(a) Under the National Resource Centers Program for Foreign Language and Areas Studies (National Resource Centers Program), the Secretary awards grants to institutions of higher education and consortia of institutions to establish, strengthen, and operate comprehensive and undergraduate Centers that act cooperatively as national resources for—

(1) Teaching of modern foreign languages, especially less commonly taught languages;

(2) Instruction in fields of study needed to provide full understanding of areas, regions, or countries in which such languages are commonly used;

(3) Research and training in international studies and the international and foreign language aspects of professional and other fields of study; and

(4) Instruction and research on issues in world affairs that concern one or more countries.

(b) Through the activities described in paragraph (a) of this section, the National Resource Centers Program contributes to the purposes of the programs authorized by part A of title VI of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, listed in § 655.5(a).

(a) An institution of higher education or a consortium of institutions of higher education is eligible to receive a grant under this part as either a comprehensive Center or undergraduate Center.

(b) An institution of higher education or a consortium of institutions of higher education that is a current recipient of a grant under this part as either a comprehensive Center or undergraduate Center is eligible to receive an additional grant under this part for special purposes related to library collections, outreach, and summer institutes, as described in § 656.4.

(a) A Center's area of focus for research, teaching, training, instruction, and project activities must be aligned with both of the following requirements:

(1) The area of focus must be a geographic world area or a geographically designated region that spans multiple world areas.

(2) Research, teaching, training, and instruction in specific languages, countries, regions, societies, or other units of analysis related to the area of focus described in this paragraph (1) must be conducted at the institution.

(b) A comprehensive Center is an administrative unit of an eligible institution of higher education that independently or through collaboration with other administrative units—

(1) Provides intensive modern foreign language training, especially for less commonly taught languages, in the Center's area of focus;

(2) Contributes significantly to the national interest in advanced research and scholarship in the Center's area of focus;

(3) Employs a critical mass of scholars in diverse disciplines related to the Center's area of focus;

(4) Maintains important library collections related to the Center's area of focus;

(5) Makes training available in language and area studies in the Center's area of focus, to graduate, postgraduate, and undergraduate students;

(6) Addresses national needs for modern foreign language and area studies expertise and knowledge, including through, but not limited to, the placement of students into postgraduate employment, education, or training in areas of need; and

(7) Disseminates information about the Center's area of focus to audiences in the United States.

(c) An undergraduate Center independently or through collaboration with other administrative units—

(1) Teaches modern foreign languages, especially less commonly taught languages, related to the Center's area of focus;

(2) Prepares undergraduate students to matriculate into advanced modern foreign language and area studies programs and professional school programs;

(3) Incorporates substantial content related to the Center's area of focus into baccalaureate degree programs;

(4) Engages in research and curriculum development designed to broaden knowledge and expertise related to the Center's area of focus;

(5) Employs faculty with strong language, area, and international studies credentials related to the Center's area of focus;

(6) Maintains library holdings sufficient to support high-quality training and instruction in the Center's area of focus for undergraduate students;

(7) Makes training related to the Center's area of focus available predominantly to undergraduate students in support of the objectives of a undergraduate education;

(8) Addresses national needs for language and area studies expertise and knowledge, including through, but not limited to, the placement of undergraduate students into postgraduate employment, education, or training in areas of need; and

(9) Disseminates information about the Center's area of focus to audiences in the United States.

The Secretary may make additional special purpose grants to Centers for one or more of the following purposes:

(a) Linkage or outreach between foreign language, area studies, and other international fields and professional schools and colleges.

(b) Linkage or outreach with 2- and 4-year colleges and universities.

(c) Linkage or outreach between or among—

(1) Postsecondary programs or departments in foreign language, area studies, or other international fields; and

(2) State educational agencies or local educational agencies.

(d) Partnerships or programs of linkage and outreach with departments or agencies of Federal and State governments, including Federal or State scholarship programs for students in related areas.

(e) Linkage or outreach with the news media, business, professional, or trade associations.

(f) Summer institutes in area studies, foreign language, or other international fields designed to carry out the activities in paragraphs (a), (b), (d), and (e) of this section.

(g) Maintenance of important library collections.

The following regulations apply to this program:

(a) The regulations in 34 CFR part 655.

(b) The regulations in this part 656.

The following definitions apply to this part:

(a) The definitions in 34 CFR part 655.

(b) The following definitions, unless otherwise specified:

Critical mass of scholars means a concentration of modern foreign language and area studies faculty, researchers, and other similar personnel associated with a Center who collectively make significant contributions in a field of area studies because of their expertise and are distinguished by their training in many different academic disciplines in addition to their active engagement in interdisciplinary initiatives related to the Center's area of focus. The following are examples of other factors that may be considered in determining whether there is a critical mass of scholars:

(i) Whether instruction in many foreign languages is offered.

(ii) Whether specialized area studies or language instruction is regularly offered.

(iii) The number of graduate student research projects (dissertations, theses, or equivalents) supervised.

(iv) The degree of collaboration with international partners.

(v) Participation in professional activities or consultations with partners outside academia.

(vi) Professional awards and honors.

(vii) Roles in professional associations.

(viii) Activities funded by external grants.

(ix) The number of scholars relative to all similarly qualified individuals in the United States.

Institution means an institution of higher education, as defined in 34 CFR part 655. References to an institution include all institutions of higher education that operate as a consortium under this part.

National Resource Center (Center) means an administrative unit within an institution of higher education that is a grantee under this part that coordinates educational initiatives related to an area of focus as described in § 656.3(a) at that institution or for a consortium of institutions through direct access to faculty, staff, administrators, students, library collections and other research collections, and other educational resources that support research, training, and instruction in various academic disciplines, professional fields, and languages.

If any provision of this part or its application to any person, act, or practice is held invalid, the remainder of the part or the application of its provisions to any other person, act, or practice will not be affected thereby.