National Center for Work, Economic Mobility, and Strong Families - The University of Denver (DU), through the Institute for Relationship Science, proposes to establish the National Center for Work, Economic Mobility, and Strong Families, a national research, fellowship, grantmaking, and knowledge-translation center focused on the dignity of work, economic self-sufficiency, reduced dependence on public assistance, marriage and family stability, responsible fatherhood, child well-being, child care, and human services effectiveness. The Center will integrate three required functions. It will operate a national fellowship program placing postdoctoral scholars, senior scholars, and eligible IPA assignees in residence at ACF and other HHS offices while providing Center-level employment, supervision, mentoring, professional development, and peer networking. In Year 1, DU will continue support for the two existing fellows identified in the NOFO and recruit the next cohort for appointments beginning in summer or fall 2027. The Center will administer a competitive extramural research grant program that develops policy-relevant solicitations with ACF, uses rigorous peer review, provides technical assistance, and requires timely, actionable findings. It will also build and communicate knowledge through policy-focused convenings, federal briefings, accessible reports and briefs, and dissemination to federal, state, tribal, and local decision-makers. The University of Denver and the Institute for Relationship Science bring an unusually relevant platform for this work. Dr. Galena Rhoades and the Institute for Relationship Science have led or contributed to more than 30 community-based program evaluations, including at least 18 focused on healthy marriage and relationship education, responsible fatherhood, and youth sexual risk avoidance or relationship education. Dr. Rhoades has led or contributed to more than $60 million in research funding, served across three consecutive ACF-supported Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood program cohorts spanning 2015-2030, developed and rigorously evaluated MotherWise, and founded and leads Thriving Families, a sustainable nonprofit. The Institute also brings substantial experience mentoring graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and early-career scholars; convening collaborative conferences; producing policy briefs; and teaching advanced research methods. Within DU, Dr. Annie Le will lead research methods and evidence quality, Dr. Nicholas Perry will lead implementation science and mixed methods, and Dr. Shauna Rienks will lead Center evaluation and continuous improvement. National advisors Brad Wilcox, Ph.D., Delano Squires, Andrew Johnston, Ph.D., and Kevin Corinth, Ph.D., together with Senior Consultant for Policy Translation, Implementation, and Dissemination Courtney Harrison, add expertise in marriage and family formation, responsible fatherhood, labor economics, public assistance and welfare reform, and policy translation. The Center will engage additional subject-matter specialists as needed to match annual ACF priorities, fellow placements, and extramural research portfolios, including child care and CCDBG-aligned research. A structured annual priority-setting process with ACF, separate financial tracking by statutory funding source and Center activity, measurable performance targets, and continuous quality improvement will keep fellowship assignments, research investments, and knowledge products aligned with ACF priorities. The result will be a durable national infrastructure that shortens the distance between rigorous research and actionable human services policy while developing scholars able to work effectively at the intersection of research, government, and practice.
