Tag Archives: Grant Opportunities

Harnessing Opportunity for Positive, Equitable Early Childhood Development (HOPE)

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February 1, 2018
The Nemours Children’s Health System is proud to launch The Project HOPE Consortium, a new partnership with The BUILD Initiative and BMC Vital Village Network supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Project HOPE is designed to generate real progress toward equitable outcomes for young children (prenatal to age five) and their families by building the capacity of local communities, state leaders, cross-sector state teams, and local coalitions to prevent social adversities in early childhood and promote child well-being.

Grant Opportunity
States and communities are invited to build collaborative teams to participate in this work. Up to eight community teams and seven state teams will be selected to receive grants that will support in-depth technical assistance for capacity-building through targeted funding, tailored provision of technical assistance, focused strategies and approaches, tools and materials, webinars, and support for in-person convening. Complete your Expression of Interest Survey before March 8, 2018.

Through this survey, cross-sector teams or leaders can express interest in the HOPE project. Selected community coalitions/teams will be invited to apply for grants of up to $80,000 over 18 months. Selected state teams and individual leader survey respondents will be invited to apply for seven state grants of up to $200,000 over 24 months.

Learn More
Join Nemours, BUILD Initiative, and BMC Vital Village for an informational webinar on Thursday, February 8 at 2:00 PM ET. Any questions can be submitted toprojecthope2018202@gmail.com. Questions received before February 5 will be addressed on the webinar. Register here.

What is Systems Building?

By working collectively on state systems and community approaches, The Project HOPE Consortium will help early childhood leaders from early learning, health, and other child- and family-serving systems develop health equity as a shared value. Learn more about systems building here

 

Additional Public Comment Sought for Preschool Development Grants Competition

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3/10/2104

Thank you to those who submitted comments on our February 6, 2014 Homeroom Blog regarding the $250 million for the new Preschool Development Grants competition, appropriated in the FY14 Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014 (Public Law 113-76).

The Departments of Education (ED) and Health and Human Services (HHS) received 480 responses from the public. This input will be considered as we develop competition requirements, priorities, and selection criteria consistent with the language in the FY 2014 Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014 (Public Law 113-76).

The two departments are now seeking additional input through a dedicated website, as well as a public meeting to be held on Thursday, March 20, 2014 from 3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Additional information can be found below.

Public Meeting

When: Thursday, March 20, 2014 from 3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Where: U.S. Department of Education
Potomac Center
10th Floor Auditorium
550 12th Street SW
Washington, D.C.

You may also view the live streamed session at Thursday, March 20, 2014 from 3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. at http://edstream.ed.gov/webcast/Play/06af25dead644f46b2e786e7683e87051d

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Early Learning Libby Doggett (ED) and Deputy Assistant Secretary for and Inter-Departmental Liaison for Early Childhood Development Linda K. Smith (HHS) will attend to listen to your ideas on the new competition. Please consider the questions listed below for the Homeroom Blog in preparing your remarks.

If you are interested in speaking during the meeting, you must register by sending an e-mail to: PreschoolDevelopmentGrant@ed.gov on Thursday, March 13, 2014 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET.
E-mails received outside of this time period will only be accepted as space allows. Requests for speaking will be honored on a first come, first serve basis. A confirmation will be sent two days prior to the meeting. For attendees not speaking, reservations are not required. Persons who are unable to attend the meeting in person or who do not register early enough to speak during the meeting are encouraged to submit written input on this blog.

For security purposes, all speakers and attendees are reminded to bring a photo ID and a business card. All attendees are requested to enter the Department on the C Street side of the building, go through the magnetometers, and show their photo ID to security. Instead of signing-in at the Front Desk, attendees will be directed to the auditorium’s rear doors, where they will be asked to submit a business card OR record their name, organization, and contact information on a sign-in sheet. Please allow ample time to go through security.

Speakers
Your email must include the term “Preschool Development Grants Public Meeting” in the subject line of your e‐mail and indicate the following in the body of your cover email:

  1. Name(s) and title(s) of attendees from your organization (only one speaker per organization)
  2. Cell phone and e-mail for each attendee

The format for the Public Meeting will be as follows:

  • Speakers will be given 3 minutes to address the group. Time will be strictly enforced.
  • Speakers are encouraged to limit their comments to the Preschool Development Grants competition and may choose to address one or more of the questions listed below in the Homeroom Blog section.
  • In addition, all individuals and organizations are strongly encouraged to submit input in writing (electronic form preferred) by Friday, March 21, 2014, at 5:00 pm ETD.
  • Depending on the number of persons who wish to speak, we may not be able to accommodate everyone.

