Current Funding Opportunities

NIJ seeks proposals for funding basic scientific research in the physical, life, and cognitive sciences that is designed to increase the knowledge underlying forensic science disciplines intended for use in the criminal justice system.

NIJ seeks proposals for applied research and development projects that will: (1) increase knowledge or understanding necessary to guide forensic science policy and practice, or (2) result in the production of useful materials, devices, systems, or methods that have the potential for forensic application. The intent of the Applied Research and Development in Forensic Science for Criminal Justice Purposes program is to direct the findings of basic scientific research, research and development in broader scientific fields applicable to forensic science, and ongoing forensic science research toward the development of highly discriminating, accurate, reliable, cost-effective, and rapid methods for the identification, analysis, and interpretation of physical evidence for criminal justice purposes.

NIJ seeks proposals for funding for the FY 2012 DNA Backlog Reduction Program. This program provides funding to States and units of local government with existing crime laboratories that conduct DNA analysis to process, record, screen, and analyze forensic DNA and/or DNA database samples, and to increase the capacity of public forensic DNA and DNA database laboratories to process more DNA samples, thereby helping to reduce the number of forensic DNA and DNA database samples awaiting analysis.

Forms and Examples
To ease the application process, we have created a Program Narrative Form and an example application including a completed program narrative, budget narrative and budget detail worksheet. Download the forms and examples:

• DNA Backlog Reduction: Program Narrative Form (pdf, 15 pages)
• Example Program Narrative (pdf, 15 pages)
• Example DNA Backlog Reduction Budget Narrative (pdf, 3 pages)
• DNA Backlog Reduction Detail Budget Worksheet (xlsx, 102 KB)
• Example Budget Detail Worksheet (xlsx, 108 KB)

We will be using this Review Checklist (pdf, 21 pages); please make sure your application has included all necessary components.

NIJ seeks proposals for funding to conduct an evaluation of the impact of NIJ's body armor research program on law enforcement policy and practice in the United States beginning with the program's inception in the early 1970s through today. This program involves the development of improved body armor. It also involves the development of standards to measure the performance of body armor and a testing program to help ensure that the armor sold to law enforcement agencies is safe and effective.

NIJ seeks proposals for research related to teen dating violence (a.k.a. adolescent relationship abuse). In particular, NIJ seeks proposals that explore predictors and consequences of teen dating violence using longitudinal data, through the support of postdoctoral fellows, to analyze existing data.

NIJ seeks proposals to conduct comparative evaluations of safety equipment modalities; that is, policies and practices among correctional agencies regarding what safety equipment staff may use, when and how staff may use it, and how those modalities affect officers’ physical safety. For the purpose of this solicitation, safety equipment is defined as equipment used by correctional officers to de-escalate and stop violent and disruptive activities by inmates and to protect officers from assaults.

NIJ seeks proposals for research to examine whether the physiologic and metabolic effects of the stress of being subdued or restrained, by any means, may explain otherwise unexplained in-custody deaths. Specifically, NIJ seeks proposals for research to: (1) clarify the fatal mechanisms that might be associated with stress resulting from being subdued or restrained, by any means and not limited to CEDs; and, if such mechanisms can be demonstrated, (2) identify post-mortem markers that can inform death investigations.

NIJ seeks proposals to conduct research on policing to improve criminal investigative processes and promote police integrity in law enforcement agencies at the State and local levels. Effective criminal investigative practices and improved police integrity are of critical importance to ensuring trust and confidence in the police in communities throughout the United States. NIJ is interested in proposals addressing the following topics: (1) Police Investigations and (2) Police Integrity.

NIJ seeks proposals for research and evaluation on specific issues related to sexual violence, stalking, and teen dating violence. The issue areas for sexual violence research are the criminal justice response to particular underserved populations, the development and testing of instruments with diverse populations, and testing of innovative interventions aimed at improving initial criminal justice responses to victims of sexual violence. Priority areas for research on stalking are evaluating offender interventions specific to stalking behavior by current or former intimate partners, and law enforcement and prosecutorial actions regarding particular stalking issues. In the area of teen dating violence (i.e., adolescent relationship abuse), applications are sought for additional waves of data for existing longitudinal projects.

NIJ seeks applications for funding for research to examine issues related to the criminal justice system, specifically the function and process of the system from detection and arrest through offender reentry. Specific focus areas under this solicitation include three separate and distinct topic areas:

• Research on District Attorneys' pretrial diversion programs.
• A pilot study on the impact of incarceration on families.
• Research on the impact of video visitation on offender outcomes.

Applicants must clearly identify the topic area to which the application is responding. Applicants may submit to any or all topic areas; however, applications must be responsive to the specific requirement of the topic area selected. Applications that fall outside of the three topic areas will not be considered. 

NIJ seeks proposals to conduct research to evaluate how technology affects policing strategies at the State, local, and tribal levels and the impact that technology has on policing outcomes. In other words, policing organizations may implement new technologies within their departments for the purpose of promoting public safety, enforcing the law, and/or preventing and detecting crime. If successful, the new technology may lead to changes in policing strategies designed to enhance positive policing outcomes (e.g., improving police response time or reducing targeted crimes). This research aims to fill these gaps in policing research.

NIJ seeks proposals for funding under the Ph.D. Graduate Research Fellowship (GRF) program, which provides awards for research on crime, violence, and other criminal justice-related topics to accredited academic universities that offer research-based doctoral degrees in disciplines relevant to NIJ’s mission.

The GRF program is intended to support universities that sponsor students who are in the final stages of graduate study. Awards are granted to successful applicants in the form of a grant to cover a doctoral student fellowship. Currently, the GRF fellowship is $25,000.

NIJ seeks proposals for funding under the W.E.B. Du Bois Fellowship for Research in Race, Gender, Culture, and Crime FY 2012. The Du Bois Fellowship Program seeks to advance knowledge regarding the confluence of crime, justice, and culture in various societal contexts. The Fellowship places particular emphasis on crime, violence, and the administration of justice in diverse cultural contexts within the United States.

In partnership with the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) seeks proposals under the Data Resources Program (DRP) solicitation for original research using existing data available from the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data (NACJD) and other public sources. NACJD houses quantitative and qualitative data from research funded by these agencies, and data are made available online as downloadable, machine-readable files along with necessary documentation. NACJD is maintained by the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research at the University of Michigan and is supported by NIJ, BJS, and OJJDP.

NIJ seeks proposals for research on illegal prescription drug markets to examine the utility of policies, practices, and resources available to law enforcement for major crime deterrence, prosecution, and other market intervention measures. This solicitation has two objectives: policy analysis of criminal diversion of prescription medication laws, and Prescription Drug Monitoring program optimization for law enforcement.