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Welfare Reform Research, Evaluations and National Studies

Program Information

Popular name

Welfare Research

Program Number

93.595

Program objective

Welfare Research (WR) funds were authorized as a set-aside of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant to support research, evaluation, and technical assistance related to the TANF program. This includes research on the effect of State TANF programs on employment, self-sufficiency, child well-being, unmarried births, marriage, poverty, economic mobility, and other factors; State-initiated research on TANF; ; development of a “what works clearinghouse” of effective approaches for moving welfare recipients into work; and technical assistance activities to support TANF programs and services. The funding opportunities in this listing support these objectives. the objectives of the Center for Research on Hispanic Children & Families are to lead and support research on the needs of Hispanic populations served by ACF and on promising approaches to promote social and economic well-being among Hispanic families with low incomes. Similarly, the objectives of the National African American Child & Family Research Center are to lead and support research on the assets and needs of African American families and children served by ACF programs, and on promising approaches to promote social and economic well-being among African American families with low incomes. The Family Self-Sufficiency and Stability Research Scholars Network Awards are intended to support research on strategies for improving family self-sufficiency conducted by social science scholars in partnership with state or local human services agencies. The Career Pathways Secondary Data Analysis Awards support rigorous research through secondary data analysis on questions regarding the effectiveness of TANF-funded services that aim to address the employment and self-sufficiency needs of TANF and TANF-eligible individuals, with career pathways programs being one such service. In FY24, award recipients of the Family Self-Sufficiency Demonstration Development Grants (awarded in FY21 for a two-year grant period) were eligible to apply for the Family Self-Sufficiency Demonstration Development Phase 2 Awards, which will support award recipients in advancing the implementation and formal testing of the approaches to improve economic self-sufficiency among TANF and TANF-eligible families that they developed under their initial award. The objectives of the Tribal Research Center on Early Childhood Development and Systems Award is to support community-based participatory research and evaluation of ACF early childhood and family economic well-being initiatives that serve tribal communities. The objectives of the TANF Data Collaborative Equity Analysis Awards are to support state, territory, or county TANF agencies in conducting equity-focused analyses of their TANF and other human services data to support program improvement and inform policymaking. The objectives of the Center for Research on Coordinated Service Approaches to Support Whole Families (forecasted to award in FY25) are to conduct and strengthen research on the intentional coordination of human services to support the social and economic well-being of families with low incomes and those from underserved communities.

Program expenditures, by FY (2023 - 2025)

This chart shows obligations for the program by fiscal year. All data for this chart was provided by the administering agency and sourced from SAM.gov, USASpending.gov, and Treasury.gov.

For more information on each of these data sources, please see the About the data page.

Additional program information

  1. 2016

    It is anticipated that 4 grants will be awarded in FY 2016, all non-competing continuations. In FY 2016 4 grants were awarded, 3 non-competing continuations, and 1 new award.

  2. 2017

    Two grants were awarded in FY 2017, both non-competing continuations.

  3. 2018

    A single grant continuation was awarded in 2018.

  4. 2020

    Several new grants were awarded in 2020, to include a new cohort of 5 Family Self-Sufficiency Research Consortium Scholars Network awards, and 4 Career Pathways Secondary Analysis grants

  5. 2022

    The Center for Research on African American Children & Families, the Center for Research on Hispanic Children and Families, the 5 Family Self-Sufficiency Research Consortium Scholars, the Baby’s First Years Qualitative Substudy, the National Poverty Center Fellows, the Society For Prevention Research, the 20 Family Self-Sufficiency Demonstration Development grants, and the TRECS grant were renewed. In addition, there was 1 new Career Pathways Secondary Data Analysis grant award.

  6. 2024

    In FY24, we continued funding for: 6 Career Pathways Secondary Data Analysis Awards; the Center for Research on African American Children & Families; the Tribal Research Center for Early Childhood Development and Systems; the Center for Research on Hispanic Children & Families; and 5 Family Self-Sufficiency and Stability Research Scholars Network Awards. In addition, we awarded 6 new TANF Data Collaborative Equity Analysis Awards, and 6 new Family Self-Sufficiency Demonstration Development Phase 2 Awards.

  7. 2025

    It is anticipated that the Center for Research on African American Children & Families, the Center for Research on Hispanic Children & Families, the 6 Family Self-Sufficiency Demonstration Development Phase 2 Awards, and the 6 TANF Data Collaborative Equity Analysis Awards will be renewed. In addition, we anticipate awarding 6 new Career Pathways Secondary Data Analysis Awards; 6 new Family Self-Sufficiency and Stability Research Scholars Network Awards; and one new award for a Center for Research on Coordinated Service Approaches to Support Whole Families.

Single Audit Applies (2 CFR Part 200 Subpart F):

For additional information on single audit requirements for this program, review the current Compliance Supplement.

OMB is working with the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) and agency offices of inspectors general to include links to relevant oversight reports. This section will be updated once this information is made available.