Page 1 O-NIJ-2024-171990

No. 1121-0329

Approval Expires 12/31/2023

U.S. Department of Justice 

Office of Justice Programs 

National Institute of Justice

NIJ FY24 Research and Evaluation on Drugs and 

Crime: Money Laundering, Firearms, and Human 

Trafficking

Assistance Listing Number: 16.560

Grants.gov Opportunity Number: O-NIJ-2024-171990

Solicitation Release Date: February 21, 2024

Step 1: Application Grants.gov Deadline: 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on May 01, 2024

Step 2: Application JustGrants Deadline: 8:59 p.m. Eastern Time on May 15, 2024

Contents

Synopsis.................................................................................................................................... 4

Overview................................................................................................................................ 4

Eligibility................................................................................................................................. 4

Agency Contact Information .................................................................................................. 5

Application Submission Information....................................................................................... 5

Registration........................................................................................................................ 5

Submission......................................................................................................................... 5

Program Description.................................................................................................................. 7

Program Description Overview .............................................................................................. 7

Statutory Authority ................................................................................................................. 7

Specific Information ............................................................................................................... 8

Solicitation Goals and Objectives ........................................................................................14

Goals................................................................................................................................14

Objectives ........................................................................................................................14

Deliverables .....................................................................................................................14

Priority Areas .......................................................................................................................15

Federal Award Information ..................................................................................................16

Awards, Amounts, and Durations.....................................................................................16
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Continuation Funding Intent .............................................................................................17

Availability of Funds .........................................................................................................17

Type of Award ..................................................................................................................17

Budget Information...........................................................................................................17

Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement ...........................................................................18

Eligibility Information............................................................................................................18

How To Apply ..........................................................................................................................18

Application Resources .........................................................................................................18

How To Apply ......................................................................................................................19

Registration......................................................................................................................19

Submission.......................................................................................................................19

Submission Dates and Time................................................................................................20

Experiencing Unforeseen Technical Issues Preventing Submission of an Application 

(Technical Waivers) .........................................................................................................20

Application and Submission Information..............................................................................21

Content of Application Submission and Available Surveys..............................................21

Content of the SF-424 in Grants.gov ...............................................................................22

Content of the JustGrants Application Submission ..........................................................22

Application Review Information ...........................................................................................32

Review Criteria.................................................................................................................32

Review Process ...............................................................................................................34

Federal Award Administration Information...........................................................................34

Federal Award Notices.....................................................................................................34

Evidence-Based Programs or Practices ..........................................................................35

Information Regarding Potential Evaluation of Programs and Activities ..........................35

Administrative, National Policy, and Other Legal Requirements......................................35

Civil Rights Compliance ...................................................................................................35

Financial Management and System of Internal Controls .................................................36

Information Technology Security Clauses........................................................................36

General Information About Post-Federal Award Reporting Requirements ......................36

Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s)..................................................................................36

Other Information.................................................................................................................36

Freedom of Information and Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. §§ 552 and 552a).............................36

Provide Feedback to OJP ................................................................................................37

Performance Measures .......................................................................................................38
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Application Checklist............................................................................................................39

Pre-Application.................................................................................................................39

Application Step 1 ............................................................................................................39

Application Step 2 ............................................................................................................40

Review, Certify, and Submit Application in JustGrants ....................................................41

Standard Solicitation Resources..........................................................................................42
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Synopsis

Overview

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

Justice (NIJ) is seeking applications for funding. 

OJP is committed to advancing work that promotes civil rights and 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 applications for funding rigorous applied research on drugs and 

crime to inform the development of evidence-based tools, practices, and policies for state, tribal, 

and local law enforcement and other criminal justice agencies that address drug trafficking, drug 

markets, and drug-related violence. The goals of this solicitation are to better understand drug 

crime organizations and networks and to develop effective approaches to disrupt them by 

targeting drug-related money laundering, firearms, and human trafficking.

This program furthers DOJ’s mission to uphold the rule of law, to keep our country safe, and to 

protect civil rights.

Eligibility

• State governments

• Special district governments

• City or township governments

• Public and State controlled institutions of higher education

• County governments

• Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities

• Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal 

governments)

• Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)

• 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 the IRS, other than institutions of 

higher education

• Private institutions of higher education

• For-profit organizations other than small businesses

• Small businesses

• Other

o Units of local government

An applicant 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.
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NIJ will consider applications under which two or more entities (project partners) would carry out 

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

must be proposed as subrecipients (subgrantees). See the Application Resource Guide for 

additional information on subawards. 

