INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH ON POVERTY
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IRP Extramural Large Grants 2024–2026 – Call for Applications – LOI Due 1/10/2024

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Letter of Interest Deadline: January 10, 2024, 11:59 p.m. CST

Informational Webinar: Wednesday, November 29, 2023, 1:30–2:00 CST
View/download full RFP in PDF format | Frequently Asked Questions | Presentation Slides (PDF format)

ABOUT THE GRANT

As the National Research Center on Poverty and Economic Mobility, the Institute for Research on Poverty (IRP) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison seeks to fund research using child welfare and Medicaid linked data from the Child and Caregiver Outcomes Using Linked Data (CCOULD) project.

The CCOULD project partnered with two states, Kentucky and Florida, to create a linked dataset of state-level child welfare and Medicaid data to facilitate research on child welfare outcomes, child and caregiver Medicaid coverage and services, and health care outcomes. The linked dataset contains information from both child welfare and Medicaid information systems on case demographics, medical diagnoses, services, outcomes, and other relevant information. The linked data may also identify opportunities to improve coordination between the child welfare and Medicaid programs and improve the effectiveness of their services. For more information on the CCOULD project, please review the lessons learned report. The CCOULD dataset is available through the National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect (NDACAN).

The CCOULD dataset was developed in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE), the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE) within the Administration for Children and Families, and RTI International. ASPE’s Office of Human Services Policy (HSP) serves as the sponsor for the National Research Center on Poverty and Economic Mobility. To learn more about HSP, please watch this video.

Applications are welcome from principal investigators with research projects using the CCOULD dataset. HSP is particularly interested in research focusing on policy implications for child welfare and Medicaid services administered by HHS. Example research topics of interest could fall within, but are not limited to, the following focal areas: Indicators of substance use disorders, impact of substance use disorders or mental health conditions on child welfare engagement, impact of child welfare services on child and caregiver outcomes, and health outcomes for children in the child welfare system. More information about the scope of possible research topics using the CCOULD dataset is provided below. However, researchers may also propose research on additional topics other than those listed.

Proposals are invited from Ph.D.-holding scholars at all career stages, from postdoctoral fellows to senior faculty, and from all disciplines who are interested in pursuing policy-relevant research. Researchers who are awarded grants will be asked to participate in a newly formed Research Consortium on Child Welfare Outcomes and Medicaid Utilization throughout the grant period and will be asked to consider integrating feedback from IRP and Consortium scholars into their projects and ongoing research.

EXAMPLE RESEARCH TOPICS

Applications are welcome from principal investigators with research projects that use the CCOULD linked dataset. The examples listed below are just potential topics; therefore, researchers may propose projects that address topics other than those listed.

  1. Indicators of substance use disorders (SUD):
    1. Sample questions
      1. How do claims-based indicators of SUD in Medicaid data compare with indicators of SUD in child welfare data?
      2. How do these SUD indicators compare with epidemiologic data on expected rates of SUD?
      3. Is one system more effective than the other at identifying SUD?
  1. Impact of SUD or mental health conditions on child welfare engagement:
    1. Sample questions:
      1. Are parents with SUD diagnoses in Medicaid claims more likely than parents without SUD to have children in the child welfare system? How do their children’s care experiences compare to those without identified SUDs?
      2. How frequently are children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders in the child welfare system, what are their care experiences, and how do those care experiences compare with other children of parents with SUDs?
      3. How frequently are parents and caregivers receiving SUD treatment involved in the child welfare and/or Medicaid systems? What type of SUD treatment are they receiving?
      4. To what extent are postpartum depression or other particular mental health conditions associated with child welfare involvement, care experiences, and outcomes?
  1. Impact of child welfare services on child and caregiver outcomes:
    1. Sample questions:
      1. What is the relative effectiveness of different types of child welfare interventions on child and parent outcomes?
      2. Which services are used most often among families involved with the child welfare system?
  1. Health outcomes for children in the child welfare system:
    1. Sample questions:
      1. What diagnoses are most common among children in the child welfare system?
      2. What diagnoses are associated with different forms of child maltreatment?
      3. How are the timing of diagnosis and treatment of health problems in children related to the timing of child welfare engagement?
      4. How do certain health problems affect child welfare outcomes?
      5. What health diagnoses and healthcare services are received by children in child welfare congregate care settings such as group homes and residential treatment settings? Do Medicaid data provide insights as to the prevalence or severity of the health issues of children in these care settings?

