The National Defense Authorization Act of 2018 the Act provided the Secretary of Transportation with the discretionary authority to designate qualified entities as Centers of Excellence CoEs. CoE designations serve to assist the maritime industry in obtaining and maintaining the highest quality workforce. Upon the Secretary's approval twenty-seven institutions were designated on May 19 2021 thirty-two applicants were designated on February 22 2024. The purpose of this notice is to solicit applications from qualified training entities for the next round of CoE designations. A Center of Excellence designation is valid for five years.