants: An institution of higher education or other nonprofit or for-profit organization with demonstrated expertise in the development of evidence-based approaches with the potential to improve the quality of American history, civics and government, or geography learning and teaching.
Pre-application webinar May 17^th.

Purpose of Program: The purpose of the AHC–NA program is to promote new and existing evidence-based strategies to encourage innovative American history, civics and government, and geography instruction, learning strategies, and professional development activities and programs for teachers, principals, or other school leaders, particularly such instruction, strategies, activities, and programs that benefit students from low-income backgrounds and other underserved populations.

Absolute Priority: Innovative Instruction or Professional Development in American History, Civics and Government, and Geography. Under this priority, we provide funding to projects that are designed to develop, implement, expand, evaluate, and disseminate for voluntary use, innovative, evidence-based approaches or professional development programs in American history, civics and government, and geography. To meet this priority, a project must—

(a) Show potential to improve the quality of teaching of and student achievement in American history, civics and government, or geography, in elementary schools and secondary schools; and

(b) Demonstrate innovation, scalability, accountability, and a focus on underserved populations.

Competitive Preference Priorities:

Competitive Preference Priority 1— Innovative Activities for Civic Engagement. (up to 5 points)

Under this priority, we provide funding to promote new and existing evidence-based strategies to encourage innovative civics and government learning strategies and professional development activities and programs for teachers, principals, or other school leaders, particularly such instruction, strategies, activities, and programs that benefit low-income students and underserved populations.

To meet this priority, a project must include one or both of the following—

(a) Hands-on civic engagement activities for teachers and students; or

(b) Programs that educate students about the history and principles of the Constitution of the United States, including the Bill of Rights.

Competitive Preference Priority 2— Promoting Equity in Student Access to Educational Resources and Opportunities. (up to 7 points)

Under this priority, an applicant must demonstrate that the applicant proposes a project designed to promote educational equity and adequacy in resources and opportunity for underserved students in one or more of the following educational settings:

(i) Early learning programs.

(ii) Elementary school

(iii) Middle school.

(iv) High school.

(v) Career and technical education programs.

(vi) Out-of-school-time settings.

(vii) Alternative schools and programs.

(viii) Juvenile justice system or correctional facilities.

The project also must examine the sources of inequity and inadequacy and implement responses, and may include one or both of the following:

(i) Rigorous, engaging, and well-rounded (e.g., that include music and the arts) approaches to learning that are inclusive with regard to race, ethnicity, culture, language, and disability status and prepare students for college, career, and civic life, including civics programs that support students in understanding and engaging in American democratic practices (up to 3 points).

(ii) Establishing, expanding, or improving the engagement of underserved community members (including underserved students and families) in informing and making decisions that influence policy and practice at the school, district, or State level by elevating their voices, through their participation and their perspectives and providing them with access to opportunities for leadership (e.g., establishing partnerships between civic student government programs and parent and caregiver leadership initiatives) (up to 4 points).

Invitational Priority: Projects that describe how they will foster critical thinking and promote student engagement in civics education through professional development and/ or student-facing projects using media literacy, digital citizenship, or other activities designed to support students in—

(a) Evaluating sources and evidence using standards of proof;

(b) Understanding their own biases when reviewing information, as well as uncovering and recognizing bias in primary and secondary sources;

(d) Understanding how inaccurate information may be used to influence individuals and developing strategies to recognize accurate and inaccurate information.

Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE): Higher Education Programs (HEP): Modeling and Simulation Program (MSP), Assistance Listing Number 84.116S

https://www2.ed.gov/programs/msp/applicant.html

Preapplication webinar: https://www2.ed.gov/programs/msp/fy2023-msp-preapplication-ta-webinars.pdf May 4^th, May 16^th, June 8^th.

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 23, 2023.
Estimated Range of Awards: $750,000 to $1,155,000 (for the entire grant cycle).
Project Period: Up to 36 months.
Eligible Applicants: A public or private nonprofit institution of higher education as defined in section 101(a) of the HEA. Applicants must be eligible to apply under either Absolute Priority 1 or Absolute Priority 2 as outlined in the Absolute Priorities section. Applicants applying under Absolute Priority 1 must also be an institution of higher education that has—

(a) An established modeling and simulation degree program, including a major, minor, or career-track program; or

(b) An established modeling and simulation certificate or concentration program.

Purpose of Program: The MSP is designed to promote the study of modeling and simulation at institutions of higher education (IHEs) through collaboration with new and existing programs, and specifically to promote the use of technology through the creation of accurate models that can simulate processes or recreate real life, by—

(a) Establishing a task force at the Department to raise awareness of and define the study of modeling and simulation;

(b) Providing grants to IHEs to develop new modeling and simulation degree programs; and

Background: According to House Report 117–403, which accompanied the FY 2023 appropriations bill for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and related agencies, “modeling and simulation technology has numerous applications for Federal and State governments and their partners in the defense, education, gaming, shipbuilding, and workforce training sectors, allowing them to generate data to help make decisions or predictions about their systems.” [1]

Modeling and simulation programs can develop tools or techniques in numerous industries to support education and training where they otherwise would be high risk or hazardous in a real-world scenario. Programs can also leverage modeling simulation and technology, such as, but not limited to, experiential learning models, economic and predictive modeling, and advanced data science and analytics. This program seeks to fund the development or enhancement of degree programs focused on modeling and simulation technology. Through grant support, we hope to increase the availability and capacity of such programs in today's world. In FY 2022, the Department provided funding to three IHEs to develop degree programs in this field. Given the additional funding for this program in FY 2023, the Department will fund new projects to expand opportunities for students who are interested in pursuing this type of degree program.

Absolute Priorities:

Absolute Priority 1—Enhancing Modeling and Simulation at Institutions of Higher Education.

To be considered for a grant under this absolute priority, an eligible institution must propose to enhance an existing modeling and simulation degree program, including a major, minor, or career-track program, or an existing certificate or concentration program, and must include in its application—

(a) A letter from the president or provost of the eligible institution that demonstrates the institution's commitment to the enhancement of the modeling and simulation program at the institution of higher education;

(b) An identification of designated faculty responsible for the enhancement of the institution's modeling and simulation program; and

(c) A detailed plan for how the grant funds will be used to enhance a modeling and simulation program of the institution.

Absolute Priority 2—Establishing Modeling and Simulation Programs.

To be considered for a grant under this absolute priority, an eligible institution must propose to establish, or work toward the establishment of, a modeling and simulation program, including a major, minor, career-track, certificate, or concentration program, and must include in its application—

(a) A letter from the president or provost of the eligible institution that demonstrates the institution's commitment to the establishment of a modeling and simulation program at the institution of higher education;

(b) A detailed plan for how the grant funds will be used to establish a modeling and simulation program at the institution; and

(c) A description of how the modeling and simulation program established under this priority will complement existing programs and fit into the institution's current program and course offerings.

Invitational Priority: Promoting Equity in Student Access to Educational Resources and Opportunities.

Under this priority, an application must demonstrate that the project will be implemented by or in partnership with one or more of the following entities:

(a) Community colleges (as defined in this notice).

(b) Historically Black colleges and universities (as defined in this notice).

(d) Minority-serving institutions (as defined in this notice).

Please let me know if you have any questions or are considering applying for any of these funding opportunities.

Thank you,

Iwan