This is an important opportunity to provide input to the Departments. We hope you can join us.

Homeroom Blog

The dedicated website will be posted for public input until 5:00 PM ET on March 21, 2014. Please submit opinions, ideas, suggestions and comments pertaining to the new competition below. We are particularly interested in your input on these questions:

  • How should the competition address the direction in the Conference Report to the FY14 Consolidated Appropriations Act for awards to be made to two types of grantees: low-capacity States with small or no State-funded preschool programs and high-capacity States that have a larger State-funded preschool program?
  • How should subgrantees that are early learning providers demonstrate strong partnerships with local education agencies and how should local education agencies demonstrate strong partnerships with early learning providers?
  • How should States distribute funds within the State in order to scale-up of proven preschool models in local communities?
  • What factors should we consider, if any, in distinguishing State applicants based on their past commitment to early learning and/or participation in federal or state grant programs, e.g., success or lack of success in previous related grant competitions, current federal support for early learning, or past State investment in early learning)?
  • How can we use these grants to support a more streamlined system of high-quality programs and services for children across the birth through age five continuum?
  • What can we do to encourage the sustainability of services after the grant ends (e.g. encouraging or requiring nonfederal matching funds, maintenance of effort provisions, or supplement not supplant policies)?
  • What kind of absolute, competitive or invitational priorities should we consider in designing the competition?

The dedicated website will be open until 5:00 PM ET on March 21, 2014, at which time the input section will be closed and we will begin considering comments received as we develop requirements, priorities, selection criteria, and definitions. Once the initial input from the field is collected and reviewed, we will draft an executive summary and post for comments that will, in turn, inform the final NIA. Thank you for your interest in this historic opportunity to support high-quality preschool. We look forward to hearing from you.

Source: Office of Early Learning, U.S. Department of Early Learning

Office of Head Start Designation Renewal System: Frequently Asked Questions

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3/28/12

Q: When will the Office of Head Start post the funding opportunity announcements (FOAs)?

A: Funding opportunity announcements will be released in early spring. Interested applicants are encouraged to sign up for email updates from Grants.gov to be notified when the funding opportunity announcements (FOAs) are posted. Applicants can visit http://www.grants.gov and click on “Find Grant Opportunities” in the red box on the left and follow the instructions below:

Click on “Subscriptions” at the bottom of the page.
Click on “Notices Based on Advanced Criteria”.
Type in your email address and the CFDA Number “93.600”.
Click “Subscribe to mailing list.”

Q: If both Head Start and Early Head Start grants have been designated for competition in a service area, will FOAs be released for both grants at the same time?

A: Yes. For service areas where both types of grants are subject to competition, two funding opportunity announcements – one for Head Start and one for Early Head Start – will be released at the same time. Information will be included in both funding announcements instructing applicants how to apply for funding under one or both announcements.

Q: Who is eligible to apply for Head Start and Early Head Start funding?

A: The HHS Grants Forecast and the funding opportunity announcement list eligible entities for Head Start and Early Head Start funding. Public or private non-profit organizations, including community-based and faith-based organizations, or for-profit agencies within a community that wish to compete for funds, are eligible to apply for Head Start funding. The same categories of organizations are eligible to apply for Early Head Start, except that applicants need not be from the community they will be serving. Entities that, within the last five years, have either: a) been terminated from the Head Start or Early Head Start program for cause, or b) had a “denial of refunding” under 45 C.F.R. §1303.15 by the Office of Head Start are not eligible for funding. Grantees that have been required to compete by the Designation Renewal System are eligible to apply.

Q: When will applications be due?

A: Each funding opportunity announcement will include a due date of not less than 60 days from the posting date of that FOA. Applications must be submitted electronically, received, and validated through the Grants.gov system by the due date and time to be considered in the competitive process.

Q: Will current grantees that have been designated for competition be automatically disadvantaged under the evaluation criteria based on having a past deficiency?

A: We do not intend to include any provisions in the evaluation criteria in the funding opportunity announcement that would provide for an automatic deduction of points for current grantees either for having past deficiencies or for being designated for competition. We intend to request that grantees submit their three most recent OHS monitoring reports and this information will be considered by reviewers.

Q: In my service area, the HHS Grants Forecast indicates an “estimated number of awards” that is higher than the current number of grantees in the area. Is there a preference for smaller grantees and will all large grantees be split into smaller grants?

