Comprehensive Centers

This program supports no fewer than 20 comprehensive centers that provide training, professional development, and technical assistance to State educational agencies, local educational agencies, regional educational agencies, and schools to improve educational outcomes for all students, close achievement gaps, and improve the quality of instruction. By statute, the Department is required to establish at least 1 center in each of the 10 geographic regions served by the Department's regional educational laboratories (RELs). Information on the REL regions is available at http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/.)

Research organizations, institutions, agencies, institutions of higher education (IHEs), or partnerships among such entities, or individuals with the demonstrated ability or capacity to carry out the activities required in the notice inviting applications, including regional entities that carried out activities under the Educational Research, Development, Dissemination, and Improvement Act of 1994 (as such Act existed on the day before November 5, 2002) and title XIII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) (as such title existed on the day before January 8, 2002).

Agencies supporting or providing elementary and secondary education will benefit, including State and local educational agencies, regional educational agencies, the Bureau of Indian Education, Indian tribes, community-based organizations, and other recipients of funds under the ESEA.

2 CFR part 200, Subpart F - Audit Requirements applies to this program. 34 CFR part 75 applies to this program. 34 CFR part 77 applies to this program. Final priorities, requirements, definitions, and performance measures for the Comprehensive Centers Program published in the Federal Register on May 13, 2024 (89 FR 41498) applies to this program. OMB Circular No. A-102 does not apply to this program. Competitions are announced in the Federal Register and on the Department of Education web site at https://www.ed.gov/grants-and-programs/grants-birth-grade-12/comprehensive-centers-program#Applicant-Information. Applications or proposals must be prepared and submitted in accordance with applicable program announcements.

After completion of competitive peer review of applications, the Department makes the final decision on the approval and funding of applications. If an applicant is successful, the Department of Education will notify the applicant's U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and will send the successful applicant a Grant Award Notification (GAN). The Department of Education may also notify successful applicants informally.

Approximately 120 to 180 days.