Notices regarding the solicitation “NIJ FY23 Research and 

Evaluation on Correctional Culture and Climate”

July 5, 2023: Access the transcript and presentation from the June 7 

webinar.

June 7, 2023: Minor clarifying edits were made to page 9 of this solicitation.

May 30, 2023: NIJ will host a webinar discussing this solicitation on June 7, 

2023, from 3-4 p.m. ET. 

The original funding opportunity document begins on the next page.
OMB No. 1121-0329 

Expires  12/31/2023 

U.S. Department of Justice 

Office of Justice Programs 

National Institute of Justice 

NIJ FY23 Research and Evaluation on Correctional Culture and 

Climate 

Assistance Listing Number #  16.560 

Grants.gov Opportunity Number: O-NIJ-2023-171774 

Solicitation Release Date:     May 23, 2023 1:15 PM ET  

Step 1: Application Grants.gov Deadline:    August 07, 2023 11:59 PM ET  

Step 2: Application JustGrants Deadline:    August 21, 2023 8:59 PM ET 

Overview 

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), National 

Institute of Justice (NIJ) seeks applications for funding to conduct research and 

evaluation on correctional climate and culture. This program furthers DOJ’s mission by 

supporting the development of new knowledge and tools to address the challenges of 

crime and justice in the United States through fundamental research. 

This solicitation incorporates guidance provided in the OJP Grant Application Resource 

Guide which provides additional information for applicants to prepare and submit 

applications to OJP for funding. If this solicitation expressly modifies any provision 

in the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide, the applicant is to follow the 

guidelines in this solicitation as to that provision. 

Solicitation Categories 

This solicitation does not include Solicitation Categories. 

Eligible Applicants: 

City or township governments, County governments, For profit organizations other than 

small businesses, Independent school districts, Native American tribal governments 

(Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally 

recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other 

than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with 

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O-NIJ-2023-171774
the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher 

education, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Public housing 

authorities/Indian housing authorities, Small businesses, Special district governments, 

State governments, Unrestricted (open to any type of entity above), subject to any 

clarification in text field entitled as Additional Information on Eligibility 

An applicant entity may submit more than one application if each application proposes a 

different project in response to the solicitation. Also, an entity may be proposed as a 

subrecipient (subgrantee) in more than one application. 

NIJ will consider applications under which two or more entities would carry out the 

federal award; however, only one entity may be the applicant. Any others must be 

proposed as subrecipients (subgrantees). For additional information on subawards, see 

the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide. 

NIJ may elect to fund applications submitted under this FY 2023 solicitation in future 

fiscal years, dependent on, among other considerations, the merit of the applications and 

the availability of appropriations. 

Contact Information 

For assistance with the requirements of this solicitation, contact the OJP Response 

Center at 800-851-3420, 301-240-6310 (TTY for hearing-impaired callers only), or 

grants@ncjrs.gov. The OJP Response Center operates from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. 

eastern time (ET) Monday–Friday, and 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET on the solicitation 

close date. 

Submission Information 

Registration: Before submitting an application, all applicants must register with the 

System for Award Management (SAM). You must renew and validate your registration 

every 12 months. If you do not renew your SAM registration, it will expire. An expired 

registration can delay or prevent application submission in Grants.gov and JustGrants. 

Registration and renewal can take up to 10 business days to complete. 

Submission: Applications must be submitted to DOJ electronically through a two-step 

process via Grants.gov and JustGrants. 

Step 1: The applicant must submit by the Grants.gov deadline the required Application 

for Federal Assistance standard form (SF-424) and a Disclosure of Lobbying 

Activities (SF-LLL) form when they register in Grants.gov at https://www.grants.gov/ 

web/grants/register.html. Submit the SF-424 and SF-LLL as early as possible, but no 

later than 48 hours before the Grants.gov deadline. If an applicant fails to submit in 

Grants.gov, they will be unable to apply in JustGrants. 

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For technical assistance with submitting the SF-424 and a SF-LLL in Grants.gov, contact 

the Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline at 800-518-4726, 606-545-5035, Grants.gov 

Customer Support, or support@grants.gov. The Grants.gov Support Hotline operates 24 

hours a day, 7 days a week, except on federal holidays. 

Step 2: The applicant must submit the full application, including attachments, in 

JustGrants at JustGrants.usdoj.gov by the JustGrants application deadline. 

For technical assistance with submitting the full application in JustGrants, contact the 

JustGrants Service Desk at 833-872-5175 or JustGrants.Support@usdoj.gov. The 

JustGrants Service Desk operates 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET Monday–Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 

p.m. ET on Saturday, Sunday, and Federal holidays. 

OJP encourages applicants to review the “How To Apply” section in the OJP Grant 

Application Resource Guide and the JustGrants website for more information, resources, 

and training. Applicants should maintain all receipts and confirmations received from 

SAM.gov, Grants.gov, JustGrants systems. 

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Contents 

Overview 1 

Contact Information 2 

Submission Information 2 

Program Description 7 

Overview 7 

Statutory Authority 8 

Specific Information 8 

Goals, Objectives, and Deliverables 12 

Priority Areas 13 

Federal Award Information 15 

Awards, Amounts and Durations 15 

Continuation Funding Intent 15 

Availability of Funds 15 

Type of Award 16 

Financial Management and System of Internal Controls 16 

Budget Information 16 

Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement 16 

Pre-agreement Costs (also known as Pre-award Costs) 17 

Limitation on Use of Award Funds for Employee Compensation: 

Waiver 

Training Costs 

(SF-424) in 

17 

Prior Approval, Planning, and Reporting of Conference/Meeting/ 17 

Costs Associated with Language Assistance (if applicable) 17 

Anticipated Number of Awards 17 

Anticipated Maximum Dollar Amount of Awards 17 

Period of Performance Duration 17 

Eligibility Information 17 

Application and Submission Information 18 

Content of Application Submission 18 

Information to Complete the Application for Federal Assistance 19 

Standard Applicant Information (JustGrants 424 and General Agency 19 

Proposal Abstract 19 

Proposal Narrative 19 

Goal, Objective and Deliverables 23 

Budget and Associated Documentation 23 

Grants.gov 

Information) 

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Budget Worksheet and Budget Narrative (Web-based Form) 23 

Questionnaire (including applicant disclosure of high-risk status) 

Maps 

Other Responsibility Matters; Drug-Free Workplace Requirements; 

Law Enforcement and Community Policing 

Pre-agreement Costs (also known as Pre-award Costs) 24 

Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable) 24 

Consultant Rate 24 

Limitation on Employee Compensation; Waiver 24 

Financial Management and System of Internal Controls 24 

Disclosure of Process Related to Executive Compensation 25 

Additional Application Components 25 

Curriculum Vitae or Resumes 25 

Tribal Authorizing Resolution 25 

Timeline Form 25 

Letters of Support 25 

Research and Evaluation Independence and Integrity Statement 25 

Bibliography/reference 26 

Any Tools/Instruments, Questionnaires, Tables/Charts/Graphs, or 26 

List of Individuals in the Application 26 

Human Subjects Protection 26 

Privacy Certificate 26 

Request to Use Incentives or Stipends 26 

Documentation of “new investigator” status, if applicable 27 

Consortium/Contractual Arrangements 27 

Data Archiving Plan 27 

Disclosures and Assurances 27 

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities 27 

DOJ Certified Standard Assurances 28 

Applicant Disclosure of Duplication in Cost Items 28 

DOJ Certifications Regarding Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension and 28 

Applicant Disclosure and Justification - DOJ High Risk Grantees 28 

How to Apply 28 

Submission Dates and Time 29 

Experiencing Unforeseen Technical Issues Preventing Submission 29 

of an Application 

Application Review Information 31 

Review Criteria 31 

Review Process 32 

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Federal Award Administration Information 33 

Requirements 

552a) 

Federal Award Notices 33 

Administrative, National Policy, and Other Legal Requirements 33 

Information Technology Security Clauses 33 

General Information about Post-Federal Award Reporting 33 

Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s) 34 

Other Information 34 

Freedom of Information and Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552 and 5 U.S.C. 34 

Provide Feedback to OJP 34 

Performance Measures 34 

Application Checklist 36 

Standard Solicitation Resources 39 

Endnotes 40 

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Program Description 

Overview 

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 

that inform our understanding of the impact of culture and climate on the ability of 

correctional agencies to achieve their missions, most fundamentally: to maintain a safe, 

humane, and secure environment for both staff and incarcerated individuals in the 

institutions that they manage; to recruit and retain staff; and to promote and sustain 

needed changes in their organizational cultures, operations, and programs to better 

achieve their missions. 

