Office of Innovation and Improvement (OII): Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP) CFDA Number 84.165A | ED GRANTS 121316 001

Opportunity Information: Apply for ED GRANTS 121316 001

The Office of Innovation and Improvement (OII) Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP), CFDA 84.165A, is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Education designed to help school districts create or strengthen magnet schools as part of a broader effort to reduce, prevent, or eliminate racial isolation in schools. The program is authorized under Title IV, Part D of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as updated by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). In practical terms, MSAP funding is meant to support magnet school programs that operate under a desegregation plan, whether that plan is court-ordered, required by another authority, or voluntarily adopted by the district.

The central purpose of MSAP is to help local educational agencies (LEAs) use magnet schools as a strategy to promote more diverse learning environments while also improving the quality of education. Magnet schools are typically built around specialized themes or instructional approaches (for example, STEM, performing arts, dual language, International Baccalaureate, or career and technical pathways) that are intended to attract a diverse group of students from across a district. MSAP funds are generally used to support the establishment, expansion, or enhancement of these magnet options, aligning them with the district’s desegregation goals and strengthening educational opportunities for students.

Eligibility is limited to LEAs or consortia of LEAs that are implementing a desegregation plan, as detailed in the official Federal Register notice referenced in the opportunity. That eligibility condition is a key gatekeeper for the program: applicants must be able to demonstrate that their magnet school work is tied directly to an approved, required, or voluntary desegregation plan. The notice emphasizes that the short description provided in the listing is only a synopsis, and that applicants need to rely on the Federal Register application notice for the full rules, definitions, required documentation, selection criteria, priorities, and performance measures.

Applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov, using the governmentwide application portal rather than email or other submission methods. Applicants are instructed to locate the correct application package by searching for the CFDA number without the letter suffix, meaning they should search for “84.165” rather than “84.165A.” The process described is the standard Grants.gov workflow: download the application package, complete it offline, then upload and submit it through the portal by the deadline.

For this specific posting, the funding opportunity number is ED GRANTS 121316 001, and it was created on December 13, 2016, with an original closing date of April 11, 2017. The agency anticipated making around 30 awards. The listing does not provide an award ceiling amount in the provided data, which is another reason the Federal Register notice is important for anyone trying to understand likely award sizes, project periods, and the detailed budget parameters.

Overall, MSAP is aimed at districts that are using magnet schools as a deliberate desegregation tool, pairing specialized academic programming with equity and access goals. Anyone considering applying is expected to consult the official Federal Register notice for the complete set of requirements, including the exact eligibility language, any competitive priorities, the required project design elements, the metrics used to evaluate success, and the Department of Education contact information for applicant questions.

• The Department of Education in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Office of Innovation and Improvement (OII): Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP) CFDA Number 84.165A" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 84.165.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2016-12-13.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-04-11. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 30 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for ED GRANTS 121316 001

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