TERMS

Eligibility

The principal investigator must hold a doctorate or the highest degree appropriate for their discipline at the time of application. Applicants must be associated with a university. Individuals not associated with a university (domestic or foreign) and foreign entities are ineligible for grants made under this announcement.

University of Wisconsin–Madison faculty and postdoctoral fellows are ineligible for funding.

Contract Period

The grant contract period is flexible depending on scope of the project not to exceed 24 months from grant start date.

Funding

Grants may not exceed $50,000. This amount includes indirect costs at the applicant’s institution, if required (see Item 4 under Application Instructions below).

Commitment

Receipt of a grant from IRP will require a commitment to:

  • Within the first 6 weeks of the grant period, participate in a meeting with IRP (either in person or via video conferencing) to discuss the project and how to maximize its policy relevance.
  • Submit brief quarterly progress reports (< 150 words) of work accomplished during the preceding three months every quarter in the established grant period except for the last two quarters (see timeline for more details) to irpapply@ssc.wisc.edu.
  • Participate in all Research Consortium on Child Welfare Outcomes and Medicaid Utilization activities throughout the grant period. (Note: specific consortium activities will be outlined in detail when awards are announced).
  • Submit a draft paper for review and comments to irpapply@ssc.wisc.edu three months before the end of the established grant period.
  • Within two weeks of submitting the draft, participate (either in person or via video conferencing) in a meeting with IRP to provide an update on project progress and discuss how to maximize its policy relevance.
  • Submit a revised draft by end of established grant period to irpapply@ssc.wisc.edu.
  • Present the paper at a seminar, workshop, or other mutually agreed-upon public event sponsored by IRP.
  • Agree to have the work summarized in an IRP publication (e.g., Focus on Poverty; Fast Focus Poverty Brief), webinar, and/or podcast.
  • Submit a final paper for academic publication no later than nine months after the end of the established grant period and alert IRP of the submission by sending an e-mail to irpapply@ssc.wisc.edu with the name of the journal.

All travel related to project conversations referenced above and all travel related to Research Consortium on Child Welfare Outcomes and Medicaid Utilization meetings and presentations requested by IRP will be funded by IRP directly; applicants do not need to include these travel expenses in their budgets. When relevant, IRP will coordinate meetings with HSP and principal investigators.

All publications associated with the grant should acknowledge the support of IRP and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE).

Selection Process

This is a two-stage selection process. All interested parties must submit a letter of interest which will be reviewed by IRP-affiliated scholars and staff as well as HSP research staff for the following:

  • The relevance of the topic to  IRP’s focal themes; and
  • The potential usefulness of the proposed research project to influence the policymaking process, especially related to programs administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

IRP will provide feedback to applicants. Top projects will be invited to submit full applications. (See timeline for details.)

Selected applicants will have additional time to submit a full proposal. (See timeline for details.) Final applications will be reviewed as follows.

  1. Applications will be screened for completeness, including:
    1. Online application completed; and
    2. Application materials uploaded.
  2. Qualifying applications will be evaluated by a panel of distinguished scholars from IRP, its CPC partners, and HSP research staff and management. The panels will use the application materials as the basis for scoring the following:
    1. The potential usefulness of the proposed research project to influence the policymaking process, especially related to programs administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services;
    2. The potential usefulness of the proposed research project for the advancement of scientific knowledge;
    3. Clarity of stated objectives and anticipated results;
    4. The appropriateness and soundness of the research design, including choice of data, methods of analysis, and other procedures;
    5. Demonstrated ability of research to be conducted in the timeframe established in this grant;
    6. The reasonableness of estimated cost and time commitments in relation to anticipated results; and
    7. The qualifications and experience of personnel, including demonstrated familiarity with the literature and data to be used.