A: The HHS Grants Forecast format allows OHS to enter only a single number for the estimated number of awards. The number represents a range of awards OHS may make as a result of the competition. For example, if six (6) is listed under “estimated number of awards,” OHS may award one to six awards. ACF also has authority to award more than the number listed as the estimated number of awards. OHS does not intend to provide a preference for organizations applying for a Head Start or Early Head Start grant based on the size of the program the organization proposes to serve.

Q: What happens if there is only one applicant in a given service area? Will they automatically get the grant?

A: In accordance with HHS Grants Policy, all eligible applications will be evaluated based on the criteria established in the funding opportunity announcement. Only fundable applications, as evaluated by a panel of non-Federal reviewers, will be considered for a Federal award.

Q: Is it permissible for an applicant to require another entity or individual to agree not to compete for a Head Start and/or Early Head Start grant as a condition of being named as one of the applicant’s delegate agencies?

A: In the interest of ensuring a robust competition for high-quality, comprehensive early education providers, OHS believes that applicants should not dissuade other entities from applying for Head Start and/or Early Head Start grants. Therefore we intend to award bonus points in the evaluation criteria in the funding opportunity announcement for applicants who attest that they do not have a non-compete agreement in place at the timethe application is submitted that in any way restricts or disadvantages another entity’s ability to apply for a Head Start grant on its own behalf.

Q: Who will review the grant applications?

A: HHS grants policy requires that a panel of independent, non-Federal reviewers evaluate applications for competitive discretionary grants.

The reviewer panel will consist of individuals with expertise in early childhood development; family support services; education or a related field; and fiscal and organizational operations.

The scores from the reviewer panel are one factor, but not the only factor, in making an award decision. ACF may elect not to fund applicants with management or financial problems that would indicate an inability to successfully complete the proposed project. Furthermore, applications may be funded in whole or in part. Successful applicants may be funded at an amount lower than that requested. ACF also reserves the right to consider preferences to fund organizations serving emerging, un-served, or under-served populations, including those populations located in pockets of poverty. ACF will also consider the geographic distribution of Federal funds in its award decisions. ACF may refuse funding for projects with what it regards as unreasonably high start-up costs for facilities or equipment, or for projects with unreasonably high operating costs. The Administration on Children and Families is ultimately responsible for making the funding decisions.

Q: What are the projected dates of award?

A: OHS expects to complete the panel review of all eligible applications by October 2012. Awards as a result of the competitive process will be made subsequent to this date.

Q: If a Head Start or Early Head Start grant is awarded to a new grantee in the middle of a program year, how will the transition be handled?

A: OHS will consider temporary extensions of current grants to facilitate a constructive transition. In considering whether to extend a grant, OHS will consider a number of factors including, but not limited to: the risk of service disruption for the children and families currently served by Head Start; the geographical location of services in the current grant and the new grant; the degree to which staff and teachers will be changing under the new grantee; and the grant end date for the current grantee.

Q: Suppose an entity applies as the grantee and proposes to work with a number of organizations as delegates, including some organizations that need to improve the quality of the early education services they currently provide. Can the applicant include in the application a discussion of the strengths and challenges of the proposed delegates and the steps the lead agency is proposing to take to improve the quality of the services provided by the delegate agencies?

A: In the interests of ensuring competition effectively raises the level of quality for all children enrolled in Head Start, applications should demonstrated an entity’s ability to provide high-quality, comprehensive early education.

Organizations may decide, at their own discretion, to expand their efforts, including by working with other organizations that will serve as delegates, and that may benefit from the lead agency’s efforts to support higher quality early education services. In such cases, the applicant should explicitly describe the partnership and agreement among the proposed agencies; discuss the applicant’s intentions for quality improvement for the delegate(s) where the applicant considers this is needed, and the steps the applicant will take to improve those aspects of the program(s) that are identified for quality improvements.

Source: Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center

Early Care and Education Research Scholars: Head Start Graduate Student Research Grants

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Summary: The Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE) of the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) plans to provide funds for Head Start Graduate Student Research Grants to support dissertation research by advanced graduate students who are working in partnership with Head Start programs and with faculty mentors. Competitive applicants will 1) demonstrate a collaborative partnership with their program partners, and 2) pursue research questions that directly inform local, State, or Federal policy relevant to multiple early care and education contexts. Applicants should consider pursuing data collection across contexts, including child care, pre-k, home-visiting programs, Head Starts, Early Head Starts, and/or others. Applicants are expected to demonstrate an established partnership with their early care and education program partners that should be apparent throughout the research plan, from development and refinement of the research questions through the proposed data collection, interpretation, and dissemination.

