From Research to Practice: Using Knowledge to Accelerate Progress in the Elimination of Child Labor and Forced Labor | FOA ILAB 18 02

Opportunity Information: Apply for FOA ILAB 18 02

The Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) announced a discretionary funding opportunity titled "From Research to Practice: Using Knowledge to Accelerate Progress in the Elimination of Child Labor and Forced Labor" (Funding Opportunity Number: FOA ILAB 18 02). The central purpose of the grant is to close the persistent gap between what research shows and what governments and implementing organizations actually do on the ground. ILAB is looking to fund a single project, through a cooperative agreement, that helps policymakers and practitioners around the world use rigorous evidence more consistently and effectively when designing, targeting, and improving efforts to eliminate child labor and forced labor.

The award is designed around the idea that better outcomes depend not just on producing studies, but on getting high-quality evidence into the hands of people making policy and running programs. In practical terms, the project is intended to make reliable research easier to find and apply, strengthen the quality and relevance of research being produced, and encourage closer alignment between researchers and real-world decision-making needs. The focus is international, meaning the work should support efforts addressing child labor and forced labor in global contexts rather than being limited to domestic U.S. issues.

ILAB lays out four specific outcomes the funded project is expected to achieve. First, the project should increase the ability of policymakers and practitioners to access rigorous research, along with data collection and analysis tools and other relevant datasets needed to address child labor and forced labor internationally. This points to activities like improving dissemination channels, translating complex findings into usable formats, creating or curating toolkits, and reducing barriers to data access or understanding. Second, the project should increase researchers' understanding of the questions and knowledge gaps that matter most for policy and programming. That outcome emphasizes two-way engagement: researchers are expected to learn directly from implementers and decision-makers about what evidence is missing, what questions are urgent, and what constraints exist in real settings.

Third, ILAB expects improved capacity of researchers to study child labor and forced labor issues. This signals support for strengthening methods and skills, such as better study design, ethical and safe research practices when working with vulnerable populations, improved measurement approaches, and stronger data management and analysis techniques. Fourth, the project should increase engagement of skilled, multidisciplinary, policy-oriented researchers who can carry out rigorous studies on child labor and forced labor. That implies ILAB is interested in building or expanding a community of practice that brings together multiple disciplines (for example economics, public policy, sociology, public health, law, and supply-chain or labor studies) and keeps research closely tied to real policy choices and program implementation questions.

From a funding and administrative standpoint, ILAB planned to make one award with an expected ceiling of $2,800,000, contingent on the availability of funds. The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, which typically means the agency anticipates substantial involvement during the project period compared to a standard grant. The assistance listing is associated with CFDA number 17.401 (now part of the broader SAM.gov assistance listing structure, but cited here as provided in the opportunity). The opportunity was posted May 15, 2018, and originally closed June 26, 2018, with applications due by 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Eligibility is listed as "Others," with further clarification referenced in the full announcement's eligibility section, suggesting that applicants likely included organizations beyond state and local governments, such as nonprofits, research institutions, universities, or similar entities, depending on the specific criteria ILAB provided in the full text.

Overall, this opportunity is best understood as a knowledge-to-action initiative: it is not simply funding for standalone research, and it is not purely program service delivery. Instead, it supports the infrastructure, relationships, and capabilities that help evidence move faster from researchers to decision-makers, and helps decision-makers and implementers shape the research agenda so future studies answer the questions that most directly affect strategies to eliminate child labor and forced labor worldwide.

• The Department of Labor, Bureau of International Labor Affairs in the employment, labor and training sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "From Research to Practice: Using Knowledge to Accelerate Progress in the Elimination of Child Labor and Forced Labor" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 17.401.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 15, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 26, 2018 Applications must be received no later than 40000 p.m. Eastern Time.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2,800,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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