Behavioral Interventions Scholars | HHS 2019 ACF OPRE PD 1570

Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2019 ACF OPRE PD 1570

The Behavioral Interventions Scholars grant opportunity is a discretionary research grant 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 is designed to fund dissertation research by advanced graduate doctoral students who are applying behavioral science or behavioral economics approaches to real-world questions tied to social services programs and policies. The overall aim is not only to support individual dissertation projects, but also to strengthen the broader research pipeline in this area by encouraging work that uses behavioral insights to address challenges experienced by poor and vulnerable families in the United States, while also reinforcing strong mentorship connections between faculty advisors and promising doctoral candidates.

At the core of this opportunity is the expectation that proposed research will be clearly relevant to practice or policy. Applicants are expected to show how their dissertation work could inform decisions in programs serving low-income children, adults, and families, particularly in ways that could improve well-being. In practical terms, that means the research should go beyond theory and demonstrate a plausible pathway to application, such as improving program take-up, reducing administrative burden, increasing benefit retention or compliance, strengthening service engagement, or designing program communications and processes that better align with how people actually make decisions under stress, scarcity, or complexity. OPRE indicated that additional or more specific topics of interest could be spelled out in the full funding opportunity announcement, suggesting that applicants should be prepared to align their proposals with any targeted priorities if they are listed.

The funding mechanism is a grant, listed under the Income Security and Social Services activity category, and associated with CFDA number 93.647. The stated award ceiling is $25,000, with an expectation of about four awards, making it a relatively small but competitive dissertation-scale funding opportunity. These funds are typically suited to covering core dissertation research expenses such as data collection, participant incentives, travel for fieldwork, specialized software, research assistance, or other direct costs that enable a student to complete a rigorous dissertation project grounded in behavioral science or behavioral economics methods.

Eligibility is broad on paper and includes many organization types that could potentially serve as the applicant institution or fiscal sponsor. Eligible applicants include public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education), for-profit organizations other than small businesses, small businesses, and several levels of government entities (state, county, city or township, special district), as well as independent school districts, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, and Native American tribal governments and tribal organizations. Even though the grants are intended to support dissertation research by advanced graduate students, the application typically must be submitted by an eligible organization rather than an individual student, meaning universities are common applicants, with the student as the primary researcher under faculty mentorship.

Key administrative details include the opportunity number HHS 2019 ACF OPRE PD 1570 and an original closing date of July 2, 2019, with electronic applications due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the deadline date. The notice also points applicants to OPREs broader work and context, including OPREs main site (https://www.acf.hhs.gov/opre) and the Behavioral Interventions to Advance Self-Sufficiency (BIAS) research portfolio page (https://www.acf.hhs.gov/opre/behavioral-interventions-to-advance-self-sufficiency-bias-research-portfolio), which is useful for understanding the kinds of behavioral intervention questions, program areas, and methodological approaches OPRE has supported previously.

• 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 "Behavioral Interventions Scholars" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.647.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 03, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 02, 2019 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 $25,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 4 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.

Apply for HHS 2019 ACF OPRE PD 1570

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