Advancing International and Foreign Language Education Act

613. Professional and technical education for global competitiveness

(a) Purpose. The purpose of this section is to support innovative strategies that provide undergraduate and graduate students with the global professional competencies, perspectives, and skills needed to strengthen and enrich the global engagement and competitiveness of the United States in a wide variety of professional and technical fields important to the national interest in the 21st century.

(b) Definitions. In this section:

(1) Eligible entity. The term eligible entity means—

(A) an institution of higher education;

(B) a consortium of institutions of higher education; or

(C) a partnership consisting of 1 or more institutions of higher education and 1 or more corporate entity or nonprofit organization.

(2) Professional education and technical training. The term professional education and technical training means a program at an institution of higher education that offers undergraduate, graduate, or post-graduate level education in a professional or technical field that is determined by the Secretary as meeting a national need for global or international competency (which may include a program in the field of business, science, technology, engineering, law, health, energy, environment, agriculture, transportation, or education).

(c) Program authorized. From amounts made available to carry out this section and subject to subsection (g), the Secretary shall award grants or contracts, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities to enable the eligible entities to carry out programs designed to—

(1) establish an interdisciplinary global dimension in the undergraduate and graduate curricula of programs of business, science, technology, engineering, mathematics, health, environment, energy, agriculture, law, civics, and other professional education and technical training, to be determined by the Secretary based on national needs;

(2) produce graduates with proficiencies in both the global aspects of their professional fields and international, cross-cultural, and foreign language skills; and

(3) provide appropriate services to or linkages with corporate, government, and nonprofit communities that—

(A) will expand the knowledge and capacity of such communities for global engagement and competitiveness; and

(B) provide internship or employment opportunities for postsecondary students and graduates with international skills.

(d) Applications. Each eligible entity desiring a grant or contract under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such information and assurances as the Secretary may reasonably require, including—

(1) evidence that each project proposed in the application has a reasonable and demonstrable expectation of sustainability and replicability once the grant or contract period is completed;

(2) a copy of the agreement entered into by the eligible entity with a private entity or nonprofit organization engaged in international economic or other relevant professional activity, or a combination or consortium of such entities or organizations, for the purpose of demonstrating compliance with subsection (c);

(3) assurances that the institution of higher education will use the assistance provided under this section for activities that supplement, and not supplant, activities described in subsection (e) that were carried out by the institution of higher education before receiving the grant or contract; and

(4) assurances that, where applicable, the activities funded by the grant or contract will reflect diverse perspectives and a wide range of views on world regions and international affairs.

(e) Authorized activities

(1) Mandatory activities. An eligible entity receiving a grant or contract under this section shall use funds provided under the grant or contract to carry out all of the following activities:

(A) Combining or incorporating into undergraduate or graduate professional education and technical training curricula all of the following:

(i) Foreign language programs that lead to proficiency, including immersion opportunities.

(ii) International studies, area studies, or global studies programs.

(iii) Educational programs abroad, internships abroad, or other innovative or technological linkages abroad.

(iv) Global business, economic, and trade studies, as appropriate.

(B) Innovation and improvement in international, global, and foreign language education curricula to serve the needs of business and other professional and nonprofit communities, including development of new programs for nontraditional, midcareer, or part-time students.

(C) Establishment of educational programs abroad or internship programs abroad, or other innovative approaches to enable undergraduate or graduate professional students to develop their foreign language skills and knowledge of foreign cultures and societies and global dimensions of their professional fields.

(D) Development of collaborations on issues of common interest to institutions of higher education, corporations, or nonprofit sector organizations designed to strengthen engagement and competitiveness in global business or trade or other global professional activity.

(2) Permissible activities. An eligible entity receiving a grant or contract under this section may use funds provided under the grant to carry out any of the following activities:

(A) Development of specialized teaching materials and courses (including foreign language studies, area studies, or global studies materials) and innovative technological delivery systems appropriate to professionally oriented students.

(B) Establishment of student fellowships or other innovative support opportunities for education and training in global professional development activities, including for underrepresented populations, first generation students, and heritage students.

(C) Development of opportunities or fellowships for professional school faculty, including junior faculty, to acquire or strengthen international and global skills and perspectives, including faculty in minority-serving institutions or community colleges.

(D) Summer, or other academic break, institutes, or technology-delivered institutes, in global business, science, technology, engineering, mathematics, or other professional fields, foreign language studies, area studies, and global and other international studies designed to carry out the purposes of this section.

(E) Internationalization of curricula at the community college level and at minority-serving institutions to further the purposes of this section.

(F) Establishment of linkages overseas—

(i) with institutions of higher education, corporations and other private entities, and nonprofit organizations; and

(ii) that contribute to the educational purpose of this section.

(G) Development of programs to inform the public of—

(i) increasing global interdependence in a wide variety of professional fields such as business, science, technology, engineering, mathematics, health, environment, energy, agriculture, law, civics, and other areas; and

(ii) the role of the United States within the global system.

(H) Establishment of trade education programs through cooperative arrangements with—

(i) regional, national, and global trade centers and councils; and

(ii) bilateral and multilateral trade associations.

(f) Federal share; non-Federal share

(1) In general. Any funds provided through a grant under this section shall be used to pay the Federal share of the activities carried out under the grant.

(2) Federal share. The Federal share of the cost of a program supported by a grant under this section shall not be more than 50 percent.

(3) Non-Federal share. The non-Federal share of the cost of the program supported by a grant under this section—

(A) shall be not less than 50 percent; and

(B) may be provided either in cash or in kind, from institutional and non-institutional funds, including contributions from State entities and private sector corporations or foundations.

(4) Special rule. Notwithstanding paragraphs (2) and (3), the Secretary may waive or reduce the required non-Federal share under this section for an eligible entity that is, or includes, an institution that—

(A) is a minority-serving institution or is a community college; and

(B) has submitted a grant application under this section that demonstrates a need for a waiver or reduction.

(g) Funding rule. Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, the Secretary shall only award grants or contracts under this section for a fiscal year if the total amount of funding under this title is greater than the total of such amount for fiscal year 2027.