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 

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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 majority of the work proposed. 

Statutory Authority 

Title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (sections 201 and 

202); Second Chance Act of 2007; Second Chance Reauthorization Act of 2018; 

Department of Justice Appropriations Act, 2023 (Pub. L. No. 117-328, 136 Stat. 4459, 

4528); 28 U.S.C. 530C. 

Specific Information 

The purpose of this solicitation is to support research and evaluation projects that inform 

our understanding of the impact of correctional culture and climate across three areas: 

(1) the safety, health, and wellness of both correctional staff and incarcerated persons; 

(2) issues of correctional agency staffing, retention, and training as they pertain to 

correctional culture and the well-being of staff and incarcerated persons; and (3) 

strategies that promote and sustain needed change in the organizational cultural of 

corrections agencies. Proposals for research outside of these three topics will not be 

considered. NIJ is particularly interested in applications that propose research 

partnerships with departments of correction to launch and evaluate demonstration 

programs designed to transform correctional culture and climate. Proposed studies that 

are primarily descriptive in nature will not be considered responsive to the solicitation. 

Although the definition of correctional culture may vary, at a minimum, it can be thought 

of as the relationships and interactions between incarcerated persons and correctional 

staff and the adaptations of these groups to the shared environment.[1] Climate can be 

defined as the “social, emotional, organizational and physical characteristics of a 

correctional institution as perceived by” incarcerated persons and correctional staff.[2] 

Applicants are encouraged to use the definitions offered here or work with their 

partnering corrections agency to develop and propose their own definitions for the 

research proposed in response to this solicitation. 

Fundamentally, NIJ is interested in research examining how the culture and climate of a 

corrections agency can be transformed to yield a variety of outcomes, including, but not 

limited to: improving the nature and conditions of confinement for incarcerated individuals 

and staff; the safety, health, and wellness of both staff and incarcerated individuals; and 

the ability to ensure sufficient facility staffing, recruitment, training, and retention. NIJ 

recognizes that for many of these topic areas, there may exist a bidirectional relationship 

between culture and climate and the outcomes under study. Proposed research designs 

should be able to capture these complex relationships, if applicable. NIJ encourages 

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proposals that aim to increase the accountability and transparency of correctional 

agencies and institutions. NIJ is particularly interested in applications with evaluation 

designs that align with an action research approach, for which researchers: (1) engage 

with partnering agencies to define the problem through baseline data collection and 

analysis; (2) develop changes in programs, policies, or practices that are informed by 

these analyses; (3) document the implementation of resulting changes, providing 

information to correctional partners on implementation fidelity and areas in which it can 

be improved; and (4) assess the impact of the changes over time. Applicants may 

propose a phased implementation plan, which should describe how the research design 

and questions warrant a phased approach. Regardless of the topic addressed, all 

research projects should define and assess the culture and climate in the institutions 

participating in the study. 

The Office of Justice Program's Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) has released a 

related solicitation for entities to provide training, technical assistance, and resources to 

correctional institutions in support of transforming prison cultures, climates, and space. 

Well-being of Staff and Incarcerated Persons 

NIJ is interested in research proposals that examine how culture and climate can be 

transformed to promote the safety, health, and wellness of correctional staff[3] and 

incarcerated individuals. Research has shown that correctional officers experience high 

stress levels, burnout, and a variety of other mental health-related consequences 

because of their jobs.[4] This includes stress resulting from maladaptive aspects of their 

organizational culture as well as stress resulting from the dangerous nature of their work. 

[5] Together, the negative physical and mental health outcomes for correctional officers

can have harmful effects on the wider correctional institution. Staffing shortages and

officers missing work create a dangerous cycle where low officer-to-incarcerated person

ratios and high turnover in staffing threaten a correctional facility’s ability to faithfully

comply with security measures that ensure the safety of both staff and people in

confinement. Moreover, research suggests that the stress that officers are under can

negatively affect their interactions with incarcerated individuals. Specifically, NIJ requests 

proposals that examine ways in which culture and climate can impact:

The safety, health, and wellness of agency staff including officers, civilian staff, and 

contractors. 

The safety, health, and wellness of incarcerated individuals. 

The conditions of confinement for incarcerated individuals, e.g., medical care, 

population density, privacy, education, freedom of movement, visitation, etc. 

Violence, disorder, and the threat of violence in the correctional facility. 

Self-harm and deaths in custody, including deaths by suicide, including among 

individuals in the custody of the federal prison system.[6] 

Staff Recruitment and Retention 

NIJ is interested in research proposals that examine ways in which changes in culture 

and climate can enhance the ability to recruit and retain correctional agency staff. 

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Ensuring a viable and qualified workforce is a top priority among corrections 

administrators.[7] Low staffing levels, for example, may lead to an overreliance on 

specific institutional practices such as institutional lockdowns and restrictive housing, 

which may prove harmful to incarcerated persons, restrict participation in programs and 

contact with loved ones, and further erode the institutional culture and climate. Research 

on how culture and climate effect — and can be altered to improve — recruitment and 

retention is critical in the current correctional operating environment. Many agencies are 

implementing strategies to enhance recruitment and retention, but it is unclear how 

culture and climate may enhance or mitigate the success of those strategies. NIJ 

requests proposals for research on: 

The effect of deliberate and measurable changes to culture and climate affect on 

staff retention rates, and the impact on both voluntary and involuntary separations 

on culture and climate and vice versa. 

The effectiveness of newly implemented recruitment and retention strategies and 

their impact on culture and climate. 

Promoting and Sustaining Organizational Cultural Change 

Research suggests that the organizational culture of the corrections agency has a major 

impact on its staff and their interactions with people in their custody and care.[8] NIJ is 

interested in research that provides practical and policy guidance to correctional 

practitioners as they strive to maintain a healthy agency organizational culture and 

implement positive cultural change over time. Implicit in this goal is an understanding of 

how culture and climate can facilitate or hinder the implementation of changes to policy 

and practice. Organizational culture and climate exert influence over many, if not all, 

aspects of the correctional organization, yet research is limited about how to measure 

correctional organizational culture and climate and assess what factors promote positive 

change.[9] Correctional practitioners have scant evidence-based guidance on how to 

maintain a healthy culture over time or how to implement cultural change when the 

culture has diverged from the mission of the agency. Therefore, NIJ is interested in 

proposals that: 

Examine agency strategies to measure congruence between an agency’s 

organizational culture and its mission and vision. 

This would include evaluations of changes to strategies that aim to promote a 

more positive organizational culture and climate. 

Research on perceptions of organizational culture and climate among all 

stakeholders, from correctional leadership to officers, staff, and incarcerated 

persons, and how these perceptions impact policy and practice implementation. 

Assessments of how culture and climate impact attitudes towards service delivery 

among staff and incarcerated persons. 

Assessments of the degree to which improvements in organizational culture impact 

access to, and the quality and effectiveness of, correctional programs. 

Assessments of the degree to which trauma-responsive practices and 

programming improve culture, climate, and related outcomes for all relevant 

stakeholders. 

Proposals should clearly indicate which focus area(s) the research proposal will address. 

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Additional Information 

Applicants should discuss potential risks and harms to individuals or groups associated 

with the use and/or misuse of any practice or technology proposed as a part of the 

research and evaluation, as well as any ethical considerations that may factor into its 

use. In addition, applicants should be aware of all relevant statutes, regulations, and/or 

governing judicial decisions (e.g., established case law, prevailing court rulings) related 

to the practice or technology’s proposed use. Any limitations that may impede the lawful 

use or implementation of any practice or technology proposed should be described, and 

a realistic approach to mitigate such limitations in the context of the proposed research 

should be discussed. 

Evaluation Research 

If an application includes an evaluation research component (or consists entirely of 

evaluation research), the application is expected to propose the most rigorous evaluation 

design appropriate for the research questions to be addressed. If the primary purpose of 

the evaluation is to determine the effectiveness or impact of an intervention (e.g., 

program, practice, or policy), the most rigorous evaluation designs may include random 

selection and assignment of participants (or other appropriate units of analysis) to 

experimental and control conditions. In cases where randomization is not feasible, 

applicants should propose a strong quasi-experimental design that can address the risk 

of selection bias. 

Applications that propose evaluation research should also include an implementation 

evaluation component to ensure that implementation fidelity metrics are collected and 

analyzed. Applicants are encouraged to propose research methods that enable interim 

feedback on implementation fidelity to enable program providers to make ongoing 

improvements in program delivery. 

