Federal Income Security and Social Services Grants

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF); Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF); Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB) supports organizations and communities that work every day to end youth homelessness and adolescent pregnancy. FYSBs Division of Runaway and Homeless Youth (RHY) is accepting applications for the RHY Prevention Demonstration Program (RHY-PDP). RHY-PDP supports the design and delivery of community-based demonstration initiatives to prevent youth from experiencing homelessness. Through the development and coordination of partnerships with youth and young adult service providers, community organizations, and private and public agencies, the RHY-PDP will 1) identify young people at risk of experiencing homelessness; 2) design and develop a comprehensive community-based prevention plan to prevent youth homelessness; and 3) implement robust, holistic prevention services tailored for youth and young adults to respond to the diverse needs of youth who are at risk of homelessness and their families.

The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) announces funding under the Refugee Family Child Care Microenterprise Development Project (RFCCMED). Through the RFCCMED program, ORR will fund successful applicants to provide refugee participants with training and technical assistance in professional child care, microenterprise development, and financial literacy; assist refugee participants in navigating the child care licensing process; and provide direct financial assistance as needed to enable participants to prepare their homes for child care business operation. Successful applicants will demonstrate internal capacity and partnerships to provide program services. The three main objectives of RFCCMED are to 1) help refugees to achieve economic self-sufficiency by establishing licensed family child care (FCC) businesses; 2) help refugee families gain access to licensed FCC businesses which will meet the early care and developmental needs of refugee children; and 3) assist refugees in learning how to navigate mainstream child care services.

The Street Outreach Program (SOP) provides street-based services to runaway, homeless, and street youth who have been subjected to or are at risk of being subjected to sexual abuse, prostitution, sexual exploitation, and severe forms of human trafficking in persons. These services, targeted in areas where street youth congregate, are designed to assist such youth in making healthy choices and providing them access to shelter as well as basic needs, including food, hygiene packages and information on a rage of available services.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) anticipates soliciting applications for Behavioral Interventions Scholars awards to support dissertation research by advanced graduate students who are using approaches grounded in behavioral science or behavioral economics to examine research questions of relevance to social services programs and policies. These awards are meant to build capacity in the research field to apply a behavioral science or behavioral economics lens to issues facing families with low incomes in the United States, and to foster faculty mentorship of high-quality doctoral students. Applicants are required to demonstrate how their research is grounded in behavioral economics/behavioral science and the applicability of their research to practices or policies serving children, adults, and families with low incomes, especially those that seek to improve their well-being. For information about OPRE, please go to https://www.acf.hhs.gov/opre. For information about related work ongoing within OPRE, please go to https://www.acf.hhs.gov/opre/behavioral-interventions-to-advance-self-sufficiency-bias-research-portfolio.SAM .gov System Alert - Entity Validation Delays:All applicants must be registered at SAM.gov and establish a Unique Entity Identifier. Due to high demand, SAM.gov is experiencing a considerable delay in processing entity legal business name and address validation tickets. As needed, please start the process early to avoid interruptions in application submissions. You can find SAM resources related to this process here - https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp?id=kb_article_view=KB0058422=7bb8810ddba05990060d5425f3961912=1. Interested in this announcement? Create an account at Grants.gov and subscribe to this forecast to receive notifications of updates and publication.

The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) announces funding for the Refugee Career Pathways (RCP) program. Through the RCP program, ORR will provide funding to enable refugees and other eligible populations to achieve self-sufficiency by obtaining the means to secure professional or skilled employment drawing upon previously acquired knowledge, skills, and experience. Under the RCP program, the primary focus is to assist participants in learning about career pathways and developing individualized plans to gain employment and advance within their chosen career field. Allowable activities will include case management, training and technical assistance, specialized English language training, and mentoring. In addition, eligible refugee participants may receive federal financial assistance for costs related to the establishment or re-establishment of credentials, such as obtaining educational credits or enrollment in required certification programs. ORR is requiring that RCP programs have a partnership with at least one educational institution (i.e., university, college, community college, or other institution with expertise in career and technical education) to facilitate career opportunities in ways that supplement, rather than supplant, existing services. RCP programs implemented by an educational institution must collaborate with at least one refugee-focused entity (i.e., resettlement office and/or other organization with programming specifically aimed at refugees).

