Intelligence Community Centers for Academic Excellence | ODNI FOA 24 01

Opportunity Information: Apply for ODNI FOA 24 01

The Intelligence Community Centers for Academic Excellence (IC CAE) grant opportunity (ODNI FOA 24 01) is a discretionary grant program run by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), specifically through ODNI's Office of the Assistant Director of National Intelligence for Human Capital (ADNI/HC) and the IC CAE Program Office. The basic purpose of the program is workforce-focused: it aims to strengthen the recruitment and long-term retention of an ethnically and culturally diverse U.S. Intelligence Community workforce by supporting higher-education programs that build skills and academic pathways tied to national security needs. ODNI positions the program as a way to expand awareness of the Intelligence Community mission and culture across geographically and demographically diverse communities, while building a stronger pipeline of students prepared for intelligence and related national security careers.

Legally and historically, the IC CAE program is grounded in authorities including the Intelligence Authorization Act framework and the National Security Act (as amended, including 2019 updates). The program began as a congressionally authorized pilot in the early 2000s to address the need for a diverse cadre of national security professionals. After ODNI was established, the program shifted under ODNI management to broaden the applicant pool and increase national reach; it was later managed by the Defense Intelligence Agency for several years with ODNI oversight, expanded in scale, and then returned to ODNI management in late 2019. In the current form described in the announcement, ODNI emphasizes two linked ideas: identifying critical or emerging Intelligence Community skill needs, and then helping colleges and universities deliver education and training aligned to those needs.

Funding is intended to help institutions of higher education create or strengthen relevant programs of study. Allowable uses include curriculum or program development, faculty development, laboratory equipment or lab improvements, and faculty research, all tied to the disciplines ODNI identifies as important for current or emerging Intelligence Community needs. The statute and the opportunity also place special emphasis on support for certain minority-serving institutions (MSIs), with explicit mention of Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Predominantly Black Institutions (HBCUs and PBIs), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs). Within that MSI-focused component, the program highlights intermediate and advanced foreign languages that are considered of immediate interest to the Intelligence Community, including languages such as Farsi and Pashto as well as Middle Eastern, African, and South Asian dialects, and it also supports study abroad and cultural immersion programming.

Eligibility and consortium structure are central features of the 2024 cycle. Any acceptably accredited four-year U.S. institution of higher education (including those in U.S. territories and the District of Columbia) may apply as the lead institution. Two-year institutions, such as community colleges, may participate only as consortium partners and cannot serve as the lead. The MSI requirement is a key rule: if the lead institution is not one of the four specifically named MSI categories (HBCU/PBI, HSI, AANAPISI), then the application must include at least one consortium partner that is within one of those four categories. If the lead institution is itself in one of the named MSI categories, partners are optional rather than required. Institutions with other minority-serving designations can participate as lead or partner, but the consortium still must include at least one school from the four named MSI categories. The announcement also notes an exclusion intended to avoid duplicate funding for the same effort: institutions that received IC CAE grants in 2022, along with their consortium partners, are not eligible to apply in this cycle if that would result in receiving funds for the same initiative from two separate grants at the same time.

ODNI expects relatively robust performance and accountability reporting from grant recipients, and applicants are expected to explicitly plan for this in their proposals. Both lead institutions and consortium members must provide regular reports to the Director of National Intelligence covering how funds were used and what outcomes were achieved. Required reporting elements include descriptions of benefits to participating students, results and accomplishments tied to the program objectives for the selected instructional pathway, counts of IC CAE Scholars and aspiring Scholars, anonymized demographic information on participating students, and any additional programmatic information ODNI may request. A notable requirement is that recipients must report metrics related to student ethnic and cultural diversity as well as participation across all funded program elements, reinforcing the program's stated goal of improving diversity within the national security talent pipeline.

The opportunity also describes how ODNI wants the program to function beyond basic classroom instruction. Schools that receive awards become known as IC CAE Program Schools, and participating students are encouraged to pursue recognition as IC CAE Scholars by meeting defined milestones (referenced as being detailed in an appendix of key references). ODNI frames this as a talent pipeline mechanism: the scholar designation is meant to signal strong academic performance and commitment, and to help connect students to an Intelligence Community talent pool. The program office encourages proposals that build durable, long-term curriculum and partnerships in areas relevant to intelligence and national security. While not mandatory, ODNI suggests that projects tend to be strongest when guided by personnel with Intelligence Community knowledge or experience and when they include active partnerships or outreach to nearby Intelligence Community installations and regional private-sector employers supporting intelligence or national security work. These relationships can translate into guest speakers, subject matter expert engagement, internships, and other practical exposure to the profession.

Key funding and administrative details included in the posting are: the agency is ODNI; the instrument type is a grant; the CFDA number is 54.001; the opportunity number is ODNI FOA 24 01; the anticipated number of awards is six; the award ceiling is $2,500,000; and the original closing date listed is May 13, 2024. Applicants are directed to consult program information on ODNI's IC CAE website (odni.gov/iccae) and to ensure they meet the attached eligibility criteria checklist as part of submitting an application.

• The Office of the Director of National Intelligence in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Intelligence Community Centers for Academic Excellence" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 54.001.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-03-14.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-05-13. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2,500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 6 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for ODNI FOA 24 01

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