HHS-2021-ACF-OPRE-PH-1916.pdf

Administration for Children and Families

Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation

African American Child and Family Research Center

HHS-2021-ACF-OPRE-PH-1916

Application Due Date: 07/12/2021

African American Child and Family Research Center

HHS-2021-ACF-OPRE-PH-1916

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Overview Executive Summary

I. Program Description II. Federal Award Information

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

3. Other

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management

(SAM)

4. Submission Dates and Times

5. Intergovernmental Review

6. Funding Restrictions

7. Other Submission Requirements

V. Application Review Information

1. Criteria

2. Review and Selection Process

3. Anticipated Announcement and Federal Award Dates

VI. Federal Award Administration Information

1. Federal Award Notices

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

3. Reporting

VII. HHS Awarding Agency Contact(s) VIII. Other Information

Department of Health & Human Services Administration for Children and Families

Funding Opportunity Title: African American Child and Family

Research Center

Announcement Type: Initial Funding Opportunity Number: HHS-2021-ACF-OPRE-PH-1916 Primary CFDA Number: 93.647 Additional CFDA Number: 93.595

93.575 93.600

Due Date for Letter of Intent: 06/11/2021 Due Date for Applications: 07/12/2021

Executive Summary

Notice:

Applicants are strongly encouraged to read the entire funding opportunity announcement (FOA) carefully and observe the application formatting requirements listed in Section IV.2. Content and Form of Application Submission.

For more information on applying for grants, please visit "How to Apply for a Grant" on the ACF Grants & Funding Page at https://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/howto.

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 research that is culturally rigorous and informed by structural inequities. The work of the Center should inform policies concerning low-income African American populations and foster significant scholarship regarding the needs and experiences of the diverse African American populations throughout the nation. Through a combination of research, capacity building, and communication activities, this Center will ideally address a range of relevant issues including, but not limited to the following: a) definition and measurement of the experiences of African American individuals, families, and communities; b) identification of barriers and facilitators of human service utilization by African American populations; c) examination of strategies to promote the social and economic well-being of African American children and families; and d) evaluation of promising approaches for serving African American populations. The Center will be expected to develop research products, resources, and a comprehensive communication plan that aims to build research capacity in the field and improve understanding of African American populations in order to inform policy development and programmatic responses. The Center http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/howto will focus broadly on child care and early education, employment, economic mobility, wealth, and children's healthy development and learning. Key topics of interest are identified below in the Funding Opportunity Announcement and include, but are not limited to, research and/or program evaluation related to experiences and outcomes regarding: education and employment;

human services; discrimination; the criminal justice system involvement; and distinctive experiences in rural, suburban and urban areas.

I. Program Description

Statutory Authority

Social Services Research and Demonstration: Title XI, part A, section 1110 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1310);

Child Care Development Block Grant: section 658O(a)(5) of the Child Care Development Block Grant Act (42 U.S.C. 9858m(a)(5));

Social Security Act, section 413, as amended by the FY 2017 Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (Public Law 115-31), Title IV-A: Block Grants to States for the Temporary Assistance of Needy Families (42 U.S.C. 613);

Head Start Act, section 649, as amended by the Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 9844).

Description

BACKGROUND

Through the provision of federal leadership, partnership, and resources for the compassionate and effective delivery of human services, ACF seeks to ensure that all children, youth, families, individuals, and communities in the United States are resilient, safe, healthy, and economically secure. ACF makes considerable investments for the provision of high-quality services to support children and families, and there is a growing body of research to inform those investments. However, many critical questions remain about how to most effectively and efficiently support the social and economic well-being of the diverse populations ACF serves.

ACF services touch the lives of many children and families from varied racial backgrounds and a sizable portion of those served identify as Black or African American. For example, 29 percent of recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) cash assistance in 2019 identified as Black or African American (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [HHS], 2020). Furthermore, approximately 30 percent of families enrolled in Head Start and 40 percent of families receiving monthly child care assistance through the Child Care Development Fund are Black or African American (HHS, 2019; HHS,2019).

