Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2015 ACF OPRE PD 0977
Apply for HHS 2015 ACF OPRE PD 0977
- The Administration for Children and Families OPRE in the income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Family Strengthening Scholars" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.647 Social Services Research and Demonstration.
- This funding opportunity was created on Apr 8, 2015 and posted on Apr 8, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 8, 2015 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 $75,000.00 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 3 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Private institutions of higher education.
- Eligibility is limited to accredited public, state controlled, and private institutions of higher education acting on behalf of doctoral level graduate students, 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. Applications from individuals (including sole proprietorships) and foreign entities are not eligible and will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under this announcement.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Family Strengthening Scholars grant opportunity is a discretionary federal research funding program offered by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), specifically through its Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE). The purpose of the program is to fund dissertation-level research that examines policy-relevant questions connected to healthy marriage and responsible fatherhood (HMRF). The central emphasis is not only on generating new findings, but on building longer-term research capacity in this field by supporting strong doctoral students and deliberately pairing them with experienced faculty mentors.
At its core, the program is designed to produce research that can actually be used in real policy and program settings. OPRE is looking for dissertation projects that speak directly to decision making around HMRF policies and the day-to-day administration of related programs. In addition to answering substantive questions, the grants are intended to strengthen mentoring relationships between faculty and doctoral students, helping prepare emerging scholars to conduct applied, high-quality research that government agencies and service providers can rely on.
A major priority is ensuring the research addresses issues of significance for populations that are often underserved or understudied in family policy research, such as low-income families and minority communities. The expectation is that funded dissertations will contribute evidence that helps identify practical solutions, informs policy choices, and supports improvements in program design. OPRE also highlights the value of studies that can lay groundwork for future intervention research, meaning projects that help clarify what might work, for whom, and under what conditions before large-scale program tests are launched.
Methodologically, the opportunity encourages rigorous research designs and makes clear that both primary data collection and secondary data analysis are acceptable approaches. In other words, applicants can propose collecting new data if that is what the dissertation requires, or they can use existing datasets, as long as the approach is strong, well-justified, and capable of producing findings that are credible and useful for policy and program audiences.
Funding for this competition was relatively small but targeted. The estimated total funding amount was $75,000, with an expectation of three awards. Individual awards were anticipated to range from $10,000 (floor) to $25,000 (ceiling). A cost sharing or matching requirement applied, meaning the applicant institution would need to contribute some level of non-federal support consistent with the announcement requirements.
Eligibility is limited to accredited U.S. institutions of higher education applying on behalf of doctoral-level graduate students. Both public/state-controlled and private institutions are eligible, and the announcement explicitly notes that applications may come from institutions such as Tribally Controlled Land Grant Colleges and Universities, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), and faith-based institutions of higher education. Importantly, the application is not submitted by the student as an individual; instead, the institution applies and the faculty mentor serves as the principal investigator. The mentor must hold a Ph.D. or equivalent degree in the relevant field and have research as a primary professional responsibility. Individuals (including sole proprietorships) and foreign entities are not eligible and would be disqualified from review.
Administratively, the opportunity is categorized under the funding activity area of Income Security and Social Services and is associated with CFDA 93.647 (Social Services Research and Demonstration). The Funding Opportunity Number is HHS-2015-ACF-OPRE-PD-0977, and the title is Family Strengthening Scholars. The posting date and creation date were April 8, 2015, and applications were due electronically by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on June 8, 2015, with the archive date listed as July 8, 2015. For applicants needing help accessing the full announcement, ACF directed inquiries to its Applications Help Desk at appsupport@acf.hhs.gov. Additional program information about OPRE was referenced through ACFs OPRE website, and the full grant listing was available through the ACF grants portal link provided in the announcement.
Family Strengthening Scholars Grant (HHS-2015-ACF-OPRE-PD-0977) - FAQs
What is the Family Strengthening Scholars grant?
The Family Strengthening Scholars grant is a discretionary federal research funding opportunity offered by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), through the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE). It funds dissertation-level research focused on policy-relevant questions connected to healthy marriage and responsible fatherhood (HMRF).
What is the purpose of this grant program?
The program is designed to support dissertation projects that can be used in real policy and program settings related to HMRF. It also aims to build longer-term research capacity by supporting strong doctoral students and pairing them with experienced faculty mentors.
