Opportunity Summary
The North Dakota Department of Public Instruction is accepting Round 2 applications for the ND CLIMBS Educator Preparation Program (EPP) and Local Education Agency (LEA) Partnership Project. The program supports joint work between an eligible North Dakota public LEA and an accredited educator preparation program to strengthen evidence-based literacy preparation and practice.
Funding and Deadline
Maximum award: $175,000 per partnership. NDDPI anticipates up to two awards, one primarily focused on elementary grades PK–5 and one primarily focused on secondary grades 6–12. The project period is October 2026 through September 2029. Applications are due September 21, 2026 at 11:59:59 p.m. CDT.
Eligibility
The lead applicant and fiscal agent must be a public LEA appearing on NDDPI’s current ND CLIMBS eligible-entities list. Each LEA must partner with an accredited educator preparation program at a North Dakota institution of higher education and demonstrate joint development, shared leadership, clear roles, and meaningful participation by both partners.
Allowable Uses
Published allowable uses include partnership planning and coordination, professional learning, development and piloting of resources, and evaluation and continuous improvement, subject to ND CLSD requirements and federal grant rules.
Application Package
The Round 2 application requires the completed application, a grant narrative limited to 20 pages, a proposed budget, a budget narrative, and two letters of commitment. Awards are reimbursement based and require quarterly reimbursement requests, annual reporting, federal supplement-not-supplant compliance, and a final report and resources.
Atlas Assessment
Atlas Opportunity Score: 86/100. This is a strong school and educator-capacity opportunity with a clearly verified deadline, material award size, and a finite eligible LEA pool. N9+ Fit Score: 0/100. The program is focused on literacy educator preparation and partnership capacity rather than clinical care, telehealth, diagnostics, or healthcare equipment. No N9+ role should be introduced.
Direct Vendor Review
Dr. Miltie is not an eligible direct applicant. The required structure is an eligible North Dakota public LEA as lead applicant/fiscal agent in partnership with an accredited North Dakota educator preparation program.
Outreach Gate
The exact deadline is September 21, 2026 at 11:59:59 p.m. CDT. Fewer than 48 hours remain as of September 20, 2026, so this opportunity is publication-only for new Atlas outreach. Do not create new initial outreach for this opportunity.