If an application proposes research (including research and development) and/or 

evaluation, the applicant must demonstrate research/evaluation independence and 

integrity through discussion of potential risks (if any) to independence and integrity, and 

appropriate safeguards, as required. 

NIJ also encourages applicants to consider the feasibility of including a cost/benefit 

analysis. In cases where evaluations find that interventions have produced the intended 

benefit, cost/benefit analysis provides valuable and practical information for practitioners 

and policymakers that helps with decision-making. Evaluation research projects may also 

address a wide range of research questions beyond those focused on the effectiveness 

or impact of an intervention. Different research designs may be more appropriate for 

different research questions and at different stages of program development. The 

intervention strategies, setting, other contextual factors, and resources should be 

considered when selecting an evaluation design. 

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In all cases, applications are expected to propose the most rigorous evaluation design 

appropriate for the research questions to be addressed. Applicants are encouraged to 

review evidence-rating criteria at https://crimesolutions.ojp.gov/about/how-we-reviewand-rate-program-start-finish for further information on high-quality evaluation design 

elements. 

New Investigator/Early Career Opportunity 

NIJ is interested in supporting researchers who are early in their careers and new to 

NIJ’s research grant portfolios, specifically non-tenured assistant professors, or 

equivalent full-time staff scientist positions in a research institution, who propose 

research on topics relevant to NIJ’s Office of Research, Evaluation, and Technology 

(ORET). To that end, NIJ may, in appropriate circumstances, give special consideration 

in award decisions to applications proposing such researchers as principal investigators 

(PIs). To qualify, the proposed PI must at the time of application submission: 

Hold a non-tenured assistant professor appointment at an accredited institution of 

higher education in the United States or an equivalent full-time staff scientist 

position at a research institution in the United States. 

Have completed a terminal degree or post-graduate clinical training within the six 

(6) years prior to September 30, 2023. 

Have never previously received NIJ funding as a PI on a research project with the 

exception of Graduate Research Fellows. 

If seeking to be considered for the New Investigator/Early Career Opportunity, the 

applicant should identify that it is submitting a New Investigator/Early Career proposal on 

the title page of the application. 

Goals, Objectives, and Deliverables 

Goals 

The goal of this program is to develop evidence to inform our understanding of the 

factors that contribute to correctional culture and climate, what works to improve 

correctional culture and climate, and the impacts of such efforts on outcomes related to 

the health and safety of correctional staff and incarcerated populations and the 

recruitment and retention of correctional staff. 

Objectives 

An applicant should address the objectives that are relevant to their proposed program/ 

project in the Goals, Objectives, Deliverables, and Timeline web-based form. 

The primary objective of this solicitation is to award research grants to generate and 

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advance knowledge regarding efforts to measure and improve culture and climate and 

their impacts on: 1) the safety, health, and wellness of both correctional staff and 

incarcerated persons; (2) issues of correctional agency staffing, retention, and training as 

they pertain to correctional culture and the well-being of staff and incarcerated persons; 

and (3) strategies that promote and sustain needed change in the organizational cultural 

of corrections agencies. 

Deliverables 

Final Research Report. Any recipient of an award under this solicitation will be expected 

to submit a final research report. Additional information on the final research report 

requirement for the solicitation is posted on NIJ’s webpage. 

Required Data Sets and Associated Files and Documentation. Any recipient of an award 

under this solicitation will be expected to submit to the National Archive of Criminal 

Justice Data (NACJD) all data sets that result in whole or in part from the work funded by 

the award, along with associated files and any documentation necessary for future efforts 

by others to reproduce the project’s findings and/or to extend the scientific value of the 

data set through secondary analysis. 

In addition to these deliverables (and the required reports and data on performance 

measures), NIJ expects scholarly products to result from each award under this 

solicitation, taking the form of one or more published, peer-reviewed, scientific journal 

articles, and/or (if appropriate) law review journal articles, book chapter(s) or book(s) in 

the academic press, technological prototypes, patented inventions, or similar scientific 

products. NIJ expects that there will be an equal effort to make the research findings 

accessible to practitioner and policymaker audiences. 

The goals, objectives, and deliverables are directly related to the performance measures 

that show the completed work’s results, as discussed in the “Application and Submission 

Information” section. 

Priority Areas 

The Department of Justice 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. 

1. Priority Considerations Supporting Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity 

and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government 

In support of Executive Order 13985, OJP will give priority consideration to: 

A. Applications that propose research project(s) that are designed to promote racial 

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equity and the removal of barriers to access and opportunity for communities that 

have been historically underserved, marginalized, and adversely affected by 

inequality, when making award decisions. 

To receive this consideration, the applicant must describe how the proposed project 

(s) will address potential inequities and barriers to equal opportunity, and/or 

contribute to greater access to services for underserved and historically 

marginalized populations. 

B. Applicants that demonstrate that their capabilities and competencies for 

implementing their proposed project(s) are enhanced because they (or at least one 

proposed subrecipient that will receive at least 40% of the requested award 

funding, as demonstrated in the Budget Web-Based Form) identify as a culturally 

specific organization. 

To receive this additional priority consideration, applicants must describe how being 

a culturally specific organization (or funding the culturally specific subrecipient 

organization(s)) will enhance their ability to implement the proposed project(s) and 

should also specify which populations are intended or expected to be served or to 

have their needs addressed under the proposed project(s). 

Culturally specific organizations are defined for the purposes of this solicitation as 

private nonprofit or tribal organizations whose primary purpose as a whole is to 

provide culturally specific services to racial and ethnic groups, including, among 

others, Black people, Hispanic and Latino people, Native American and other 

Indigenous peoples of North America (including Alaska Native, Eskimo, and Aleut), 

Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and/or Pacific Islanders. 

2. Minority Serving Institutions 

NIJ will give special consideration in award decisions to proposals from Minority Serving 

Institutions (MSIs). 

MSIs include: 

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) 

Hispanic-serving Institutions (HSI) 

Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCU) 

Alaska Native-serving Institutions or Native Hawaiian-serving Institutions (ANNH) 

Predominantly Black Institutions (PBI) 

Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving Institutions 

(AANAPISI) 

Native American-serving Non-Tribal Institutions (NASNTI) 

Whether an institution is an MSI is based on the original purpose of its establishment or 

its current enrollment thresholds and is designated as such by the federal government for 

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various purposes under specific statutes. For more information, please see the U.S. 

Department of Education's definitions and lists of institutions. (The lists are provided for 

reference purposes only; MSI status is not an eligibility criterion for this solicitation.) 

Note: Addressing these priority areas is one of many factors that NIJ considers in making 

funding decisions. Receiving priority consideration for one or more priority areas does not 

guarantee an award. 

Federal Award Information 

Solicitation Categories 

This solicitation does not include Solicitation Categories. 

Awards, Amounts and Durations 

Anticipated Number of Awards 

Up to 4 

Anticipated Maximum Dollar Amount of Awards 

TBD 

Period of Performance Start Date Period of Performance Duration (Months) 

1/1/24 Up to 60 months 

Anticipated Total Amount to be 

Awarded Under Solicitation 

$3,500,000.00 

Additional Information 

Please see Anticipated Number of 

Awards, Anticipated Maximum Dollar 

Amount of Awards, and Period of 

Performance Duration sections below. 

Continuation Funding Intent 

NIJ may, in certain cases, provide additional funding in future years to awards made 

under this solicitation through continuation awards. NIJ will consider, among other 

factors, NIJ’s strategic priorities, a recipient’s overall management of the award, and the 

award-funded work’s progress, when making continuation award decisions. 

Availability of Funds 

This solicitation, and awards under this solicitation, are subject to the availability of 

appropriated funds and to any modifications or additional requirements that may be 

imposed by the agency or by law. In addition, nothing in this solicitation is intended to, 

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and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or 

in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its 

officers, employees, or agents, or any other person. 

Type of Award 

NIJ expects to make awards under this solicitation as grants. See the “Administrative, 

National Policy, and Other Legal Requirements” section of the OJP Grant Application 

Resource Guide for a brief discussion of important statutes, regulations, and award 

conditions that apply to many (or in some cases, all) OJP grants. 

Financial Management and System of Internal Controls 

Award recipients and subrecipients (including recipients or subrecipients that are passthrough entities) must, as described in the Part 200 Uniform Requirements as set out at 2 

C.F.R. 200.303, comply with standards for financial and program management. See the 

OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for additional information. 