ACF recognizes the complexities and ongoing discourse across disciplines on the use of the term African American to refer to populations who identify as Black but are not the descendants of enslaved people in the United States. ACF uses the term "African American" throughout this FOA to refer largely to the descendants of enslaved people who were brought from their African homelands by force to work in America as well as other individuals, families, and https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ofa/data/tanf-caseload-data-2020 https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ofa/data/tanf-caseload-data-2020 https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/about-us/article/head-start-program-facts-fiscal-year-2019 https://www.acf.hhs.gov/occ/data/fy-2018-ccdf-data-tables-preliminary communities of the African diaspora who have immigrated to the United States who may identify as Black.

Given the participation of African American families and children in ACF programs, there is a need for community-engaged research and evaluation to understand the varied assets, needs, and experiences of African American families and children; identify promising approaches to address economic and social inequities; and promote their social and economic well-being.

Community-engaged approaches to research work in collaboration with the populations being studied, with a goal of building trusting bi-directional relationships, can improve the rigor of the work, as well as the relevance of the work, to all stakeholders.

Research with African American communities must be culturally rigorous and must also be informed by an understanding of both current and historical circumstances. Culturally rigorous research ensures that knowledge is gathered in a way that is inclusive of and responsive to the diverse cultural practices of the populations being studied, ensuring that information is gathered in appropriate and meaningful ways (Tribal Evaluation Workgroup, 2013). Research that is informed by historical and current circumstances is grounded in an understanding of the important role that public policies, institutional practices, and other societal norms play in shaping the needs, strengths, and experiences of the populations being studied. This type of rigorous research and evaluation with African American populations can support the effective and efficient administration of ACF programs and, ultimately, improve the lives of African American children and families.

Traditionally, research that has informed predominate views of underrepresented groups, including African American populations, has not been community engaged, culturally rigorous, or informed by consideration of structural inequities. Moreover, such research has relied heavily on a comparative research framework in which the behaviors, experiences, and outcomes of White Americans are used as the standard or reference point against which the behaviors, experiences, and outcomes of underrepresented populations are assessed. Often this research approach fails to acknowledge how aspects of research design and measurement can bias findings and fails to acknowledge important historical and cultural contexts that differ across groups. This research approach has contributed to the inherent assumption that the behaviors, experiences, and outcomes of underrepresented groups that differ from White Americans represent deficits and must be addressed to promote their economic and social well-being. We aim to support research that is contextualized by a thorough understanding of historical and contemporary inequitable social structures and systems as well as the diverse cultural practices of African American populations.

PURPOSE

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.

ACF has previously funded research centers focused on specific populations, including the Tribal Early Childhood Research Center and National Research on Hispanic Children and Families. The work of these Centers has greatly shaped our understanding of the service needs https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/training-technical-assistance/roadmap-collaborative-and-effective-evaluation-tribal-communities?utm_campaign=Program_Evaluation&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=Gateway and experiences of distinct populations.

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.

The Center will be a collaborative effort in support of multiple human services programs that interact with African American children and families. Information and knowledge gained from one program may be relevant to other programs. The activities funded by the Center will focus on the programmatic goals of the four focus areas listed above. Please see Section II. Federal Award Information for information about how the Center’s resources and activities should be proportionately dedicated to reflect the eligible activities under each of the four funding streams supporting the Center.

GOALS

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. The work of the Center will draw on interdisciplinary approaches to accomplish the three goals listed below.

Each of these goals should be a priority for the Center, and the grantee is expected to develop and realize a program of research that appropriately balances the Center’s core infrastructure and administrative responsibilities with each of these three key program goals. It is also expected that the grantee will identify and develop effective strategies to sustain project activities in support of the grant program's goals after the period of federal funding ends. These goals and the related responsibilities of the Center are discussed in more detail below.

1. Advance Research Approximately 60 percent of the Center’s overall effort should be dedicated to the goal of advancing research.

The Center will be expected to plan, initiate, and maintain a community-engaged, focused, and high-caliber research program. This means that the research should be conceived with input from relevant stakeholders, as appropriate, and reflect partnerships with these stakeholders at multiple phases of the research process. The Center’s program of research should build on the existing literature related to African American children and families and should be directly relevant to the needs and interests of ACF areas of programmatic concern, including the following:

The 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.

