Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE): Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE): Special Projects; Assistance Listing Number (ALN) 84.116J
Posted by Department of Education
Opportunity snapshot. This Grants.gov announcement — Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE): Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE): Special Projects; Assistance Listing Number (ALN) 84.116J — is cataloged under number ED-GRANTS-111225-001 and tied to CFDA assistance listing 84.116, posted by Department of Education. Grants.gov currently shows the opportunity as closed, first posted on November 12, 2025 and last updated on December 2, 2025. The funding category is Discretionary, delivered as a grant.
Award economics. The award range on file is Varies by applicant. The agency has projected $167.0 million in total estimated funding for this announcement. It expects to issue 89 awards. If the agency funds the expected 89 awards from the $167.0 million estimated pool, the average award works out to roughly $1.9 million. Cost sharing is not required, so applicants do not need to commit matching funds to be competitive on this opportunity. Federal award ranges are often upper bounds; actual allocations reflect program appropriations, the strength of the applicant pool, and the evaluation committee's scoring.
Deadline and action path. This opportunity closed on December 3, 2025. Future funding cycles may be published under the same CFDA number, so monitoring the parent program page is the most reliable way to catch re-announcements. Every Grants.gov submission requires an active SAM.gov registration and a Unique Entity ID. Review the Eligibility section below carefully — federal eligibility categories (nonprofit, state or local government, tribal, individual, educational institution, small business) have distinct registration and reporting requirements. Pre-application outreach to the listed agency contact is permitted and often welcomed — it helps clarify scope and scoring priorities.
Award Range
Varies by applicant
Close Date
December 3, 2025
Applications Available: November 12, 2025. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: December 3, 2025. Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: December 12, 2025. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stacey Slijepcevic, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW. Telephone: (202) 453-6150. Email: Stacey.Slijepcevic@ed.gov.
Posted
November 12, 2025
Est. Total Funding
$167,000,000
Expected Awards
89
Instrument
Grant
Description
Note: Each funding opportunity description is a synopsis of information in the Federal Register application notice. For specific information about eligibility, please see the official application notice. The official version of this document is the document published in the Federal Register. Please review the official application notice for pre-application and application requirements, application submission information, performance measures, priorities and program contact information.For the addresses for obtaining and submitting an application, please refer to our Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on August 29, 2025 (90 FR 42234), and available at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/08/29/2025-16571/common-instructions-and-information-for-applicants-to department-of-education-discretionary-grantams.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.Assistance Listing Number 84.116J
Eligibility
25
Official Listing on Grants.gov
View full details, application forms, and submission instructions.
Parent Grant Program
Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE)
U.S. Department of Education
Agency Contact
Stacey Slijepcevic <br/>U.S. Department of Education <br/>400 Maryland Avenue SW <br/>Telephone: (202) 453-6150 <br/>Email: Stacey.Slijepcevic@ed.gov
Key Dates
Frequently Asked Questions
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Disclaimer: This information is sourced from Grants.gov and SAM.gov and is for informational purposes only. Opportunity details, deadlines, and eligibility requirements change frequently. Always verify current information directly on Grants.gov before applying. PlainGrants is not affiliated with any federal agency.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
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| Sources | Public official public datasets |