Crime And Justice Research
U.S.
Department
of
Justice
Office of Justice Programs
National Institute of Justice
The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice
is seeking applications for funding research on crime and justice topics relevant to State
and/or local criminal and juvenile justice policy and practice. This program furthers the
Department’s mission by sponsoring research to provide objective, independent,
evidence-based knowledge and tools to meet the challenges of crime and justice,
particularly at the State and local levels.
Solicitation:
Crime and Justice Research
Eligibility
(See “Eligibility,” page 4)
Deadline
Registration with Grants.gov is required prior to application submission.
(See “Registration,” page 3)
DUE DATE EXTENDED
All applications are now due April 9, 2009, 11:59 p.m. eastern time, extended from
April 6, 2009.
Contact Information
For assistance with the requirements of this solicitation, contact Cathy Girouard, Social
Science Analyst, at 202–353–9244 or cathy.girouard@usdoj.gov or Laurie Bright, Social
Science Analyst, at 202–616–3624 or laurie.bright@usdoj.gov.
This application must be submitted through Grants.gov. For technical assistance with
submitting the application, call the Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline at 1–800–518–
4726 or send an e-mail to support@grants.gov
Note: The Grants.gov Support Hotline hours of operation are Monday–Friday from
7 a.m. to 9 p.m. eastern time.
Grants.gov Funding Opportunity No. NIJ–2009–2007
SL# 000869
CONTENTS
Overview ........................................................................................................................... 3
Deadline: Registration....................................................................................................... 3
Deadline: Application ........................................................................................................ 3
Eligibility ............................................................................................................................ 4
Faith-Based and Other Community Organizations ................................................ 4
American Indian Tribes and Alaska Native Tribes and/or Tribal Organizations.... 5
Specific Information ........................................................................................................... 5
Performance Measures ..................................................................................................... 9
How to Apply ................................................................................................................... 10
What an Application Must Include................................................................................... 11
Selection Criteria............................................................................................................. 14
Review Process .............................................................................................................. 15
Additional Requirements ................................................................................................. 16
2
Crime and Justice Research
CFDA No. 16.560
Overview
The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) is the research, development, and evaluation
agency of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and a component of the Office of
Justice Programs (OJP). NIJ provides objective, independent, evidence-based
knowledge and tools to enhance the administration of justice and public safety. NIJ
solicits applications to inform its search for the knowledge and tools to guide policy and
practice.
NIJ is seeking applications for funding of social and behavioral research on, and
evaluations related to, crime and justice topics relevant to State and/or local criminal and
juvenile justice policy and practice.
Deadline: Registration
Registering with Grants.gov is a one-time process; however, processing delays may
occur and it can take up to several weeks for first-time registrants to receive
confirmations/user passwords. OJP highly recommends that applicants start the
registration process as early as possible to prevent delays in submitting an application
package to our agency by the application deadline specified. The registration process for
organizations involves these steps: (1) Obtain a Data Universal Numbering System
(DUNS) number; (2) Register your organization with the Central Contractor Registration
(CCR) database; (3) Register with Grants.gov’s Credential Provider and obtain a
username and password; (4) Register with Grants.gov to establish yourself as an
Authorized Organization Representative (AOR); and (5) The E-Business Point of
Contact (POC) assigns the “Authorized Applicant Role” to you. For more information
about the registration process, go to www.grants.gov. Note: Your CCR must be
renewed once a year. Failure to renew the CCR may prohibit submission of a grant
application through Grants.gov.
Deadline: Application
The due date for applying for funding under this announcement is April 9, 2009,
11:59 p.m. eastern time.
Within 24 to 48 hours after submitting your electronic application, you should receive an
e-mail validation message from Grants.gov. The validation message will tell you whether
the application has been received and validated or has been rejected, and why.
Important: You are urged to submit your application at least 72 hours prior to the due
date of the application to allow time to receive the validation message and to correct any
problems that may have caused the rejection notification.
3
If you experience unforeseen Grants.gov technical issues beyond your control, you must
contact OJP staff within 24 hours after the due date and request approval to submit
your application. At that time, OJP staff will require you to e-mail the complete grant
application along with your DUNS number and provide a Grants.gov Help Desk tracking
number(s). After OJP reviews all of the information submitted and contacts Grants.gov to
validate the technical issues reported by the applicant, OJP will contact you to either
approve or deny the request.