Budget Information 

If the applicant is proposing a project that reasonably could be conducted in discrete 

phases, with each phase resulting in completion of one or more significant, defined 

milestones, then NIJ strongly recommends that the applicant structure the application — 

specifically including the narrative, expected scholarly products, timelines/milestones, 

and budget detail worksheet and budget narrative — to clearly define each phase. (This 

is particularly the case if the applicant proposes a project that will exceed — in cost or 

the length of the period of performance — the amount or length of time anticipated for an 

individual award (or awards) under this solicitation.) Given limitations on the availability to 

NIJ of funds for awards for research, development, and evaluation, this information will 

assist NIJ in considering whether partial funding of applications would be productive. (If, 

in FY 2023, NIJ elects to fund only certain phases of a proposed project, the expected 

scholarly products from the partial-funding award may, in some cases, vary from those 

described above.) 

NIJ may elect to fund applications submitted under this FY 2023 solicitation in future 

fiscal years, dependent on, among other considerations, the merit of the applications and 

on the availability of appropriations. 

What will not be funded: 

Applications primarily to purchase equipment, materials, or supplies, or to provide 

direct services. (A budget may include these items if they are necessary to conduct 

research, development, demonstration, evaluation, or analysis.) 

Applications that are not responsive to the purposes of this specific solicitation. 

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Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement 

See “Cofunding” paragraph under “Budget and Associated Documentation” in the 

“Application and Submission Information” section. 

Pre-agreement Costs (also known as Pre-award Costs) 

See the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for information on pre-agreement costs 

(also known as pre-award costs). 

Limitation on Use of Award Funds for Employee Compensation: Waiver 

See the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for information on the Limitation on Use 

of Award Funds for Employee Compensation; Waiver. 

Prior Approval, Planning, and Reporting of Conference/Meeting/Training Costs 

See the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for information on Prior Approval, 

Planning, and Reporting of Conference/Meeting/Training Costs. 

Costs Associated with Language Assistance (if applicable) 

See the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for information on Costs Associated with 

Language Assistance. 

Anticipated Number of Awards 

NIJ expects to make up to 4 awards. The final number of awards will be determined by 

the number of applications received and their merit. 

Anticipated Maximum Dollar Amount of Awards 

To be determined by the requirements of the research proposed in grants selected for 

award. Applicants are encouraged to propose budgets that match the research activities 

proposed, up to the full dollar amount anticipated to be awarded under this solicitation. 

Period of Performance Duration 

To be determined by the period of performance of awarded applications. Successful 

applicants will be expected to complete the work proposed within a five-year period of 

performance. 

Eligibility Information 

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For eligibility information, see the solicitation cover page. 

For information on cost sharing or match requirements, see the “Federal Award 

Information” section. 

For the purposes of this solicitation, “state” means any state of the United States, the 

District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, 

American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. 

Foreign governments, foreign organizations, and foreign colleges and universities are not 

eligible to apply. Federal agencies are eligible to apply. (Any award made to a federal 

agency will be made as an inter-agency reimbursable agreement.) 

Notice regarding law enforcement agencies: State, local, and university or college law 

enforcement agencies must be certified by an approved independent credentialing body 

or have started the certification process to be eligible for FY 2023 DOJ discretionary 

grant funding. To become certified, the law enforcement agency must meet two 

mandatory conditions: (1) the agency’s use-of-force policies adhere to all applicable 

federal, state, and local laws, and (2) the agency’s use-of-force policies prohibit 

chokeholds except in situations where use of deadly force is allowed by law. The 

certification requirement also applies to law enforcement agencies receiving DOJ 

discretionary grant funding through a subaward. For detailed information on this 

certification requirement, please visit https://cops.usdoj.gov/SafePolicingEO to access 

the Standards for Certification on Safe Policing for Safe Communities, the 

Implementation Fact Sheet, and the List of Designated Independent Credentialing 

Bodies. 

All recipients and subrecipients (including any for-profit organization) must forgo any 

profit or management fee. 

Application and Submission Information 

Content of Application Submission 

The following application elements must be included in the application to meet the basic 

minimum requirements to advance to peer review and receive consideration for funding: 

Proposal Narrative 

Budget Web-Based Form (The web-based form includes the budget details and the 

budget narrative.) 

Curriculum Vitae/Resumes for Key Personnel. (For purposes of this solicitation, 

“key personnel” means the principal investigator, and any and all co-principal 

investigators.) 

If NIJ determines that an application does not include these elements, it will neither 

proceed to peer review, nor receive further consideration. 

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Information to Complete the Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424) in 

Grants.gov 

The SF-424 must be submitted in Grants.gov. It is a required standard form used as a 

cover sheet for submission of pre-applications, applications, and related information. See 

the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for additional information on completing the 

SF-424. 

In Section 8F of the SF-424, please include the name and contact information of the 

individual who will complete the application in JustGrants. JustGrants will use this 

information (email address) to assign the application to this user in JustGrants. 

Intergovernmental Review: This solicitation (“funding opportunity”) is not subject to 

Executive Order (E.O.) 12372. In completing the SF-424, an applicant is to answer 

question 19 by selecting “Program is not covered by E.O. 12372.” 

Standard Applicant Information (JustGrants 424 and General Agency Information) 

The “Standard Applicant Information” section of the JustGrants application is prepopulated with the SF-424 data submitted in Grants.gov. The applicant will need to 

review the Standard Applicant Information in JustGrants and make edits as needed. 

Within this section, the applicant will need to add ZIP codes for areas affected by the 

project; confirm their Authorized Representative; and verify and confirm the 

organization’s unique entity identifier, legal name, and address. 

Proposal Abstract 

A Proposal Abstract (no more than 400 words) summarizing the proposed project — 

including its purpose, primary activities, expected outcomes, the service area, intended 

beneficiaries, and subrecipients (if known) — must be completed in the JustGrants webbased form. This abstract should be in paragraph form without bullets or tables, written in 

the third person, and exclude personally identifiable information. Abstracts will be made 

publicly available on the OJP and USASpending.gov websites if the project is awarded. 

See the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for an example of a proposal abstract. 

Proposal Narrative 

The Proposal Narrative should be submitted as an attachment in JustGrants. The 

attached document should be double-spaced, using a standard 12-point font; have no 

less than 1-inch margins; and should not exceed 30 numbered pages. If the Proposal 

Narrative fails to comply with these length restrictions, NIJ may consider such 

noncompliance in peer review and in the final award decision. 

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The Proposal Narrative should include the following sections: 

a. Title Page (not counted against the proposal narrative page limit) 

The title page should include: 

Project title. 

Submission date. 

Funding opportunity number. 

Principal Investigator (and any co-principal investigators). 

Unique author identifier (e.g., ORCID, ResearcherID, Scopus Author ID), if 

available. 

Requests for consideration under “new investigator” and/or “priority areas of 

research” areas. 

Key words, including science focus areas. 

Contact information (that is, name, address, telephone number, and e-mail 

address) for both the applicant and the principal investigator. 

b. Resubmit Response (if applicable) (not counted against the proposal narrative page 

limit.) 

If an applicant is resubmitting an application presented previously to NIJ, but not funded, 

the applicant should indicate this. A statement should be provided, no more than two 

pages, addressing: (1) the title, submission date, and NIJ-assigned application number of 

the previous application, and (2) a brief summary of revisions to the application, including 

responses to previous feedback received from NIJ. 

c. Table of Contents and Figures (not counted against the proposal narrative page limit) 

d. Main Body 

1. Statement of the Problem 

The statement of the problem should address the need for research in this area. 

Applicants should discuss current gaps in data, research, and knowledge, including 

those for particular justice sectors, for certain populations, and to answer questions 

relevant to current policy and practice needs and public interests. It is not 

uncommon for multiple problems to exist simultaneously (for example, there may 

be a criminal justice problem affecting public safety, a current technical challenge/ 

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need identified by forensic practitioners, as well as a scientific/technology gap 

between the current state of the art and a desired solution) and applicants should 

discuss each of these clearly and justify the importance of the separate issues. As 

part of this discussion, applicants should present a review of previous literature and 

discuss previous research related to these problems. 

2. Project Design and Implementation 

Applicants should provide a detailed description of the strategies to implement this 

research project and address the research questions. Design elements should 

follow directly from the research project’s goals and objectives and address the 

program-specific information noted in the solicitation. Applicants should describe 

the research methodology and analysis plan in detail and demonstrate the validity 

and usefulness of the data they will collect. Applicants should consider the rigor 

and soundness of the methodology and analytical and technical approaches for the 

proposed research and address the feasibility of the proposed project and potential 

challenges or problems in carrying out the activities. 

