National Institute of Justice

Title Due Date Maximum Award Amount Description
NIJ FY23 Research and Evaluation on School Safety $5,900,000.00

OJP is committed to advancing work that promotes civil rights and racial equity, increases access to justice, supports crime victims and individuals impacted by the justice system, strengthens community safety and protects the public from crime and evolving threats, and builds trust between law enforcement and the community. With this solicitation, NIJ, in collaboration with the Bureau of Justice Assistance, seeks proposals for rigorous research and evaluation projects to fill knowledge gaps in two topical areas: 1) studies on the root causes and consequences of school violence and 2) examinations of the impact and effectiveness of school safety approaches implemented for purposes authorized under the STOP School Violence Act. NIJ will give special consideration to proposals with methods that include meaningful engagement with the people with lived experience of the subject of study, including, but not limited to, justice practitioners, community members, crime victims, service providers and individuals who have experienced justice system involvement. Applicants are encouraged to propose multidisciplinary research teams to build on the complementary strengths of different methods and areas of subject matter expertise. NIJ also seeks proposals that include consideration and measurement of issues of diversity, discrimination, and bias across age, gender and gender identity, race, ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation, as applicable. Applications proposing research involving partnerships with criminal justice or other agencies, should include a letter of support, signed by an appropriate decision-making authority from each proposed, partnering agency. A letter of support should include the partnering agency’s acknowledgement that de-identified data derived from, provided to, or obtained through an award funded by NIJ will be archived by the grant recipient with the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data (NACJD) at the conclusion of the award. Applicants and their potential partners are encouraged to review NIJ’s data archiving guidance. If selected for an award, grantees will be expected to have a formal agreement in place with partnering agencies by January 1, 2024. That formal agreement must include a provision to meet the data archiving requirements of the award. NIJ seeks proposals that include robust, creative, and multi-pronged dissemination strategies that include strategic partnerships with organizations and associations that are best equipped to ensure that research findings lead to changes in policies and practices related to the subjects of study. Special consideration will be given to proposals that dedicate at least 15% of the requested project award funding toward implementing such strategies, as demonstrated in the Budget Worksheet and Budget Narrative. In the case of partnerships that will involve the use of federal award funds by multiple partnering agencies to carry out the proposed project, only one entity/partnering agency may be the applicant (as is the case with any application submitted in response to this solicitation); any others must be proposed as subrecipients. The applicant is expected to conduct the a majority of the work proposed.

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=346259
NIJ FY23 Research and Evaluation on Jails $2,000,000.00

OJP is committed to advancing work that promotes civil rights and racial equity, increases access to justice, supports crime victims and individuals impacted by the justice system, strengthens community safety and protects the public from crime and evolving threats, and builds trust between law enforcement and the community. With this solicitation, NIJ seeks to add to the body of empirical knowledge on local jails to inform development of policy and practice, in order to improve outcomes for people confined to jails, their families, their communities, and jail personnel. NIJ requests proposals for rigorous research to examine all aspects of jail systems, including those that address the basic operations of jails and their impact on staff, incarcerated individuals, and their communities. Key priorities include promoting and supporting research that informs: Improving reentry outcomes for people confined to jails, as well as minimizing the negative impact of jail incarceration on the families of justice-involved individuals and their communities; Optimization of workforce development for jail personnel; and Enhancement of jail operations and practices. NIJ will give special consideration to proposals with methods that include meaningful engagement with the people with lived experience of the subject of study, including, but not limited to, justice practitioners, community members, crime victims, service providers, and individuals who have experienced justice system involvement. Applicants are encouraged to propose multidisciplinary research teams to build on the complementary strengths of different methods and areas of subject matter expertise. NIJ also seeks proposals that include consideration and measurement of issues of diversity, discrimination, and bias across age, gender and gender identity, race, ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation, as applicable. Applications proposing research involving partnerships with criminal justice or other agencies, should include a letter of support, signed by an appropriate decision-making authority from each proposed, partnering agency. A letter of support should include the partnering agency’s acknowledgement that de-identified data derived from, provided to, or obtained through an award funded by NIJ will be archived by the grant recipient with the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data (NACJD) at the conclusion of the award. Applicants and their potential partners are encouraged to review NIJ’s data archiving guidance. If selected for an award, grantees will be expected to have a formal agreement in place with partnering agencies by January 1, 2024. That formal agreement must include a provision to meet the data archiving requirements of the award. NIJ seeks proposals that include robust, creative, and multi-pronged dissemination strategies that include strategic partnerships with organizations and associations that are best equipped to ensure that research findings lead to changes in policies and practices related to the subjects of study. Special consideration will be given to proposals that dedicate at least 15% of the requested project award funding toward implementing such strategies, as demonstrated in the Budget Worksheet and Budget Narrative. In the case of partnerships that will involve the use of federal award funds by multiple partnering agencies to carry out the proposed project, only one entity/partnering agency may be the applicant (as is the case with any application submitted in response to this solicitation); any others must be proposed as subrecipients. The applicant is expected to conduct the a majority of the work proposed.

