Opportunity Information: Apply for HRSA 14 131
Apply for HRSA 14 131
- The Health Resources and Services Administration in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Bridging the Word Gap Research Network" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.110 Maternal and Child Health Federal Consolidated Programs.
- This funding opportunity was created on Apr 30, 2014 and posted on Apr 30, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 7, 2014. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $300,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $300,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- As cited in 42 CFR Part 51a.3(b), only public or nonprofit institutions of higher learning and public or private nonprofit agencies engaged in research or in programs relating to maternal and child health and/or services for children with special health care needs are eligible.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Bridging the Word Gap Research Network grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number HRSA-14-131) is a discretionary federal funding program from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). It is administered through HRSA's Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB), specifically the Division of Research in the Office of Epidemiology and Research. The award is structured as a cooperative agreement, which typically means the federal sponsor expects to have an active role in shaping or participating in key aspects of the funded effort, rather than simply providing funds with minimal involvement.
The central purpose of this opportunity is to create an interdisciplinary research network focused on reducing the "word gap," meaning the unequal exposure to language that often exists between children from low-income households and children from higher-income households. The program is built around the idea that early language environments matter for later vocabulary, literacy, school readiness, and broader developmental outcomes, and that children growing up in lower socioeconomic status (SES) contexts often face systemic barriers that can reduce the quantity and quality of language exposure. The network is expected to foster sustained scientific collaboration and to concentrate on research that develops, refines, and tests interventions designed to improve early language exposure, vocabulary growth, and language development in children from lower-SES backgrounds.
A key emphasis is the network model itself. Rather than funding a single narrow research project, the goal is to establish an organized group of researchers and partners who can collaborate across disciplines and perspectives related to child health and development. The announcement highlights that the Network should include researchers from a range of disciplines, reflecting attention to the health and development of the child and family. In practical terms, that kind of interdisciplinary mix could reasonably include areas such as early childhood development, pediatrics, speech-language pathology, public health, developmental psychology, education research, sociology, linguistics, and implementation science. The intent is to create a collaborative structure that can support stronger study design, shared measures, coordinated intervention testing, and cross-site learning, with an applied focus on interventions that can make a measurable difference for families and children.
Funding details are straightforward and relatively targeted. HRSA expected to make one award, with an estimated total funding amount of $300,000 and an award ceiling of $300,000 (with an award floor listed as $0, meaning no minimum was specified in the summary data). There is no cost sharing or matching requirement, which reduces the financial barrier for eligible applicants and allows institutions to propose a network based on programmatic merit rather than the ability to bring outside matching funds. The associated CFDA number is 93.110 (Maternal and Child Health Federal Consolidated Programs), placing it within MCHB's broader portfolio supporting maternal and child health research and programming.
Eligibility is limited by regulation (42 CFR Part 51a.3(b)) to public or nonprofit institutions of higher learning and to public or private nonprofit agencies that are engaged in research or programs related to maternal and child health and/or services for children with special health care needs. In other words, this funding is not open to for-profit entities as lead applicants under the cited eligibility rule, and applicants are expected to have a clear connection to maternal and child health research or service systems. While the summary references "Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification)," the governing language provided indicates the key eligible categories are nonprofit and public entities with relevant research or programmatic focus.
The timeline in the source data reflects that this was a time-limited competition posted on April 30, 2014, with an original and current closing date of July 7, 2014, and an archive date of September 5, 2014. Those dates indicate the opportunity is historical rather than currently open, but the description still clearly lays out the federal priorities that were driving the competition: building coordinated, interdisciplinary research capacity to design and test practical interventions that address early language disparities tied to socioeconomic conditions.
For applicants needing support accessing the full announcement or dealing with submission issues, HRSA directed inquiries to the HRSA Grants Application Center and HRSA Call Center (877-464-4772; CallCenter@HRSA.GOV), which is typical for HRSA discretionary opportunities and reflects the agency's centralized support process for grant applicants.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Bridging the Word Gap Research Network grant (HRSA-14-131)?