To ensure a fair competition for limited discretionary funds, the following conditions are
not valid reasons to permit late submissions: (1) failure to begin the registration process
in sufficient time; (2) failure to follow Grants.gov instructions on how to register and apply
as posted on its Web site; (3) failure to follow all of the instructions in the OJP
solicitation; and (4) technical issues experienced with the applicant’s computer or
information technology (IT) environment.
Notifications regarding known technical problems with Grants.gov are posted on the OJP
funding Web page, www.ojp.gov/funding/solicitations.htm.
Eligibility
In general, NIJ is authorized to make grants to, or enter into contracts or cooperative
agreements with, States (including territories), local governments (including federally
recognized Indian tribal governments that perform law enforcement functions), nonprofit
and profit organizations (including tribal nonprofit and profit organizations), institutions of
higher education (including tribal institutions of higher education), and certain qualified
individuals. Foreign governments, foreign organizations, and foreign institutions of higher
education are not eligible to apply.
Faith-Based and Other Community Organizations: Consistent with Executive Order
13279, dated December 12, 2002, and 28 C.F.R. Part 38, faith-based and other
community organizations that statutorily qualify as eligible applicants under DOJ
programs are invited and encouraged to apply for assistance awards to fund eligible
grant activities. Faith-based and other community organizations will be considered for
awards on the same basis as other eligible applicants and, if they receive assistance
awards, will be treated on an equal basis with all other grantees in the administration of
such awards. No eligible applicant or grantee will be discriminated for or against on the
basis of its religious character or affiliation, religious name, or the religious composition
of its board of directors or persons working in the organization.
Faith-based organizations receiving DOJ assistance awards retain their independence
and do not lose or have to modify their religious identity (e.g., remove religious symbols)
to receive assistance awards. DOJ grant funds, however, may not be used to fund any
inherently religious activity, such as prayer or worship. Inherently religious activity is
permissible, although it cannot occur during an activity funded with DOJ grant funds;
rather, such religious activity must be separate in time or place from the DOJ-funded
program. Further, participation in such activity by individuals receiving services must be
voluntary. Programs funded by DOJ are not permitted to discriminate in the provision of
services on the basis of a beneficiary’s religion.
4
If your organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the
basis of religious belief, it may be entitled, under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act,
42 U.S.C. § 2000bb, to receive Federal funds and yet maintain that hiring practice, even
if the law creating the funding program contains a general ban on religious discrimination
in employment. For the circumstances under which this may occur, and the certifications
that may be required, please see the section titled “Funding to Faith-Based
Organizations” on the "Other Requirements for OJP Applications" Web page at
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/funding/other_requirements.htm.
Applicants are also encouraged to review the “Civil Rights Compliance” section of the
“Other Requirements for OJP Applications” Web page, which also can be found at
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/funding/other_requirements.htm.
American Indian Tribes and Alaska Native Tribes and/or Tribal Organizations: If a
grant application is being submitted on behalf of a tribe or tribal organization, a current
authorizing resolution of the governing body of the tribal entity or other enactment of the
tribal council or comparable government body authorizing the inclusion of the tribe or
tribal organization named in the application must be included with the application.
Specific Information—Crime and Justice Research
The Crime and Justice Research solicitation is NIJ’s “open” solicitation for social and
behavioral research and evaluation on topics relevant to State and/or local criminal and
juvenile justice policy and practice. Although most crime and justice topics that are
relevant to policymakers and practitioners are eligible for consideration, NIJ has
identified several priority research areas for Fiscal Year 2009:
Predicting Crime: NIJ is seeking research to estimate where and when future crime
may occur. Proposals may address predicting crime by developing new analytical
methods and/or enhancing existing techniques or evaluating current techniques for
accuracy. Specific questions to examine would include identifying the best indicators of
crime; determining how far into the future crime trends can be accurately predicted;
evaluating whether geography matters in accurately predicting where and when crime
will occur; testing whether crime prevention strategies have worked in situations where
an increased level of crime is predicted; and analyzing whether regional crime trends
have an impact on local crime patterns. Since many studies have shown that a large
percentage of crime occurs in a very small percentage of places, these techniques or
models may include spatial components within the analyses.
