Happy 2016! The International and Foreign Language Education (IFLE) Office hopes your new year is off to a great start and wishes you health, happiness, and spectacular success in 2016.

At the end of 2015, IFLE and the rest of the team at ED offered a big thank you and heartfelt goodbye to Arne Duncan, who served as Secretary of Education for seven years. While we will certainly miss Arne and the passion he brought to advancing education for all students, we were excited to welcome John King as our new Acting Secretary of Education as of January 1.

Education has always been a focal point of John King's life. You can read John’s bio and watch a 2 ½ minute video here, where he shares the challenges he faced growing up without parents in New York City, and how teachers inspired him towards a lifelong commitment to improving educational outcomes for every student. Notably, his goals for 2016 seek to continue to improve access, affordability, and completion in higher education for all. As Secretary King says, we must work to “ensure every student in America, regardless of zip code or background, has the opportunities a high-quality education provides.”

We look forward to working with you and Secretary King to advance international education for all students in 2016 and beyond.

- The IFLE Team

Follow Acting Secretary of Education John King on Twitter @JohnKingatED, and don't forget to follow IFLE @GoGlobalED!

IFLE is pleased to announce the grant competitions we have planned for 2016. IFLE grant programs help broaden global competencies that can help drive the economic success and competitiveness of our nation. The Notices Inviting Applications (NIA’s) will be posted on the program webpages when the competitions begin accepting applications -- information on these dates will be posted as it becomes available. The months below are estimated time-frames to help with planning:

Fulbright-Hays Programs

• Group Projects Abroad – Short Term/Long Term (application available in January-February)
  The GPA program provides grants for overseas projects in training, research, and curriculum development in modern foreign languages and area studies by teachers, students, and faculty. Grants are awarded to colleges and universities, nonprofit organizations, and state education agencies, which then distribute funds to eligible teachers and administrators to participate in seminars, curriculum development teams, group research, or study projects abroad.
  
  
• Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad (application available in January-February)
  The DDRA program provides grants to colleges and universities to fund individual doctoral students who conduct research in other countries, in modern foreign languages and area studies for periods of six to twelve months. Projects deepen research knowledge on and help the nation develop capability in areas of the world not generally included in U.S. curricula.
  
  

Title VI Programs

• Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language (application available in April)
  The UISFL program provides funding for institutions of higher education with limited resources to help them plan, develop, and carry out programs to strengthen and improve undergraduate instruction in international studies and foreign languages. Eligible projects may include: Developing a global or international studies program that is interdisciplinary in design; developing a program focused on issues like international business or international health; developing area studies and language programs; creating innovative curricula that combine the teaching of international studies with professional and pre-professional studies like engineering; research for and development of specialized teaching materials incorporating language instruction (i.e., business French); establishing internship opportunities for faculty and students in domestic and overseas settings; and developing study abroad programs.
  
  
• American Overseas Research Centers (application available in May)
  The AORC program provides grants to establish or operate overseas research centers that promote postgraduate research, exchanges, and area studies. Overseas centers must be permanent facilities in the host countries or regions, established to provide logistical and scholarly assistance to American postgraduate researchers and faculty.
  
  

We hope you'll pass these opportunities on to others in your network!

Are you looking for professional development experience in 2016 or interested in learning more about IFLE, the Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE), and our programs?  OPE seeks to create a pool of specialists to serve as “peer reviewers” to read and evaluate its grant competitions. Participation requires up to two weeks with modest compensation. To learn more and/or apply please visit Peer Reviewers Information page on OPE’s website.

IFLE is on Twitter with the latest from the world of international and foreign language education. Follow us @GoGlobalED and tell your friends! We'll see you in the Twittersphere!

We want to hear from you! Do you have suggestions for webinar topics? Ideas for things to include in future newsletters? Send them to Carolyn Collins at carolyn.collins@ed.gov .