Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2016 ACF OPRE PH 1170
Apply for HHS 2016 ACF OPRE PH 1170
- The HHS-ACF-OPRE in the income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Tribal Research Center on Early Childhood" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.575, 93.600, 93.872.
- This funding opportunity was created on May 06, 2016 and posted on May 06, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 06, 2016. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $650,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Tribal Research Center on Early Childhood grant opportunity (HHS 2016 ACF OPRE PH 1170) is a discretionary funding program from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF), specifically through the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE). It funds a single cooperative agreement to establish and operate a Tribal Research Center focused on strengthening research and evaluation related to ACF-supported early childhood initiatives in tribal communities. The intent is not just to produce studies, but to build leadership, collaboration, and high-quality community-based participatory research practices that reflect tribal priorities and amplify tribal voices in how early childhood programs are assessed and improved.
The Center is meant to serve as a hub for advancing evidence and learning across several early childhood settings that are common in tribal communities. These include home visiting programs, early care and education in center-based models, home-based and family child care providers, and Head Start and Early Head Start programs. In practice, this means the Center would be expected to engage with a range of service environments where young children and families receive support, and to adapt research approaches so they fit the realities of those settings and the cultural context of the communities they serve.
The scope of work is organized around five major expectations. First, the Center must conduct research that helps identify community needs and/or develops effective practices and integrated systems for ACF early childhood initiatives in tribal contexts. This points to both diagnostic work (understanding gaps, barriers, and strengths) and solutions-oriented work (testing or refining practices and system approaches that improve service delivery and outcomes). Second, the Center must identify, validate, and/or develop measures that are culturally meaningful. This includes measures of program inputs (what resources and supports go into a program), implementation processes (how services are delivered and experienced), and outcomes that can be both proximal (near-term changes like caregiver engagement or early developmental indicators) and distal (longer-term outcomes such as school readiness trajectories). The emphasis on culturally meaningful measurement is central, signaling that standard tools may not be sufficient and that tribal perspectives should shape what is measured and how.
Third, the Center is expected to establish peer-learning communities that bring together tribal researchers and partners around shared priorities. This is essentially a structured network for cross-site learning, exchanging methods and lessons, and building a community of practice so that knowledge is not isolated within a single project or tribe. Fourth, the Center must provide training and professional development to grow interest and competency in research that is relevant to early childhood initiatives in tribal communities. This indicates a workforce and capacity-building goal, such as supporting tribal staff, program leaders, evaluators, and emerging researchers with skills in participatory methods, ethical research practices, data stewardship, evaluation design, and interpretation of findings for decision-making. Fifth, the Center must provide forums that increase cultural competence and sensitivity to tribal voices in research and evaluation. This implies convenings, dialogue spaces, and other mechanisms aimed at influencing broader research practice so that evaluations involving tribal communities are respectful, responsive, and shaped by tribal input rather than imposed externally.
From an administrative standpoint, the award is structured as a cooperative agreement rather than a standard grant, which typically means the federal funder anticipates substantial involvement and collaboration during the project, such as shared planning, technical input, or coordination around research agendas and dissemination. The project period is 48 months, reflecting a modification from the originally stated 36 months, and the award ceiling is $650,000. Only one award is expected, reinforcing that this is designed to create a single national or multi-partner Center rather than funding multiple independent projects.
Eligibility is broad and includes various levels of government and organizational types: state, county, and city or township governments; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments; tribal organizations (including those other than federally recognized tribal governments); nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The notice also flags that changes were made to eligible institutions, which is important for prospective applicants because it signals that eligibility rules were revised from an earlier version of the opportunity. The opportunity is associated with CFDA numbers 93.575, 93.600, and 93.872 and was posted May 6, 2016, with an application closing date of July 6, 2016.
Overall, the opportunity is aimed at building a sustained, tribally grounded research and evaluation infrastructure for early childhood programs funded or supported by ACF. It combines applied research, culturally appropriate measurement development, peer learning, training, and field-building efforts to make sure evidence generation is both rigorous and aligned with the needs, values, and priorities of tribal communities.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Tribal Research Center on Early Childhood grant opportunity?
The Tribal Research Center on Early Childhood (HHS 2016 ACF OPRE PH 1170) is a discretionary funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), through the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE). It funds the establishment and operation of a Tribal Research Center focused on strengthening research and evaluation related to ACF-supported early childhood initiatives in tribal communities.
What type of funding mechanism is this?
This award is a cooperative agreement rather than a standard grant. A cooperative agreement typically means the federal funder expects substantial involvement during the project period, such as collaboration on planning, coordination, technical input, or shared work around research priorities and dissemination.
How many awards will be made?
Only one award is expected. The intent is to support a single Center (rather than multiple independent projects) that can function as a hub for research, learning, training, and field-building across tribal early childhood contexts.
What is the project period?
The project period is 48 months. This reflects a modification from an originally stated 36-month period.
What is the maximum funding amount available?
The award ceiling is $650,000.
When was this opportunity posted and when did it close?
The opportunity was posted on May 6, 2016, and the application closing date was July 6, 2016.
Who is the federal agency administering this opportunity?
The opportunity is administered by HHS/ACF, specifically through OPRE (the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation).
What is the overall purpose of the Tribal Research Center?