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=346237
NIJ FY23 Research and Development in Forensic Science for Criminal Justice Purposes $12,000,000.00

OJP is committed to advancing work that promotes civil rights and racial equity, increases access to justice, supports crime victims and individuals impacted by the justice system, strengthens community safety and protects the public from crime and evolving threats, and builds trust between law enforcement and the community. With this solicitation, NIJ seeks proposals for rigorous basic or applied research and development projects. An NIJ forensic science research and development grant supports a discrete, specified, circumscribed project that will: 1. Increase the body of knowledge to guide and inform forensic science policy and practice; or 2. Lead to the production of useful material(s), device(s), system(s), or method(s) that have the potential for forensic application. The intent of this program is to direct the findings of basic scientific research; foster research and development in broader scientific fields applicable to forensic science; and support ongoing forensic science research toward the development of highly-discriminating, accurate, reliable, cost-effective, and rapid methods for the identification, analysis, and interpretation of forensic evidence for criminal justice purposes. Projects should address the challenges and needs of the forensic science community, including but not limited to priorities outlined in the NIJ Forensic Science Strategic Research Plan and operational needs identified at NIJ’s TWG meetings, which may be found on NIJ.OJP.gov. Additional research needs of the forensic science community can be found at the Organization of Scientific Area Committees website. Although the goals and deliverables of proposed projects are not required to result in immediate solutions to the posted challenges and needs, proposals should, at a minimum, address the foundational work that will lead to eventual solutions. Applicants are encouraged to propose multidisciplinary research teams to build on the complementary strengths of different methods and areas of subject matter expertise. NIJ also seeks proposals that include consideration and measurement of issues of diversity, discrimination, and bias across age, gender and gender identity, race, ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation, as applicable. Applications proposing research involving partnerships with criminal justice or other agencies, should include a letter of support, signed by an appropriate decision-making authority from each proposed, partnering agency. A letter of support should include the partnering agency’s acknowledgement that de-identified data derived from, provided to, or obtained through an award funded by NIJ will be archived by the grant recipient in accordance with their data archiving plan (see Data Archiving Plan under "Application and Submission Information") at the conclusion of the award. Applicants and their potential partners are encouraged to review NIJ’s data archiving guidance. If selected for an award, grantees will be expected to have a formal agreement in place with partnering agencies by January 1, 2024. That formal agreement must include a provision to meet the data archiving requirements of the award. NIJ seeks proposals that include robust, creative, and multi-pronged dissemination strategies that include strategic partnerships with organizations and associations that are best equipped to ensure that research findings lead to changes in policies and practices. In the case of partnerships that will involve the use of federal award funds by multiple partnering agencies to carry out the proposed project, only one entity/partnering agency may be the applicant (as is the case with any application submitted in response to this solicitation); any others must be proposed as subrecipients. The applicant agency is expected to conduct the a majority of the work proposed.

