New ACF Grants for Studies on Head Start, Child Care and New Research Center

Seeking funding for research on child care centers or Head Start? Have some ideas for the creation of a federal center dedicated to research on young English-language learners? Consider submitting them to the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation for the Administration for Children and Families. The office, which is part of U.S. Health and Human Services Department, is seeking proposals this spring for three grant programs related to early childhood research.

Details -- pasted from the OPRE news listserv -- are below. Deadlines are quickly approaching. You've got until the end of this month to get letters of intent out the door.

Head Start Graduate Student Research.

Sponsored by the Administration for Children and Families' Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, the Head Start Graduate Student Research grants support dissertation research that is conducted in partnership with Head Start and Early Head Start programs and faculty mentors. Proposed projects must address applied research questions that will inform and improve local and/or national Head Start policies and practice. Topics of current interest to the Office of Head Start include (but are not limited to): (1) family involvement and family outcomes, and their effect on child outcomes; (2) math and/or science program development; (3) issues related to children who are dual language learners, including children from language-minority families, English language learners, and children in native language revitalization programs; (4) transition to kindergarten; (5) promotion of social and emotional development in infants and toddlers; and (6) health services, including dental health and family health literacy. Fully accredited U.S. institutions of higher education are eligible to apply on behalf of enrolled, doctoral-level students and a university faculty member who serves as the student's mentor and the Principal Investigator. Applicants may apply for a maximum of $25,000 per year for two years. Letters of intent are due April 30, 2009, and applications are due June 1, 2009. For more information about this grant opportunity, please go to the grant announcement at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/open/HHS-2009-ACF-OPRE-YR-0004.html. For questions, please contact: OPREreviews@esi-dc.com.

Center for Early Care and Education Research: Dual Language Learners.

The Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE), within the Administration for Children and Families, seeks proposals for the creation of a Center for Research in Early Care and Education to focus on dual language learners (DLLs) from birth through 5 years of age and their families. The Center will provide leadership in order (a) to improve the state of knowledge and measurement in early childhood research on young DLLs and the needs of their families as these relate to children's development, and (b) to identify and advance the evidence base for the best practices and strategies in early care and education settings, including center-based, home-based and family child care, Head Start and Early Head Start programs, to support the overall development of young DLLs and to effectively support their families. The Center will be funded through a cooperative agreement, and will be part of larger OPRE research efforts related to Child Care Bureau (CCB) and Office of Head Start (OHS) priorities. Eligibility is open to all types of domestic applicants other than individuals. Letters of intent are due April 30, 2009, and applications are due June 15, 2009. For more information about this grant opportunity, view the announcement at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/open/HHS-2009-ACF-OPRE-YR-0083.html. For questions or to request an application package, please contact: DLLreviews@esi-dc.com

 

Secondary Analyses of Data on Child Care.

The Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE), within the Administration for Children and Families, encourages eligible applicants to apply for a research discretionary funding opportunity entitled "Secondary Analyses of Data on Child Care." These grants will support secondary analyses of existing data to answer questions of relevance for policy decision-making and future research on child care and child care subsidies. Topics of particular interest are: (1) measurement of quality; (2) subsidy policies and parental work outcomes; (3) subsidy policies and the child care workforce; (4) child, family, employment, and program/provider characteristics and choice of care; (5) child care characteristics and child and family outcomes; (6) transition to kindergarten; (7) implementation assessment (or process evaluation) of programs/initiatives; (8) effectiveness of state systems in monitoring and maintaining standards of care; (9) cost-benefit/cost-effectiveness analyses of child care initiatives; and (10) collaboration, coordination, and alignment of services among early care and education programs. Eligibility is open to all types of domestic applicants other than individuals. Letters of intent are due May 1, and applications are due June 15. For more information about this grant opportunity, view the announcement at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/open/HHS-2009-ACF-OPRE-YE-0080.html. For questions or to request an application package, please contact: Secondaryreviews@esi-dc.com.