U.S. Department of Education · General
ED Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN)
Funds fellowships for graduate students of superior ability who demonstrate financial need and pursue the highest degree available in their academic discipline in designated areas of national need (such as STEM and other priority fields).
Program facts
- Typical award
- $400K – $1.2M
- Non-federal match
- Varies by NOFO
- Audience
- Local governments and eligible subrecipients
- Application window
- Periodic discretionary competition.
- Typical prep time
- 8–14 weeks
- Statutory authority
- Higher Education Act Title VII, Part A, Subpart 2 §§711-716 (20 U.S.C. §§1135-1135b)
Catalog entry last verified 2026-05-27 · Verify on the agency page →
Eligibility at a glance
- Institutions of higher education are eligible applicants.
Institution must have an established graduate program in an area of national need designated by the Secretary. Amounts and timing approximate; verify directly with administering agency.
How Strategic Pursuit scores this program
When you run a city dossier, Strategic Pursuit cross-checks the city's demographics, federal award history, disaster history, and CEJST burden categories against this program's eligibility and strategic-fit signals. You see an explicit eligibility / strategic / competitive grade — backed by source citations — instead of a generic "match" badge.
Planning purposes only. Award ranges, match percentages, and application windows on this page summarize the latest publicly available agency guidance and are approximate. Always verify the binding NOFO on the administering agency's page before applying.