If the applicant is seeking priority consideration for Priority 1(A), it should address in 

this section how the proposed project(s) will address issues related to racial equity 

and the removal of barriers to access and opportunity, and/or contribute to greater 

access to services, for communities that have been historically underserved, 

marginalized, and adversely affected by inequality, and should also identify how the 

project design and implementation will specifically incorporate the input or 

participation of these communities. 

3. Potential Impact 

Applicants should describe the potential impact of the research and how it may 

inform or improve criminal or juvenile justice-related policy, practice, or theory in the 

United States. The applicant should include a discussion of the proposed 

dissemination plan to produce scholarly products and to make information available 

to broader interested audiences, such as criminal justice practitioners or 

policymakers. 

4. Capabilities and Competencies 

This section should describe the experience and capability of the applicant 

organization, key staff, and any proposed subgrantees (including consultants) that 

the applicant will use to implement and manage this effort and the federal funds 

under this award, highlighting any previous experience implementing projects of 

similar scope, design, and magnitude. Applicants should address: 

Experience and capacity to work with the proposed data sources in the 

conduct of similar research efforts. 

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Experience and capacity to design and implement rigorous research and data 

analysis projects. 

Experience producing and disseminating meaningful deliverables. 

Applicants should also outline the management plan and organization that 

connects to the goals and objectives of the project. Among other factors, that plan 

should include a description of the anticipated level of effort of key personnel. 

If the applicant is seeking priority consideration under Priority 1(B), it should 

describe within this section how being a culturally specific organization (or funding 

a culturally specific subrecipient organization at a minimum of 40% of the project 

budget) will enhance its ability to implement the proposed project(s) and specify 

which culturally specific populations are intended or expected to be the subject and/ 

or beneficiary of the research conducted under the proposed project(s). 

5. Appendices (not counted against the proposal narrative page limit) include: 

The project management plan. 

If the application (including the budget) identifies any proposed noncompetitive agreements that are or may be considered procurement 

"contracts" (rather than subawards), for purposes of federal grants 

administrative requirements, the applicant also must list the entities with 

which the applicant proposes to contract. 

List of other agencies, organizations, or funding sources to which this 

application has been submitted (if applicable). 

6. Plan for Collecting the Data Required for this Solicitation’s Performance 

Measures 

Note: An applicant is not required to submit performance data with the application. 

Rather, performance measure information is included as a notification that award 

recipients will be required to submit performance data as part of each award’s 

reporting requirements. Some measures are presented as examples, while others 

are the exact measures that every recipient will be expected to address. 

OJP will require each award recipient to submit regular performance data that show 

the completed work’s results. The performance data directly relate to the goals, 

objectives, and deliverables identified in the “Goals, Objectives, and Deliverables” 

discussion. Applicants can visit OJP’s performance measurement page at 

www.ojp.gov/performance for an overview of performance measurement activities 

at OJP. 

A list of performance measure questions for this program can be found in the 

‘Performance Measures’ section below. 

NIJ will require award recipients to submit performance measure data in quarterly 

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financial reports, semi-annual performance reports, and the final research report 

and separately submit a semi-annual performance report in JustGrants. NIJ will 

provide further guidance on the post-award submission process, if the applicant is 

selected for award. 

Goal, Objective and Deliverables 

The applicant will submit the project’s goals, objectives, deliverables and timeline in the 

JustGrants web-based form. The applicant will also enter the projected fiscal year and 

quarter that each objective and deliverable will be completed. Please refer to the 

Application Submission Job Aid for step-by-step directions. 

Goals. The applicant should describe the project’s intent to change, reduce, or eliminate 

the problem noted in the previous section and outline the project’s goals. 

Program Objectives. The applicant should explain how the program will accomplish its 

goals. Objectives are specific, quantifiable statements of the project’s desired results. 

They should be measurable and clearly linked to the goal. 

Deliverables. Project deliverables refer to outputs—tangible or intangible—that are 

submitted within the scope of a project. 

Budget and Associated Documentation 

Budget Worksheet and Budget Narrative (Web-based Form) 

The applicant will complete the JustGrants web-based budget form. For additional 

information, see the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide and the Complete the 

Application in JustGrants – Budget training. 

The following paragraph (on “Cofunding”) expressly modifies the “Cost Sharing or 

Matching Requirement” provisions in the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide. The 

applicant is to follow the guidance in the following paragraph instead of the guidance 

stated under the “Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement” heading in the OJP Grant 

Application Resource Guide. 

Cofunding: An award made by NIJ under this solicitation may account for up to 100 

percent of the total cost of the project. The application should indicate whether it is 

feasible for the applicant to contribute cash, facilities, or services as non-federal support 

for the project. The application should identify generally any such contributions that the 

applicant expects to make and the proposed budget should indicate in detail which items, 

if any, will be supported with non-federal contributions. 

For additional match information, see the “Cost Sharing or Match Requirement” section 

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under Federal Award Information. 

If a successful application proposes a voluntary match amount, and OJP approves the 

budget, the total match amount incorporated into the approved budget becomes 

mandatory and subject to audit. 

If the applicant is seeking priority consideration under Priority 1(A) and has proposed 

activities (such as community or stakeholder meetings, community outreach or public 

awareness campaigns, community participation in project design, implementation, or 

evaluation, etc.) to incorporate the input and participation of communities that have been 

historically underserved, marginalized, and adversely affected by inequality, financial 

support for the identified activities and participation must be reflected in the web-based 

budget form. 

If the applicant is seeking priority consideration under Priority 1(B) based on the 

identification of at least one proposed subrecipient as a culturally specific organization, 

the proposed funding for the subrecipient in the web-based budget form must reflect a 

minimum of 40% of award funding. The budget narrative must also describe how the 

activities that will be funded with the (minimum) 40% of award funding provided to the 

subrecipient specifically relate to the priority consideration requested and described 

in the Capabilities and Competencies section of the application. 

Pre-agreement Costs (also known as Pre-award Costs) 

See the section on Costs Requiring Prior Approval in the DOJ Grants Financial Guide 

Post Award Requirements for more information. 

Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable) 

If applicable, the applicant will upload their indirect cost rate agreement as an attachment 

in JustGrants. See the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for more information on 

indirect costs. 

Consultant Rate 

See the DOJ Grants Financial Guide for information on the consultant rates which 

require prior approval from OJP. 

Limitation on Employee Compensation; Waiver 

See the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for information on the Limitation on Use 

of Award Funds for Employee Compensation for Awards over $250,000; Waiver. 

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Financial Management and System of Internal Controls Questionnaire (including 

applicant disclosure of high-risk status) 

The applicant will download the questionnaire, complete it, and upload it as an 

attachment in JustGrants. See the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for the link to 

the questionnaire and additional information. 

Disclosure of Process Related to Executive Compensation 

This solicitation expressly modifies the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide by not 

incorporating its “Disclosure of Process Related to Executive Compensation” 

provisions. Applicants to this solicitation are not required to provide this disclosure. 

Additional Application Components 

The applicant will attach the additional requested documentation in JustGrants. 

Curriculum Vitae or Resumes 

Provide curriculum vitae or resume of the principal investigator and any and all coprincipal investigators. In addition, curriculum vitae, resume, or biographical sketches of 

all other individuals (regardless of “investigator” status) who will be significantly involved 

in substantive aspects of the proposed project (including, for example, individuals such 

as statisticians used to conduct proposed data analysis). 

Tribal Authorizing Resolution 

An application in response to this solicitation may require inclusion of tribal authorizing 

documentation as an attachment. If applicable, the applicant will upload the tribal 

authorizing documentation as an attachment in JustGrants. See the OJP Grant 

Application Resource Guide for information on tribal authorizing resolutions. 

Timeline Form 

Proposed project timeline and expected milestones. 

Letters of Support 

Letters of cooperation/support or administrative agreements from organizations 

collaborating in the project, such as law enforcement and correctional agencies (if 

applicable). 

Research and Evaluation Independence and Integrity Statement 

If an application proposes research (including research and development) and/or 

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evaluation, the applicant must demonstrate research/evaluation independence and 

integrity, including appropriate safeguards, before it may receive award funds. The 

applicant will upload documentation of its research and evaluation independence and 

integrity as an attachment in JustGrants. For additional information, see the OJP Grant 

Application Resource Guide. 

Bibliography/reference 

Provide a bibliography of any references cited in the Proposal Narrative. 

Any Tools/Instruments, Questionnaires, Tables/Charts/Graphs, or Maps 

Any tools/instruments, questionnaires, tables/charts/graphs, or maps pertaining to the 

proposed project that are supplemental to such items included in the main body of the 

narrative. 

