Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE): Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE): Special Projects
Funding Type
Grant
Grantor Agency
U.S. Department of Education
Grant Range
# of Awards Available
Programmatic Area
Capacity Building
Programmatic Area
Education
Deadline
12/03/2025
Match Required?
Eligible Entities
Institutions of higher education (as defined in section 101 of the HEA), consortia of such institutions, and other public and private nonprofit institutions and agencies including State higher education agencies as defined in 20 U.S.C. 1003(22). An eligible entity may submit only one (1) grant application under an area of national need as the lead applicant. An entity can be included as a partner in multiple applications.
Focus Area
Purpose of Program: The FIPSE Special Projects Program provides grants to institutions of higher education (IHEs), combinations of such institutions, and other public and private nonprofit institutions and agencies, as the Secretary deems necessary, to support innovative projects concerning one or more areas of national need identified by the Secretary. This competition focuses on supporting four areas of national need—(1) advancing the understanding of and use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology in postsecondary education, (2) promoting civil discourse on college and university campuses, (3) promoting accreditation reform, and (4) supporting capacity-building for high-quality short-term programs.
In order to support these four crucial needs, this competition includes seven absolute priorities under which applicants can apply: two priorities dedicated to advancing the understanding and use of AI in postsecondary education (Absolute Priorities 1 and 2), one priority dedicated to promoting civil discourse on college and university campuses (Absolute Priority 3), two priorities within promoting accreditation reform (Absolute Priorities 4 and 5), and two priorities for capacity-building for high-quality short-term programs (Absolute Priorities 6 and 7). The Department intends to award $50 million to advance AI in Education, $60 million to promote civil discourse on college and university campuses, $7 million to support accreditation reform, and $50 million for high-quality short-term programs. The Department may adjust these estimates based on interest and quality of applications.
Contact
Stacey.Slijepcevic@ed.gov
Link to Opportunity
https://grants.gov/search-results-detail/360851
Application Platform
grants.gov
Assistance Listing
84.116 -- Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education
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