U.S. Department of Education opens FY2026 American History and Civics grants; $19.8M available, applications due July 13

The U.S. Department of Education on a webinar outlined the FY2026 American History and Civics National Activities discretionary competition, announcing roughly $19.8 million for new awards and setting an application deadline of July 13, 2026.

Group leader Orman Feres said the program, authorized under Section 2233 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, funds ‘‘innovative, evidence‑based approaches’’ to professional development in American history, civics and government, and geography, with a focus on improving teaching quality and student achievement and serving underserved populations. He said the Department expects to make about 10 awards, generally in the $500,000 to $1,000,000 range, and that project periods may be up to 36 months with a possible two‑year renewal at the Secretary’s discretion.

The competition’s single absolute priority requires projects to demonstrate potential to improve instruction and student outcomes in elementary and secondary schools. Two optional competitive preference priorities can add points: ‘‘promoting patriotic education’’ (up to 10 points) and ‘‘returning education to the states’’ (a binary 0-or-10 points bonus). Feres said the latter requires an endorsement from a governor or chief state education official to receive the 10 points.

Nikki Palmore, a program officer, summarized the selection criteria and point breakdown reviewers will use: quality of project design (30 points), significance (10 points), management plan (20 points), adequacy of resources (20 points) and evaluation or evidence building (20 points). Applications that do not clearly address the absolute priority will not be forwarded to peer reviewers, she said.

Eligibility and submission logistics: eligible lead applicants include institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations and for‑profit organizations; local education agencies cannot serve as lead applicants but may partner. Feres emphasized that the application notice and full instructions published on grants.gov are the controlling documents and that late applications will not be accepted. Key dates listed in the webinar: notice published May 26, 2026; notices of intent to apply due June 15, 2026; application deadline July 13, 2026 at 11:59:59 PM Eastern; tentative peer review July 27–Aug. 17, 2026; and awards expected by Sept. 30, 2026.

Why it matters: the competition targets professional‑development models and other projects intended to strengthen civic and historical instruction at scale. Organizations chosen for awards can expect multi‑year funding but must meet federal reporting obligations tied to GPRA and project‑specific performance measures.

The Department said it will post the webinar recording, slide deck and a compiled Q&A on the competition webpage (and that applicants who have emailed the program mailbox received an auto‑reply with links). Officials encouraged applicants to submit intent-to-apply notices and to begin grants.gov and SAM.gov registration well before the deadline to avoid technical issues.