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=346191
NIJ FY 2023 Invited to Apply - Byrne Discretionary Community Project Funding/Byrne Discretionary Grants Program $2,500,000.00

OJP is committed to advancing work that promotes civil rights and racial equity, increases access to justice, supports crime victims and individuals impacted by the justice system, strengthens community safety and protects the public from crime and evolving threats, and builds trust between law enforcement and the community. BJA is authorized to distribute funds to support projects designated for funding in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (Public Law 117-328) to improve the functioning of the criminal justice system, to prevent or combat juvenile delinquency, and to assist victims of crime (other than compensation). The explanatory statement regarding the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (Public Law 117-328) lists the designated projects, which the Act incorporates by reference, as stated in relevant part, below— $229,551,000 is for discretionary grants to improve the functioning of the criminal justice system, to prevent or combat juvenile delinquency, and to assist victims of crime (other than compensation), which shall be used for the projects, and in the amounts, specified under the heading, "Byrne Discretionary Community Project Grants/Byrne Discretionary Grants", in the explanatory statement described in section 4 (in the matter preceding division A of this consolidated Act) [.] Pub. L. No. 117-328, div. B, title II (2022), 136 Stat 4459, 4535. Statutory Authority: Department of Justice Appropriations Act, 2023 (Pub. L. No. 117-328; 136 Stat. 4459, 4535).

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=345966
NIJ FY23 Research and Evaluation on Violence Against Women $2,300,000.00

OJP is committed to advancing work that promotes civil rights and racial equity, increases access to justice, supports crime victims and individuals impacted by the justice system, strengthens community safety and protects the public from crime and evolving threats, and builds trust between law enforcement and the community. NIJ strives to support the development of objective and independent knowledge and validated tools to reduce violence against women (VAW), promote justice for victims of crime, and enhance criminal justice responses. For that reason, this solicitation seeks applications for grant funding to conduct research and evaluation projects examining a broad range of topics, including the crimes of domestic (DV) and family violence (FV), homicide and other forms of violent death, intimate partner violence (IPV), rape, sex trafficking, sexual assault, stalking, and teen dating violence (TDV), also known as adolescent relationship abuse (ARA), along with the associated criminal justice system response, procedures, and policies. Letter of Intent: Applicants are encouraged to submit a letter of intent to apply to NIJsVAW-FVResearch@ojp.usdoj.gov by March 28, 2023. The letter should be addressed to the NIJ Director using the following address: National Institute of Justice, 810 Seventh Street, NW, Washington, DC 20531. Submitting a letter of intent will not obligate a potential applicant to apply. Applicants who do not provide a letter of intent can still apply. NIJ will give special consideration to proposals with methods that include meaningful engagement with the people with lived experience of the subject of study, including, but not limited to, justice practitioners, community members, crime victims, service providers, and individuals who have experienced justice system involvement. Applicants are encouraged to propose multidisciplinary research teams to build on the complementary strengths of different methods and areas of subject matter expertise. NIJ also seeks proposals that include consideration and measurement of issues of diversity, discrimination, and bias across age, gender and gender identity, race, ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation, as applicable. Applications proposing research involving partnerships with criminal justice or other agencies, should include a letter of support, signed by an appropriate decision-making authority from each proposed, partnering agency. A letter of support should include the partnering agency’s acknowledgement that de-identified data derived from, provided to, or obtained through an award funded by NIJ will be archived by the grant recipient with the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data (NACJD) at the conclusion of the award. Applicants and their potential partners are encouraged to review NIJ’s data archiving guidance. If selected for an award, grantees will be expected to have a formal agreement in place with partnering agencies by January 1, 2024. That formal agreement must include a provision to meet the data archiving requirements of the award. NIJ seeks proposals that include robust, creative, and multi-pronged dissemination strategies that include strategic partnerships with organizations and associations that are best equipped to ensure that research findings lead to changes in policies and practices related to the subjects of study. Special consideration will be given to proposals that dedicate at least 15% of the requested project award funding toward implementing such strategies, as demonstrated in the Budget Worksheet and Budget Narrative. In the case of partnerships that will involve the use of federal award funds by multiple partnering agencies to carry out the proposed project, only one entity/partnering agency may be the applicant (as is the case with any application submitted in response to this solicitation); any others must be proposed as subrecipients. The applicant is expected to conduct a majority of the work proposed.