List of Individuals in the Application 

To assist OJP in assessing actual or apparent conflicts of interest (including such 

conflicts on the part of prospective reviewers of the application), provide a complete list 

of the individuals named or otherwise identified anywhere in the application (including in 

the budget or in any other attachment) who will or may work (or advise or consult) on the 

proposed research, development, or evaluation project. Applicants should use the “ 

Proposed Project Staff, Affiliation, and Roles” form available on the NIJ webpage to 

prepare this list. 

Human Subjects Protection 

Human Subjects Protection paperwork as a separate attachment (documentation and 

forms related to Institutional Review Board [IRB] review). See https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/ 

human-subjects-protection. Note: Final IRB approval is not required at the time an 

application is submitted. 

Privacy Certificate 

Privacy Certificate as a separate file (for further guidance go to 

https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/confidentiality-and-privacy-protections and https://nij.ojp.gov/ 

funding/model-privacy-certificate). 

Request to Use Incentives or Stipends 

Applicants proposing to use incentives or stipends payments as part of their research 

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project design, must submit an incentive or stipend approval request, as a separate 

document, according to the requirements set forth at https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/ 

participant-support-costs-and-incentives-social-science-research. 

Documentation of “new investigator” status, if applicable 

Documentation of “new investigator” status, if applicable. 

Consortium/Contractual Arrangements 

Explain the programmatic, fiscal, and administrative arrangements to be made between 

the applicant organization and the consortium organization(s). 

Data Archiving Plan 

Applicants should anticipate that NIJ will require, through special award conditions, that 

data sets resulting in whole or in part from projects funded under this solicitation be 

submitted for archiving with the NACJD. See https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/data-archiving. 

Applications should include as a separate file a brief plan — labeled “Data Archiving 

Plan” — to comply with data archiving requirements. The plan should provide brief details 

about proposed data management and archiving, including submission to NIJ (through 

NACJD) of all files and documentation necessary to allow for future efforts by others to 

reproduce the project’s findings and/or to extend the scientific value of the data set 

through secondary analysis. Pertinent files and documentation include, among other 

things, qualitative and quantitative data produced, instrumentation and data collection 

forms, codebook(s), any specialized programming code necessary to reproduce all 

constructed measures and the original data analysis, description of necessary deidentification procedures, and (when required) a copy of the privacy certificate and 

informed consent protocols. 

The plan should be one or two pages in length and include the level of effort associated 

with meeting archiving requirements. 

Note that recipients are strongly encouraged to submit required data sets at least 90 

days before the end of the period of performance. 

Disclosures and Assurances 

The applicant will address the following disclosures and assurances. 

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities 

Complete and submit the SF-LLL in Grants.gov. Once the applicant submits in 

Grants.gov, this information will pre-pend into JustGrants. See the OJP Grant Application 

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Resource Guide for additional information. 

DOJ Certified Standard Assurances 

Review and accept the DOJ Certified Standard Assurances in JustGrants. See the OJP 

Grant Application Resource Guide for additional information. 

Applicant Disclosure of Duplication in Cost Items 

Complete the JustGrants web-based Applicant Disclosure of Duplication in Cost Items 

form. See the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for additional information. 

DOJ Certifications Regarding Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension and Other 

Responsibility Matters; Drug-Free Workplace Requirements; Law Enforcement and 

Community Policing 

Review and accept the DOJ Certified Certifications Regarding Lobbying; Debarment, 

Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters; Drug-Free Workplace Requirements; Law 

Enforcement and Community Policing. See the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide

 for additional information. 

Applicant Disclosure and Justification - DOJ High Risk Grantees 

If applicable, submit the DOJ High Risk Disclosure and Justification as an attachment in 

JustGrants. A DOJ High Risk Grantee is an award recipient that has received a DOJ 

High Risk designation based on a documented history of unsatisfactory performance; 

financial instability; management system or other internal control deficiencies; 

noncompliance with award terms and conditions on prior awards or is otherwise not 

responsible. See the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for additional information. 

How to Apply 

Registration: Before submitting an application, all applicants must register with the 

System for Award Management (SAM).  You must renew and validate your registration 

every 12 months.  If you do not renew your SAM registration, it will expire.  An expired 

registration can delay or prevent application submission in Grants.gov and JustGrants. 

Registration and renewal can take up to 10 business days to complete. 

Submission: Applications must be submitted to DOJ electronically through a two-step 

process via Grants.gov and JustGrants. 

Step 1: After registering with SAM, the applicant must submit the SF-424 and SF-LLL in 

Grants.gov at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html by the Grants.gov 

deadline. Submit the SF-424 and SF-LLL as early as possible, but no later than 48 

hours before the Grants.gov deadline. If an applicant fails to submit in Grants.gov, 

they will be unable to apply in JustGrants. 

Step 2: The applicant must then submit the full application, including attachments, in 

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JustGrants at JustGrants.usdoj.gov by the JustGrants deadline. 

Within 24 hours after receipt of confirmation emails from Grants.gov, the individual in 

Section 8F of the SF-424 will receive an email from DIAMD-NoReply@usdoj.gov with 

instructions on how to create a JustGrants account. Register the Entity Administrator and 

the Application Submitter with JustGrants as early as possible but no later than 48-72 

hours before the JustGrants deadline. Once registered in JustGrants, the Application 

Submitter will receive an emailed link to complete the rest of the application in 

JustGrants. The Entity Administrator also will need to log into JustGrants to review and 

invite the applicant’s Authorized Representative(s) before an application can be 

submitted. 

Submit the complete application package in JustGrants at least 24 – 48 hours prior to the 

JustGrants deadline. Some of the application components will be entered directly into 

JustGrants, and others will require uploading attached documents. Therefore, applicants 

will need to allow ample time before the JustGrants deadline to prepare each component. 

Applicants may save their progress in the system and revise the application as needed 

prior to hitting the Submit button at the end of the application in JustGrants. 

For additional information, see the “How to Apply” section in the OJP Grant Application 

Resource Guide and the DOJ Application Submission Checklist. 

Submission Dates and Time 

The SF-424 and the SF-LLL must be submitted in Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. eastern 

time on August 07, 2023. 

The full application must be submitted in JustGrants by 8:59 p.m. eastern time on 

August 21, 2023. 

OJP urges applicants to submit their Grants.gov and JustGrants submissions prior to the 

due dates with sufficient time to correct any errors and resubmit by the submission 

deadlines if a rejection notification is received. To be considered timely, the full 

application must be submitted in JustGrants by the JustGrants application deadline. 

Failure to begin the SAM.gov, Grants.gov, or JustGrants registration process in sufficient 

time (i.e., waiting until the date identified in this solicitation) is not an acceptable reason 

for late submission. 

Experiencing Unforeseen Technical Issues Preventing Submission of an Application 

OJP will only consider requests to submit an application after the deadline when the 

applicant can document that a technical issue with a government system prevented 

application submission. 

If an applicant misses a deadline due to unforeseen technical issues with SAM.gov, 

Grants.gov, or JustGrants, the applicant may request a waiver to submit an application 

after the deadline. However, the waiver request will not be considered unless it includes 

a tracking number generated when the applicant contacts the applicable service desks to 

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report technical difficulties. Tracking numbers are generated automatically when an 

applicant emails the applicable service desks; and for this reason applicants are 

encouraged to email the appropriate service desk, even if they also intend to call the 

service desk for phone support. Experiencing wait times for phone support does not 

relieve the applicant of the responsibility of getting a tracking number. 

An applicant experiencing technical difficulties must contact the associated service desk 

indicated below to report the technical issue and receive a tracking number: 

SAM.gov - contact the SAM Help Desk (Federal Service Desk), Monday – Friday 

from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET at 866-606-8220. 

Grants.gov - contact the Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline, 24 hours a day, 7 

days a week, except on federal holidays, at 800-518-4726, 606-545-5035, or 

support@grants.gov. 

JustGrants - contact the JustGrants Service Desk at 

JustGrants.Support@usdoj.gov or 833-872-5175, Monday – Friday from 7 a.m. to 9 

p.m. ET and Saturday, Sunday, and Federal holidays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET. 

If an applicant has technical issues with SAM.gov or Grants.gov, the applicant must 

contact the OJP Response Center at grants@ncjrs.gov within 24 hours of the 

Grants.gov deadline to request approval to submit after the deadline. 

If an applicant has technical issues with JustGrants that prevent application submission 

by the deadline, the applicant must contact the OJP Response Center at 

grants@ncjrs.gov within 24 hours of the JustGrants deadline to request approval to 

submit after the deadline. 