The overall purpose is to build sustained, tribally grounded capacity for high-quality research and evaluation related to ACF-supported early childhood programs in tribal communities. The Center is intended not only to produce research products, but also to strengthen leadership, collaboration, and community-based participatory research practices that reflect tribal priorities and amplify tribal voices.
Is the goal mainly to produce studies and reports?
No. While research is a core part of the work, the intent goes beyond generating studies. The Center is expected to build leadership, collaboration, and community-based participatory research capacity, while ensuring that research and evaluation are shaped by tribal priorities and perspectives.
What early childhood settings is the Center expected to cover?
The Center is expected to serve as a hub for evidence-building across several early childhood settings common in tribal communities, including home visiting programs; early care and education in center-based models; home-based and family child care providers; and Head Start and Early Head Start programs.
What does it mean for the Center to be a "hub"?
In this opportunity, a hub means the Center is expected to support learning and evidence development across multiple early childhood service environments, connecting partners and helping adapt research approaches to fit real-world program contexts and cultural considerations in tribal communities.
What are the major expectations or required areas of work?
The scope of work is organized around five major expectations: (1) conduct research to identify community needs and/or develop effective practices and integrated systems for ACF early childhood initiatives in tribal contexts; (2) identify, validate, and/or develop culturally meaningful measures of program inputs, implementation processes, and outcomes (both proximal and distal); (3) establish peer-learning communities connecting tribal researchers and partners around shared priorities; (4) provide training and professional development to build interest and competency in research relevant to early childhood initiatives in tribal communities; and (5) provide forums that increase cultural competence and sensitivity to tribal voices in research and evaluation.
What kind of research is the Center expected to conduct?
The Center is expected to conduct research that helps identify community needs and/or develop effective practices and integrated systems for ACF-supported early childhood initiatives in tribal contexts. This includes both diagnostic work (understanding strengths, gaps, barriers, and needs) and solutions-oriented work (developing, refining, or testing practices and system approaches that improve service delivery and outcomes).
What are "integrated systems" in the context of this opportunity?
Based on the description provided, integrated systems refers to coordinated approaches across ACF early childhood initiatives in tribal contexts, aiming to improve how programs work together and how services are delivered to children and families.
What does "culturally meaningful measures" mean here?
Culturally meaningful measures are assessment tools or indicators designed, validated, or adapted so that what is being measured (and how it is measured) aligns with tribal perspectives, priorities, and cultural context. The opportunity emphasizes that standard tools may not be sufficient and that tribal voices should shape measurement.
What types of measures does the Center need to identify, validate, and/or develop?
The Center is expected to work on measures covering: program inputs (resources and supports that go into a program), implementation processes (how services are delivered and experienced), and outcomes. Outcomes may include proximal outcomes (near-term changes such as caregiver engagement or early developmental indicators) and distal outcomes (longer-term outcomes such as school readiness trajectories).
What are "proximal" and "distal" outcomes in this opportunity?
Proximal outcomes are near-term changes (for example, caregiver engagement or early developmental indicators). Distal outcomes are longer-term results (for example, school readiness trajectories).
What are peer-learning communities and why are they required?
Peer-learning communities are structured groups or networks that bring together tribal researchers and partners around shared priorities. They are intended to support cross-site learning, exchange methods and lessons, and build a community of practice so knowledge is shared rather than isolated within a single project or tribe.
What kinds of training and professional development are expected?
The Center is expected to provide training and professional development to build interest and competency in research relevant to early childhood initiatives in tribal communities. Examples mentioned include developing skills in participatory methods, ethical research practices, data stewardship, evaluation design, and interpreting findings for decision-making.
What does it mean to provide "forums" for cultural competence and sensitivity?
It means the Center should create convenings, dialogue spaces, or similar mechanisms aimed at increasing cultural competence in research and evaluation and ensuring tribal voices are respected, reflected, and influential in how evaluations are designed and conducted.
How does this opportunity address tribal priorities and tribal voices?
The description emphasizes that research and evaluation should reflect tribal priorities, use high-quality community-based participatory approaches, and amplify tribal voices in how early childhood programs are assessed and improved. It also highlights culturally meaningful measurement and forums that increase sensitivity to tribal perspectives.
What organizations are eligible to apply?
Eligibility includes: state, county, and city or township governments; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments; tribal organizations (including those other than federally recognized tribal governments); nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses.
Are tribal organizations that are not federally recognized eligible?
Yes. The eligibility list explicitly includes tribal organizations, including those other than federally recognized tribal governments.
Are for-profit entities eligible?
Yes. The eligibility list includes for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and it also separately includes small businesses.
Are nonprofits required to have 501(c)(3) status to be eligible?
No. The eligibility list includes nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status and nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status.
Were there any changes to eligibility mentioned in the opportunity description?
Yes. The notice flags that changes were made to eligible institutions, indicating that eligibility rules were revised from an earlier version of the opportunity.
What CFDA numbers are associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is associated with CFDA numbers 93.575, 93.600, and 93.872.
What is the intended impact of funding a single Tribal Research Center?
The intended impact is to create a sustained infrastructure for tribally grounded research and evaluation across ACF-supported early childhood programs, combining applied research, culturally appropriate measurement development, peer learning, training, and broader field-building to improve how evidence is generated and used in tribal early childhood contexts.
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