For more information about OPRE, please go to http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/index.html.

For further information about previous Head Start Graduate Student Research Grantees, please refer tohttp://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/hs/grad_student/index.html.

The *EXPIRED* Funding Opportunity Announcement for the prior Fiscal Year can be reviewed on the ACF Funding Opportunities web page through http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/open/foa/prior under the link to Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE).

Eligible Applicants:

• Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
• Private institutions of higher education
• Accredited public, state-controlled, and private institutions of higher education acting on behalf of doctoral-level graduate students are eligible applicants, including: (a) Tribally Controlled Land Grant Colleges and Universities, (b) Historically Black Colleges and Universities, (c) Hispanic Serving Institutions, and (d) faith-based institutions of higher education. The faculty mentor who will serve as principal investigator must have a Ph.D. or equivalent in the respective field and conduct research as a primary professional responsibility. Faith-based and community organizations that meet eligibility requirements are eligible to receive awards under this funding opportunity announcement. Individuals, foreign entities, and sole proprietorship organizations are not eligible to compete for, or receive, awards made under this announcement.

Closing Date for Applications: May 14, 2012

Contacts:

Program Office Contact
Kelly Fisher
OPRE Head Start Graduate Student Research Grant Review
c/o ICF International
40 of 45
9300 Lee Highway
Fairfax, VA 22031-6050
Phone: (877) 350-4624
Fax: (703) 934-3740
Email: HSGraduateResearchReviews@icfi.com

Office of Grants Management Contact
David Kadan
OPRE Head Start Graduate Student Research Grant Review
c/o ICF International
9300 Lee Highway
Fairfax, VA 22031-6050
Phone: (877) 350-4624
Fax: (703) 934-3740
Email: HSGraduateResearchReviews@icfi.com

Full Text: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/open/foa/view/HHS-2012-ACF-OPRE-YR-0281

Two OPRE Graduate Research Grant Announcements

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The Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE) in the Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has recently published two discretionary research funding announcements titled “Early Care and Education Research Scholars: Head Start Graduate Student Research Grants” and “Early Care and Education Research Scholars: Child Care Research Scholars,” which are summarized below.

If you have questions regarding either or both grant announcements, please email the OPRE grant review team at HSGraduateResearchReviews@icfi.com or call 1-877-350-4624.

Grant Opportunity 1: Head Start Graduate Student Research Grant

The full announcement for “Early Care and Education Research Scholars: Head Start Graduate Student Research Grants” is available online at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/open/foa/view/HHS-2012-ACF-OPRE-YR-0281. These grants are meant to facilitate high quality research that directly addresses the needs of low-income children, families, and their early childhood educators, to inform and improve Head Start policies and practice, and to foster mentoring relationships between faculty members and high quality doctoral students.

Who is eligible to apply? Head Start Graduate Student Research grants are available to support dissertation research by advanced graduate students from relevant disciplines who are working in partnership with Head Start or Early Head Start programs and faculty mentors.

Eligible applicants include doctoral level graduate students enrolled in accredited public, State-controlled, and private institutions of higher education. The institution must be fully accredited by one of the regional accrediting commissions recognized by the Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

What is the funding award limit and project period? Applicants may apply for project periods up to 24 months with two 12-month budget periods. Up to $25,000 may be awarded for each budget period. For information about previous Head Start Graduate Student Grantees, seehttp://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/hs/grad_student/index.html.

What types of research are supported? Proposed projects must represent high-quality research (including research using different methodologies, designs, or secondary data analysis) and must address applied research questions that will inform and improve Head Start policies and practice on topics of current interest. Topics of current interest for this announcement include, but are not limited to (please see announcement for further details):

  • Needs of families from diverse backgrounds
  • Family involvement and family outcomes
  • Issues related to children who are dual language learners
  • Professional development of staff
  • Community engagement and collaboration
  • Health and health services
  • Transition to kindergarten or from Early Head Start to Head Start
  • Teacher and classroom characteristics that influence children’s academic readiness
  • Leadership and management in Head Start programs

When is the application deadline? Letters of intent are due April 16, 2012 and applications are due May 14, 2012.

