Request for Proposals

September 21, 2018  

HUD announces a competition for access to data from two of the most important randomized social experiments it has conducted, the Moving to Opportunity for Fair Housing (MTO) demonstration and the Family Options Study (FOS). HUD has partnered with the U.S. Census Bureau to make the experimental data more available to qualified researchers and more readily matched with other administrative data. By making these data more accessible to qualified researchers, HUD expects to continue the process of evidence building by using MTO experimental data to assess the impact of neighborhoods on the lives of low-income families with children and using FOS experimental data to assess housing and services interventions for families with children experiencing homelessness.

Proposals, as well as any subsequent amendments, should be submitted to ERD.Data-Linkage@Census.gov by 11:59:59 p.m. EST on November 2, 2018. Each proposal should clearly describe the organization's and/or researcher's experience performing the proposed scope of work; the analysis plan and methodology for performing the proposed scope of work; and the proposed research outputs. The proposal should not exceed 10 pages. HUD and the Census Bureau program and/or research staff will review each proposal with up to three winners being announced in December 2018. For each winner, HUD and the Census Bureau will cover all project costs for the first year of the project, exclusive of the cost to access a Federal Research Data Center (RDC).

Eligibility

Proposals are being accepted from nonprofit policy or research organizations and persons affiliated with a policy or research organization who have demonstrated experience and expertise conducting and completing rigorous policy research and evaluation using social and behavioral science data. (Note: Government, academic, nonprofit, and not-for-profit organizations are eligible.) Additionally, any person on an approved project who will be entering the Census Bureau's secure environment to look at or work with restricted data must obtain Special Sworn Status (SSS) with the Census Bureau. Thus, applicants must have at least one person on their team who will be able to meet the requirements for being granted SSS by the Census Bureau for carrying out the proposed research project.