Collaboration and Coordination for Technology Research and Development

Collaboration and coordination are core tenets of NIJ's science and technology investment strategy.  Forming strategic partnerships with other agencies allows NIJ to leverage investments, avoid duplicating efforts and devote its resources to areas that offer the highest potential payoff for the criminal justice community.

NIJ shares responsibility with the U.S. Departments of Defense and Homeland Security for providing tools and technology to deal with critical incidents resulting from natural or manmade disasters, including acts of terrorism.  Terrorism is a crime, and law enforcement officers will often be among the first responders at the scene of an incident.  In support of this mission, NIJ participates in overarching agreements on technology development and transfer with both departments.

Since the mid-1990s, NIJ has been a member of the Technical Support Working Group, the federal forum that identifies, prioritizes and coordinates interagency research and development activities for combating terrorism.

NIJ also has an extensive set of agreements with the Department of Energy's National Laboratories.

Among others, NIJ's federal partner agencies include:

• Science and Technology Directorate, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
• Technology Support Working Group, U.S. Department of Defense
• Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center, U.S. Army
• United States Army Research Laboratory, U.S. Army
• Air Force Research Laboratory, U.S. Air Force
• National Institute of Standards and Technology, U.S. Department of Commerce
• National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control
• Savannah River National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy
• The Ames Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy
• Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy
• Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Department of Justice
• Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Department of Justice