Grant Opportunity 2: Child Care Graduate Student Research Grant

The full announcement for “Early Care and Education Research Scholars: Child Care Research Scholars” is available online at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/open/foa/view/HHS-2012-ACF-OPRE-YE-0306. These grants are meant to build capacity in the research field to focus research on questions that have direct implications for child care policy decision-making and program administration and to foster mentoring relationships between faculty members and high quality doctoral students.

Who is eligible to apply? Funds for Child Care Research Scholars are available to support dissertation research on child care policy issues by advanced graduate students from relevant disciplines.

Eligible applicants include doctoral level graduate students enrolled in accredited public, State-controlled, and private institutions of higher education. The institution must be fully accredited by one of the regional accrediting commissions recognized by the Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

What is the funding award limit and project period? Applicants may apply for project periods up to 24 months with two 12-month budget periods. Up to $25,000 may be awarded for each budget period. For information about previous Child Care Research Scholars, seehttp://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/cc/ccr_scholars/index.html

What types of research are supported? Proposed projects must represent high-quality research (including research using different methodologies, designs, or secondary data analysis) and must address applied research questions that will inform and improve child care policies and practice. Topics of current interest for this announcement include, but are not limited to (please see announcement for further details):

  • Understanding the child care needs of diverse low-income families and/or improving child care programs and policies for various subpopulations.
  • The effects of alternative State/Territory/Tribal- and local-level child care subsidy policies and practices on children and families served
  • Issues related to Tribal child care
  • Features of child care that are most critical to support children’s development and family well-being
  • Factors that play a role in parents’ decisions about work, child care, and subsidy access
  • Examination of family-level processes that might be influenced by child care or child care subsidy use or might moderate the relationships between care and children’s development;
  • Examination of context-level factors that influence availability of and access to quality child care in rural United States
  • Issues related to the participation of various minority groups in different types of early care and education programs and how these types of care/programs meet their needs
  • Cost-effective investments to improve child care quality in all settings
  • Impact of changes in the early child care sector on the delivery and quality of child care and access to high-quality care by low-income, at-risk families
  • Issues and outcomes related to early childhood workforce development
  • Factors promoting or hindering collaboration among child care providers and other early childhood systems
  • Issues related to the participation of home-based providers in professional development initiatives and other systemic approaches to improve quality of care received by low-income children
  • Development/validation of measures/instruments to assess the characteristics of care or needs of caregivers
  • Issues related to child care licensing

When is the application deadline? Letters of intent are due April 13, 2012 and applications are due May 21, 2012.

Request for Proposals from States and Support Organizations (Doing What Works In Action)

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The Doing What Works Initiative (DWW) is seeking proposals for Implementation Awards to be used for the integration of DWW resources into professional learning or school improvement support processes. The goal of the awards is to develop a deeper understanding of how educators can be better supported to integrate evidence-based educational resources, such as those offered by DWW, into their everyday work.

Source: Doing What Works In Action

Available at: http://dww.ed.gov/inaction/state_support.cfm

Autism Speaks Invites Research Grant Applications

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Today, Autism Speaks is launching its 2012 requests for grant applications in the areas of Treatment and Basic & Clinical research.

In the treatment research category, we invite both full- and pilot-level grant applications to conduct innovative studies of promising new interventions for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) throughout the lifespan. Research applications exploring medical approaches may include complementary and alternative forms of health care and pharmacological treatments, as well as behavioral and/or psychosocial interventions. We also welcome studies evaluating the effectiveness, safety or therapeutic benefits of interventions. In addition, we will consider animal model studies that test the effects of novel compounds with potential to reduce autism symptoms. Access the treatment request for applications (RFA) here.

In the basic and clinical research category, Autism Speaks invites both full- and pilot-level grant applications to conduct innovative biomedical and behavioral research into the causes, diagnosis, treatment, prevention and dissemination of evidence-based practices for ASD. In keeping with Autism Speaks’ mission – to improve the future for all those who struggle with autism – we seek to provide funding along the entire research continuum – from discovery to development to translation and dissemination – for innovative projects that promise to deliver real life benefits across the lifespan.  Access the RFA for basic and clinical research grants here.

Source: Autism Speaks

Available at: http://www.autismspeaks.org/science/science-news/autism-speaks-invites-research-grant-applications

Call for Applications: Phase Two of the Healthy Weight Collaborative

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CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

Phase Two of the Healthy Weight Collaborative

The Prevention Center for Healthy Weight, a 30-month cooperative agreement funded by the Affordable Care Act Prevention and Public Health Fund, is pleased to announce the release of the Call for Applications for community teams to participate in Phase Two of the Healthy Weight Collaborative. The Healthy Weight Collaborative is a national quality improvement effort to test and spread evidence-based interventions and promising practices to prevent and treat obesity.