NIJ may choose to fund applications submitted under this FY 2024 solicitation in future fiscal 

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

availability of appropriations. 

Agency Contact Information

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

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

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

Time (ET) Monday-Friday and from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET on the solicitation closing date.

For procedures related to unforeseen technical issues beyond the control of the applicant that 

impact submission by the deadlines, see the “How To Apply” section, Experiencing Unforeseen

Technical Issues. 

For assistance with submitting the Application for Federal Assistance standard form (SF-424)

and a Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (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 is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 

except on federal holidays.

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 from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. ET Monday-Friday and from 9:00 a.m. to 

5:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sunday, and federal holidays.

Application Submission Information

Registration

Before submitting an application, an applicant must have a registration in the System for Award 

Management (SAM.gov). 

The SAM.gov registration is required for a person applying on behalf of a small business 

(company). The business should obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN) and not apply 

using a social security number: IRS Apply for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) Online. 

Submission

Applications must be submitted to DOJ electronically through a two-step process that begins in

Grants.gov and is completed in JustGrants. See the Submission Dates and Time section for the 

Grants.gov and JustGrants application deadlines.

Step 1: The applicant must register for this opportunity in Grants.gov at 

https://grants.gov/register and submit by the Grants.gov deadline the required Application for 
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Federal Assistance standard form (SF-424) and a Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL). 

See the Submission Dates and Time section for application deadlines. 

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

JustGrants.usdoj.gov by the JustGrants application deadline. See the Submission Dates and 

Time section for application deadlines.
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Program Description

Program Description Overview

With this solicitation, NIJ seeks applications for funding rigorous applied research on drugs and 

crime to inform the development of evidence-based tools, practices, and policies for state, tribal, 

and local law enforcement and other criminal justice agencies that address drug trafficking, drug 

markets, and drug-related violence. The goals of this solicitation are to better understand drug 

crime organizations and networks and to develop effective approaches to disrupt them by 

targeting drug-related money laundering, firearms, and human trafficking.

NIJ will give special consideration to proposals with methods that include meaningful 

engagement with the people closest to the subject of study, including practitioners as well as 

community members representing crime victims, people under criminal justice supervision, and 

members of high-crime communities.

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, race, ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation, as 

applicable.

Applications proposing research involving partnerships with juvenile justice, criminal justice, or 

other agencies should include a strong letter of support, signed by an appropriate decisionmaking authority from each proposed, partnering agency. A letter of support should include the 

partnering agency’s acknowledgment 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, 2025. 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. Special consideration 

will be given to proposals that 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 

preponderance of the work proposed.

Statutory Authority

Any awards under this solicitation would be made under statutory authority provided by a fullyear appropriations act for FY 2024. As of the writing of this solicitation, the Department of 
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Justice is operating under a short-term "Continuing Resolution"; no full-year appropriation for 

the Department has been enacted for FY 2024. 

Specific Information

NIJ’s Research and Evaluation on Drugs and Crime Program supports rigorous applied 

research on drugs and crime to inform the development of evidence-based tools, 

practices, and policies for state, tribal, and local law enforcement and other criminal 

justice agencies that address drug trafficking, drug markets, and drug-related violence.1

The goals of this solicitation are to better understand drug crime organizations and 

networks and to develop effective approaches to disrupt them. Drug crime organizations 

and networks can be defined more broadly beyond drug cartels and drug trafficking 

organizations to include self-organizing, emergent, and informal drug crime networks, 

such as darknet marketplaces, human trafficking networks, cybercrime gangs, etc.

Of interest are criminal networks which are fundamental to the production and 

distribution of illicit drugs to sellers and consumers, and associated crimes relating to 1) 

money laundering, 2) firearms, and 3) human trafficking. Proposed research may 

examine any one of these research priorities at the individual, retail, or drug trafficking 

level. NIJ encourages partnerships with criminal justice and public health agencies for 

research demonstrating how analysis of public safety, public health, victim service 

provider, and other data can inform the disruption and dismantling of criminal networks, 

and the investigation and prosecution of drug crimes, human trafficking crimes, and 

related violence.

Research Priority 1: Money Laundering2

The goal of this research priority is to better understand money laundering operations 

and disrupt drug crime organizations by identifying and dismantling their means to 

conceal illegal proceeds. Financial transaction instruments, such as cryptocurrencies, 

virtual currencies, bank transfers, mobile payment services, and money orders are used 

for money laundering in a variety of criminal activities, including the operation of illegal 

drug markets and drug crime organizations.3 Money laundering through the use of 

cryptocurrencies is one concern to regulators and criminal justice investigators.4,5

Namely, money laundering transactions may be concealed using tumbler (or mixing) 

services, virtual currency exchange services, and non-fungible tokens. Use of 

cryptocurrency for illicit activity has fluctuated in part due to an increase in lawful use,

1 See more on NIJ’s Drugs and Crime Research Portfolio at https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/drugs. 