Offering services and supports to older adults or persons with disabilities can enable them to maintain their independence and status in the community. In addition, we recognize that family caregivers provide most of the support that makes it possible for older people and people with disabilities to live in the community. Providing care can take a physical, financial, and emotional toll on family caregivers. Offering assistance to family caregivers can make it easier for them to continue providing care and allows older adults and persons with disabilities the opportunity to remain in the community.In 2019, the Administration for Community Living (ACL) established a new grant program that is testing models of programming designed to place volunteers in communities to assist caregivers, older adults, and persons with disabilities in maintaining independence by providing non-medical care. ACL proposes to continue the Volunteer Care Corps by funding a new one cooperative agreement to a national organization to advance the following broad objectives: Test person-centered model approaches of delivering local volunteer programming to assist older adults, persons with disabilities and their family caregivers in maintaining their independence. Evaluate locally developed test models to determine the benefit to volunteers, family caregivers, older adults, and persons with disabilities. Develop and implement a plan to broadly disseminate proven local models for replication in other communities.

The Administration for Community Living (ACL) intends to award one cooperative agreement designed to better understand and address the needs of the Aging Network by documenting and reporting on Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs), Tribal Organizations, and other organizations activities and expertise in health and the delivery of community-based services and supports.The Aging Network reaches into every community in the nation, playing a vital role in strategic planning, program development and administration, and service delivery. To ensure that older Americans have access to high quality aging services, the Aging Network must constantly review its programs and explore ways to innovate and enhance program design and delivery. There is an ongoing need to understand and document the activities that are undertaken in the Aging Network as its members grow and advance to accommodate the ever-evolving needs of the communities they serve. This funding announcement seeks to broaden the knowledge base of the Aging Network around ACL priorities, such as caregiving, housing, diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as other critical issues. The primary goal is to increase ACL and the Aging Networks understanding of how AAAs, Tribal Organizations, and other agencies as appropriate, are adapting, enhancing, and expanding services and supports to meet current and future needs of older adults and their caregivers.

ACL recognizes senior centers as valued partners in the Aging Network that support community living by keeping older adults active, informed, and healthy. Many senior centers serve as important focal points for the delivery of comprehensive services. In 2021, to better ensure that senior centers have the tools and resources necessary to develop and implement programs that meet the current and future needs of the Nations older adults, ACL established a Modernizing Senior Centers Resource Center.ACL is seeking applications to fund one cooperative agreement that will continue the operation of the Modernizing Senior Centers Resource Center to provide technical assistance and training to senior centers as well as serve as a clearinghouse for innovative programs and strategies that can be successfully replicated at the local level.

This grant provides funding to educational institutions to create programs that support and encourage undergraduate students from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds to pursue advanced degrees and careers in neuroscience research.

Grants awarded under this announcement are to provide disaster reimbursement and assistance funds to those State Units on Aging (SUAs), and federally recognized Tribal Organizations who are currently receiving a grant under Title VI of the Older Americans Act (OAA), as amended. Total funding available for disaster assistance is subject to the availability of funds appropriated. The estimated number of awards is seven with an one year project period. Funds may only be used in those areas designated in the Major Disaster Declaration issued by the President of the United States under the Robert T. Stafford Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. Funds typically are for the following OAA Title III types of gap-filling services: outreach, information and assistance, counseling, case management, advocacy on behalf of older persons, additional food and meals, supplies, damaged senior center equipment replacement, staff overtime, emergency medications, transportation and other such immediate needs. OAA funds may be used for permissible expenses incurred which are not or cannot be paid for through other disaster funding resources. Applicants should talk with the State, Tribal and local Emergency Managers to determine what funds may be available through other resources before applying for OAA funding. Eligible SUAs and OAA Title VI grantees should discuss all disaster applications including amount of funds requested with ACL Regional staff before submitting a formal application. SUAs and OAA Title VI grantees must submit proposals electronically via http://www.grants.gov.

