Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2021 ACF OPRE PD 1917
The Behavioral Interventions Scholars grant opportunity is a discretionary funding program run by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF), through its Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE). Its main purpose is to fund dissertation research conducted by advanced graduate students whose work uses behavioral science or behavioral economics approaches to answer practical research questions tied directly to social services programs and policies. In other words, the program is designed for doctoral students who are at the dissertation stage and who are applying behavioral insights (how people actually make decisions, follow through on plans, respond to program rules, forms, reminders, incentives, defaults, complexity, and so on) to topics that matter for public programs serving families with low incomes and other vulnerable populations.
A central goal of the program is field-building. OPRE is not only looking to support individual dissertation projects, but also to expand the capacity of the broader research and policy community to use behavioral frameworks in social service settings. The opportunity explicitly aims to strengthen the pipeline of scholars who can bring a behavioral lens to real-world issues affecting poor and vulnerable families in the United States. Alongside that, the program places emphasis on mentorship, encouraging strong working relationships between faculty mentors and high-quality doctoral students so that the student receives guidance while producing research that is both rigorous and relevant to practice.
To be competitive, applicants are expected to make two things very clear. First, the dissertation research must be genuinely grounded in behavioral economics or behavioral science, not just loosely related. That typically means the project should be built around behavioral concepts and mechanisms (for example, limited attention, present bias, scarcity and cognitive bandwidth, hassle factors, framing effects, social norms, loss aversion, choice architecture, defaults, and simplification), and should use methods appropriate for testing or applying those ideas (which could include experiments, quasi-experimental designs, mixed-methods work, or implementation-focused evaluations, depending on what the project is trying to learn). Second, applicants must show how their work connects to policy or practice in programs serving low-income children, adults, and families, with a particular emphasis on research that could plausibly inform improvements in well-being. OPRE also notes that specific priority topics may be spelled out in the full funding opportunity announcement, meaning applicants should be prepared to align their dissertation question with any topical areas OPRE highlights for that funding cycle.
From an administrative standpoint, this is a grant (not a contract) under the funding activity area of Income Security and Social Services, and it is associated with CFDA number 93.647. The opportunity number is HHS-2021-ACF-OPRE-PD-1917. The posted award ceiling is $25,000 per award, and OPRE anticipated making around four awards. The original application deadline listed was June 1, 2021, with electronic submissions due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the due date. While that deadline is historical for this posting, the structure and intent described here reflect what OPRE was seeking for that solicitation.
Eligibility is broad at the organizational level, which is common for federal research grants even when the practical target is student dissertation work. Eligible applicants include public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)), for-profit organizations (including small businesses), and a wide range of government entities such as state, county, and local governments, independent school districts, special district governments, public housing authorities, and federally recognized tribal governments as well as other tribal organizations. In practice, dissertation-focused submissions are often routed through a university or research organization that can serve as the applicant organization and manage the grant, with the doctoral student’s dissertation work as the core project under faculty supervision.
OPRE also situates this opportunity within its broader behavioral research efforts, pointing applicants to OPRE’s website and to the Behavioral Interventions to Advance Self-Sufficiency (BIAS) research portfolio as related work. That connection signals the kind of applied behavioral research OPRE values: studies that do not just describe problems, but test actionable ways to improve program design, engagement, take-up, follow-through, and outcomes for people navigating social services.Apply for HHS 2021 ACF OPRE PD 1917
- 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 Mar 30, 2021.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 01, 2021 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.
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Behavioral Interventions Scholars (ACF/OPRE) Grant Opportunity: FAQs
1) What is the Behavioral Interventions Scholars grant?
It is a discretionary grant program run by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), through the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE). The program funds dissertation research by advanced doctoral students using behavioral science or behavioral economics to answer practical research questions connected to social services programs and policies.
2) What is the main purpose of this funding?
The main purpose is to support dissertation-stage research that applies behavioral insights to real-world issues in social services, especially issues affecting families with low incomes and other vulnerable populations. The program also emphasizes building the broader field by strengthening the pipeline of scholars who can use behavioral approaches in social service settings.
3) Who is this opportunity intended to support?
It is designed for advanced graduate students at the dissertation stage whose research uses behavioral science or behavioral economics approaches and is directly tied to social services programs and policies.