The program of research may also include topics of more general value to the field of human services.

The research should be culturally rigorous and informed by historical and current circumstances, and attend to issues of intersectionality of other relevant membership categories (e.g., disability, gender identity). The research may include ongoing or new social, behavioral, and economic policy-related research projects, including (but not limited to) secondary analysis of available data sets; research syntheses, pilot and feasibility studies; refining measurement tools or instruments; or similar research projects, as necessary, to address the key research questions of interest.

All research activities supported with ACF funds must adhere to the principles of rigor, relevance, transparency, independence, and ethics outlined in ACF’s evaluation policy.

Although ACF’s policy focuses on evaluation, the principles and many of the specifics apply to other types of research activities as well. The research program should include an agenda of applied research, quantitative and qualitative research methods, primary data collection, and secondary data analyses, as best suited for the research questions and objectives pursued by the Center. The research program should support Center staff and other affiliated researchers in completing research that improves understanding of questions that fall within the four areas of ACF programmatic concern. See Section I. Program Description, Purpose, the third paragraph.

The Center should provide intellectual leadership in the national research community by establishing links with a broad range of scholars external to the grantee institution through a combination of mechanisms, which may include (but is not limited to) leadership roles, partnerships with other institutions of higher education, visiting and postdoctoral appointments, research assistantships, an extramural program of non-resident grants, etc.

Using multi-disciplinary and multi-method approaches, the research program should advance methodological innovations (e.g., measurement tools, study designs) to obtain reliable and valid information on individual-, community-, program-, and systems-level constructs relevant to African American populations (e.g., current and historical circumstances, parent-child interactions, economic mobility, family relationships, children’s optimal development and well-https://www.acf.hhs.gov/opre/report/acf-evaluation-policy being, racial trauma). The Center team must possess competency in a range of economic, social, and behavioral disciplines and research methodologies. The team must also have deep knowledge of the role institutional and structural conditions and practices play in shaping the needs, assets, and experiences of African American populations. The planning and execution of the Center’s research shall always consider the program and policy implications of research findings in a non-partisan manner. The Center should link research to public and private efforts to improve the lives of African American children and families. A Steering Committee (see Section I. Program Description, Structure) made up of both Center and federal staff will meet regularly to review and refine plans for Center activities. A Technical Work Group (see Section I. Program Description, Structure) will meet annually to provide input for the Center’s Activities.

2. Build Research Capacity Approximately 20-30 percent of the Center’s overall effort should be dedicated to the goal of building research capacity.

The Center is expected to build research capacity and infrastructure to conduct research relevant to ACF program and policy goals that is culturally rigorous and informed by an understanding of current and historical circumstances that shape the experiences of African Americans. The Center is expected to build research capacity through developing tools, resources, and approaches to equip the field to conduct relevant research. In order to promote such research broadly in the field, the Center is expected to provide consultation and professional development to support and encourage the work of researchers within and outside of the federal government investigating relevant questions.

In addition, the Center is expected to contribute to the development and expansion of the pool of researchers reflective of the communities being studied by the Center. The Center should pursue innovative approaches to expose emerging scholars to the work of the Center and OPRE, as well as encourage and directly support emerging scholars to develop careers in policy-relevant research concerning African American children and families.

3. Communicate Research Approximately 10-20 percent of the Center’s overall effort should be dedicated to the goal of communicating research.

Another integral feature of the Center’s responsibilities is to make knowledge and information available to ACF’s stakeholders. The Center is expected to develop and implement a dissemination strategy that broadly and efficiently communicates findings from research conducted within and outside of the Center and increases the use of research, data, and relevant resources for a wide audience including researchers, federal and state policymakers, ACF grantees, program administrators, and communities participating in the research. The dissemination plan will be comprehensive and utilize diverse media, channels, and strategic partnerships best suited to connect target audiences with the research findings and resources that can inform their work. For example, the plan is expected to include traditional, social, and innovative media, such as developing accessible written, visual, and audio products; holding events, such as webinars, workshops, roundtables, or symposia; and, engaging in outreach activities such as listening sessions and presentations at research and practice-focused gatherings, collaborating with ACF technical assistance providers, and engaging in bidirectional communication with stakeholders. It is expected that the dissemination plan will demonstrate strong links to the goals and objectives of the Center.

