Call for Applications: Fellowship Program for Research on Early Care and Education and Economic Well-being Among Hispanic Children and Families

The Center’s Fellowship Program provides early career scholars studying topics related to early care and education (ECE) and economic well-being among Hispanic children and families in households with low incomes the opportunity to participate in a 12-month program. The program provides seed research funds and valuable mentoring and professional development experiences.

The application period for the 2025-26 cohort is now open and will close April 18, 2025. The Center encourages eligible early career scholars to apply by reviewing and following the information below.

Program Details

Mentorship: Fellows will work virtually with a mentor for a period of 12 months. This mentor will support their professional development and provide feedback on a research project. Fellows can propose a mentor, or the Center can assist in identifying a suitable mentor based on alignment with the fellow’s research interests and professional development goals. Proposed mentors do not need to be from a fellow’s institution or the Center and, ideally, should not be someone from whom the fellow has already received mentorship. This is because the goal of the program is to expand the fellows’ network of mentors and to foster new connections with experts in the field.

Once awarded, mentors and mentees will work together to develop a mentorship plan and outline objectives for the year ahead. The fellowship program will also include opportunities for mentoring and networking at a conference relevant to the fellow’s research.

Professional development, network, and collaboration: Fellows will join the Center’s network and participate in quarterly webinars that will be responsive to their professional development goals. These quarterly meetings will offer fellows opportunities to build skills, engage with other scholars and leaders in the field, and develop networks and potential collaborations. The fellowship will also offer opportunities to highlight fellows’ research through the Center’s dissemination channels, elevating their work and broadening its reach.

Funding: We anticipate funding up to two fellows focused on early care and education, and three fellows focused on economic well-being among Hispanic children and families. Each fellow will receive up to $7,000 in funds to support their research and attendance at a relevant conference. Mentors will receive a $2,000 honorarium for their time.

Eligibility Criteria

1. Applicants must be a non-tenured early career investigator (up to 7 years post-Ph.D.) working at a university or research organization. Post-doctoral fellows are not eligible to apply. However, exceptions to the early career status definition (up to 7 years post-Ph.D.) can be made (see FAQs).
2. Applicants should demonstrate a strong interest in conducting research focused on the ECE experiences of Hispanic children and families in the United States, the ECE workforce that serves Latino children, economic well-being, and/or the intersection of child care and the economic well-being of Hispanic children and families in households with low incomes. The Center is particularly interested in research that has direct implications for how programs administered by the Administration for Children and Families— specifically, Head Start, the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)— support the needs of Hispanic children and families in households with low incomes.

Specific topics of interest for research on ECE include (but are not restricted to) those that examine:

• • Access to high-quality ECE, child care subsidies, and CCDF;
  • Approaches to reach, recruit, and sustain enrollment of Latino families in ECE programs;
  • How ECE programs meet the needs of working parents; support employment and employment-related outcomes; and families’ economic well-being;
  • Approaches at the ECE system, program, or staff level that support the strengths and needs of Hispanic families served by ECE programs;
  • The training, experiences, and characteristics of the ECE workforce serving Hispanic children; and
  • Professional development, program policies, and teaching and learning practices related to serving Latino families in Head Start programs (including Migrant and Seasonal Head Start programs).

Specific topics of interest for research on economic well-being include (but are not restricted to) those that examine:

• • Hispanic families’ experiences with human services and the safety net, including access, take up, and use of services;
  • How Latino families’ use of safety net programs affects child, family, and economic well-being;
  • Earnings, jobs, benefits, job training, labor force participation, and pathways to economic mobility for Latino families; and
  • Child care as support for labor force participation of Hispanic parents.

Please note that this fellowship does not support international research or research focused on K-12 education or higher education. All research should focus on, or have relevance to, Latino families and children in low-income households.

For more information on Head Start, CCDF, and TANF, please visit the Office of Head Start, Office of Child Care, and Office of Family Assistance.

Fellowship Responsibilities

Fellows are expected to develop a mentoring plan with their mentors, meet with mentors at least monthly, attend professional development trainings organized by the Center, attend a relevant conference, and use funds for the activities requested. Fellows are also required to submit a progress report at the end of the fellowship.

Application Requirements

Applications are due by 5 p.m. ET on April 18, 2025, with the following components:

1. Application form
2. Description of the proposed work (maximum of 1,000 words, excluding references, on institutional letterhead) that includes:
   • The applicant’s interest and experience conducting research on ECE and/or economic well-being among Hispanic children and families in households with low incomes;
   • An overview of the research question(s) and relevant literature motivating the proposed project;
   • A description of the proposed method or approach;
   • A statement describing the relevance of the proposed work for policy or practice; and
   • A description of any relevant background, experiences, coursework, and skills that will inform their ability to perform the proposed work.
3. Description of professional development goals and how the fellowship will help advance these goals beyond existing supports available (300 word maximum).
4. Name and affiliation of potential mentor(s), if known. Note that mentors do not need to be affiliated with the Center. Identifying a mentor beforehand is not required; the Center will work with the fellow to identify a suitable mentor for them.
5. Resume (4 page maximum) with information about the applicant’s educational background, publications, presentations, and any professional or public policy experience relevant to the work of the Center.
6. Proof of degree conferral such as an unofficial transcript or a copy of the applicant’s diploma to show proof of doctoral degree completion.
7. Detailed budget describing how the funds will be used. Examples of allowable expenses include travel to data collection sites (mileage, air travel, per diem, hotel), equipment, payment for research assistants, and analysis software. Applicants should include funds to support their attendance at a relevant conference in their budgets. Funds cannot be used to purchase food or beverages, or to cover participant incentives.

Evaluation Criteria

Upon initial screening for completeness, applications will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

1. Scholar’s experience conducting research focused on ECE and/or economic well-being among Hispanic children and families, including those with low incomes.
2. Degree to which applicant’s proposed project applies innovative frameworks, methods, or approaches to advance research focused on Hispanic children and families and their experiences related to ECE and/or economic well-being.
3. Degree to which the applicant’s proposed project has the potential to inform policies or practices, especially those related to CCDF, Head Start, and/or TANF as well as families with low incomes.
4. Professional development goals and the scholar’s potential to benefit from the fellowship, relative to resources available.

Note that funding will be limited to scholars whose research focuses on, or has relevance to, Latino families and children in low-income households.

Applicants will be notified about the review decision by May 23. The program’s expected duration is from June 2025 to May 2026. Awards are contingent upon the availability of funds.

How to Apply

Please complete your application here. Applicants should review the FAQs before preparing their applications.

If you have any issues with the online submission process, please email your application materials to info@HispanicResearchCenter.org with “Hispanic Center Fellowship Program” in the subject line. Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered.

Contact Information and Questions

For additional Program information, you can also reference the Program’s FAQs. You may also contact info@HispanicResearchCenter.org with “Hispanic Center Fellowship Program” in the subject line. Questions about the application or the Program are accepted through 5 p.m. ET on April 9.