Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2021 ACF OPRE YR 1967
The Head Start University Partnerships: Building the Evidence Base for ECE Workforce Well-Being opportunity is a federal research and evaluation grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF), through OPRE. It is designed to strengthen what the field knows about the well-being of the Head Start (HS) and Early Head Start (EHS) workforce, with a specific emphasis on educational staff such as teachers and assistant teachers. The core purpose is twofold: first, to deepen the evidence base on what factors are associated with workforce well-being in HS/EHS settings, and second, to carry out rigorous evaluations of practical strategies that are expected to improve that well-being. ACF is looking for approaches that can realistically be implemented in Head Start contexts over time, meaning they should be feasible for programs to use, sustainable beyond the life of the grant, and replicable in other HS/EHS sites.
Applicants are encouraged to focus on one or more well-being constructs that are meaningful in early care and education settings. Examples named in the opportunity include secondary trauma, autonomy, decision-making, self-efficacy, physical and mental health, job-related stress, and work satisfaction. Importantly, the construct(s) selected should not be isolated measures of how staff feel; they must be grounded in existing research that links them to outcomes that matter in Head Start and early childhood systems. Those outcomes can include workforce retention (reducing turnover), continuity of care for children and families, the quality of teacher-child interactions, or other indicators connected to program quality and child and family outcomes. In other words, the grants are aimed at building evidence that connects staff well-being to the broader goals of effective, stable, high-quality early childhood services.
A key expectation is that projects use an equity lens. While the notice does not prescribe a single definition, it signals that ACF is interested in work that recognizes and examines how well-being is shaped by inequities and differing conditions across people and settings, and how interventions may work differently across groups or contexts. The grant also explicitly calls for research that looks beyond individuals alone by exploring potential mediators and moderators of workforce well-being, including community conditions, environmental stressors, and organizational factors. This pushes projects to examine how workplace policies, management practices, staffing structures, local resources, and broader community contexts may influence staff stress, health, and satisfaction, and how these pathways relate to outcomes like retention and classroom quality.
This funding uses a cooperative agreement model, which generally means ACF expects an active partnership role in the work rather than a hands-off grant. The opportunity also requires all funded projects to participate in a consortium of grantees. Consortium participation includes annual meetings and regular communication throughout the project period to share lessons learned, coordinate where appropriate, and identify opportunities for joint or comparative analyses. A major goal of the consortium is to align the field by collaborating on measurement, conceptual framework development, and operational definitions of workforce well-being. By standardizing or harmonizing how projects define and measure key concepts, ACF aims to ensure that results across multiple awards can be interpreted together and used to build a clearer, more cumulative understanding of what improves HS/EHS workforce well-being and under what conditions.
Structurally, projects are planned for up to five years, with funding under consideration in the range of $250,000 to $500,000 per budget year, subject to availability and federal interest. The first year is set aside for essential groundwork: adapting or refining the workforce well-being approach(es) to be tested, piloting those approaches in HS/EHS settings, and developing and refining a shared conceptual framework and measurement plan in collaboration with the consortium. After that initial development and piloting period, the expectation is that each grantee will carry out rigorous evaluation of the refined approach in real HS/EHS environments. The emphasis on adaptation, refinement, and piloting in year one signals that ACF is not only looking for ideas, but for interventions that can be made implementation-ready and then tested in ways that produce credible evidence.
Eligibility is listed as unrestricted in a broad sense (open to many entity types), but the practical requirements make it clear that this is meant for organizations that can support high-level research teams and authentic program partnerships. Applicant organizations are expected to apply on behalf of researchers with a doctorate or equivalent degree, for whom research is a primary professional responsibility, and who have a demonstrated publication record as first or second author in peer-reviewed journals. In addition, applicants must show an established partnership with one or more Head Start programs, documented through signed letters of support from the partnering program(s) confirming the research partnership. This requirement signals that ACF wants projects that are embedded in real program settings from the start, with program buy-in and shared commitment to implementation and evaluation.
Administratively, the opportunity was posted under funding opportunity number HHS 2021 ACF OPRE YR 1967, CFDA 93.600, as a discretionary award using cooperative agreements. The ceiling listed is $500,000, and the anticipated number of awards is 8. The original application due date was July 6, 2021 (11:59 p.m. ET for electronic submission). The notice also points applicants to OPRE for additional context and indicates that if ACF publishes the full funding opportunity announcement, it may include further details such as final priority constructs and more specific expectations for grantees.Apply for HHS 2021 ACF OPRE YR 1967
- 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 "Head Start University Partnerships: Building the Evidence Base for ECE Workforce Well-Being" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.600.
- This funding opportunity was created on May 05, 2021.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 06, 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 $500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 8 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the "Head Start University Partnerships: Building the Evidence Base for ECE Workforce Well-Being" opportunity?
This is a federal research and evaluation funding opportunity from 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). It supports projects that strengthen what the field knows about the well-being of the Head Start (HS) and Early Head Start (EHS) workforce, especially educational staff such as teachers and assistant teachers.
What is the main purpose of this grant?
The purpose is twofold: (1) deepen the evidence base on factors associated with HS/EHS workforce well-being, and (2) conduct rigorous evaluations of practical strategies that are expected to improve workforce well-being in real HS/EHS settings.