STRUCTURE

The Center’s organizational structure will include the following key elements: the Center Director (or co-Directors); Center team and partners; Dissemination Lead; a Steering Committee; and a Technical Workgroup.

Center Director: The Director will be the primary personnel representing the Center across all activities. The Director’s expertise, knowledge, and skills will inform all Center's activities and will contribute directly to the collaborative efforts involved. Through the Director’s efforts, the Center will advance the state of research concerning African American children and families.

The Director will not only be primarily responsible for the successful completion of the Center’s research activities, but will also be responsible for establishing and maintaining coherence in goals and objectives across the Center’s activities and collaboration across the various structural elements and participants in the Center’s activities.

The Director must have a Ph.D. or equivalent for their field and should be an established expert as demonstrated by a substantial body of published work including peer-reviewed articles related to African American children and families. The Director must have expertise in ACF programmatic areas of concerns (see Section I. Program Description, Purpose, the third paragraph). Gaps in the Director’s skills should be addressed through additional Center leadership and staff, subcontracts with other institutions and organizations, and partnerships with other scholars and professionals (i.e., Co-Directors, consultants, logistic management support, research team members). Changing the Center's Director during the project period would constitute a major revision of the approved project and would require prior approval by

ACF.

The Director must commit appropriate time and effort to the Center to ensure ongoing management and oversight and high-quality results and products. The grantee should inform the Federal Project Officer (PO) regarding any significant changes in availability throughout the project period.

Center Team and Partners. The Center’s team and partners (i.e., project managers, coordinators, writers, data collectors, subcontracted research and logistics support, research partners) are critical to the success of all of the Center’s activities. The Center team must include individuals with experience and skills for conducting research with African American children and families. The Center team must include individuals with expertise in ACF's programmatic areas of concern (see Section I. Program Description, Purpose, the third paragraph). Gaps in Director or Co-Director expertise may be addressed by identified strengths in the Center’s team and partners. Grantees are encouraged to seek out and partner with other organizations, research institutions, and experts throughout the course of the project, given the depth of expertise that is required by this project. Changes in key center staff and partners (e.g., senior research staff, project manager, or research partners) during the project period would constitute a major revision of the approved project and would require prior approval by ACF.

Dissemination Lead. The dissemination lead is a key member of the Center team. The dissemination lead must have significant experience and competences in high-quality and effective communication of findings from research, data, and relevant resources to a wide range of audiences, including researchers, federal and state policymakers, ACF grantees, and program administrators. The dissemination lead must be knowledgeable of diverse media, channels, and strategic partnerships.

Steering Committee. The Steering Committee will consist of the Center’s Director (or Co- Directors, if applicable), other selected key Center personnel, the FPO from OPRE, and other representatives of ACF (as determined by the FPO). This Steering Committee will meet regularly to discuss the Center’s plans, activities, and progress, with a focus on ACF’s goals for the Center. The Center Director and team will be responsible for day-to-day operations and decisions. The Steering Committee's responsibilities will include the following:

Provide input on an agenda for the Center as well as more specific plans and products of the Center with an eye towards the Center's short- and long-term goals;

Identify supplemental activities to address emerging programmatic concerns;

Identify and support opportunities for dissemination of the Center's work;

Identify opportunities for the Center to consult with policymakers and other key stakeholders;

Facilitate communication and collaboration with other ACF-sponsored projects; and Provide problem-solving feedback regarding the Center.

The committee will meet via teleconference or in person as needed to support clarity and consistency in the Center’s mission and procedures and a robust on-going research portfolio.

Technical Work Group. The Center will nominate and establish a Technical Work Group made up of experts and stakeholders from outside of the grantee/funded institution(s) with research, programmatic, and lived-experience expertise in ACF’s programmatic areas of concern regarding African American children and families (see Section I. Program Description, Purpose, the third paragraph). This group of experts and stakeholders will provide input and feedback to inform priorities and refine plans for Center activities. The Technical Work Group will be regarded as a resource for the Center, supporting the Center in defining the state of the field; identifying forward-looking questions, concerns, and major gaps in the knowledge base;

ensuring the community-engaged research focus of the Center; and supporting the ability of the Center to build research capacity while addressing issues relevant to policy and program leaders. The Center should convene and engage this group purposefully to help realize ACF’s goals for the Center and to expand the reach of the Center’s activities.

