The Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) invites applications from eligible entities to apply for funds to support a social science researcher (the proposed Principal Investigator) to become a member of the Family Self-Sufficiency and Stability Research Network (the Network). The goal of the Network is to support productive partnerships between social science scholars and state or local human services agencies. As such, applicants are required to demonstrate a partnership or potential partnership with one or more state or local human services agency responsible for administering benefits or programming to assist and support family self-sufficiency, including close coordination with the agency responsible for administering the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, as an integral part of their research plan development and execution. In addition to supporting the proposed Principal Investigator (PI) to pursue their individual programs of rigorous and relevant research, entities must also support PIs in participating in a multidisciplinary learning community by collaborating with other members of the Network funded under this announcement.
For more information on the previous cohort of scholars and their work, please see: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/opre/resource/family-self-sufficiency-and-stability-scholars-2013-grantees and the most recent year-in-review: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/opre/resource/family-self-sufficiency-and-stability-research-consortium-year-in-review-2017
Initial awards will be made for the first 12-month budget period; annual continuation awards for the four remaining 12-month budget periods will be awarded subject to the availability of funds, satisfactory progress by the grantee, and a determination that continued funding would be in the interest of the federal government.
Deadlines:
Eligibility is open to public and private entities that include state, city, and local governments; public, private, and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private, non-profit organizations with, and without, 501(c)(3) IRS tax status; Native American tribal governments (federally recognized) and Native American tribal organizations; and for-profit organizations that are not sole proprietorships. Entities must propose an individual faculty member or researcher who will serve as a PI. Public, state-controlled, and private institutions of higher education must be accredited by one of the regional accrediting commissions recognized by the Department of Education and the Council of Post-Secondary Accreditation.
Applicants are required to submit written evidence that research is a primary organizational activity as part of the application submission. The required documentation is described in Section IV.2. The Project Description, Additional Eligibility Documentation. Lack of the required documentation will disqualify the application from review and from award. See Section III.3. Other, Application Disqualification Factors.
The entity's proposed PI must have earned a doctorate or equivalent in a relevant field, must conduct research as a primary professional responsibility, and must have an article published or accepted for publication in at least one major peer-reviewed journal as a first or second author, as evidenced in their curriculum vitae and/or biographical sketch. Applicants who fail to submit the required documentation will be disqualified from review and reward.
Award Ceiling: $100,000 Per Budget Period
Award Floor: $90,000 Per Budget Period
Average Projected Award Amount: $100,000 Per Budget Period
Length of Project Period: 60-month project period with five 12-month budget periods
