Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2012 ACF OPRE YR 0281
Apply for HHS 2012 ACF OPRE YR 0281
- The Administration for Children and Families in the income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Early Care and Education Research Scholars Head Start Graduate Student Research Grants" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.600 Head Start.
- This funding opportunity was created on Mar 16, 2012 and posted on Mar 16, 2012.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 14, 2012 Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 1159 p.m., ET, on the listed application due date.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $150,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $25,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 6 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Private institutions of higher education Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.
- Accredited public, state controlled, and private institutions of higher education acting on behalf of doctoral level graduate students are eligible applicants, including (a) Tribally Controlled Land Grant Colleges and Universities, (b) Historically Black Colleges and Universities, (c) Hispanic Serving Institutions, and (d) faith based institutions of higher education. The faculty mentor who will serve as principal investigator must have a Ph.D. or equivalent in the respective field and conduct research as a primary professional responsibility. Faith based and community organizations that meet eligibility requirements are eligible to receive awards under this funding opportunity announcement. Individuals, foreign entities, and sole proprietorship organizations are not eligible to compete for, or receive, awards made under this announcement.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Early Care and Education Research Scholars Head Start Graduate Student Research Grants opportunity was a discretionary grant program offered by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), through its Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE), to fund dissertation research by advanced doctoral students. The core purpose was to strengthen policy-relevant research in early care and education by supporting graduate students who are actively partnering with Head Start and related early childhood programs while completing rigorous dissertation projects under the guidance of an experienced faculty mentor.
A central feature of this grant was its emphasis on real, working partnerships with early care and education program partners, especially Head Start programs. Competitive applications were expected to show that the partnership was already established and genuinely collaborative, not just a letter of support added at the end. OPRE expected the program partners to be involved across the full research lifecycle, including shaping and refining the research questions, coordinating and participating in data collection, making sense of findings during interpretation, and helping share results through dissemination. In other words, the research needed to be grounded in the realities of program operations and designed in a way that would be useful to practitioners and decision-makers.
The research itself had to address questions with clear implications for policy at the local, state, or federal level, and it needed to be relevant across multiple early care and education contexts rather than being narrowly confined to one setting. Applicants were encouraged to consider collecting data across different program types, such as child care, pre-kindergarten, home visiting, Head Start, and Early Head Start. This cross-context focus signaled OPRE's interest in studies that can inform broader early childhood systems and help compare or connect how children and families experience services across settings.
Funding was relatively modest but targeted, with an estimated total program funding level of $150,000 and an expectation of about six awards. Individual awards ranged from a floor of $5,000 up to a ceiling of $25,000, and there was no cost-sharing or matching requirement. The activity category was listed under Income Security and Social Services, consistent with Head Start's role in supporting children and families through comprehensive early childhood services.
Eligibility was limited to accredited public, state-controlled, and private institutions of higher education applying on behalf of doctoral-level graduate students. The announcement explicitly included several categories of institutions, such as Tribally Controlled Land Grant Colleges and Universities, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, and faith-based institutions of higher education. While the research was for a graduate student's dissertation, the application structure required a faculty mentor to serve as the principal investigator; that mentor needed to have a Ph.D. (or equivalent) and conduct research as a primary professional responsibility. Individuals, foreign entities, and sole proprietorships were not eligible to apply or receive awards under this opportunity.
Key administrative details in the source record show the funding opportunity number as HHS 2012 ACF OPRE YR 0281, with CFDA number 93.600 (Head Start). The opportunity was posted on March 16, 2012, and the application deadline was May 14, 2012, with electronic submissions due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date. The listing was archived on May 15, 2012, meaning this specific announcement is no longer open, though OPRE directed readers to review prior-year announcements and past grantee information for context. For applicants who had trouble accessing the full announcement at the time, the contact listed was the ACF Applications Help Desk at appsupport@acf.hhs.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Early Care and Education Research Scholars Head Start Graduate Student Research Grants program?