Efforts will be made in selecting this group to assure representation from a broad range of institutions (such as academic, research, policy, and program organizations) and fields of study.

To enable deeper discussions on selected topics and connections among experts and stakeholders, it is expected that the Technical Work Group will meet at least once each year.

ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

In support of the overarching grant program goals (see Section I. Program Description, Goals for details), the Center will be responsible for the following additional tasks:

Supplemental Activities. The Center is expected to plan for approximately 10 percent of its effort to support supplemental activities.

During the project period, the Center should have the ability to complete several supplemental activities, as needed, to respond to pressing research and policy needs that fall within the scope of the Center. For designing, refining, and carrying out these supplemental projects, the Center may work through a consultative process with federal staff, and, as needed and appropriate, with additional consultants and the Technical Work Group. It is expected that these activities may overlap to some extent with projects/efforts developed in pursuit of the Center's primary research, research capacity building, and communication goals.

Specific supplemental activities will be identified by the grantee during the grant. However, a few examples of potential activities include the following:

Developing research briefs on specific topics of interest to ACF programs;

Development and pilot testing of research protocols to better engage and reflect the experiences of African American children and families;

Development and validation of survey instruments for inclusion in federal research examining experiences of African American populations with ACF programs; and Analyzing public or administrative data or other materials to address specific questions of interest.

Meetings and Conferences. Regular, in-person or virtual meetings can help deepen understanding, strengthen connections, and promote collaboration among individuals, institutions, and perspectives. In support of the research capacity-building and communication goals of this grant program, the grantee will be expected to attend (and, in some cases, to host) the following required meetings and conferences when they are held during the grant project period. The proposed budget should reflect funds for the Director (or Co-Directors) and at least one key personnel to attend the required meetings either virtually or in person and all costs and logistical support (i.e., hotel, travel, compensation) for any proposed meetings or conference activities.

National Research Conference on Early Childhood (NRCEC). It is expected that key Center personnel will attend the biennial NRCEC, which is held in Washington. The next conference is expected to be held in the summer of 2022. This conference brings together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to discuss the latest research surrounding Head Start, Early Head Start, child care, home visiting, child welfare, special education, pre-kindergarten, early elementary, and other early childhood programs. This provides an excellent opportunity for the Center to build relationships with key stakeholders and present research findings.

Child Care and Early Education Policy Research Consortium (CCEEPRC) Annual Meeting. It is expected that key Center personnel will attend the annual meeting of CCEEPRC, which is typically held in the spring in Washington, DC. The meeting brings together grantees and contracted researchers funded by ACF and federal and state CCDF administrators to discuss child care policy research and is an excellent opportunity for the Center to build relationships with key stakeholders and to discuss implications of research developments and the Center’s work. The next CCEEPRC annual meeting is scheduled to take place in Washington, DC, over 2 days in March 2022.

Research and Evaluation Conference on Self-Sufficiency (RECS). It is expected that key Center personnel will attend the biennial RECS, which is expected to be held May 2022 in Washington DC. This conference, which brings together researchers and administrators to discuss cutting-edge research related to a range of anti-poverty programs and policies, is an excellent opportunity for the Center to build relationships with key stakeholders and present research findings.

Other opportunities to meet with ACF. In addition, OPRE will identify and facilitate opportunities to present Center work and engage with federal and state policymakers, program administrators, ACF technical assistance providers, ACF-sponsored research teams, and other stakeholders to maximize timely information sharing and coordination as appropriate.

SUBAWARDS

Recipients under this grant program may opt to transfer a portion of substantive programmatic work to other organizations through subaward(s). The prime recipient must maintain a substantive role in the project. ACF defines a substantive role as conducting activities and/or providing services funded under the award that are necessary and integral to the completion of the project. Subrecipient monitoring activities alone, as specified in 45 CFR § 75.352, do not constitute a substantive role. Furthermore, ACF does not fund awards where the role of the applicant is primarily to serve as a conduit for passing funds to other organizations unless that arrangement is authorized by statute.

