Maritime Centers of Excellence

The Secretary of Transportation, acting through the Maritime Administrator, may designate certain eligible and qualified training entities as Centers of Excellence for Domestic Maritime Workforce Training and Education (CoE) and may subsequently execute Cooperative Agreements with CoE designees. The Maritime Administration (MARAD) has developed the CoE Program to provide interested parties with comprehensive agency guidance on how best to apply for CoE designation. However, conformity with this CoE applicant guidance, except where explicit in the statute, is voluntary only. MARAD will review and consider all applications it receives and may contact applicants with questions to assist in reviewing their applications. The CoE Program is a voluntary program. Each eligible and qualified training entity is free to decide whether it wishes to participate in the program and apply for a CoE designation.

The application period for designation as Centers of Excellence for Domestic Maritime Workforce Training and Education (CoE) has ended on December 22 at 8 PM EST, in accordance with  Federal Register Notice - Centers of Excellence for Domestic Maritime Workforce; Notice of Opportunity to Apply for Training and Education Designation -  85 FR 67599 (October 23, 2020).

MARAD will conduct reviews of the applications received and designate eligible and qualified training entities for the 2021 designation cycle.

PREVIOUS MARAD ACTION

The following previous Federal Register Notices provided opportunities for comment on the agency’s policy for CoE: 

• CoE - Notice of Opportunity to Apply for Training and Education Designation - 85 FR 67599 (October 23, 2020)
• CoE - Final policy and information collection requests for comments - 85 FR 13231 (March 6, 2020)
• CoE - Notice and request for comments - 84 FR 34994 (July 19, 2019)
• CoE - Notice and request for comments - 83 FR 25109 (May 31, 2018)

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Nuns Jain, Program Excellence & Quality Assurance Advisor, Maritime Administration, at Nuns.Jain@dot.gov or 757-322-5801.