These projects will be funded under the Projects of National Significance (PNS) within the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act. The project will focus on achieving economic security and mobility for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The purpose of the project may include providing aid to transition youth with intellectual and developmental disabilties, funding employment and postsecondary education opportunties, and / or assiting with assistive technology devices that may needed to help meet employment goals. Overall, these projects will create opportunities for individuals with developmental disabilities to directly and fully contribute to, and participate in, all facets of community life; and support the development of national and State policies that reinforce and promote, with the support of families, guardians, advocates, and communities, of individuals with developmental disabilities, the self-determination, independence, productivity, and integration and inclusion in all facets of community life of such individuals.Projects funded under this announcement will work toward one or more of the following performance measures:Outcome Measure 1: Number of policies changed to improve the experience of people with ID/DD and their families Output Measure 1.1: Number of people who participated in policy advocacy activities Output Measure 1.2: Number of trainings about policy implemented Output Measure 1.3: Number of policy products created Output Measure 1.4: Number of times policy products were sharedOutcome Measure 2: Number of people with ID/DD and their families who report new or increased leadership roles Output Measure 2.1: Number of tools and resources created related to leadership by people with I/DD and their families Output Measure 2.2: Number of tools and resources shared related to leadership by people with I/DD and their families Output Measure 2.3: Percent of people with I/DD and their families who reported learning new leadership skills Output Measure 2.4: Number of people with I/DD and their family members who train or mentor others as leaders or advocatesOutcome Measure 3: Percent of people with ID/DD and their families who reported increased knowledge of supports needed to help them achieve the life they want Output Measure 3.1: Number of trainings held to increase knowledge of supports available to help achieve a desired life Output Measure 3.2: Number of resources created to increase knowledge of supports available to help individuals achieve the life they want Output Measure 3.3: Number of resources shared to increase knowledge of supports available to help individuals achieve the life they wantOutcome Measure 4: Number of data resources accessed Output Measure 4.1: Number of data resources created Output Measure 4.2: Number of activities to disseminate data

Eligible state agencies funded under this announcement shall use grant funds to advance the provision of respite services through their statewide Lifespan Respite Care system as outlined in The Act. The goal of the program is to enhance state systems and capacities to deliver respite care and related services to family caregivers of children and adults across all age groups, disabilities, and chronic conditions. All programs must from the outset, address the respite needs of all populations regardless of the age, disability, or chronic condition of the care recipient population. Funded applicants will continue to build collaborations and partnerships across the state and carry out key activities including expanding options for volunteers; ensuring adequate respite provider training is offered; identifying gaps in current services and conducting outreach to reduce those gaps; and continue to, or increase efforts to, target underserved populations across the lifespan. ACL will fund up to approximately fifteen (15) cooperative agreements over the course of the 4-year project period.Applications should reflect an understanding of and grounding in the principles and actions contained in the National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers. It is ACLs expectation that using the Strategy as a roadmap or guide, applicants will incorporate the approaches outlined in the Strategy, as applicable, for enhancing their State Lifespan Respite Systems of care.Awardees under this funding opportunity will work with ACL to implement the data collection and reporting requirements, under Section 2904 of the Lifespan Respite Reauthorization Act of 2020.

ACL is seeking applications from eligible state agencies that will establish, or reestablish, state and local coordinated Lifespan Respite Care systems and deliver respite care and related services to family caregivers of children and adults across all age groups, disabilities, and chronic conditions as defined in the statute. Eligible states applying must fall within one of the following two categories: 1) New States who have not previously received a grant under this program. 2) Returning States who have had at least one (1) Lifespan Respite Program grant, but whose programs have gone dormant or lapsed since federal funding ended and, thus, desire to re-establish their core state respite infrastructures, rather than apply for a Program Enhancement grant. ACL will fund at least three (3) cooperative agreements for the 3-year project period. All programs must from the outset, address the respite needs of all populations regardless of the age, disability, or chronic condition of the care recipient population. Funded applicants shall use grant funds for new and emergency respite services; activities to recruit and train respite workers and volunteers; assist caregivers with gaining access to needed respite services; continue or increase efforts to target underserved populations across the lifespan, and provide other authorized services as outlined in the Act. It is ACLs expectation that all grantees will, no later than the second and third years of the grant project period, provide respite services while continuing to expand and enhance the statewide respite infrastructure.