It was a discretionary grant program offered by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) through the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE) to fund dissertation research by advanced doctoral students. The goal was to strengthen policy-relevant research in early care and education by supporting rigorous dissertation projects conducted in active partnership with Head Start and related early childhood programs, under the guidance of an experienced faculty mentor.
What was the main purpose of these grants?
The core purpose was to support doctoral dissertation research that is both rigorous and clearly useful to policy and practice in early care and education, especially research grounded in real partnerships with Head Start and other early childhood program settings.
What kinds of partnerships were expected in competitive applications?
Competitive applications were expected to demonstrate that a partnership with early care and education program partners (especially Head Start programs) was already established, genuinely collaborative, and integrated into the research plan. The partnership was not meant to be a last-minute letter of support.
How involved did program partners need to be in the research?
OPRE expected partners to be engaged across the full research lifecycle. That included helping shape and refine research questions, coordinating and participating in data collection, contributing to interpretation and meaning-making from the findings, and assisting with dissemination of results.
What types of research topics were appropriate?
The research needed to address questions with clear implications for policy at the local, state, or federal level. OPRE emphasized policy relevance and usefulness to practitioners and decision-makers in early care and education.
Did the research need to be relevant beyond a single setting?
Yes. The opportunity emphasized relevance across multiple early care and education contexts rather than being narrowly confined to one setting.
Were applicants encouraged to collect data across different program types?
Yes. Applicants were encouraged to consider collecting data across multiple program types, including child care, pre-kindergarten, home visiting, Head Start, and Early Head Start. This reflected interest in research that can inform broader early childhood systems and comparisons across settings.
How much funding was available under this opportunity?
The estimated total program funding level was $150,000, with an expectation of about six awards.
What was the funding range for an individual award?
Individual awards ranged from $5,000 (minimum) to $25,000 (maximum).
Was cost sharing or matching required?
No. There was no cost-sharing or matching requirement.
What was the activity category associated with this grant?
The activity category was listed under Income Security and Social Services, consistent with Head Start's role in comprehensive early childhood services supporting children and families.
Who was eligible to apply for this grant?
Eligibility was limited to accredited public, state-controlled, and private institutions of higher education applying on behalf of doctoral-level graduate students.
What types of higher education institutions were explicitly included?
The announcement explicitly included several categories of institutions of higher education, including Tribally Controlled Land Grant Colleges and Universities, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), and faith-based institutions of higher education.
Could an individual doctoral student apply directly?
No. The application was submitted by an eligible institution of higher education. Individuals were not eligible to apply or receive awards under this opportunity.
Who needed to serve as the principal investigator (PI) on the application?
A faculty mentor was required to serve as the principal investigator. The mentor needed to have a Ph.D. (or equivalent) and conduct research as a primary professional responsibility.
Was the grant intended for dissertation research specifically?
Yes. The program was designed to fund dissertation research by advanced doctoral students.
Were foreign entities eligible to apply?
No. Foreign entities were not eligible to apply or receive awards under this opportunity.
Were sole proprietorships eligible?
No. Sole proprietorships were not eligible to apply or receive awards under this opportunity.
What was the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity number was HHS 2012 ACF OPRE YR 0281.
What was the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA number was 93.600 (Head Start).
When was this opportunity posted?
The opportunity was posted on March 16, 2012.
What was the application deadline?
The application deadline was May 14, 2012.
What time were electronic submissions due on the closing date?
Electronic submissions were due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date.
Is this specific funding announcement still open?
No. The listing was archived on May 15, 2012, which means this specific announcement is no longer open.
Did OPRE provide any direction for people looking for more context after the opportunity closed?
Yes. OPRE directed readers to review prior-year announcements and past grantee information for context.
Who was the contact for help accessing the full announcement?
The contact listed was the ACF Applications Help Desk at appsupport@acf.hhs.gov.
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