Subrecipient(s) must meet the eligibility requirements identified in the FOA, Section III.1.

Eligible Applicants. Additionally, all subrecipient(s) must obtain a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number, or after government-wide implementation, a Unique Entity Identifier assigned by the System for Award Management (SAM), if they do not already have one. Prime recipients are required to check the SAM to verify that the subrecipient(s) is/are not debarred, suspended, or ineligible. Please reference the Award Term and Condition on Subawards on the ACF Administrative and National Policy Requirements website for further requirements involving subawards.

II. Federal Award Information Funding Instrument Type: Cooperative Agreement Estimated Total Funding: $1,800,000 Expected Number of Awards: 1 Award Ceiling: $1,800,000 Per Budget Period Award Floor: $1,800,000 Per Budget Period Average Projected Award Amount: $1,800,000 Per Budget Period Anticipated Project Start Date: 09/30/2021

Length of Project Periods:

Length of Project Period: 60-month project period with five 12-month budget periods

Additional Information on Awards:

Awards made under this announcement are subject to the availability of federal funds.

https://www.acf.hhs.gov/administrative-and-national-policy-requirements#chapter-15 https://www.acf.hhs.gov/administrative-and-national-policy-requirements

Applications requesting an award amount that exceeds the Award Ceiling per budget period, or per project period, as stated in this section, will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under this announcement. This disqualification applies only to the Award Ceiling listed for the first 12-month budget period for projects with multiple budget periods. If the project and budget period are the same, the disqualification applies to the Award Ceiling listed for the project period. Please see Section III.3. Other, Application Disqualification Factors.

Note: For those programs that require matching or cost sharing, recipients will be held accountable for projected commitments of non-federal resources in their application budgets and budget justifications by budget period or by project period for fully funded awards, even if the projected commitment exceeds the required amount of match or cost share. A recipient's failure to provide the required matching amount may result in the disallowance of federal funds. See Section III.2. of this announcement for information on cost-sharing or matching requirements.

Consistent with statutory authority, the Center's resources and activities should be dedicated proportionately to reflect the purposes of the four funding streams supporting the center. They are as follows:

TANF

Funds authorized through the Social Security Act contribute $900,000, or 50 percent, of the Center’s total funds. Section 413 of the Social Security Act 42 USC 613, as amended by the FY 2017 Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (Public Law 115-31) requires HHS to conduct research regarding the effect that grants made under TANF have on factors such as employment, self-sufficiency, child well-being, unmarried births, marriage, poverty, economic mobility, and family stability to help improve those programs and the individuals and families they serve. Funds may also be used for disseminating information on any research, evaluation, or study conducted under this section, including facilitating the sharing of information and best practices among states and localities.

Head Start and Early Head Start

Research funds associated with Head Start and Early Head Start contribute $400,000, or about 22 percent, of the Center’s total funds. Section 649 of the Head Start Act, as amended by the Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007, requires HHS to carry out research, demonstration, and evaluation activities focused on Head Start’s and Early Head Start’s continued quality improvements and effectiveness. Specific objectives highlighted in the statute include contributing to understanding the characteristics and needs of population groups eligible for Head Start and Early Head Start as well as the impact of such services on the individuals served and the communities in which such services are provided.

Child Care

Research funds associated with the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDB) contribute $400,000, or about 22 percent, of the Center’s total funds. Section 658O(a)(5) of the CCDB (42 U.S.C. 9858m(a)(5) authorizes HHS to conduct research, demonstrations, and evaluations focused on increasing access to child care services and improving the safety and quality of child care services.

Social Services Research and Demonstration (SSRD)

Funds authorized through the SSRD contribute $100,000, or about 6 percent, of the Center’s total funds. Section 1110 of the Social Security Act, 42 USC 1310, titled Cooperative Research or Demonstration Projects, authorizes HHS to support research or demonstration projects in an effort to prevent, reduce, and foster self-sufficiency; aid in effecting coordination of planning between private and public welfare agencies; or help improve the administration and effectiveness of programs carried on or assisted under the Social Security Act and related programs. Previous OPRE-funded projects have focused on understanding behavioral interventions for advancing self-sufficiency and racial and ethnic disparities in human services.

