National Research Center for Promoting Work and Strong Families
Status: Open
Posted date: May 1, 2026
Archive date: August 15, 2026
Opportunity ID: 362168
Opportunity number: HHS-2026-ACF-OFA-PG-0059
Opportunity category: Discretionary
Agency name: Administration for Children and Families - OFA
Agency code: HHS-ACF-OFA
Award floor: $1,200,000
Award ceiling: $1,500,000
Cost sharing required: Yes
Funding Instrument Types
- Cooperative Agreement
Category of Funding Activity
- Income Security and Social Services
Eligible Applicants
- City or township governments
- County governments
- For-profit organizations other than small businesses
- Independent school districts
- Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
- 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
- Others
- Private institutions of higher education
- Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
- Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
- Small businesses
- Special district governments
- State governments
- Unrestricted
Categories (use these for quoted searches)
- agency_code:hhs_acf_ofa
- category_of_funding_activity:income_security_and_social_services
- cost_sharing_or_matching_requirement:true
- eligible_applicants:city_or_township_governments
- eligible_applicants:county_governments
- eligible_applicants:for_profit_organizations_other_than_small_businesses
- eligible_applicants:independent_school_districts
- eligible_applicants:native_american_tribal_governments_federally_recognized
- eligible_applicants:native_american_tribal_organizations_other_than_federally_recognized_tribal_governments
- eligible_applicants:nonprofits_having_a_501_c_3_status_with_the_irs_other_than_institutions_of_higher_education
- eligible_applicants:nonprofits_that_do_not_have_a_501_c_3_status_with_the_irs_other_than_institutions_of_higher_education
- eligible_applicants:others
- eligible_applicants:private_institutions_of_higher_education
- eligible_applicants:public_and_state_controlled_institutions_of_higher_education
- eligible_applicants:public_housing_authoritiesindian_housing_authorities
- eligible_applicants:small_businesses
- eligible_applicants:special_district_governments
- eligible_applicants:state_governments
- eligible_applicants:unrestricted
- funding_instrument_type:cooperative_agreement
- opportunity_category:discretionary
- status:open
The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) anticipates soliciting applications for a National Research Center for Promoting Work and Strong Families.The Center aims to improve the effectiveness of federal and state policies that promote the dignity of work, economic self-sufficiency, and build stable, married families while reducing their reliance on public assistance. The Center will support rigorous, policy-relevant research and build stronger connections between researchers and policymakers in human services programs.The Center will carry out three core activities:1. Fellowship Program: Support in-residence fellows placed within ACF and other HHS offices to provide policy-relevant research expertise on work, earnings, family stability, and human services programs.2. Extramural Research Grants: Administer a competitive grant program to fund timely, actionable research aligned with ACF priorities, including promoting the dignity of work, economic self-sufficiency and reduced dependence on public assistance, family formation and stability through marriage, child well-being, and program effectiveness.3. Dissemination and Communication: Host in-person and virtual events and produce policy-focused materials to ensure research findings are accessible and actionable for federal, state, tribal, and local policymakers.ACF anticipates making one cooperative agreement award for a five-year project period. The recipient must be able to show, and ACF must be able to monitor, that funds appropriated were spent on activities that can be directly attributed to those required and allowed by each funding source.