Emerging Crime: NIJ is seeking proposals to conduct research on emerging crime such
as terrorism, electronic crime, and identity theft. Regarding terrorism, NIJ is interested in
proposals to conduct research on extremist and terrorist groups that will inform national
criminal justice policy and practice. Proposed research should aim to improve criminal
justice strategies for preventing, preparing for, responding to, and mitigating terrorist
incidents at the Federal, State, and local levels. Specifically, NIJ is interested in
applications addressing two areas in particular. The first is an evaluation of programs in
State and local criminal justice agencies that track and interdict financial support to
terrorist groups, with an eye toward validating and improving these programs. NIJ is also
interested in applications that examine radicalization pathways within correctional
facilities in the United States that yield recruits for these groups—especially among, but
5
not limited to, security threat groups. Applications may address either domestic or
international terrorism. However, applicants must demonstrate that the research has
direct, immediate, and obvious implications for criminal justice policy and practice
relevant to State and local criminal justice agencies in the United States.
Human Trafficking: Prior NIJ studies have identified a need to better understand the
role of State and local law enforcement in identifying, investigating, and prosecuting
human trafficking cases. NIJ is particularly interested in learning about what factors
promote and hinder identification, investigation, and prosecution of human trafficking at
the State and local level (e.g. training, coordination with Federally-funded anti-trafficking
task forces or collaboration with local NGOs). NIJ seeks proposals involving the review
and comparison of case files from law enforcement agencies in states with and without
anti-trafficking laws to determine how cases progressed from initiation and investigation
to arrest and resolution (i.e. prosecutions, deportations or dismissals). While NIJ is
interested in cases that started as human trafficking investigations and were prosecuted
as such, studies should also consider cases that began as human trafficking
investigations, but were not prosecuted as such, or were initiated as part of an
investigation for another crime but were later found to involve human trafficking.
NIJ has also identified a need to learn more about how State and local law enforcement
are addressing labor trafficking. NIJ is interested in studies that examine trafficking in
persons for labor services in settings such as domestic help, agriculture, industry,
construction, retail, panhandling, or others. NIJ is also interested in research that
identifies how State and local law enforcement agencies from diverse jurisdictions define
labor trafficking and gauges their ability and interest in investigating labor trafficking
cases. NIJ is particularly interested in how training and the existence of State anti-
trafficking laws may impact jurisdictions’ ability and interest in investigating labor
trafficking cases. This may include ethnographic or survey based research that offers
insights into labor trafficking across the United States.
Re-entry: "Best Practices" for specific offender populations have yet to be identified
through research. NIJ is seeking proposals for evaluations of prisoner re-entry programs
that measure the effectiveness of specific services for specific offender populations, pre
release and/or in the community.
Preventing Crime Related to Gangs: NIJ is seeking research and evaluation proposals
on gang prevention and intervention. Gangs continue to be a significant source of
delinquent and criminal activity across the country. The negative consequences of the
gang lifestyle for individuals, families, and communities are extensive and have been
well documented. NIJ is interested in supporting research and evaluation that examines
evidence-based services, programs, and activities that are designed to prevent young
people from joining gangs or that seek to draw active gang members away from gang
activity. Any gang prevention or intervention effort proposed for examination must be
carefully designed, fully implemented, and potentially replicable; applicants must discuss
these qualities in the proposal in order to demonstrate why a particular program merits
national-level attention and study. Priority will be given to studies of prevention and
intervention efforts that have already generated positive results in more limited studies.
Formative studies and evaluations will be competitive only if they represent a clear and
compelling conceptual or practical departure from existing approaches.
6
Improving the Criminal Justice System: Prosecution and Defense. NIJ is seeking
research or evaluation that advances criminal case processing practice and policy goals
including expedited case management, equitable access to justice, and protection of
public safety. Proposals may address improving study models and methods, funding and
organizational structures, decisionmaking regarding case screening and disposition, or
other aspects. They may build upon, but not duplicate, efforts funded by the Bureau of
Justice Statistics or the Bureau of Justice Assistance in the following areas: expenditure
and employment,1 indigent defense,2 prosecution statistics,3 community justice4, and
adjudication.5 Comparative studies including international models must have direct
relevance to improving U.S. criminal court systems.
Reduction of Correctional Populations: NIJ is seeking research focused on the
identification and measurement of justice system modifications designed to reduce
prison populations safely. Both State and local budgets are increasingly affected by the
growth of correctional populations. NIJ seeks proposals that (1) identify sentencing,
policy, or technological interventions that have been tentatively identified as successful
mechanisms for reducing correctional populations and (2) offer a viable plan for
evaluating the intervention’s impact. The intervention to be evaluated must be carefully
designed, fully implemented, and potentially replicable; applicants must discuss these
qualities in the proposal in order to demonstrate why the intervention merits national-
level attention and study. At a minimum, evaluation plans must address budget,
population, operational, and public safety impact. Proposals may build upon, but not
duplicate efforts funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance or Bureau of Justice
Statistics. Priority will be given to proposals focused on high-impact interventions.
