Graduate Research Fellowships Solicitation.

MENU TITLE: Graduate Research Fellowships
Series: NIJ Solicitation
Published: July 1997
5 pages
6,999 bytes

NIJ Fellowship Opportunities
National Institute of Justice

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GRADUATE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS

The National Institute of Justice's Graduate
Research Fellowship Program provides dissertation
research support to outstanding doctoral students
undertaking independent research on issues in the
criminal justice field. Students from any academic
discipline may apply. The Institute encourages
diversity in approaches and perspectives in its
research programs. It awards these fellowships to
expand the pool of research talent in the criminal
justice community by attracting doctoral students
who can contribute critical and innovative thinking
to pressing justice problems. 

NIJ asks dissertation advisors to bring this
program to the attention of their most promising
students early in their dissertation development.

The subject of the proposed doctoral dissertation
should constitute the research for this fellowship.
This research must focus on a topic relevant to
national criminal justice policy or be directly
related to the concerns of operating criminal
justice agencies. NIJ is particularly interested in
applications from candidates working in areas
related to the long-range goals of the Institute's
research, evaluation, and science and technology
programs (see NIJ's Research Prospectus, NCJ
163708, which is available from the National
Criminal Justice Reference Service). 

NIJ seeks applicants who have completed all degree
requirements except the research, writing, and
defense of a dissertation and have had their
prospectuses accepted through sponsoring
universities. At the conclusion of the grant
period, the dissertation must be completed and
submitted as a final product. 

APPLICATION INFORMATION

Application Procedures. Proposals not conforming to
the application procedures specified below will not
be considered. Each applicant should write a
technical proposal that is 15 double-spaced pages
in length or less and includes the following
information: 

o A detailed discussion of the proposed project,
including research questions, a literature review,
research design, and analysis plan. 

o A management plan and schedule of critical
milestones.

o A discussion of proposed products to be developed
along with their respective timelines.

Applicants should also provide as separate
enclosures:

o A background statement that includes education,
employment experience, publications, and current
stage of degree program. Official transcripts for
graduate work should be included. 

o A statement of support from an academic adviser
that evaluates the proposed project and the
potential of the candidate to succeed in the
program, and describes the adviser's role in
monitoring the project.

o A letter of support from the dean or provost of
the college or university. (Letters of support
should be included as appendixes.)

The application package must also include the
appropriate Federal application forms and budget
justifications. These documents and guidance for
their completion are available from the National
Criminal Justice Reference Service at 800-851-3420;
the U.S. Department of Justice Response Center at
800-421-6770; or, in electronic form from the
Justice Information Center on the World Wide Web:
http://www.ncjrs.org/fedgrant.htm#nij.

Selection Criteria. The National Institute of
Justice's Graduate Research Fellowships are highly
competitive. All applications will be reviewed by
an external review panel and NIJ professional
staff. Review criteria include technical merit,
understanding of the problem, relevance to NIJ's
long-range goals, and the applicant's
qualifications. Funding decisions are made by the
NIJ Director on the basis of peer reviews and
consultations with NIJ staff.

Eligibility Requirements. To be eligible to
administer a Graduate Research Fellowship grant on
behalf of a doctoral candidate, an institution must
be fully accredited by one of the regional
institutional accrediting commissions recognized by
the U.S. Commissioner of Education and the Council
on Postsecondary Accreditation.

Award Amounts. Individuals may not receive awards
directly in this program; grant awards will be made
only to educational institutions.

Up to $35,000 will be awarded to successful
applicants. It is anticipated that five or six
awards will be made annually. The grant may include
the fellow's stipend (prorated on the basis of
$15,000 for full-time study for a 12-month period).

Allowable Expenses. No indirect costs incurred by
the sponsoring university or institution are
covered by this program. Awards cover major project
costs, such as supplies, reproduction costs,
computer time, and necessary local and out-of-town
travel (reimbursed at the sponsoring university's
or agency's rate), which includes one trip to
Washington, D.C., to present dissertation findings
at an NIJ staff seminar.

Award Period. NIJ's Graduate Research Fellowships
will last up to 24 months.

Due Date. Technical proposals must be received at
the National Institute of Justice by the close of
business on October 15, 1997; January 15,1998; or
May 15, 1998. Extension of these deadlines will not
be granted.

Ten copies of technical proposals should be sent
to: 

Graduate Research Fellowship Program
National Institute of Justice
810 7th Street N.W.
Washington, DC 20531

Staff Contact. Applicants are encouraged to contact
the Institute well in advance if there are any
questions on topic eligibility for funding. To
obtain further information about topic viability,
applicants may contact Dr. Voncile Gowdy at
202-307-2951.

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RECENT DISSERTATION FELLOWSHIPS

Eric Gross, Temple University. Topic: Evaluation
and Review of the Peacemaker Court of the Navajo
Nation.

Eric Baumer, State University of New York, Albany.
Topic: Influence of Neighborhood Disadvantage on
Delinquency and Drug Abuse.

Brian Applegate, University of Cincinnati. Topic:
Specifying Public Support for Corrections
Rehabilitation: A Factorial Survey Approach.

Claire Souryal, University of Maryland. Topic: Do
Violations of Release Signal Criminal Recidivism? A
Multi-Site Examination.

David Olson, University of Illinois, Chicago.
Topic: The Impact of Crime on Criminal and Juvenile
Justice System Policies and Practices.

Joseph Fuentes, John Jay College. Topic: The Impact
of Managerial Style on the Colombian Distribution
of Cocaine to the Wholesale Level.

Jennifer Frisbie, Sam Houston State University.
Topic: Evaluating the Client Management
Classification System: An Application of Fuzzy Sets
to Criminal Justice Decision Making.

NCJ 166367