Behavioral Interventions Scholars | HHS 2024 ACF OPRE PD 0126

Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2024 ACF OPRE PD 0126

The Behavioral Interventions Scholars opportunity is a discretionary grant program expected from the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE). It is designed to fund dissertation research by advanced graduate students whose work uses behavioral science or behavioral economics to study questions that matter to social services programs and policies. The core aim is capacity-building: OPRE is trying to grow the pool of researchers who can apply behavioral insights to real-world challenges facing children, adults, and families with low incomes in the United States, while also encouraging strong faculty mentorship that helps doctoral students produce high-quality, policy-relevant research.

A successful project under this program needs to do two things clearly. First, it must be explicitly grounded in behavioral science or behavioral economics, meaning the proposal should be framed around behavioral mechanisms (for example, how people respond to defaults, framing, hassle factors, present bias, social norms, limited attention, trust, stigma, or administrative burdens) rather than only traditional program evaluation or descriptive analysis. Second, it must show direct applicability to practices or policies serving low-income populations, especially those intended to improve well-being. In other words, OPRE is looking for dissertation work that does not just advance theory, but can realistically inform how programs are designed, communicated, delivered, or taken up by eligible participants.

Eligibility runs through institutions, not individuals. While the research is for a graduate student scholar, the eligible applicant is the U.S. entity, typically the university where the student is enrolled. The application must include a letter of support from the student’s mentor, and that mentor serves as the project’s Principal Investigator. The letter is not optional: it has to approve the application and describe how the mentor will regularly monitor and guide the student’s work, and applications missing this letter are disqualified. Individuals (including sole proprietorships) and foreign entities cannot apply and will be disqualified from review and funding. At the same time, the eligibility list is broad across U.S. entities in general (including various levels of government, nonprofits, tribes, higher education institutions, and some for-profit organizations), and faith-based or community organizations that meet eligibility requirements may apply on the same basis as others, with ACF stating it will not discriminate based on religious character under applicable federal protections.

Key funding details included in the notice indicate an award ceiling of $25,000, with an estimated 4 awards expected. The funding opportunity is identified as HHS 2024 ACF OPRE PD 0126, under Assistance Listing (CFDA) 93.647, aligned to the Income Security and Social Services category. The posted original closing date is June 7, 2024. The statutory authority referenced is section 1110(a)(1)(A) of the Social Security Act, which supports research or demonstration projects intended to improve the administration and effectiveness of programs carried on or assisted under the Act and related programs.

For application logistics, the notice emphasizes standard federal submission infrastructure and a practical timing risk: applicants must be registered in SAM.gov and have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), and SAM.gov has been experiencing delays in validating legal business names and addresses due to high demand. The guidance is to start SAM registration and validation early to avoid last-minute submission problems. Prospective applicants are also encouraged to monitor Grants.gov by creating an account and subscribing to the opportunity forecast for updates as the solicitation is released or modified. OPRE background information and related behavioral interventions work are available through the OPRE website and its Behavioral Interventions to Advance Self-Sufficiency (BIAS) research portfolio pages.

• The 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 2024-03-28.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-06-07. (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, Others.

Apply for HHS 2024 ACF OPRE PD 0126

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