Deadline: 12-Jul-21
The Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is soliciting applications for an African American Child and Family Research Center (hereafter referred to as “Center”), to lead and support research on the needs of African American populations served by ACF and promising approaches to promote social and economic well-being among low-income African American populations.
This research Center would ideally bring together a diverse, inclusive, culturally sensitive, and interdisciplinary team of academic and organizational partners to provide leadership on culturally competent research that can inform policies concerning low-income African American populations and to foster significant scholarship regarding the needs and experiences of the diverse African American population throughout the nation.
ACF is providing the support for the Center to highlight and advance research on African American populations. By focusing on research that is culturally rigorous and informed by current and historical circumstances, the Center provides an opportunity to broaden current conceptualizations about appropriate research methods for studying African American families; ground research in contextual factors that shape their assets, needs, and experiences; and, ultimately, enhance understanding of ACF programs and service delivery.
The following topics reflect ACF programmatic concerns that the Center’s research effort should address:
- Varied assets, needs, and experiences of African Americans regarding child care assistance; Head Start and early care and education; TANF; poverty and social services; employment and economic mobility; and healthy relationships, including supportive family relationships;
- Promising approaches to promote the social and economic well-being of African Americans;
- Participation of African Americans in the social services workforce, for example, as providers of child care, Head Start, and early education; and
- Structural barriers, local implementation issues, and community factors that shape the provision of ACF programs to African Americans.
Goal
- The Center will provide national leadership and excellence by investigating the assets, needs, and experiences of the diverse population of African American families and children served (or potentially served) by ACF programs as well as promising approaches to address economic and social inequities and, ultimately, promote their social and economic well-being.
- The focus of this Center will be on the child care assistance, TANF, and Head Start and Early Head Start programs and the populations they serve. However, other related ACF programs, such as child welfare and child support, and the populations they serve may be addressed as they relate to those programs of focus.
Funding Information
- Estimated Total Funding: $1,800,000
- Award Ceiling: $1,800,000 Per Budget Period
- Award Floor: $1,800,000 Per Budget Period
- Expected Number of Awards: 1
- Average Projected Award Amount: $1,800,000 Per Budget Period
- Anticipated Project Start Date: 09/30/2021
- Length of Project Period: 60-month project period with five 12-month budget periods
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicants are required to show the entity’s proposed Principal Investigator(s) [PI(s), who will serve as Center Director(s)] has the credentials and experience for conducting high-quality research. Applicants who fail to submit the required documentation will be disqualified from review and reward.
- Faith-based organizations may apply for this award on the same basis as any other organization, as set forth at and, the Department will not, in the selection of recipients, discriminate against an organization on the basis of the organization’s religious character, affiliation, or exercise.
- 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.
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=329036
