Section 656.3 - [Effective 8/15/2025] What defines a comprehensive or undergraduate National Resource Center?(a) A Center's area of focus for research, teaching, training, instruction, and project activities must be aligned with both of the following requirements:(1) The area of focus must be a geographic world area or a geographically designated region that spans multiple world areas.(2) Research, teaching, training, and instruction in specific languages, countries, regions, societies, or other units of analysis related to the area of focus described in this paragraph (1) must be conducted at the institution.(b) A comprehensive Center is an administrative unit of an eligible institution of higher education that independently or through collaboration with other administrative units- (1) Provides intensive modern foreign language training, especially for less commonly taught languages, in the Center's area of focus;(2) Contributes significantly to the national interest in advanced research and scholarship in the Center's area of focus;(3) Employs a critical mass of scholars in diverse disciplines related to the Center's area of focus;(4) Maintains important library collections related to the Center's area of focus;(5) Makes training available in language and area studies in the Center's area of focus, to graduate, postgraduate, and undergraduate students;(6) Addresses national needs for modern foreign language and area studies expertise and knowledge, including through, but not limited to, the placement of students into postgraduate employment, education, or training in areas of need; and(7) Disseminates information about the Center's area of focus to audiences in the United States.(c) An undergraduate Center independently or through collaboration with other administrative units- (1) Teaches modern foreign languages, especially less commonly taught languages, related to the Center's area of focus;(2) Prepares undergraduate students to matriculate into advanced modern foreign language and area studies programs and professional school programs;(3) Incorporates substantial content related to the Center's area of focus into baccalaureate degree programs;(4) Engages in research and curriculum development designed to broaden knowledge and expertise related to the Center's area of focus;(5) Employs faculty with strong language, area, and international studies credentials related to the Center's area of focus;(6) Maintains library holdings sufficient to support high-quality training and instruction in the Center's area of focus for undergraduate students;(7) Makes training related to the Center's area of focus available predominantly to undergraduate students in support of the objectives of a undergraduate education;(8) Addresses national needs for language and area studies expertise and knowledge, including through, but not limited to, the placement of undergraduate students into postgraduate employment, education, or training in areas of need; and(9) Disseminates information about the Center's area of focus to audiences in the United States.