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=345946
NIJ FY23 Research and Evaluation on the Administration of Justice: Advancing Access to Justice 60 Years after Gideon $2,000,000.00

OJP is committed to advancing work that promotes civil[1] rights and racial equity, increases access to justice, supports crime victims and individuals impacted by the justice system, strengthens community safety and protects the public from crime and evolving threats, and builds trust between law enforcement and the community. NIJ’s Research and Evaluation on the Administration of Justice Program supports rigorous research and evaluation projects examining the impact of court and other criminal justice tools, practices, and policies on the administration of justice and public safety in state, local, and tribal jurisdictions. With the 60th anniversary of Gideon v. Wainwright, 372 U.S. 335 (1963),[2] and in collaboration with DOJ’s Office for Access to Justice, NIJ’s research priority in FY 2023 is public defense or indigent defense services (IDS) and equitable access to justice. NIJ will give special consideration to proposals with methods that include meaningful engagement with the people with lived experience of the subject of study, including, but not limited to, justice practitioners, community members, crime victims, service providers, and individuals who have experienced justice system involvement. Applicants are encouraged to propose multidisciplinary research teams to build on the complementary strengths of different methods and areas of subject-matter expertise. NIJ also seeks proposals that include consideration and measurement of issues of diversity, discrimination, and bias across age, gender and gender identity, race, ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation, as applicable. Applications proposing research involving partnerships with criminal justice or other agencies should include a letter of support, signed by an appropriate decision-making authority from each proposed partnering agency. A letter of support should include the partnering agency’s acknowledgement that de-identified data derived from, provided to, or obtained through an award funded by NIJ will be archived by the grant recipient with the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data (NACJD) at the conclusion of the award. Applicants and their potential partners are encouraged to review NIJ’s data archiving guidance. If selected for an award, grantees will be expected to have a formal agreement in place with partnering agencies by January 1, 2024. That formal agreement must include a provision to meet the data archiving requirements of the award. NIJ seeks proposals that include robust, creative, and multi-pronged dissemination strategies that include strategic partnerships with organizations and associations that are best equipped to ensure that research findings lead to changes in policies and practices related to the subjects of study. Special consideration will be given to proposals that dedicate at least 15% of the requested project award funding toward implementing such strategies, as demonstrated in the Budget Worksheet and Budget Narrative. In the case of partnerships that will involve the use of federal award funds by multiple partnering agencies to carry out the proposed project, only one entity/partnering agency may be the applicant (as is the case with any application submitted in response to this solicitation); any others must be proposed as subrecipients. The applicant is expected to conduct a majority of the work proposed.

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=345941
NIJ FY23 Research and Evaluation on Domestic Radicalization and Violent Extremism $5,500,000.00