Waiver requests sent to the OJP Response Center must -

describe the technical difficulties experienced, 

include a timeline of the applicant's submission efforts (e.g., date and time the error 

occurred, date and time of actions taken to resolve the issue and resubmit; and 

date and time support representatives responded), 

include an attachment of the complete grant application and all the required 

documentation and materials, 

include the applicant's Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), and 

include any SAM.gov, Grants.gov, and JustGrants Service Desk tracking numbers 

documenting the technical issue. 

OJP will review each waiver request and the required supporting documentation and 

notify the applicant whether the request for late submission has been approved or 

denied. An applicant that does not provide documentation of a technical issue or 

that does not submit a waiver request within the required time period will be denied. 

For more details on the waiver process, OJP encourages applicants to review the 

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“Experiencing Unforeseen Technical Issues” section in the OJP Grant Application 

Resource Guide. 

Application Review Information 

Review Criteria 

Merit Review Criteria 

Applications that meet the basic minimum requirements will be evaluated by peer 

reviewers on how the proposed project/program addresses the following criteria: 

Statement of the Problem (understanding of the problem) (15%) 

Demonstrated understanding of the problem. 

Demonstrated importance of research questions, goals and objectives, 

including alignment with the aims of the solicitation. 

Demonstrated awareness of the state of current research. 

Project Design and Implementation (quality and technical merit) (45%) 

Feasibility of proposed project. 

Soundness of methods and analytic and technical approach to addressing the 

stated aim(s) of the proposed project. 

Awareness of potential pitfalls of proposed project design and feasibility of 

proposed actions to minimize and/or mitigate them. 

Feasibility of completing the deliverables noted in the solicitation. 

Capabilities and Competencies (capabilities, demonstrated productivity, and 

experience of the applicant organization and proposed project staff) (15%) 

Qualifications and experience of proposed project staff (that is, the principal 

investigator, any and all co-principal investigators, and all other individuals 

(and organizations) identified in the application (regardless of “investigator” 

status) who will be significantly involved in substantive aspects of the 

proposed project). 

Demonstrated ability of the applicant organization to implement the proposed 

strategies and manage the effort. 

Relationship between the capabilities/competencies of the proposed project 

staff (including the applicant organization) and the scope and strategies of the 

proposed project. 

Potential Impact (20%) 

Potential for a significant scientific or technical advance(s) that will improve 

criminal/juvenile justice in the United States. 

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Potential for significantly improved understanding of the stated criminal/ 

juvenile justice problem. 

Potential for innovative solution to address (all or a significant part of) the 

stated criminal/juvenile justice problem. 

Strength and feasibility of the proposed dissemination plan to produce 

scholarly products (such as published, peer-reviewed, scientific journal 

articles, book chapter(s) or book(s) in the academic press, technological 

prototypes, patented inventions, databases, standards or similar scientific 

products) as well as make summary information available to broader 

interested audiences, such as criminal justice practitioners or policymakers. 

Budget (5%) 

In addition, peer reviewers will consider and may comment on the following 

additional items in the context of scientific and technical merit. 

Alignment of the proposed budget with proposed project activities. 

Appropriateness of the budget relative to the level of effort. 

Use of existing resources to conserve costs. 

Other Review Criteria/Factors 

Other important considerations for NIJ include geographic diversity, strategic priorities 

(specifically including, but not limited to, those priority areas already mentioned, if 

applicable), available funding, past performance, and the extent to which the Budget 

Web-Based Form accurately explains project costs that are reasonable, necessary, and 

otherwise allowable under federal law and applicable federal cost principles. 

Review Process 

Applications submitted under this solicitation that meet the basic minimum requirements 

will be evaluated for technical merit by a peer review panel(s) in accordance with OJP 

peer review policy and procedures using the review criteria listed above. 

OJP screens applications to ensure they meet the basic minimum requirements prior to 

conducting the peer review. Although specific requirements may vary, the following are 

common requirements applicable to all OJP solicitations: 

The application must be submitted by an eligible type of applicant. 

The application must request funding within programmatic funding constraints (if 

applicable). 

The application must be responsive to the scope of the solicitation. 

The application must include all items necessary to meet the basic minimum 

requirements. 

Pursuant to the Part 200 Uniform Requirements, before award decisions are made, OJP 

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also reviews information related to the degree of risk posed by the applicant entity. 

Among other things to help assess whether an applicant with one or more prior federal 

awards has a satisfactory record of performance, integrity, and business ethics, OJP 

checks whether the applicant entity is listed in SAM as excluded from receiving a federal 

award. 

In addition, if OJP anticipates that an award will exceed $250,000 in federal funds, OJP 

also must review and consider any information about the applicant entity that appears in 

the non-public segment of the integrity and performance system accessible through SAM 

(currently, the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System, FAPIIS). 

Important Note on FAPIIS: An applicant may review and comment on any information 

about its organization that currently appears in FAPIIS and was entered by a federal 

awarding agency. OJP will consider such comments by the applicant, in addition to the 

other information in FAPIIS, in its assessment of the risk posed by the applicant entity. 

All final award decisions will be made by the Director of the National Institute of Justice 

(NIJ), who may take into account not only peer review ratings and NIJ recommendations, 

but also other factors as indicated in this section. 

Federal Award Administration Information 

Federal Award Notices 

Generally, award notifications are made by the end of the current Federal fiscal year, 

September 30th. See the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for information on 

award notifications and instructions. 

Administrative, National Policy, and Other Legal Requirements 

If selected for funding, in addition to implementing the funded project consistent with the 

OJP-approved application, the recipient must comply with all award conditions and all 

applicable requirements of federal statutes and regulations, including the applicable 

requirements referred to in the assurances and certifications executed in connection with 

award acceptance. For additional information on these legal requirements, see the 

“Administrative, National Policy, and Other Legal Requirements” section in the OJP 

Grant Application Resource Guide. 

Information Technology Security Clauses 

An application in response to this solicitation may require inclusion of information related 

to information technology security. See the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for 

more information. 

General Information about Post-Federal Award Reporting Requirements 

In addition to the deliverables described in the “Program Description” section, all award 

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recipients under this solicitation will be required to submit certain reports and data. 

Required reports. Award recipients typically must submit quarterly financial reports, final 

research report, semi-annual performance reports, final financial and performance 

reports, and, if applicable, an annual audit report in accordance with the Part 200 

Uniform Requirements or specific award conditions. Future awards and fund drawdowns 

may be withheld if reports are delinquent. (In appropriate cases, OJP may require 

additional reports.) 

See the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for additional information on specific 

post-award reporting requirements, including performance measure data. 

Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s) 

For questions directed to the Federal Awarding Agency, see OJP Response Center 

contact information on cover page. 

For OJP contact(s), contact information for Grants.gov, and contact information for 

JustGrants, see the solicitation cover page. 

Other Information 

Freedom of Information and Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552 and 5 U.S.C. 552a) 

See the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for information on the Freedom of 

Information and Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. §§ 552 and 552a). 

Provide Feedback to OJP 

See the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for information on how to provide 

feedback to OJP. 

Performance Measures 

Objective Performance Measure(s) Data Recipient Provides 

Conduct research in social 

and behavioral sciences 

having clear implications 

for criminal justice policy 

and practice in the United 

States. 

1. Relevance to the needs of the 

field as measured by whether 

the project’s substantive scope 

did not deviate from the funded 

project or any subsequent 

agency-approved modifications 

to the scope. 

1. Quarterly financial 

reports, semi-annual and 

final performance reports, 

and products of the work 

performed under the NIJ 

award (including, at 

minimum, a final research 

report). If applicable, an 

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annual audit report. 

Conduct research in 

science, technology, 

engineering, and/or 

mathematics having clear 

implications for criminal or 

juvenile justice policy and 

practice in the United 

States. 

2. Quality of the research as 

demonstrated by the scholarly 

products that result in whole or in 

part from work funded under the 

NIJ award, such as published, 

peer-reviewed, scientific journal 

articles, and/or (as appropriate 

for the funded project) law 

review journal articles, book 

chapter(s) or book(s) in the 

academic press, technological 

prototypes, patented inventions, 

or similar scientific products. 

2. List of citation(s) to all 

scholarly products that 

resulted in whole or in part 

from work funded under the 

NIJ award. 

3. Quality of management as 

measured by such factors as 

whether significant project 

milestones were achieved, 

reporting and other deadlines 

were met, and costs remained 

within approved limits. 

3. If applicable, each data 

set that resulted in whole or 

in part from work funded 

under the NIJ award. 