Applications proposing research in other areas will be considered, but should
explain how the proposed project will fill a critical gap in the field’s knowledge
and practice.
Applications must indicate which priority area or other research topic is being
addressed.
Researcher-Practitioner Partnerships. Researcher-practitioner partnerships are
strongly encouraged. They can involve a specific research study or an evaluation of an
innovative policy or practice. The partnership should be reflected in all phases of the
project from the identification of the issue to be studied through the analysis, report
writing, and application of the research results. It is critical that the application reflect a
genuine collaboration, regardless of who may have initiated the effort. Applicants must
clearly demonstrate a commitment to the partnership on the part of all parties involved,
by including letters of commitment, memorandums of understanding, or similar
documentation with the application.
Evaluators of NIJ-funded collaborations in the past have learned that a number of factors
are critical to the development of successful partnerships. These include a shared vision,
a problem-solving orientation, a clear definition of roles and responsibilities, effective
1 See http://www.ojp.gov/bjs/eande.htm.
2 See http://www.ojp.gov/bjs/id.htm.
3 See http://www.ojp.gov/bjs/pros.htm.
4 See http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/evaluation/psi_cjp/community1.htm.
5 See http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/topics/adjudication.html.
7
communication, continuity of personnel, and benefits that accrue to all partners.
Applicants should consider these factors in developing a collaborative proposal.
Evaluation Research: Within applications proposing evaluation research, funding
priority will be given to experimental research designs that use random selection and
assignment of participants to experimental and control conditions. When randomized
designs are not feasible, priority will be given to quasi-experimental designs that include
contemporary procedures like Propensity Score Matching and Regression Discontinuity
Design to address selection bias in evaluating outcomes and impacts.
Evaluations that also include measurements of program fidelity and implementation as
part of a thorough process assessment are desirable. Measurements of program fidelity
should be included as part of an assessment of program processes and operations to
ensure that policies, programs, and technologies are implemented as designed. As one
aspect of a comprehensive evaluation, assessments of program processes should
include objective measurements and qualitative observations of programs as they are
actually implemented and services are delivered. These may include assessment of
such aspects as adherence to program content and protocol, quantity and duration,
quality of delivery, and participant responsiveness.
Proposed evaluation research designs with multiple units of analysis and multiple
measurements will also be given priority. Design aspects that contribute to the validity of
results are necessary to effectively address issues of generalizability and
representativeness of findings.
Finally, applications that include cost/benefit analysis will be given priority. NIJ views
cost/benefit analysis as an effective way to communicate and disseminate findings from
evaluation research.
Please note: All applicants under this solicitation must comply with Department of Justice
regulations on confidentiality and human subjects protection. See “Other Requirements for
OJP Applications” at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/funding/other_requirements.htm.
What will not be funded:
1. Provision of training or direct service.
2. Proposals primarily to purchase equipment, materials, or supplies. (Your budget may
include these items if they are necessary to conduct applied research, development,
demonstration, evaluation, or analysis.)
3. Work that will be funded under another specific solicitation.
4. Proposals for science and technology testing or development.
Cost of proposed work: NIJ anticipates that up to a total of $10 million may become
available for awards made through this solicitation. All NIJ awards are subject to the
availability of appropriated funds and to any modifications or additional
requirements that may be imposed by law. NIJ expects to make awards in each
priority area, depending on funds available, the number of high-quality applications, and
other pertinent factors. If you propose a project that exceeds the amount of money that
may be available for this solicitation, we recommend that you divide the project into
phases, stages, or tasks so that NIJ can consider making an award for a specific portion
of the work. NIJ cannot guarantee that subsequent phases, stages, or tasks will be
8
funded. Such additional funding depends on, among other things, NIJ resources,
strategic priorities, and your satisfactory completion of each phase, stage, or task. Note:
Deliverables (e.g., a final report) will be required at the end of each phase, stage, or
task.
Applicants should be aware that the total period for an award, including one that
receives additional funding, ordinarily will not exceed 3 years.
