Center for Research on Hispanic Children and Families | HHS 2018 ACF OPRE PH 1378

Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2018 ACF OPRE PH 1378

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE), proposed a discretionary cooperative agreement to establish a Center for Research on Hispanic Children and Families. The goal of the Center is to lead and support research that improves understanding of the needs, experiences, and service interactions of Hispanic populations served by ACF, with a particular emphasis on identifying promising approaches that strengthen social and economic well-being among low-income Hispanic families. The opportunity is designed to produce policy-relevant, culturally competent evidence that reflects the diversity of Hispanic communities across the United States and helps ACF and its partners make better-informed program and policy decisions.

A central expectation is that the Center would function as a national hub that brings together a diverse and interdisciplinary network of academic and organizational partners. Rather than focusing on a single study, the Center model emphasizes sustained leadership in the field, including the ability to set a research agenda, coordinate multiple activities, and generate a body of work over time. The Center would be expected to elevate culturally competent research practices, meaning research approaches that more accurately account for language, immigration-related experiences, community and family structures, regional variation, and other factors that shape how Hispanic children and families experience programs and services. In practice, this also implies producing work that is useful to practitioners and policymakers, not just academic audiences.

The scope of research described for the Center spans several interconnected themes. One theme is improving how researchers define and measure key characteristics and lived experiences of Hispanic individuals, families, and communities, which can include refining data collection approaches and ensuring that concepts used in research reflect real-world diversity. Another theme is understanding service utilization, specifically identifying barriers that prevent Hispanic families from accessing supports and facilitators that increase effective engagement, whether those barriers relate to language access, cultural fit, administrative burden, geography, trust, or coordination across systems. A third theme is examining strategies that can strengthen Hispanic families and promote social and economic well-being for Hispanic children and families, with attention to interventions and supports that help families thrive. A fourth theme is evaluation: assessing promising approaches to serving Hispanic populations to determine what works, for whom, and under what conditions, and translating those findings into actionable recommendations.

The Center would also be responsible for research capacity building and communication, not only producing studies but also developing resources and products that help the broader field do higher-quality research on Hispanic populations. A comprehensive communication plan is specifically called for, signaling that OPRE expects active dissemination of findings through practical channels and formats, along with efforts that make the evidence more accessible to stakeholders who can use it. This could include briefs, toolkits, convenings, methodological resources, and other materials intended to expand the pipeline and quality of scholarship focused on Hispanic children and families.

Programmatically, the Center’s work is intended to connect to ACF priority areas, with a broad focus on marriage and relationships, fatherhood, child care and early education, and related issues such as employment and economic mobility, as well as children’s healthy development and learning. The description also notes additional topic areas that would be identified in the formal Funding Opportunity Announcement, including (but not limited to) mental health, substance abuse prevention and treatment, coordinated services, program evaluation, and rural populations. Together, these priorities reflect an interest in both family systems and the service systems that affect families, especially in contexts where Hispanic families may face unique structural or contextual challenges.

From an administrative standpoint, this opportunity was issued as a cooperative agreement, which typically means substantial federal involvement is expected during the project period, such as collaboration on priorities, review of deliverables, and ongoing coordination with OPRE. The project period was set for 60 months, structured as five 12-month budget periods, covering October 2018 through September 2023. The anticipated number of awards was one, with an award ceiling of $1,050,000. The opportunity was categorized as discretionary, under the funding activity area of Income Security and Social Services, and associated with CFDA numbers 93.086, 93.575, and 93.647.

Eligibility was broad and included state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses. The funding opportunity number was HHS-2018-ACF-OPRE-PH-1378. The notice was created on May 30, 2018, and the original application closing date was July 11, 2018, with electronic submissions due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the due date. For additional background about the related cooperative agreement, OPRE referenced its project page at https://www.acf.hhs.gov/opre/research/project/center-for-research-on-hispanic-children-families.

• The Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families - OPRE in the income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Center for Research on Hispanic Children and Families" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.086, 93.575, 93.647.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 30, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 11, 2018 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.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,050,000.00 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, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, 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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