What kinds of research topics are a fit for this opportunity?
Projects should examine policy-relevant questions connected to healthy marriage and responsible fatherhood (HMRF) and speak directly to decision making around HMRF policies and the day-to-day administration of related programs.
What does OPRE mean by research that can be used in policy and program settings?
OPRE is looking for dissertation research that is directly relevant to how HMRF policies are chosen and how programs are managed and delivered, with findings that are credible and useful for decision makers and program administrators.
Is the grant only about producing research findings?
No. Alongside generating new findings, the grant explicitly emphasizes building research capacity by strengthening mentoring relationships between faculty and doctoral students and preparing emerging scholars to conduct applied, high-quality research.
Who is the intended applicant - the student or the university?
The applicant is an accredited U.S. institution of higher education applying on behalf of a doctoral-level graduate student. The student does not apply as an individual.
Who serves as the Principal Investigator (PI) on the application?
The faculty mentor serves as the principal investigator (PI).
What qualifications must the faculty mentor (PI) have?
The mentor must hold a Ph.D. or equivalent degree in the relevant field and have research as a primary professional responsibility.
What types of institutions are eligible to apply?
Eligibility is limited to accredited U.S. institutions of higher education. Both public/state-controlled and private institutions are eligible.
Are HBCUs, HSIs, Tribal colleges, and faith-based institutions eligible?
Yes. The announcement notes that applications may come from institutions such as Tribally Controlled Land Grant Colleges and Universities, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), and faith-based institutions of higher education.
Are individuals eligible to apply?
No. Individuals (including sole proprietorships) are not eligible and would be disqualified from review.
Are foreign entities eligible to apply?
No. Foreign entities are not eligible and would be disqualified from review.
What populations or communities does OPRE prioritize in this research?
A major priority is ensuring the research addresses issues significant for populations that are often underserved or understudied in family policy research, including low-income families and minority communities.
What types of methods or study designs are allowed?
The opportunity encourages rigorous research designs and allows both primary data collection and secondary data analysis, as long as the approach is strong, well-justified, and capable of producing credible findings.
Can a dissertation propose collecting new data?
Yes. Primary data collection is an acceptable approach if it is what the dissertation requires and the design is rigorous and well-justified.
Can a dissertation use existing datasets?
Yes. Secondary data analysis using existing datasets is also acceptable if the approach is rigorous and appropriate for producing findings useful to policy and program audiences.
What kind of impact is OPRE hoping funded dissertations will have?
Funded projects are expected to contribute evidence that helps identify practical solutions, informs policy choices, and supports improvements in HMRF program design and administration.
Does OPRE value research that prepares for future interventions?
Yes. OPRE highlights the value of studies that lay groundwork for future intervention research by clarifying what might work, for whom, and under what conditions before large-scale program tests are launched.
How much funding was available for this competition?
The estimated total funding amount was $75,000, with an expectation of three awards.
What was the anticipated award size for individual grants?
Individual awards were anticipated to range from $10,000 to $25,000.
How many awards were expected?
Three awards were expected.
Is there a cost sharing or matching requirement?
Yes. A cost sharing or matching requirement applied, meaning the applicant institution would need to contribute some level of non-federal support consistent with the announcement requirements.
Which federal agency and office administer this opportunity?
The opportunity is offered by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), specifically through the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE).
What is the funding activity area for this grant?
The funding activity area is Income Security and Social Services.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is associated with CFDA 93.647 (Social Services Research and Demonstration).
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is HHS-2015-ACF-OPRE-PD-0977.
What is the official title of the opportunity?
The title is Family Strengthening Scholars.
When was the opportunity posted?
The posting date and creation date were April 8, 2015.
When were applications due?
Applications were due electronically by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on June 8, 2015.
When was the opportunity archived?
The archive date was July 8, 2015.
How were applications submitted?
Applications were due electronically (submitted online) by the stated deadline.
Who should applicants contact for help accessing the full announcement?
ACF directed inquiries to its Applications Help Desk at appsupport@acf.hhs.gov.
Where could applicants find additional OPRE information?
Additional program information was referenced through ACF's OPRE website.
Where was the full grant listing available?
The full grant listing was available through the ACF grants portal link provided in the announcement.
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