A grant made by NIJ under this solicitation may account for up to 100 percent of the total
cost of the project. See "Cofunding," under "What an Application Must Include."
Limitation on use of award funds for employee compensation; waiver: No portion
of any award of more than $250,000 made under this solicitation may be used to pay
any portion of the total cash compensation (salary plus bonuses) of any employee of the
award recipient whose total cash compensation exceeds 110 percent of the maximum
annual salary payable to a member of the Federal Government’s Senior Executive
Service (SES) at an agency with a Certified SES Performance Appraisal System for that
year. (The salary table for SES employees is available at http://www.opm.gov.)
This prohibition may be waived at the discretion of the Assistant Attorney General for the
Office of Justice Programs. An applicant that wishes to request a waiver should include
a detailed justification in the budget narrative for the application. The justification should
include: the particular qualification and expertise of the individual, the uniqueness of the
service being provided, the individual’s specific knowledge of the program or project
undertaken with the grant funds and a statement explaining that the individual’s salary is
commensurate with the regular and customary rate for an individual with her/his
qualifications and expertise, and for the work that is to be done.
Performance Measures
To assist in fulfilling the Department’s responsibilities under the Government
Performance and Results Act (GPRA), P.L. 103–62, applicants who receive funding
under this solicitation must provide data that measure the results of their work.
Performance measures for this solicitation are as follows:
9
Objective
Performance Measures
Data Grantee Provides
Develop and analyze
Relevance to the needs of the
A final report providing a
information and data
field as measured by whether the
comprehensive overview of the
having clear implications
grantee’s substantive scope did
project and a detailed description of
for criminal justice policy
not deviate from the funded
the project design, data, and
and practice in the
proposal or any subsequent
methods; a full presentation of
United States.
agency modifications to the
scientific findings; and a thorough
scope.
discussion of the implications of the
project findings for criminal justice
Quality of the research as
practice and policy.
assessed by peer reviewers.
Quarterly financial reports, semi
Quality of management as
annual progress reports, and a final
measured by whether significant
progress report.
interim project milestones were
achieved, final deadlines were
If applicable, each data set that was
met, and costs remained within
collected, acquired, or modified in
approved limits.
conjunction with the project.
If applicable, number of NIJ final
If applicable, citation to
grant reports, NIJ research
report(s)/document(s).
documents, and grantee research
documents published.
How to Apply
DOJ participates in Grants.gov—a “one-stop storefront” that provides a unified process
for all customers of Federal grants to find funding opportunities and apply for funding.
Grants.Gov Instructions: Complete instructions can be found at www.grants.gov.
If you experience difficulties at any point during this process, please call the Grants.gov
Customer Support Hotline at 1–800–518–4726, Monday–Friday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
eastern time.
Funding Opportunities With Multiple Purpose Areas: Some OJP solicitations posted
to Grants.gov contain multiple purpose areas, denoted by the individual Competition ID.
If you are applying to a solicitation with multiple Competition IDs, you must select the
appropriate Competition ID for the intended purpose area of your application. The
application will be peer reviewed according to the requirements of the purpose area
under which it is submitted.
Note: OJP’s Grants Management System (GMS) does not support Microsoft Vista
or Microsoft 2007. Therefore, OJP will not review any application whose
attachments are in Microsoft Vista or Microsoft 2007 format. GMS downloads
applications from Grants.gov and is the system in which OJP reviews applications and
manages awarded grants. Applications submitted via GMS must be in the following
formats: Microsoft Word (*.doc), Word Perfect (*.wpd), Microsoft Excel (*.xls), PDF files
(*.pdf), or Text Documents (*.txt). GMS is not yet compatible with Vista and cannot yet
process Microsoft Word 2007 documents saved in the new default format with the
extensions of “.docx.” Please ensure the documents you are submitting in Grants.gov
are saved using “Word 97–2003 Document (*.doc)” format. Additionally, GMS does not
10
accept executable file types as application attachments. These disallowed file types
include, but are not limited to, the following extensions: ".com," ".bat," ".exe," ".vbs,"
".cfg," ".dat," ".db," ".dbf," ".dll," ".ini," ".log," ".ora," ".sys," and ".zip."
CFDA Number: The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number for this
solicitation is 16.560, titled “National Institute of Justice Research, Evaluation, and
Development Project Grants,” and the Grants.gov funding opportunity number is
NIJ–2009–2007.