Who is the primary population of interest for this opportunity?
The opportunity emphasizes the well-being of the HS/EHS workforce, with a specific focus on educational staff (for example, teachers and assistant teachers).
What kinds of well-being topics or constructs can projects focus on?
Applicants are encouraged to focus on one or more constructs that are meaningful in early care and education settings. Examples named include secondary trauma, autonomy, decision-making, self-efficacy, physical and mental health, job-related stress, and work satisfaction.
Can a project focus on staff feelings or satisfaction alone?
The construct(s) should not be treated as isolated measures of how staff feel. They must be grounded in existing research that links them to outcomes that matter in Head Start and early childhood systems.
What outcomes does ACF want well-being research to connect to?
Projects should connect workforce well-being to outcomes such as workforce retention (including reducing turnover), continuity of care for children and families, the quality of teacher-child interactions, and other indicators linked to program quality and child and family outcomes.
What does ACF mean by wanting approaches that are feasible and sustainable?
ACF is looking for strategies that can realistically be implemented in Head Start contexts over time. This includes approaches that are feasible for programs to use, sustainable beyond the life of the grant, and replicable in other HS/EHS sites.
Is an equity lens required for proposed projects?
Yes. A key expectation is that projects use an equity lens. The opportunity signals interest in work that examines how inequities and differing conditions across people and settings shape well-being, and how interventions may work differently across groups or contexts.
Does the opportunity encourage looking beyond individual staff-level factors?
Yes. The grant explicitly calls for research that explores mediators and moderators of workforce well-being beyond individuals alone, including community conditions, environmental stressors, and organizational factors.
What kinds of organizational or contextual factors might be relevant under this grant?
The opportunity highlights factors such as workplace policies, management practices, staffing structures, local resources, and broader community contexts that may influence staff stress, health, and satisfaction, and how these pathways relate to outcomes like retention and classroom quality.
What type of federal award mechanism is used?
This funding uses a cooperative agreement model. In general, this indicates that ACF expects an active partnership role in the work rather than a hands-off grant relationship.
What is the required consortium, and what does participation involve?
All funded projects must participate in a consortium of grantees. Consortium participation includes annual meetings and regular communication throughout the project period to share lessons learned, coordinate where appropriate, and identify opportunities for joint or comparative analyses.
Why is ACF requiring a consortium across grantees?
A major goal is to align the field by collaborating on measurement, conceptual framework development, and operational definitions of workforce well-being. By standardizing or harmonizing definitions and measures, ACF aims to make results across awards easier to interpret together and more useful for building cumulative knowledge.
How long can projects last?
Projects are planned for up to five years.
What is the expected funding level?
Funding is under consideration in the range of $250,000 to $500,000 per budget year, subject to availability and federal interest. The listed ceiling is $500,000.
How is the project expected to be structured over time (especially in year one)?
The first year is set aside for essential groundwork: adapting or refining the workforce well-being approach(es) to be tested, piloting those approaches in HS/EHS settings, and developing and refining a shared conceptual framework and measurement plan in collaboration with the consortium. After year one, grantees are expected to conduct a rigorous evaluation of the refined approach in real HS/EHS environments.
Is piloting required before the main evaluation?
The opportunity emphasizes adaptation, refinement, and piloting in year one, indicating that ACF expects grantees to make approaches implementation-ready and then test them rigorously afterward.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is described as unrestricted in a broad sense (open to many entity types). However, the practical requirements indicate this opportunity is intended for organizations capable of supporting high-level research teams and authentic program partnerships.
What researcher qualifications are expected?
Applicant organizations are expected to apply on behalf of researchers with a doctorate or equivalent degree, for whom research is a primary professional responsibility, and who have a demonstrated publication record as first or second author in peer-reviewed journals.
Is a Head Start program partnership required at the time of application?
Yes. Applicants must show an established partnership with one or more Head Start programs, documented through signed letters of support from the partnering program(s) confirming the research partnership.
What does ACF appear to be signaling by requiring signed letters of support from HS partners?
The requirement suggests ACF wants projects that are embedded in real program settings from the start, with program buy-in and a shared commitment to implementation and evaluation.
What is the funding opportunity number and CFDA listing provided?
The notice was posted under funding opportunity number HHS 2021 ACF OPRE YR 1967 and CFDA 93.600.
How many awards were anticipated?
The anticipated number of awards listed is 8.
What was the application due date in the notice?
The original application due date was July 6, 2021, with electronic submission due by 11:59 p.m. ET.
Where does the notice direct applicants for additional context?
The notice points applicants to OPRE for additional context and notes that if ACF publishes the full funding opportunity announcement, it may include further details such as final priority constructs and more specific expectations for grantees.
Is this opportunity focused on research, evaluation, or direct service delivery?
Based on the description, this is a research and evaluation grant focused on building evidence and rigorously testing strategies expected to improve HS/EHS workforce well-being, rather than a general direct-service expansion grant.
What does ACF mean by "rigorous evaluations" in this context?
The notice emphasizes that, after adaptation and piloting, each grantee is expected to evaluate the refined approach rigorously in real HS/EHS environments to produce credible evidence about what improves workforce well-being and under what conditions.
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