2 Money laundering involves disguising financial assets so they can be used without detection of the illegal activity 

that produced them. Through money laundering, the criminal transforms the monetary proceeds derived from criminal 

activity into funds with an apparently legal source. See https://www.fincen.gov/what-money-laundering. 

3 Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco Announces National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team (2021), 

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/deputy-attorney-general-lisa-o-monaco-announces-national-cryptocurrencyenforcement-team. 

4 See “Money Laundering Through Cryptocurrencies,” 

https://syntheticdrugs.unodc.org/syntheticdrugs/en/cybercrime/launderingproceeds/moneylaundering.html. 

5 Executive Order No 14067, “Ensuring Responsible Development of Digital Assets,” 

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2022/03/09/executive-order-on-ensuring-responsibledevelopment-of-digital-assets/. 
Page 9 O-NIJ-2024-171990

greater regulatory control, concern over traceability of transactions, and volatility of the 

currencies themselves. Furthermore, operational risks associated with exchanging 

cryptocurrencies for other types of currency may shape their uses in illicit activity. Other 

methods for drug-related money laundering are long-standing, including bulk cash 

smuggling, moving cash through legitimate (and illegitimate) businesses, and 

exchanging casino chips and related money transfers.6

 

Research questions of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Who are the key targets in drug-related money laundering infrastructures? How 

should law enforcement investigate and prosecute cash couriers, professional 

money launderers, drug traffickers, financial institutions, and other actors?

• What money laundering methods are common among retail sellers (who distribute 

small drug amounts and collect cash or gift cards from oftentimes unfamiliar 

consumers), versus wholesale distributors (who purchase large drug quantities 

from organized crime networks)? What are the opportunities for criminal 

investigations and interdiction?

• What are best practices or protocols for detection and evidence documentation of 

drug-related money laundering by state, local, and tribal law enforcement?

• What is the role of state, local, and tribal law enforcement in multijurisdictional 

taskforces? When should cases be prosecuted in state, local, or tribal 

jurisdictions?

• Where is the current nexus between drug markets and the use of cryptocurrency 

in laundering illegal proceeds, as well as in supporting related illicit activities? 

What are the best investigative and prosecutorial strategies involving 

cryptocurrency?

• How may machine learning, network analysis, and other data science techniques 

or technologies be applied for tactical and strategic advantages in detecting and 

documenting evidence of drug-related money laundering? What drug intelligence 

and other information resources can support crime analysts in those efforts?

Research Priority 2: Firearms7

The goal of this research priority is to better understand the activities of individuals and 

organizations involved in violent offenses related to drug markets and trafficking of 

firearms, and how best to disrupt them. DOJ’s comprehensive strategy to combat gun 

violence and other violent crime, including drug-related crime, emphasizes criminal 

justice investment into identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the most significant 

crime drivers and supporting the development of new knowledge and tools to create a 

comprehensive strategy for reducing violent crime.8 Relevant topics are trends in 

6 See “Trafficking: Use of Online Marketplaces and Virtual Currencies in Drug and Human Trafficking,” 

https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-22-105101. 

7 For the purposes of this solicitation, “firearm” means any weapon (including a starter gun) which will, or is designed 

to, or may readily be converted to, expel a projectile by the action of an explosive; the frame or receiver of any such 

weapon; any firearm muffler or firearm silencer; or any destructive device, such as machine gun or grenade. See 18 

U.S.C., § 921(a)(3) and Firearms - Guides - Importation & Verification of Firearms, Ammunition - Gun Control Act 

Definitions - Firearm | Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (atf.gov). 

8 Comprehensive Strategy to Reducing Violent Crime (May 26, 2021), 

https://www.justice.gov/dag/page/file/1397921/download. 
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firearms seizure and use in relation to drug markets, charging and sentencing 

enhancements, and prosecution of drug cases involving firearms in state, local, and 

tribal jurisdictions.

Research questions of interest include, but are not limited to:

• What are current firearm seizure trends in drug busts and other law enforcement 

operations involving drug crimes? Do these vary according to drug market or 

other variables?

• How are firearms that are used to facilitate or support drug crimes obtained and 

for what purposes? How is each activity executed ― for example, the exchange of 

firearms for drugs?