A DUNS number is required: The Office of Management and Budget requires that all
businesses and nonprofit applicants for Federal funds include a DUNS (Data Universal
Numbering System) number in their application for a new award or renewal of an award.
Applications without a DUNS number are incomplete. A DUNS number is a unique nine-
digit sequence recognized as the universal standard for identifying and keeping track of
entities receiving Federal funds. The identifier is used for tracking purposes and to
validate address and point-of-contact information for Federal assistance applicants,
recipients, and subrecipients. The DUNS number will be used throughout the grant life
cycle. Obtaining a DUNS number is a free, simple, one-time activity. Obtain one by
calling 1–866–705–5711 or by applying online at http://www.dnb.com/us. Individuals are
exempt from this requirement.
Central Contractor Registration (CCR) is required: In addition to the DUNS number
requirement, OJP requires that all applicants (other than individuals) for Federal financial
assistance maintain current registrations in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR)
database. The CCR database is the repository for standard information about Federal
financial assistance applicants, recipients, and subrecipients. Organizations that have
previously submitted applications via Grants.gov are already registered with CCR, as it
is a requirement for Grants.gov registration. Please note, however, that applicants must
update or renew their CCR at least once per year to maintain an active status.
Information about registration procedures can be accessed at www.ccr.gov.
What an Application Must Include
An application must include the following:
Standard Form 424
Program Narrative
The Program Narrative includes:
a. Abstract (not to exceed 600 words).
The abstract should state the problem under investigation (including goals
and objectives of the proposed project) and the anticipated relevance of
the project to criminal justice public policy, practice, or theory applicable
to the United States. It should describe the proposed method and/or
research design, including data to be used in addressing research
questions, data collection procedures and instrumentation, access to
data, and other methods or procedures of the proposed study. It should
also describe procedures for data analysis and all expected products,
including interim and final reports, instrumentation, devices, and data sets
to be submitted in accordance with the Data Archiving Strategy (see
11
below). If applicable, it should describe the subjects who will be involved
in the proposed project, including the number of participants; participants’
age, gender, and race/ethnicity; and other pertinent characteristics, such
as methods used to gain access to subjects.
b. Resubmit response (if applicable).
If you are resubmitting a proposal that was submitted, but not funded,
under a previous solicitation, you must provide a response indicating that
your proposal is a revision and that it was submitted before. You should
prepare a two-page response to the earlier panel review that includes (1)
the title, submission date, and NIJ-assigned application number of the
previous proposal, and (2) a brief summary of responses to the review
and/or revisions to the proposal. Insert the response after the abstract.
c. Table of contents.
d. Main body.
The main body of the Program Narrative should describe the project in
depth and include the following sections:
• Purpose, goals, and objectives.
• Review of relevant literature.
• Research design and methods.
• Implications for criminal justice policy and practice in the United States.
• Management plan and organization.
• Dissemination strategy.
e. Appendixes.
Appendixes are not counted against program narrative page limit and
must include:
• Bibliography/References (if applicable).
• Data Archiving Strategy (see “Other Program Attachments” below).
• List of key personnel (required).
• Résumés of key personnel (required).
• List of previous and current NIJ awards (required).
• Letters of cooperation/support or administrative agreements from
organizations collaborating in the project (if applicable).
• Chart for timeline, research calendar, or milestones (required).
• Other materials required by the solicitation.
Budget Detail Worksheet
The Budget Detail Worksheet should address the full scope, duration, and cost of the
project. The Budget Detail Worksheet should include a breakdown of costs associated
with each budget category, including itemizations and calculations where necessary.
The budget must be broken down on a year-by-year basis over the length of the project.
That is, if the proposed project is 3 years, then there should be separate budgets for
year one, year two, and year three.
Templates for filling out the Budget Detail Worksheet may be found online at
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/funding/forms/budget_detail.pdf, OJP Standard Forms &
Instructions. If you have any questions, please contact the Office of the Chief Financial
Officer's Customer Service Center at 1–800–458–0786.
12
Budget Narrative
The Budget Narrative is a plain-language description of each of the proposed
expenditures listed in the Budget Detail Worksheet. It should clearly explain the purpose
and reason for all expenditures in the budget. There should be no ambiguities about any
budget item. The narrative should also include details for calculated rates or other
figures.
As with the Budget Detail Worksheet, the Budget Narrative must be broken down on a
year-by-year basis.