OJP is committed to advancing work that promotes civil rights and racial equity, increases access to justice, supports crime victims and individuals impacted by the justice system, strengthens community safety and protects the public from crime and evolving threats, and builds trust between law enforcement and the community. With this solicitation, NIJ seeks proposals for rigorous research and evaluation projects targeted toward developing a better understanding of the domestic radicalization phenomenon and advancing evidence-based strategies for effective intervention and prevention. NIJ seeks proposals in four topics as they relate to radicalization and violent extremism under this solicitation: Research to inform terrorism prevention efforts. Research on the role of communications in promoting and countering extremist content and information. Research on disengagement, deradicalization and the reintegration into society of individuals incarcerated for terrorism related offenses. Evaluations of programs and practices to prevent acts of terrorism. NIJ is particularly interested in proposals that explore the radicalization of individuals within the United States to violent white supremacist extremism and anti-government extremism, and identify and advance evidence-based strategies for effective intervention and prevention. NIJ will not fund applications that intentionally introduce, expose, or disseminate extremist materials and propaganda to study participants. Applications that do not include an explicit plan to anonymize data and personally identifiable information will not be funded. Further, NIJ will not fund applications that employ deceptive or non-privatized data collection practices nor will NIJ fund applications that provide identifiable research data to law enforcement or investigative agencies. Please see the "Important Considerations" and "What will not be funded" sections on pages 8 and 17 below for more information. NIJ will give special consideration to proposals with methods that include meaningful engagement with the people with lived experience of the subject of study, including, but not limited to, justice practitioners, community members, crime victims, service providers, and individuals who have experienced justice system involvement. Applicants are encouraged to propose multidisciplinary research teams to build on the complementary strengths of different methods and areas of subject matter expertise. NIJ also seeks proposals that include consideration and measurement of issues of diversity, discrimination, and bias across age, gender and gender identity, race, ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation, as applicable. Applications proposing research involving partnerships with criminal justice or other agencies, should include a letter of support, signed by an appropriate decision-making authority from each proposed, partnering agency. A letter of support should include the partnering agency’s acknowledgement that de-identified data derived from, provided to, or obtained through an award funded by NIJ will be archived, by the grant recipient, with the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data (NACJD) at the conclusion of the award. Applicants and their potential partners are encouraged to review NIJ’s data archiving guidance. If selected for an award, grantees will be expected to have a formal agreement in place with partnering agencies by January 1, 2024. That formal agreement must include a provision to meet the data archiving requirements of the award. NIJ seeks proposals that include robust, creative, and multi-pronged dissemination strategies that include strategic partnerships with organizations and associations that are best equipped to ensure that research findings lead to changes in policies and practices related to the subjects of study. Special consideration will be given to proposals that dedicate at least 15% of the requested project award funding toward implementing such strategies, as demonstrated in the Budget Worksheet and Budget Narrative. In the case of partnerships that will involve the use of federal award funds by multiple partnering agencies to carry out the proposed project, only one entity/partnering agency may be the applicant (as is the case with any application submitted in response to this solicitation); any others must be proposed as subrecipients. The applicant is expected to conduct a majority of the work proposed.

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=345854
NIJ FY23 Research and Evaluation on Trafficking in Persons $2,000,000.00

OJP is committed to advancing work that promotes civil rights and racial equity, increases access to justice, supports crime victims and individuals impacted by the justice system, strengthens community safety and protects the public from crime and evolving threats, and builds trust between law enforcement and the community. In collaboration with the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), NIJ seeks to build upon its research and evaluation efforts to better understand, prevent, and respond to trafficking in persons in the United States. Applicants should propose research and evaluation projects that — first and foremost — have clear implications for criminal justice policy and practice in the United States. NIJ seeks proposals for research and evaluation projects addressing the following topical areas: 1) research and evaluation on human trafficking victim assistance and service provision, 2) research on forced criminality, and 3) human trafficking prevalence estimation. Applications proposing projects other than in these three areas will not be considered. NIJ will give special consideration to proposals with methods that include meaningful engagement with the people with lived experience of the subject of study, including justice practitioners, community members, crime victims, service providers, and individuals who have experienced justice system involvement. Applicants are encouraged to propose multidisciplinary research teams to build on the complementary strengths of different methods and areas of subject matter expertise. NIJ also seeks proposals that include consideration and measurement of issues of diversity, discrimination, and bias across age, gender and gender identity, race, ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation, as applicable. Applications proposing research involving partnerships with criminal justice or other agencies should include a letter of support, signed by an appropriate decision-making authority from each proposed, partnering agency. A letter of support should include the partnering agency’s acknowledgement that de-identified data derived from, provided to, or obtained through an award funded by NIJ will be archived by the grant recipient with the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data (NACJD) at the conclusion of the award. Applicants and their potential partners are encouraged to review NIJ’s data archiving guidance. If selected for an award, grantees will be expected to have a formal agreement in place with partnering agencies by January 1, 2024. That formal agreement must include a provision to meet the data archiving requirements of the award. NIJ seeks proposals that include robust, creative, and multi-pronged dissemination strategies that include strategic partnerships with organizations and associations that are best equipped to ensure that research findings lead to changes in policies and practices related to the subjects of study. Special consideration will be given to proposals that dedicate at least 15% of the requested project award funding toward implementing such strategies, as demonstrated in the Budget Worksheet and Budget Narrative. In the case of partnerships that will involve the use of federal award funds by multiple partnering agencies to carry out the proposed project, only one entity/partnering agency may be the applicant (as is the case with any application submitted in response to this solicitation); any others must be proposed as subrecipients. The applicant is expected to conduct a majority of the work proposed.