• How are firearms distributed or trafficked as related to drug markets? What are 

the best opportunities and approaches to law enforcement interdiction?

• What indicators exist for crime guns that are trafficked by drug-distribution 

networks ― in terms of time-to-crime, use of straw purchasers,9 or ballistic 

evidence case associations?

• What is the prevalence of ghost guns in proximity to drug crime? What impact do 

they have on drug-related violence relative to traceable guns? What strategies 

successfully combat their proliferation?

• What are current concerns regarding evidence processing and other protocols for 

case building as relates to firearm crimes? How may those be addressed?

• How do law enforcement and prosecutors use firearms evidence in case building, 

criminal charging, and sentencing enhancements? Are weapons or violent crime 

cases pursued independent of drug cases?

• What are best practices in charging and prosecuting individuals suspected of 

drug-related firearms offenses? How does related legislation (persons prohibited 

from carrying firearms, mandatory minimums) affect practice and policy?

Research Priority 3: Human Trafficking10

The goal of this research priority is to better understand the structure and connectivity of 

criminal networks engaging in both drug and human trafficking, and how best to disrupt 

operations and supply chains used to build and maintain illicit markets. Criminal 

networks are fundamental to significant elements of illicit drug and human trafficking, 

and some networks engage in both activities by sharing financial resources11 and other 

infrastructure. Drug trafficking has also been linked to human smuggling, which differs 

from human trafficking,12 when individuals pay for their transport to the U.S. by ingesting 

9 Information on period between retail sale and weapon recovery at crime scene (time to crime), illegal firearms 

purchase by one person for another (straw purchase), and other concerns is available at https://www.atf.gov/firearms. 

10 Human trafficking, also known as trafficking in persons, is a crime that involves compelling or coercing a person to 

provide labor or services, or to engage in commercial sex acts. The coercion can be subtle or overt, physical or 

psychological. Exploitation of a minor for commercial sex is human trafficking, regardless of whether any form of 

force, fraud, or coercion was used (Human Trafficking | What is Human Trafficking? (justice.gov)). 

11 See “Trafficking: Use of Online Marketplaces and Virtual Currencies in Drug and Human Trafficking,” 

https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-22-105101.

12 Human smuggling differs from human trafficking in that it does not involve force, fraud, or coercion.
Page 11 O-NIJ-2024-171990

or transporting drugs. State, local, and tribal law enforcement may be the first to 

encounter the U.S. footprint of domestic and international drug and human trafficking 

criminal networks when investigating other crimes in their communities, such as those 

of gangs that engage in multiple types of organized criminal activity. Many networks 

have added human trafficking to their criminal enterprise repertoire because of its 

perceived low risk and the ability to exploit trafficking victims for multiple purposes, like 

sex or labor trafficking and forced criminality.13

Research questions of interest include, but are not limited to:

• How can public safety, victim service provider, public health, or other data be 

used in new or innovative ways to inform our understanding of criminal 

networks engaged in both drug and human trafficking? How can the sharing 

and analysis of these data advance the investigation and prosecution of 

criminal networks?

• How can the understanding of criminal networks’ supply chains and other 

infrastructure be used to disrupt and dismantle drug and human trafficking 

organizations? What disruption activities are most effective in reducing these 

illicit activities?

• How can the understanding of criminal networks be used to identify and 

exploit operational vulnerabilities in drug and human trafficking?

• What is the impact of strategies to disrupt or dismantle multipurpose criminal 

networks on markets for drugs and commercial sex or labor trafficking in 

industries such as agriculture, begging, or domestic servitude?

• What are the responses of criminal networks to law enforcement market 

disruption efforts? How can law enforcement forecast and monitor market 

changes?

• How can machine learning, web scraping, and data fusion techniques (that 

compile open, proprietary, dark web, and restricted use information) be 

improved to enhance data accuracy and reliability for identifying network 

members and roles while mitigating spurious correlation and other data 

biases? What techniques and lessons are easily applicable by law 

enforcement and intelligence analysts in practice and which are more 

applicable for advancing research?

Note that any application involving the human trafficking nexus as a focus area must 

involve survivor input, to include at least one survivor-consultant as a fully integrated 

member of the research team throughout the project as evidenced by a strong letter of 

commitment from a survivor consultant or survivor network organization.14

Additional Information

13 Forced criminality involves pressing victims into committing illicit labor, such as selling drugs, through force, fraud, 

or coercion.