Indirect Rate Agreement (if applicable)
Applicants that do not have a federally negotiated indirect cost rate and wish to establish
one can submit a proposal to their “cognizant” Federal agency. Generally, the cognizant
Federal agency is the agency that provides the preponderance of direct Federal funding.
This can be determined by reviewing an organization’s schedule of Federal financial
assistance. If DOJ is your cognizant Federal agency, obtain information needed to
submit an indirect cost rate proposal at
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/financialguide/part3/part3chap17.htm.
Other Program Attachments
These include several forms, available on OJP’s funding page at
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/funding/forms.htm.
Data Archiving Strategy: NIJ requires that each data set resulting from funded
research be submitted as a grant product or deliverable for archiving with the National
Archive of Criminal Justice Data. (Data sets are to be submitted 90 days before the end
of the project period.) Applications for NIJ research grants must include a brief (one- or
two-page) data archiving strategy. For purposes of research replication and extension,
the inclusion of only the final data set often prevents other researchers from replicating
or extending the study because there are no original data, intermediate data, or
documentation detailing how the data changed throughout the project. This data
archiving strategy therefore must briefly describe the—
• Anticipated manipulations of original, intermediate, and final data sets (as
applicable).
• Methods of documentation of such manipulations.
• Preparation of original, intermediate, and final data sets for archive submission.
The data archiving strategy should be submitted as an appendix to the application and
will NOT count toward the 30-page limit. Please label this appendix “Data Archiving
Strategy.”
Page limit: The program narrative section of your application must not exceed 30
double-spaced pages in 12-point font with 1-inch margins. Abstract, resubmit response,
table of contents, charts, figures, appendixes, and government forms do not count
toward the 30-page limit for the narrative section.
Cofunding: A grant made by NIJ under this solicitation may account for up to 100
percent of the total cost of the project. You must indicate whether you believe it is
feasible for you to contribute cash, facilities, or services as non-Federal support for the
13
project. Your application should identify generally any such contributions that you expect
to make and your proposed budget should indicate in detail which items, if any, will be
supported with non-Federal contributions.
Selection Criteria
Successful applicants must demonstrate the following:
Statement of the Problem/Program Narrative (Understanding of the problem and its
importance.)—15%
1. Clarity of problem statement.
2. Awareness of relevant research.
3. Connection between proposed research and problem.
Project/Program Design and Implementation (Quality and technical merit.)—30%
1. Awareness of the state of current research or technology.
2. Soundness of methodology and analytic and technical approach.
3. Feasibility of proposed project and awareness of pitfalls.
4. Innovation and creativity (when appropriate).
Capabilities/Competencies (Capabilities, demonstrated productivity, and experience of
applicants.)—20%
1. Qualifications and experience of proposed staff.
2. Demonstrated ability of proposed staff and organization to manage the effort.
3. Adequacy of the plan to manage the project, including how various tasks are
subdivided and resources are used.
4. Successful past performance on NIJ grants and contracts (when applicable).
Budget—15%
1. Total cost of the project relative to the perceived benefit.
2. Appropriateness of the budget relative to the level of effort.
3. Use of existing resources to conserve costs.
Impact/Outcomes and Evaluation (Relevance to policy and practice)—15%
1. Potential for significant advances in scientific or technical understanding of the
problem.
2. Potential for significant advances in the field.
3. Relevance for improving the policy and practice of criminal justice and related
agencies and improving public safety, security, and quality of life.
4. Affordability and cost-effectiveness of proposed end products, when applicable
(e.g., purchase price and maintenance costs for a new technology or cost of
training to use the technology).
5. Perceived potential for commercialization and/or implementation of a new
technology (when applicable).
Dissemination Strategy—5%
1. Well-defined plan for the grant recipient to disseminate results to appropriate
audiences, including researchers, practitioners, and policymakers.
14
2. Suggestions for print and electronic products NIJ might develop for practitioners
and policymakers.
Relevance of the project for policy and practice:
Higher quality applications clearly explain the practical implications of the project. They
connect technical expertise with criminal justice policy and practice. To ensure that the
project has strong relevance for policy and practice, some researchers and technologists
collaborate with practitioners and policymakers. You may include letters showing support
from practitioners, but they carry less weight than clear evidence that you understand
why policymakers and practitioners would benefit from your work and how they would
use it. While a partnership may affect State or local activities, it should also have broader
implications for others across the country.
Review Process
OJP is committed to ensuring a standardized process for awarding grants. NIJ reviews
the application to make sure that the information presented is reasonable,
understandable, measurable, achievable, and consistent with program or legislative
requirements as stated in the solicitation.