The Bridging the Word Gap Research Network grant (Funding Opportunity Number HRSA-14-131) is a discretionary federal funding opportunity from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). It was administered through HRSA's Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB), Division of Research, Office of Epidemiology and Research.
What type of award is this?
This opportunity is structured as a cooperative agreement. That generally indicates HRSA expects to play an active role in key aspects of the funded effort (such as collaboration, coordination, or participation in major program elements), rather than providing funds with minimal ongoing involvement.
What is the main purpose of this funding opportunity?
The central purpose is to create an interdisciplinary research network focused on reducing the "word gap," meaning unequal exposure to language that often exists between children from low-income households and children from higher-income households. The network is intended to support sustained scientific collaboration and advance research that develops, refines, and tests interventions to improve early language exposure, vocabulary growth, and language development in children from lower socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds.
What does "word gap" mean in this program context?
In this context, the "word gap" refers to disparities in the quantity and quality of language exposure experienced by children, often associated with socioeconomic conditions. The opportunity emphasizes that early language environments can affect later vocabulary, literacy, school readiness, and broader developmental outcomes, and that systemic barriers in lower-SES contexts can reduce language exposure.
Is this grant intended to fund a single research project or a network?
The emphasis is on establishing a network model rather than funding one narrow, standalone research project. The goal is to create an organized group of researchers and partners who collaborate across disciplines and perspectives relevant to child health and development, with an applied focus on interventions.
What kinds of activities or outcomes is the network expected to support?
Based on the opportunity description, the network is expected to foster coordinated and sustained scientific collaboration and to concentrate on research that develops, refines, and tests interventions aimed at improving early language exposure and development for children in lower-SES backgrounds. The announcement underscores collaboration that can enable stronger study design, shared measures, coordinated intervention testing, and cross-site learning.
What disciplines are expected to be represented in the network?
The announcement calls for researchers from a range of disciplines reflecting attention to the health and development of the child and family. While the opportunity does not provide a definitive required list in the summary provided, it suggests an interdisciplinary mix could include areas such as early childhood development, pediatrics, speech-language pathology, public health, developmental psychology, education research, sociology, linguistics, and implementation science.
How many awards did HRSA expect to make?
HRSA expected to make one award under this opportunity.
What is the total estimated funding amount and the maximum award size?
The estimated total funding amount was $300,000, and the award ceiling was $300,000.
Was there a minimum award amount?
The award floor was listed as $0, meaning no minimum award amount was specified in the summary information.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The opportunity indicates there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The associated CFDA number is 93.110 (Maternal and Child Health Federal Consolidated Programs), placing it within MCHB's broader portfolio supporting maternal and child health research and programming.
Who was eligible to apply as a lead applicant?
Eligibility was limited by regulation (42 CFR Part 51a.3(b)) to: (1) public or nonprofit institutions of higher learning; and (2) public or private nonprofit agencies engaged in research or programs related to maternal and child health and/or services for children with special health care needs.
Are for-profit organizations eligible to apply as the lead applicant?
No. Under the cited eligibility rule, the eligible categories are public and nonprofit entities with relevant research or programmatic focus. For-profit entities are not included as eligible lead applicants in the information provided.
What subject-matter focus must an applicant have to be eligible?
Applicants were expected to be engaged in research or programs related to maternal and child health and/or services for children with special health care needs, consistent with the eligibility language provided.
When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?
The opportunity was posted on April 30, 2014. The original and current closing date was July 7, 2014.
Is this funding opportunity currently open?
No. The dates provided indicate this was a time-limited competition that has been archived (archive date: September 5, 2014), so it is historical rather than currently open.
Which HRSA office administered this funding opportunity?
It was administered through HRSA's Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB), specifically the Division of Research in the Office of Epidemiology and Research.
What is the recommended point of contact for application or announcement access issues?
For support accessing the full announcement or dealing with submission issues, HRSA directed inquiries to the HRSA Grants Application Center and the HRSA Call Center at 877-464-4772 or via email at CallCenter@HRSA.GOV.
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