These projects will be funded under the Projects of National Significance (PNS) within the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act. The project will focus on achieving economic security and mobility for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The purpose of the project may include providing aid to transition youth with intellectual and developmental disabilties, funding employment and postsecondary education opportunties, and / or assiting with assistive technology devices that may needed to help meet employment goals. Overall, these projects will create opportunities for individuals with developmental disabilities to directly and fully contribute to, and participate in, all facets of community life; and support the development of national and State policies that reinforce and promote, with the support of families, guardians, advocates, and communities, of individuals with developmental disabilities, the self-determination, independence, productivity, and integration and inclusion in all facets of community life of such individuals.Projects funded under this announcement will work toward one or more of the following performance measures:Outcome Measure 1: Number of policies changed to improve the experience of people with ID/DD and their families Output Measure 1.1: Number of people who participated in policy advocacy activities Output Measure 1.2: Number of trainings about policy implemented Output Measure 1.3: Number of policy products created Output Measure 1.4: Number of times policy products were sharedOutcome Measure 2: Number of people with ID/DD and their families who report new or increased leadership roles Output Measure 2.1: Number of tools and resources created related to leadership by people with I/DD and their families Output Measure 2.2: Number of tools and resources shared related to leadership by people with I/DD and their families Output Measure 2.3: Percent of people with I/DD and their families who reported learning new leadership skills Output Measure 2.4: Number of people with I/DD and their family members who train or mentor others as leaders or advocatesOutcome Measure 3: Percent of people with ID/DD and their families who reported increased knowledge of supports needed to help them achieve the life they want Output Measure 3.1: Number of trainings held to increase knowledge of supports available to help achieve a desired life Output Measure 3.2: Number of resources created to increase knowledge of supports available to help individuals achieve the life they want Output Measure 3.3: Number of resources shared to increase knowledge of supports available to help individuals achieve the life they wantOutcome Measure 4: Number of data resources accessed Output Measure 4.1: Number of data resources created Output Measure 4.2: Number of activities to disseminate data

Grants awarded under this announcement are to provide disaster reimbursement and assistance funds to those State Units on Aging (SUAs), and federally recognized Tribal Organizations who are currently receiving a grant under Title VI of the Older Americans Act (OAA), as amended. Total funding available for disaster assistance is subject to the availability of funds appropriated. The estimated number of awards is seven with an one year project period. Funds may only be used in those areas designated in the Major Disaster Declaration issued by the President of the United States under the Robert T. Stafford Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. Funds typically are for the following OAA Title III types of gap-filling services: outreach, information and assistance, counseling, case management, advocacy on behalf of older persons, additional food and meals, supplies, damaged senior center equipment replacement, staff overtime, emergency medications, transportation and other such immediate needs. OAA funds may be used for permissible expenses incurred which are not or cannot be paid for through other disaster funding resources. Applicants should talk with the State, Tribal and local Emergency Managers to determine what funds may be available through other resources before applying for OAA funding. Eligible SUAs and OAA Title VI grantees should discuss all disaster applications including amount of funds requested with ACL Regional staff before submitting a formal application. SUAs and OAA Title VI grantees must submit proposals electronically via http://www.grants.gov.

This grant provides funding for researchers to develop and validate innovative tools that improve the analysis of brain circuits and cellular interactions, with a focus on targeting specific cell types and circuits across various species.

This funding opportunity provides financial support for research organizations to establish expert panels that will evaluate and curate genomic variants linked to important diseases, enhancing clinical understanding and treatment options.

This grant provides access to specialized preclinical services for researchers developing non-hormonal contraceptives and reproductive health therapies, focusing on innovative approaches to address various reproductive health conditions.

This funding opportunity supports innovative research to develop new prevention technologies that provide effective contraception and protection against HIV and STIs for diverse populations, including adolescents and high-risk individuals.

Reissue of RFA-MH-22-115 to comply with DMSP policy. The purpose of this Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative is to encourage applications that will develop and validate novel tools to facilitate the detailed analysis and manipulation of complex circuits and provide insights into cellular interactions that underlie brain function. Critical advances in the treatment of brain disorders in human populations are hindered by our lack of ability to monitor and manipulate circuitry in safe, minimally-invasive ways. Clinical intervention with novel cell and circuit specific tools will require extensive focused research designed to remove barriers to delivery of gene therapies. In addition to identification and removal of barriers, the need to specifically target dysfunctional circuitry poses additional challenges. Neuroscience has experienced an impressive influx of exciting new research tools in the past decade, especially since the launch of the BRAIN Initiative. However, the majority of these cutting edge tools have been developed for use in model organisms, primarily rodents, fish and flies. These cutting edge tools, such as viral delivery of genetic constructs, are increasingly adaptable to large brains and more importantly are emerging as potential human therapeutic strategies for brain disorders. A pressing need to develop tools for use in large brains, more directly relevant to the human brain is the focus of this initiative. The new tools and technologies should inform and/or exploit cell-type and/or circuit-level specificity. Plans for validating the utility of the tool/technology will be an essential feature of a successful application.