Peer reviewers will be reviewing the applications submitted under this solicitation as
well. NIJ may use either internal peer reviewers, external peer reviewers, or a
combination of both to review the applications under this solicitation. An external peer
reviewer is an expert in the field of the subject matter of a given solicitation who is NOT
a current U.S. Department of Justice employee. An internal reviewer is an expert in the
field of the subject matter of a given solicitation who is a current U.S. Department of
Justice employee. Applications will be screened initially to determine whether the
applicant meets all eligibility requirements. Only applications submitted by eligible
applicants that meet all other requirements (such as timeliness, proper format, and
responsiveness to the scope of the solicitation) will be evaluated, scored, and rated by a
peer review panel. Peer reviewers’ ratings and any resulting recommendations are
advisory only. In addition to peer review ratings, considerations may include, but are not
limited to, underserved populations, strategic priorities, past performance, and available
funding.
After the peer review is finalized, the Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO), in
consultation with NIJ, conducts a financial review of all potential discretionary awards
and cooperative agreements to evaluate the fiscal integrity and financial capability of
applicants; examines proposed costs to determine if the budget and budget narrative
accurately explain project costs; and determines whether costs are reasonable,
necessary, and allowable under applicable Federal cost principles and agency
regulations. OCFO also reviews the award document and verifies the OJP Vendor
Number.
When awards will be made: All applicants, whether they are accepted or rejected, will
be notified. The review and approval process takes about 9 months. You should not
propose to begin work until at least 9 months after the application deadline on the cover
of this solicitation. Also, you should not expect to receive notification of a decision for at
least 9 months after that date. Lists of awards are updated regularly on NIJ’s Web site at
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/funding/welcome.htm.
15
Absent explicit statutory authorization or written delegation of authority to the contrary,
all final grant award decisions will be made by the Assistant Attorney General (AAG),
who may also give consideration to factors including, but not limited to, underserved
populations, strategic priorities, past performance, and available funding when making
awards.
Additional Requirements
Successful applicants selected for an award must agree to comply with additional
applicable requirements prior to receiving grant funding. We strongly encourage you to
review the list below pertaining to these additional requirements prior to submitting your
application. Additional information for each can be found at
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/funding/other_requirements.htm.
• Civil Rights Compliance
• Funding to Faith-Based Organizations
• Confidentiality and Human Subjects Protection
• Anti-Lobbying
Act
• Financial and Government Audit Requirements
• National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
• DOJ Information Technology Standards
• Single Point of Contact Review
• Nonsupplanting of State and Local Funds
• Criminal Penalty for False Statements
• Compliance with Office of Justice Programs Financial Guide
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/financialguide/
• Suspension or Termination of Funding
• Nonprofit
Organizations
• For-Profit
Organizations
• Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA)
• Rights in Intellectual Property
• Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA)
16
If your proposal is funded, you will be required to submit several reports and other
materials, including:
Final substantive report: The final report should be a comprehensive overview of the
project and should include, among other things, a detailed description of the project
design, data, and methods; a full presentation of scientific findings; and a thorough
discussion of the implications of the project findings for criminal justice practice and
policy in the United States. It must contain an abstract of no more than 600 words and
an executive summary of 2,500 to 4,000 words.
A draft of the final report, abstract, and executive summary must be submitted 90 days
before the end date of the grant. The draft final report will be peer reviewed upon
submission. The reviews will be forwarded to the principal investigator with suggestions
for revisions. The author must then submit the revised final report, abstract, and
executive summary by the end date of the grant. The abstract, executive summary, and
final report must be submitted in both paper and electronic formats.
For program evaluation studies, the final report should include a section on measuring
program performance. This section should outline the measures used to evaluate
program effectiveness, modifications made to those measures as a result of the
evaluation, and recommendations regarding these and other potential performance
measures for similar programs. (This information will be particularly valuable to NIJ and
other Federal program agencies in implementing performance measures for federally
funded criminal justice programs.)
Interim reports: Grantees must submit quarterly financial reports, semi-annual progress
reports, a final progress report, and, if applicable, an annual audit report in accordance
with Office of Management and Budget Circular A–133. Future awards and fund
drawdowns may be withheld if reports are delinquent.
Data sets: NIJ requires submission of all data sets (original, intermediate, and final)
produced or collected for the project, and any artifact associated with the project data.
17