The grantee will need to demonstrate that each of the funding streams was used exclusively to meet the distinct purposes of each appropriation. For example, if any Center staff work on cross-cutting issues, their time will need to be tracked to reflect time spent on each particular appropriation.

Description of ACF's Anticipated Substantial Involvement Under the Cooperative Agreement

ACF staff will collaboratively negotiate with the recipient of funds regarding the roles and responsibilities outlined in this announcement before finalizing the cooperative agreement. This will include discussions regarding whether there are gaps or weaknesses identified by the review panel that need to be addressed, such as additional areas of expertise or support needed within the Center’s organizational structure and working with the grantee to address significant gaps or weaknesses.

ACF will monitor the grantee, providing guidance and technical assistance, when necessary.

ACF will work collaboratively with the grantee to facilitate the accomplishment of project goals. ACF will facilitate collaboration and coordination with other ACF-sponsored grantees and projects (e.g., research projects, training and technical assistance providers) and ACF program offices (e.g., Office of Child Care, Office of Head Start, Office of Family Assistance).

ACF will provide funding as specified on the Financial Assistance Award for each budget period of this project activity, subject to the availability of funds. ACF will accept applications from the recipient for continued annual funding under this agreement beyond the 12-month budget period but within the approved project period on a noncompetitive basis, subject to availability of funds, satisfactory progress of the recipient, and a determination that continued funding would be in the best interest of the Government. ACF will determine satisfactory progress for continuation of the federal award by assessing the recipient's semi-annual Performance Progress Report.

The FPO and other ACF staff, as needed, will participate in the Steering Committee to provide input, information, assistance, and feedback reflecting ACF’s programmatic and research goals and to remain informed about project activities and progress. ACF staff will provide feedback regarding grantee proposed plans and products to ensure that the activities and the products developed are filling needs and are relevant and translatable to the policy and practice communities. ACF staff will also provide feedback to ensure that the Center's resources and activities are dedicated proportionately to reflect the purposes of the funding streams supporting the Center.

III. Eligibility Information

III.1. Eligible Applicants

Applicants are required to submit written evidence that research is a primary organizational activity as part of the application submission. The required documentation is described in Section IV.2. The Project Description, Additional Eligibility Documentation. Lack of the required documentation will disqualify the application from review and from award. See Section III.3. Other, Application Disqualification Factors.

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. The required documentation is described in Section IV.2. The Project Description, Additional Eligibility Documentation. Lack of the required documentation will disqualify the application from review and from award. See Section III.3. Other, Application Disqualification Factors.

Faith-based organizations may apply for this award on the same basis as any other organization, as set forth at and, subject to the protections and requirements of this part and 42 U.S.C. 2000bb et seq., 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. See Section III.3. Other, Application Disqualification Factors.

Faith-based and community organizations that meet the eligibility requirements are eligible to receive awards under this funding opportunity announcement.

See Section IV.2. Legal Status of Applicant Entity for documentation required to support eligibility.

Please see Section IV.6. Funding Restrictions for any limitations on the use of federal funds that could affect the eligibility of an applicant or project.

III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching

Cost Sharing / Matching Requirement: Yes

For all federal awards, any shared costs or matching funds and all contributions, including cash and third-party in-kind contributions, must be accepted as part of the recipient’s cost sharing or matching when such contributions meet all of the criteria listed in 45 CFR § 75.306.

For awards that require matching by statute, recipients will be held accountable for projected commitments of non-federal resources in their application budgets and budget justifications by budget period, or by project period for fully funded awards, even if the projected commitment exceeds the amount required by the statutory match. A recipient’s failure to provide the statutorily required matching amount may result in the disallowance of federal funds. Recipients will be required to report these funds in the Federal Financial Reports.

