Tribal Early Childhood and Family Economic Well-being Research Center (TRC) | HHS 2025 ACF OPRE PH 0017

Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2025 ACF OPRE PH 0017

The Tribal Early Childhood and Family Economic Well-being Research Center (TRC) is a discretionary federal funding opportunity from the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE). It is set up as a cooperative agreement, which typically means the recipient will carry out the work in close partnership with OPRE and other federal staff rather than operating fully independently. The intent is to create a dedicated center that strengthens research, evaluation, and measurement tied to ACF-funded services in Native American communities, with a strong emphasis on work that is practical, usable, and responsive to Tribal priorities.

The TRC is focused on three major program areas that intersect early childhood development and family economic stability: child care programs, Head Start and Early Head Start (including both center-based and home-based models), and Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (Tribal TANF). The center is expected to support studies and evaluation activities that help answer real-world questions about what is working, for whom, under what conditions, and how programs can be improved. In addition to generating evidence, the TRC is also meant to strengthen measurement approaches so that programs and communities have better tools and indicators to understand service quality, participant experiences, outcomes, and system performance in ways that fit Tribal contexts.

The opportunity has two core goals. First, the center will conduct relevant and actionable research, evaluation, and measurement of early childhood and family economic well-being initiatives in Native American communities, specifically those connected to ACF-funded programming. Second, it will function as a hub for information sharing and peer exchange, helping spread knowledge, build relationships, and support learning across Tribal programs, researchers, and federal partners. A key feature of the TRC is that its agenda and activities are intended to be constructed with input from Tribal program administrators and service providers, Tribal leaders, researchers, and federal staff connected to the program areas. In practice, this signals an expectation of continuous engagement and consultation so that the center is not simply producing reports, but is facilitating dialogue and ensuring the work is grounded in community and program realities.

The project is anticipated to run for 60 months (five years) and is structured into five 12-month budget periods. The estimated funding level is $1,000,000 per budget period, with an award ceiling of $1,000,000, and OPRE expects to make one award total. This structure points to a single, centralized national or multi-site center model, rather than multiple smaller grants. The funding activity category is aligned with income security and social services, and the CFDA numbers listed for the opportunity are 93.575, 93.600, and 93.647, reflecting the program areas and federal assistance streams connected to the work.

Eligibility is broad across government, education, nonprofit, and private-sector entities, as long as they meet federal eligibility requirements. Eligible applicants include Native American tribal governments (federally recognized) and other Native American tribal organizations, as well as state, county, and local governments; public and Indian housing authorities; public and private institutions of higher education; independent school districts; special district governments; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses. Individuals, including sole proprietorships, are not eligible, and foreign entities are also not eligible; those applications would be disqualified from merit review and funding.

Faith-based and community organizations are explicitly allowed to apply if they meet the general eligibility rules. The notice also clarifies that faith-based organizations may compete on the same basis as other applicants, and that ACF will not discriminate based on an organization’s religious character, affiliation, or practice, consistent with 45 CFR Part 87 and related federal protections. The opportunity number is HHS-2025-ACF-OPRE-PH-0017, it was created on 2025-09-25, and the original application closing date is 2025-12-01.

• The Administration for Children and Families - OPRE in the income security and social services, oz sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Tribal Early Childhood and Family Economic Well-being Research Center (TRC)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.575, 93.600, 93.647.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2025-09-25.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-12-01. (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 $1,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 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.

Apply for HHS 2025 ACF OPRE PH 0017

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