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=345853
NIJ FY 2023 Invited to Apply - Measuring the Impact of Victim Services: Developing the Victim Outcome and Satisfaction Survey Instrument and Platform Study $99,900.00

OJP is committed to advancing work that promotes civil rights and racial equity, increases access to justice, supports crime victims and individuals impacted by the justice system, strengthens community safety and protects the public from crime and evolving threats, and builds trust between law enforcement and the community. With this solicitation, NIJ seeks to further develop and enhance a tool for use by victim service providers, relevant government entities, and victim service-provider funding administrators to assess the effectiveness of victim service programming. Statutory Authority: Title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (sections 201 and 202); the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (sections 231-233); 28 U.S.C. 530C; 34 U.S.C. 12291(b)(7); the Victims of Crime Act of 1984, 34 U.S.C. 20103(c)(1)(A).

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=345810
NIJ FY23 Research and Evaluation on Firearms Violence and Mass Shootings $9,000,000.00

OJP is committed to advancing work that promotes civil rights and racial equity, increases access to justice, supports crime victims and individuals impacted by the justice system, strengthens community safety and protects the public from crime and evolving threats, and builds trust between law enforcement and the community. With this solicitation, NIJ seeks applications for funding of research and program evaluation projects that inform efforts to prevent and reduce intentional, interpersonal firearm violence and mass shootings in the United States in two categories: (1) research or evaluation of Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) laws, otherwise known as "Red Flag Laws;" and (2) research on the sources of the firearm used in the commission of a crime and the relationship of those sources to shootings and gun-related violence. NIJ will give special consideration to proposals with methods that include meaningful engagement with the people with lived experience of the subject of study; including, but not limited to, justice practitioners, community members, crime victims, service providers, and individuals who have experienced justice system involvement. Applicants are encouraged to propose multidisciplinary research teams to build on the complementary strengths of different methods and areas of subject matter expertise. NIJ also seeks proposals that include consideration and measurement of issues of diversity, discrimination, and bias across age, gender and gender identity, race, ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation, as applicable. Applications proposing research involving partnerships with criminal justice or other agencies, should include a letter of support, signed by an appropriate decision-making authority from each proposed, partnering agency. A letter of support should include the partnering agency’s acknowledgement that de-identified data derived from, provided to, or obtained through an award funded by NIJ will be archived by the grant recipient with the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data (NACJD) at the conclusion of the award. Applicants and their potential partners are encouraged to review NIJ’s data archiving guidance. If selected for an award, grantees will be expected to have a formal agreement in place with partnering agencies by January 1, 2024. That formal agreement must include a provision to meet the data archiving requirements of the award. NIJ seeks proposals that include robust, creative, and multi-pronged dissemination strategies that include strategic partnerships with organizations and associations that are best equipped to ensure that research findings lead to changes in policies and practices related to the subjects of the study. Special consideration will be given to proposals that dedicate at least 15% of the requested project award funding toward implementing such strategies, as demonstrated in the Budget Worksheet and Budget Narrative. In the case of partnerships that will involve the use of federal award funds by multiple partnering agencies to carry out the proposed project, only one entity/partnering agency may be the applicant (as is the case with any application submitted in response to this solicitation); any others must be proposed as subrecipients. The applicant is expected to conduct a majority of the work proposed.

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=345780