One of the key responsibilities and roles that the Department of Education does hold is to provide funding for states, districts, schools, and other entities (non-profits, etc) to support educational initiatives and further education reform. We do have many different grant programs out there, especially within OESE, and I know we’ve gotten inquiries on who is eligible for these grants, and how one might apply.
So, here are some resources that are available online to assist you in identifying programs for which you may be eligible to apply:
- Grantmaking at ED provides a general overview of the grant process at the Department.
- Program web pages list all programs organized by subject, title, who’s eligible to apply, and more.
- Guide to Education Programs enables users to search programs by those same criteria—subject, title, who’s eligible to apply, CFDA number, and more.
- Discretionary Grant Applications lists the application packages that are currently available.
- Forecast of Funding Opportunities for ED Discretionary Grant Programs forecasts when grant competitions are expected to open. These are the dates to begin watching for the application materials. Contact information for each grant is also provided.
- Grants.gov is a source to find and apply for federal government grants. There are over 1,000 grant programs offered by all federal grant making agencies.
- The online Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance provides access to a database of all federal programs available to state and local governments (including the District of Columbia); federally-recognized Indian tribal governments; territories (and possessions) of the United States; domestic public, quasi-public, and private profit and nonprofit organizations and institutions; specialized groups; and individuals.
In addition, the EDInfo electronic newsletter provides 1-2 email messages a week describing federal teaching and learning resources and Department funding opportunities. Click here to sign up for the listserv.
As you may know, most of the Department’s grants are made to state and local educational agencies. So, if you have a program that you think would be a great addition to your state or local district, you may think about bringing your suggestion to state and local school officials.