Who Should Participate

Phase Two will bring together 40 multi-sector teams comprised of representatives from primary care, public health, and the community to engage in a virtual learning community from late February 2012 to February 2013.

Benefits for Phase 2 Teams

  • Extensive training and technical assistance via experts in quality improvement and obesity
  • Opportunity to build quality improvement knowledge and capacity that can be applied in many areas beyond the project
  • Access to evidence-based promising practices in obesity prevention

In addition, each Phase Two team will receive a minimum of $4,000 to support data collection and other information technology capabilities needed to participate. This is not a traditional grant program.

Key Dates

Application deadline is January 27, 2012 at 3:00 pm EST
Teams will be announced on February 28, 2012
How Do I Apply?

Select this PDF link for additional information. To apply, select the link below: http://www.collaborateforhealthyweight.org/Take-Action/Join-the-Collaborative.aspx.

Phase Two Recruitment Priorities:

  • Geographic distribution: Urban, rural, tribal, and underserved communities with health disparities
  • Target communities: Tribal, faith-based, intergenerational and women’s health
  • IT capacity (or access) to participate in the virtual collaborative, including webinars and videoconferencing
  • The inclusion of community health workers, promoters, patient navigators, and other lay members
  • Teams interested in mHealth and innovative technology (text messages, smart phone apps, layered GIS mapping, other innovative approaches)

Questions?

For more information about the Healthy Weight Collaborative and the Collaborate for Healthy Weight initiative, please visit the project’s website at www.collaborateforhealthyweight.org. If you have additional questions, please email info@collaborateforhealthyweight.org or contact Becca Lipman at 617-391-2700.

Source: Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center

Institute for Education Sciences, Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program: Requests for Proposals

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The Institute has released three Fiscal Year 2012 solicitations.

Phase I in Education: Solicitation #ED-IES-12-R-0006 is a request for Phase I proposals for awards up to $150,000 for the research and development of prototypes of education technology products to improve student learning directly or indirectly (e.g., through teacher practices) in authentic education delivery settings (e.g., schools, after-school programs, or distance learning programs), or to facilitate research in the field of education. Note: The Institute is not offering the Fast-Track option through it education track in Fiscal Year 2012. The Institute does anticipate that the Fast-Track option will be offered in Fiscal Year 2013. This solicitation can be found by clicking here. The due date and time for the receipt of proposals is 11 A.M. EST on February 22, 2012.

Phase I in Special Education: Solicitation #ED-IES-12-R-0007 is a request for Phase I proposals for awards up to $150,000 for the research and development of prototypes of technology products used by infants, toddlers, or students with or at risk for disabilities, or teachers (or other instructional personnel, related services providers, or family members) in early interventions or special education. This Phase I solicitation can be found by clicking here. The due date and time for the receipt of proposals is 11 A.M. EST on February 22, 2012.

Fast-Track in Special Education: Solicitation #ED-IES-12-R-0005 is a request for Fast-Track (Phase I & II) proposals for awards up to $1,050,000 for the research and development of technology products used by infants, toddlers, or students with or at risk for disabilities, or teachers (or other instructional personnel, related services providers, or family members) in early interventions or special education. Note: In order to apply for Fast-Track funding in Special Education, applicants must submit both (1) a full SBIR Phase I proposal and (2) a Fast-Track proposal. SBIR Fast-Track proposals that are submitted without a full Phase I proposal will not be evaluated. This Fast-Track solicitation in special education can be found by clicking here. The due date and time for the receipt of proposals is 11 A.M. EST on February 22, 2012.

Source: Institute for Education Sciences, Small Business Innovation Research

Available at: http://ies.ed.gov/ncer/sbir/

HHS continues Head Start quality push, notifies grantees selected to compete for continued funding

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12/19/11

Today the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) notified 132 Head Start grantees that they have been designated to compete for continued Head Start funding. Under new regulations announced by President Barack Obama in November 2011, grantees who do not meet quality thresholds established by the Office of Head Start will have to compete, for the first time ever, with other potential providers for Head Start funding.

“This administration is fully committed to ensuring that our Head Start children and families receive the highest quality services from the most capable organizations,” said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “We are holding programs to high standards for classroom quality and program integrity and today’s announcement sends a strong message that the status quo is no longer acceptable.”

Source: Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Available at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/news/press/2011/HHSHeadStartPush.html