Introduction
The Behavioral Interventions Scholars (BIS) grant program supports dissertation research by advanced graduate students who are applying a behavioral science lens to specific research questions relevant to social services programs and policies and other issues facing low-income and vulnerable families in the United States. At the end of their grant, each Scholar produces a research brief or other product. The following publications have been developed by grantees to date:
- The MPACT Initiative: Using Behavioral Tools to Increase Children's Early Math Skills (PDF) (William Delgado)
- The Psychological Costs of Seeking Financial Help From a Social Services Agency (PDF) (Ania Jaroszewicz)
- Supplemental Security Income for infants in the NICU: What are the barriers to application and how can we reduce them? (PDF) (Kathryn Andrews)
- What Makes a Fair Sliding Scale: The Case of Meals on Wheels (PDF) (Anne T. Byrne)
- Using Behavioral and Design Science to Reduce Administrative Burdens: Evidence from Public Housing (PDF) (Weston Merrick)
- Certification and Recertification in Welfare Programs: What Happens When Automation Goes Wrong? (PDF) (Derek Wu)
- Early Learning Study at Harvard Bits: Nudging Early Educators’ Knowledge, Beliefs, and Practices (PDF) (Emily Hanno)
- Optimizing the Amount and Type of Practitioner Contact in Online Relationship Education for Couples With Low Incomes: Deploying (PDF) (S Gabe Hatch & Brian D Doss)
Purpose
The purpose of these products is to summarize project findings or highlight other lessons learned by the grantees, with a particular focus on their contributions to the body of work that looks at the application of behavioral science to ACF programs and populations. New publications will continue to be added to this page as they become available.