For awards that do not require matching or cost sharing by statute, where “cost sharing” refers to any situation in which the recipient voluntarily shares in the costs of a project other than as statutorily required matching, recipients will be held accountable for projected commitments of non-federal resources in their application budgets and budget justifications by budget period, or by project period for fully funded awards. These include situations in which contributions are voluntarily proposed by a recipient or subrecipient and are accepted by ACF.

Non-federal cost sharing will be included in the approved project budget so that the recipient will be held accountable for proposed non-federal cost-sharing funds as shown in the Notice of Award (NOA). A recipient’s failure to provide voluntary cost sharing of non-federal resources that have been accepted by ACF as part of the approved project costs and that have been shown as part of the approved project budget in the NOA, may result in the disallowance of federal funds. Recipients will be required to report these funds in the Federal Financial Reports.

Cost sharing is required for these projects in accordance with title XI, section 1110 of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. 1310. Applicants must provide a cost sharing amount in the application's Budget and Budget Justification. There is no statutorily required minimum amount or percentage for the cost share. Cost sharing may be in cash or in-kind, including the graduate student's time spent on the project, and may include unrecovered indirect costs in accordance with §45 CFR 75.306.

Since the cost sharing amount is not part of the federal share, it does not affect the Award Ceiling amount under the application disqualification factor. See Section III.3. Other, Application Disqualification Factors. Please also see Section IV.2. The Project Budget and Budget Justification, Commitment of Non-Federal Resources and Section V.1. Criteria, Budget and Budget Justification.

III.3. Other

Application Disqualification Factors 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.

Award Ceiling Disqualification Applications that request an award amount that exceeds the Award Ceiling per budget period or per project period ("per project period" refers only to fully funded awards), as stated in Section II. Federal Award Information, will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under this announcement. This disqualification applies only to the Award Ceiling listed for first 12-month budget period for projects with multiple budget periods. If the project and budget period are the same, the disqualification applies to the Award Ceiling listed for the project period.

Required Electronic Application Submission ACF requires electronic submission of applications at www.Grants.gov. Paper applications received from applicants that have not been approved for an exemption from required electronic submission will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under this announcement.

Applicants that do not have an Internet connection or sufficient computing capacity to upload large documents to the Internet may contact ACF for an exemption that will allow the applicant to submit applications in paper format. Information and the requirements for requesting an exemption from required electronic application submission are found in "ACF Policy for Requesting an Exemption from Electronic Application Submission" at www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/howto#chapter-6.

Missing the Application Deadline (Late Applications) The deadline for electronic application submission is 11:59 p.m., ET, on the due date listed in the Overview and in Section IV.4. Submission Dates and Times. Electronic applications submitted to www.Grants.gov after 11:59 p.m., ET, on the due date, as indicated by a dated and time-stamped email from www.Grants.gov, will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under this announcement. That is, applications submitted to www.Grants.gov, on or after 12:00 a.m., ET, on the day after the due date will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under this announcement.

Applications submitted to www.Grants.gov at any time during the open application period, and prior to the due date and time, which fail the www.Grants.gov validation check, will not be received at, or acknowledged by, ACF.

Each time an application is submitted via www.Grants.gov, the submission will generate a new date and time-stamp email notification. Only those applications with on-time date and time stamps that result in a validated application, which is transmitted to ACF, will be acknowledged.

The deadline for receipt of paper applications is 4:30 p.m., ET, on the due date listed in the Overview and in Section IV.4. Submission Dates and Times. Paper applications received after 4:30 p.m., ET, on the due date will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under this announcement. Paper applications received from applicants that have not received approval of an exemption from required electronic submission will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under this announcement.

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Evidence of Research as a Primary Organizational Activity Applications that do not include written evidence that research is a primary organizational activity will be disqualified from review and from funding under this FOA. See Section III. I.

Eligible Applicants, Additional Information on Eligibility, and Section IV.2. Project Description, Additional Eligibility Documentation for more information.

Curriculum Vitae or Biographical Sketch for Principal Investigator Applications that do not include written evidence that the proposed PI(s) [who will serve as Center Director(s)] has earned a doctorate or equivalent in a relevant field; conducts research as a primary professional responsibility; and has articles published in major peer-reviewed journals as a first author, as evidenced in their curriculum vitae and/or biographical sketch, as part of the application submission will be disqualified…