AWARD INFO

IRP anticipates funding up to four projects, with total funding (including direct and indirect costs) up to $50,000 each. Applicants are encouraged to request that their home institution forego or charge minimal indirect costs. Support is subject to the availability of funds. Nothing in this description of applications should be construed as committing IRP to dividing available funds among all qualified applicants.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

This is a two-stage selection process. All interested parties must submit a letter of interest. IRP will provide feedback to applicants who submitted a letter of interest. Selected applicants will then have additional time to submit a full proposal. Note that only applicants who submit a letter of interest will be invited to submit a full proposal. Applicants cannot submit a proposal if they did not submit a letter of interest and were invited to submit a full proposal.

Submit letter of interest by Wednesday, January 10, 2024 at: https://irpwisc.formstack.com/forms/extramural_large_grant_letter_of_intent

Fax submissions will not be accepted. Proposal receipt will be acknowledged.

The letter of interest must contain the following components as a single PDF file in the order listed:

  1. A letter (not to exceed two pages) describing in detail:
    1. The issue(s) to be examined;
    2. Hypotheses to be evaluated;
    3. Methodology proposed; and
    4. Anticipated results of the research, including their potential implications for public policy.
  2. Curriculum vitae for the principal investigator.

Submit full proposal by Wednesday, March 27, 2024 at: https://irpwisc.formstack.com/forms/extramural_large_grant_app

Fax submissions will not be accepted. Proposal receipt will be acknowledged.

The application must contain the following components as a single PDF file in the order listed:

  1. A cover sheet giving the title of the proposed research, applicant’s name, date of Ph.D., and institutional affiliation with full address and telephone number, e-mail address, and home address.
  2. A one-page (double-spaced) abstract, describing research objectives, data, and methods.
  3. Description of the applicant’s proposed research, not to exceed eight double-spaced pages in 12- point, Times New Roman font with one-inch margins all around, exclusive of references or appendices. The proposal should carefully describe:
    1. the issue(s) to be examined;
    2. hypotheses to be evaluated;
    3. methodology proposed; and
    4. anticipated results of the research, including their potential implications for public policy.
  4. An itemized budget showing (as relevant) the researcher’s time, research assistant’s time, travel costs (other than those related to IRP-initiated meetings and events), computer services, supplies, and indirect costs if required. (Note that applicants are encouraged to request that their home institution forego or charge minimal indirect costs.) Grant awards will be issued in two or three increments corresponding to the IRP parent award and depending on the length of the project. As such, the itemized budget should be presented in the following periods: from June 1, 2024 to September 29, 2024; from September 30, 2024 to September 29, 2025; and from September 30, 2025 to May 31, 2026.
  5. Curriculum vitae for all investigators.
  6. A letter from the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs of the applicant’s institution confirming administrative approval of the proposal.
  7. A timely plan for obtaining Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval or exemption for human subjects research. The University of Wisconsin–Madison will not execute subcontracts without documentation of IRB approval or exemption.

CONTACT

All inquiries, including questions on the application process, budget, and research issues, should be directed to irpapply@ssc.wisc.edu.

TIME LINE

Proposal release November 3, 2023
Optional Webinar November 29, 2023 from:
2:30–3:00 ET | 1:30–2:00 CT | 12:30–1:00 MT | 11:30–12:00 PT
Click to Join webinar | Add to Calendar (iCal file)
Deadline for letter of interest January 10, 2024
Feedback provided by IRP on letter of interest and invitation to submit full proposal Mid-February, 2024
Deadline for full proposal March 27, 2024
Notification of grant award Mid May 2024
Contract begins June 1, 2024
Meeting with IRP Summer 2024
Quarterly progress reports due Due the fifth day of the following quarter; for example:

Work completed from June 1, 2024–September 30, 2024 will be included in October 5, 2024 report.

Work completed from October 1, 2024–December 31, 2024 will be included in the January 5, 2025 report.

Note: Contract dates and reporting requirement deadlines will be specified in the award letter upon notification.