4) Is this a grant or a contract?
This opportunity is a grant (not a contract).
5) What government area does this funding fall under?
The funding activity area is Income Security and Social Services.
6) What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?
The CFDA number associated with this opportunity is 93.647.
7) What is the opportunity number?
The opportunity number is HHS-2021-ACF-OPRE-PD-1917.
8) How much funding is available per award?
The posted award ceiling is $25,000 per award.
9) How many awards were anticipated?
OPRE anticipated making around four awards.
10) What was the application deadline and submission time?
The original application deadline listed for this posting was June 1, 2021. Electronic submissions were due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the due date.
11) Is the deadline current?
The deadline referenced here is historical for this posting (June 1, 2021). However, the program structure and intent described reflect what OPRE was seeking for that solicitation.
12) What kinds of dissertation topics are a strong fit?
Topics are a strong fit when they apply behavioral science or behavioral economics to practical questions in social services programs and policies serving low-income children, adults, and families, and when the findings could plausibly inform improvements in well-being.
13) What does OPRE mean by "behavioral" research in this context?
OPRE is looking for research that is genuinely grounded in behavioral economics or behavioral science, using behavioral concepts and mechanisms such as limited attention, present bias, scarcity and cognitive bandwidth, hassle factors, framing effects, social norms, loss aversion, choice architecture, defaults, and simplification.
14) What makes an application competitive?
Two expectations are emphasized: (1) the dissertation must be truly grounded in behavioral science or behavioral economics rather than loosely related, and (2) the work must be clearly connected to policy or practice in programs serving low-income and vulnerable families, with a realistic pathway to informing improvements.
15) What research methods does OPRE appear open to?
The opportunity suggests that appropriate methods could include experiments, quasi-experimental designs, mixed-methods research, or implementation-focused evaluations, depending on the research question and what the project is trying to learn.
16) Does the program require a connection to real-world social services practice?
Yes. Applicants are expected to show how the dissertation research connects to policy or practice in social services programs and policies, especially those serving low-income children, adults, and families.
17) What populations and program areas are most relevant?
The program emphasizes social services programs and policies affecting families with low incomes and other vulnerable populations in the United States, with an emphasis on research that could inform improvements in well-being.
18) Are there priority topics applicants need to follow?
OPRE notes that specific priority topics may be spelled out in the full funding opportunity announcement for a given cycle. Applicants are expected to be prepared to align their dissertation question with any topical areas OPRE highlights.
19) Why does OPRE describe this as a "field-building" program?
Because OPRE is not only funding individual dissertation projects, but also trying to expand the capacity of the broader research and policy community to use behavioral frameworks in social service settings and strengthen the pipeline of scholars working at the intersection of behavioral science and social policy.
20) How important is mentorship in this opportunity?
Mentorship is emphasized. The program encourages strong working relationships between faculty mentors and doctoral students so the student receives guidance while producing research that is rigorous and relevant to practice.
21) Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad at the organizational level. Eligible applicants include public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)); for-profit organizations (including small businesses); and a wide range of government entities such as state, county, and local governments, independent school districts, special district governments, public housing authorities, federally recognized tribal governments, and other tribal organizations.
22) If this is for dissertation research, why is organizational eligibility so broad?
This is common for federal research grants. Even when the practical focus is a student dissertation project, the application is often submitted through an organization that can serve as the applicant and manage the award (frequently a university or research organization), with the doctoral student’s dissertation work as the core project under faculty supervision.
23) Does a university have to be the applicant organization?
The information provided says eligibility includes many organization types and notes that, in practice, dissertation-focused submissions are often routed through a university or research organization that can administer the grant. It does not state that only universities can apply.
24) What kinds of behavioral interventions is OPRE interested in?
The description signals interest in applied behavioral work focused on how people actually make decisions and respond to program rules and processes, including forms, reminders, incentives, defaults, complexity, and simplification, with the goal of improving program design, engagement, take-up, follow-through, and outcomes.
25) How does this opportunity relate to OPRE's other behavioral work?
OPRE situates this opportunity within its broader behavioral research efforts and points applicants to OPRE’s website and the Behavioral Interventions to Advance Self-Sufficiency (BIAS) research portfolio as related work, signaling the type of applied behavioral research OPRE values.
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