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Application Checklist 

NIJ FY23 Research and Evaluation on Correctional Culture and Climate 

This application checklist has been created as an aid in developing an application. For 

more information, reference the OJP Application Submission Steps in the OJP Grant 

Application Resource Guide and the DOJ Application Submission Checklist. 

Pre-Application 

Before Registering in Grants.gov: 

Acquire or renew your Entity’s System Award Management (SAM) Registration 

Information (see OJP Grant Application Resource Guide) 

Register in Grants.gov 

Acquire an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) and a Grants.gov 

username and password (see OJP Grant Application Resource Guide) 

Acquire AOR confirmation from the E-Business Point of Contact (E-Biz POC) (see 

OJP Grant Application Resource Guide) 

Find the Funding Opportunity 

Search for the funding opportunity in Grants.gov using the opportunity number, assistance listing number, or keyword(s) 

Access the funding opportunity and application package (see Step 7 in the OJP 

Grant Application Resource Guide) 

Sign up for Grants.gov email notifications (optional) (see OJP Grant Application 

Resource Guide) 

Read Important Notice: Applying for Grants in Grants.gov 

Read OJP policy and guidance on conference approval, planning, and reporting 

available at https://www.ojp.gov/funding/financialguidedoj/iii-postawardrequirements#6g3y8 (see OJP Grant Application Resource Guide) 

Review the Overview of Post-Award Legal Requirements 

Review the “Overview of Legal Requirements Generally Applicable to OJP Grants 

and Cooperative Agreements - FY 2023 Awards” in the OJP Funding Resource 

Center. 

Review the Scope Requirement 

The federal amount requested is within the allowable limit(s) of $3.5M. 

Review Eligibility Requirement: 

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Review the Eligibility section on the cover page and Eligibility Information section in 

the solicitation. 

~~~~ 

Application Step 1 

Submit the SF-424 and SF-LLL in Grants.gov 

In Section 8F of the SF-424, include the name and contact information of the 

individual who will complete the application in JustGrants and the SF-LLL in

Grants.gov 

Within 48 hours after the SF-424 and SF-LLL submission in Grants.gov, receive four (4) Grants.gov email notifications: 

a submission receipt 

a validation receipt 

a grantor agency retrieval receipt 

an agency tracking number assignment 

If no Grants.gov receipt and validation email is received, or if error notifications are 

received: 

Contact OJP Response Center at grants@ncjrs.gov Grants.gov Customer Support 

Hotline at 800-518-4726, 606-545-5035, Grants.gov customer support, or 

support@grants.gov regarding technical difficulties (see OJP Grant Application Resource Guide) 

Within 24 hours after receipt of confirmation emails from Grants.gov, the individual in 

Section 8F of the SF-424 will receive an email from JustGrants with login instructions. 

Proceed to Application Step 2 and complete application in JustGrants 

Application Step 2 

Submit the following information in JustGrants: 

Application Components 

Standard Applicant information (SF-424 information from Grants.gov) 

Proposal Abstract 

Proposal Narrative* 

Budget and Associated Documentation 

Budget Web-Based form* 

Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable) (see OJP Grant Application Resource 

Guide) 

Financial Management and System of Internal Controls Questionnaire (see OJP 

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Grant Application Resource Guide) 

Additional Application Components 

Tribal Authorizing Resolution (if applicable) (see OJP Grant Application Resource 

Guide) 

Research and Evaluation Independence and Integrity (see OJP Grant Application 

Resource Guide 

Request and Justification for Employee Compensation; Waiver (if applicable) (see 

OJP Grant Application Resource Guide) 

Curriculum Vitae or Resumes* 

Timeline Form 

Letters of Support 

Bibliography/reference 

Any tools/instruments, questionnaires, tables/chart/graphs, or maps 

List of Individuals 

Human Subjects 

Privacy Certificate 

Request to Use Incentives or Stipends 

New Investigator Status (if applicable) 

Consortium/Contractual Arrangements 

Data Archiving 

Disclosures and Assurances 

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL) (see OJP Grant Application Resource 

Guide) 

Applicant Disclosure of Duplication in Cost Items (see OJP Grant Application 

Resource Guide) 

DOJ Certified Standard Assurances (see OJP Grant Application Resource Guide) 

DOJ Certifications Regarding Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension and Other 

Responsibility Matters; and Drug-Free Workplace Requirements (see OJP Grant 

Application Resource Guide) 

Applicant Disclosure and Justification – DOJ High Risk Grantees (if applicable) 

(see OJP Grant Application Resource Guide) 

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*Note: Items designated with an asterisk must be submitted for an application to

meet the basic minimum requirements review. If OJP determines that an

application does not include the designated items, it will neither proceed to peer

review, nor receive further consideration. 

Review, Certify and Submit Application in JustGrants 

Any validation errors will immediately display on screen after submission. 

Correct validation errors, if necessary, and then return to the “Certify and Submit” 

screen to submit the application. Access the Application Submission Validation 

Errors Quick Reference Guide for step-by-step instructions to resolve errors prior to 

submission. 

Once the application is submitted and validated, a confirmation message will appear at the top of the page. Users will also receive a notification in the “bell” 

alerts confirming submission. 

If no JustGrants application submission confirmation email or validation is received, or if 

error notification is received: 

Contact the JustGrants Service Desk at 833-872-5175 or 

JustGrants.Support@usdoj.gov regarding technical difficulties. See the OJP Grant 

Application Resource Guide for additional information. 

Standard Solicitation Resources 

OJP Grant Application Resource Guide provides guidance to assist OJP grant applicants 

in preparing and submitting applications for OJP funding. 

DOJ Grants Financial Guide serves as the primary reference manual to assist award 

recipients in fulfilling their fiduciary responsibility to safeguard grant funds and to ensure 

funds are used for the purposes for which they were awarded. It compiles a variety of 

laws, rules and regulations that affect the financial and administrative management of 

DOJ awards. This guide serves as a starting point for all award recipients and 

subrecipients of DOJ grants and cooperative agreements in ensuring the effective dayto-day management of awards. 

JustGrants Resources Website is an entryway into information about JustGrants and the 

grants management system itself. Through this portal both award recipients and 

applicants can access training resource and user support options, find frequently asked 

questions and sign-up for the JustGrants Update e-newsletter. 

JustGrants Application Submission Training Page offers helpful information and 

resources on the application process. This training page includes e-learning videos, 

reference guides, checklists and other resources to help applicants complete an 

application. 

Virtual Q&A Sessions are advertised here and provide opportunities for users to receive 

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topic-specific training, direct technical assistance and support on JustGrants system 

functionality. 

Endnotes 

[1] See Auty, K. M., & Liebling, A. (2020). Exploring the relationship between prison 

social climate and reoffending. Justice Quarterly, 37(2), 358-381. 

[2] See Ross, M. W., Diamond, P. M., Liebling, A. & Saylor, W. (2008). Measurement of 

prison social climate: A comparison of an inmate measure in England and the USA. 

Punishment & Society, 10, 447-474. 

[3] Correctional staff could include but would not be limited to correctional officers, facility 

leadership, civilian staff (i.e., teachers, medical staff), and contractors. 

[4] See Wills, C., Bates, K., Frost, N. A., & Monteiro, C. E. (2021). Barriers to helpseeking among correction officers: Examining the influence of institutional culture and 

structure. Criminal Justice Studies, 34(4), 423-440. 

[5] For an overview of NIJ’s investments in organizational stress, see Martin, E. M. 

(2021). The importance of addressing organizational stress among corrections officers. 

[6] A proposed evaluation of deaths among individuals in federal custody shall be limited 

to individuals only in federal custody and should not be combined with evaluations of 

deaths that occur in non-federal custody settings. Successful applicants that propose 

evaluations of deaths in custody among individuals in federal custody may be required to 

pass a background investigation in order to access federal-level data. Access to data 

shall be limited to the minimum number of persons necessary to successfully conduct the 

research. Background investigations can take approximately two to four months to 

complete. Project management plans should be developed accordingly. 

[7] Russo, J. D., Woods, G. Drake, & B. Jackson (2018). Building a High-Quality 

Correctional Workforce: Identifying Challenges and Needs. Santa Monica, CA: RAND. 

[8] Liebling, A. (2005). Why prison staff culture matters. In J. Byrne, D. Hummer, 

& F. Taxman (Eds.), The culture of prison violence (pp. 105–122). Boston: Pearson 

Education, Inc. 

[9] Mei, X., B. Iannacchione, M. Stohr, C. Hemmens, M. Hudson, & Peter Collins (2017). 

Confirmatory Analysis of Organizational Culture Instrument for Corrections. Prison 

Journal, 97(2), 247-269. 

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