US Code

Public Law 119-73 (01/23/2026)

20 U.S.C. § 1138c

Special projects

(a)

Grant authority

The Secretary is authorized to make grants to institutions of higher education, or consortia thereof, and such other public agencies and nonprofit organizations as the Secretary deems necessary for innovative projects concerning one or more areas of particular national need identified by the Secretary.

(b)

Application

No grant shall be made under this part unless an application is made at such time, in such manner, and contains or is accompanied by such information as the Secretary may require.

(c)

Areas of national need

Areas of national need shall include, at a minimum, the following:
(1)
Institutional restructuring to improve learning and promote productivity, efficiency, quality improvement, and cost reduction.
(2)
Improvements in academic instruction and student learning, including efforts designed to assess the learning gains made by postsecondary students.
(3)
Articulation between two- and four-year institutions of higher education, including developing innovative methods for ensuring the successful transfer of students from two- to four-year institutions of higher education.
(4)
Development, evaluation, and dissemination of model courses, including model courses that—
(A)
provide students with a broad and integrated knowledge base;
(B)
include, at a minimum, broad survey courses in English literature, American and world history, American political institutions, economics, philosophy, college-level mathematics, and the natural sciences; and
(C)
include study of a foreign language that leads to reading and writing competency in the foreign language.
(5)
International cooperation and student exchanges among postsecondary educational institutions.
(6)
Support of centers to incorporate education in quality and safety into the preparation of medical and nursing students, through grants to medical schools, nursing schools, and osteopathic schools. Such grants shall be used to assist in providing courses of instruction that specifically equip students to—
(A)
understand the causes of, and remedies for, medical error, medically induced patient injuries and complications, and other defects in medical care;
(B)
engage effectively in personal and systemic efforts to continually reduce medical harm; and
(C)
improve patient care and outcomes, as recommended by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies.

Pub. L. 89–329, title VII, § 744Pub. L. 105–244, title VII, § 701112 Stat. 1798Pub. L. 110–315, title VII, § 707(f)122 Stat. 3359Pub. L. 111–39, title VII, § 701(3)123 Stat. 1954(, as added , , ; amended , (h)(3), , , 3361; , , .)

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

section 1135a–11 of this titlePub. L. 105–244Provisions similar to this section were contained in , prior to repeal by .

Pub. L. 89–329, title XI, § 1144Pub. L. 102–325, title XI, § 1101106 Stat. 789Pub. L. 103–382, title III, § 391(e)(10)108 Stat. 4023Pub. L. 105–244, § 3112 Stat. 1585A prior section 1138c, , as added , , ; amended , , , related to applications for grants, prior to repeal by , title VII, § 702, , , 1803, effective .

section 744 of Pub. L. 89–329section 1132c–3 of this titlePub. L. 96–374A prior was classified to , prior to the general amendment of this subchapter by .

Amendments

Pub. L. 111–392009—Subsec. (c)(6)(C). inserted “of the National Academies” after “Institute of Medicine”.

Pub. L. 110–315, § 707(h)(3)2008—Subsec. (a). , substituted “Secretary” for “Director” wherever appearing.

Pub. L. 110–315, § 707(f)Subsec. (c). , amended subsec. (c) generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “Areas of national need shall initially include, but shall not be limited to, the following:

“(1) Institutional restructuring to improve learning and promote productivity, efficiency, quality improvement, and cost and price control.

“(2) Articulation between 2- and 4-year institutions of higher education, including developing innovative methods for ensuring the successful transfer of students from 2- to 4-year institutions of higher education.

“(3) Evaluation and dissemination of model programs.

“(4) International cooperation and student exchange among postsecondary educational institutions.”

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 2009 Amendment

Pub. L. 111–39Pub. L. 110–315section 3 of Pub. L. 111–39section 1001 of this titleAmendment by effective as if enacted on the date of enactment of (), see , set out as a note under .