FOURTEENTH ANNUAL WELFARE RESEARCH AND EVALUATION
CONFERENCE
JUNE 1 - 3, 2011, WASHINGTON, DC
EMERGING SCHOLARS: CALL FOR PROPOSALS
The Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE) in the Administration for
Children and Families (ACF), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS),
is pleased to announce that the 14th Annual Welfare Research and Evaluation Conference
will be held June 1 – 3, 2011 at the Capital Hilton in the heart of Washington, DC.
GOALS OF THE CONFERENCE
For more than a decade, this conference has been a leading forum for welfare and poverty
researchers, State and local administrators, practitioners and program operators, and
Federal officials and policymakers to discuss the latest findings in evaluations of welfare
and related programs and policies, ways to incorporate findings into the design and
implementation of programs and policies, and strategies for future evaluations. The 2011
conference will once again provide a forum for discussing expert and cutting-edge
research on welfare and related programs and policies.
The conference will center on the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)
program, with significant attention also provided to related programs, policies, and
services that support low-income and vulnerable families on the path to economic selfsufficiency. This year’s conference will center on six broad, overarching topical areas:
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TANF and the Social Safety Net
Employment and Success in the Labor Market
Child and Youth Well-Being
Fatherhood, Relationships, and Strengthening Families
Family Economic Stability and Self-Sufficiency
Innovations in Post-Secondary Education and Training
Within these topical areas, we anticipate bringing particular issues into focus, including:
linkages to other service programs (e.g., Earned Income Tax Credit, Supplemental
Security Income, SNAP, Medicaid, State Children’s Health Insurance Program), the use
of behavioral approaches, incorporating evidence-based practices, international
comparative perspectives, fostering inter-agency collaboration, and responses to the
economic downturn.
Conference presentations will feature both basic and applied research and will be
addressed to both researchers and practitioners. The conference will emphasize recent
findings in empirical research, particularly research based on rigorous, experimental
designs, rather than descriptions of research in progress, although discussions of work in
progress will not be excluded.
EMERGING SCHOLARS
OPRE is particularly interested in fostering the work of new and emerging scholars in the
welfare and family self-sufficiency field. To support this effort, ACF will once again
feature work from emerging scholars in the 2011 conference. Emerging scholars include
those who are currently in graduate school or are only a few years past completing a
degree. ACF will host specific opportunities to feature the work of emerging scholars,
which may include paper presentations or a special poster session. Individuals who are
early in their careers are strongly encouraged to submit proposals for the conference. You
will be asked to denote whether you are an emerging scholar on the online proposal
submission form.
CALL FOR PROPOSALS
OPRE invites proposals for individual presentations and for entire conference sessions.
Proposals will be considered based on:
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Relevance to welfare and family self-sufficiency policy or program design and
administration
Methodological rigor, especially through the use of experimental designs
Innovative approaches or new contributions to the field
Clarity of description
Presentations that combine research findings with input from State and local practitioners
are especially welcome. OPRE may request a draft presentation or paper prior to making
a final decision.
Conference sessions will be 90 minutes in length, and may consist of three presentations,
two presentations and one prepared commentary, or some other format. All sessions will
reserve time at the end for audience questions and discussion.
PROPOSAL GUIDELINES
All proposals must be in English. Proposals should be no more than one page in length
(approximately 500 words), exclusive of biographical sketches, and should summarize
the content of the presentation. If you are proposing an entire conference session, please
include a title for the session along with a general description/rationale and then upload a
separate proposal for each presentation to be included in the session (limit three
presentations per conference session).
The deadline for proposals is Friday, October 29, 2010. If selected, completed
presentations must be received by April 15, 2011.
Proposals should include:
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Presentation title
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As appropriate, detail on research, such as:
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research questions addressed
research design implemented (e.g. experimental, quasi-experimental,
econometric analysis)
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data sources used (including the response rate for new survey data)
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analysis methods utilized
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findings, including non-significant findings as appropriate
Relevance to conference themes
Completion date or estimated completion date of the study
When and where else the presentation has been or will be presented
A biographical sketch for each of the proposed presenters/discussants (no
more than 150 words each)
Please note: If research was conducted under a grant or contract with DHHS or another
part of the Federal government then proposals must include the date funded and stated
purpose of the grant or contract as described in the Federal Register or other
announcement under which the research was funded.
OPRE may be able to sponsor travel and lodging for a limited number of speakers,
including Emerging Scholars. Please indicate whether you would like to be considered
for sponsorship by checking the appropriate box during the online proposal submission
process. Your response to this question will have no impact on the evaluation of your
proposal.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS
1) Please visit the proposal submission page of the conference website
(www.wrconference.net) and fill in all required fields.
2) Using the “Browse” button, please upload your proposal(s).
3) When your submission is complete, click on the “Submit” button.
All proposals must be submitted online by Friday, October 29, 2010.
QUESTIONS?
Please direct questions about conference content to Seth Chamberlain at
Seth.Chamberlain@acf.hhs.gov or Erica Zielewski at Erica.Zielewski@acf.hhs.gov.
Please direct any technical questions about using the online proposal submission site or
any general questions about conference logistics to WREC@esi-dc.com.