14 See NIJ Director priorities for inclusive research and national calls for incorporating survivor engagement as a 

priority in research and programs involving human trafficking (National-Action-Plan-to-Combat-Human-Trafficking.pdf 

(whitehouse.gov); United States Advisory Council on Human Trafficking Annual Report 2022 - United States 

Department of State). 
Page 12 O-NIJ-2024-171990

Proposals must be for rigorous research and evaluation projects, and not primarily for 

operations, program support, or training and technical assistance. Proposed research 

must address drug trafficking, drug markets, or drug-related violence in state, local, and 

tribal jurisdictions relevant to at least one of the three research priorities above ― money 

laundering, firearms, or human trafficking. Applications for funding research that fall 

outside of this scope will not be considered, and applicants are encouraged to consider 

other NIJ solicitations which may be more relevant.15 A single application may address 

more than one research priority; however, the rationale and approach to studying each 

research question must be made clear in the application. Applications that propose to 

address all research priorities without clear justification for each will not be considered.

Research proposals must address state, tribal, and local law enforcement interests in 

U.S. jurisdictions. NIJ will not fund research on federal or international law enforcement 

jurisdictions. Also, non-U.S. individuals and organizations will not be funded.

Research applications should:

• State research questions that correspond clearly to proposed research and evaluation 

methods, data collection, analysis, and reporting plans.

• Detail how qualitative or quantitative research methods will be implemented, and how 

the information collected will be compiled and analyzed.

• Detail interview and focus group protocols, if relevant, with assessment of potential 

recruitment and response bias.

• Describe protocol and associated budget options should field research plans need to be 

modified due to public health and related concerns.

• Describe potential archival data resources, if relevant, and how potential validity and 

reliability concerns will be addressed.

• Demonstrate cultural competence in research protocol and team capabilities that 

addresses geographic, racial/ethnic, language, and other relevant diversity issues.

• Describe, in the project management plan, each research team member (staff, 

contractor, consultant, etc.) with a clearly specified role and projected level of effort, 

regardless of compensation.

• Provide for each partnering agency a letter of commitment clarifying information, staff, 

and other resource access.

• Confirm access to all necessary qualitative and quantitative information resources for a 

successful project, without assistance from either NIJ or from any other federal agency, 

except as stipulated in that other federal agency's letter of commitment. (Federal 

applicants and subawards will not be funded.)

• Submit a project timeline beginning January 1, 2025 that indicates key milestones and 

necessary steps to produce the grant deliverables outlined in the Deliverables section 

below.

• Propose research excluding national surveys, basic laboratory research, and purely 

descriptive studies.

15 See other research solicitation opportunities at “Anticipated NIJ Fiscal Year 2024 Funding Opportunities,” 

https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/anticipated-nij-fiscal-year-2024-funding-opportunities. 
Page 13 O-NIJ-2024-171990

• Provide an explanation including proposed value added in proposals to conduct 

research overlapping with projects supported by other NIJ solicitations or other federal 

research programs.16

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 quasiexperimental 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 an evaluation involving program staff, the applicant must demonstrate 

research/evaluation independence and provide a description of and justification for the roles of 

program staff as distinct from evaluation activities, a discussion of potential risks (if any) to 

independence and integrity, and a description of the safeguards that will be employed to ensure 

research independence.

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.

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 

16 For example projects supported by the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy such as under the High Intensity 

Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Program, see https://www.whitehouse.gov/ondcp/grant-programs/hidta/. 
Page 14 O-NIJ-2024-171990

evidence-rating criteria at https://crimesolutions.ojp.gov/about/how-we-review-and-rateprogram-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. 

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, 2024. 

• 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.

Solicitation Goals and Objectives

Goals

The goal of this solicitation is to provide objective and independent knowledge and tools that 

support law enforcement and other agencies in state, tribal, and local jurisdictions in their efforts 

to reform the criminal justice system with respect to drugs and crime.

Objectives

The objectives of this solicitation are to support applied drugs and crime research that aids our 

understanding of drug crime organizations and networks, and informs effective approaches to 

disrupt them by targeting money laundering, firearms, and human trafficking.

Deliverables

Research award recipients are expected to produce the following deliverables.

Project Startup Meeting. NIJ will host a virtual meeting for the awardee to present an overview 

of their proposed project for discussion to review the research tasks, timeline, partners, and 

other protocol plans.

Draft Research Abstract, Executive Summary, and Report. Recipients will be required to deliver 

a draft of their Final Research Report no later than 90 days or earlier prior to the end of the 

award project period.
Page 15 O-NIJ-2024-171990

Final Research Abstract, Executive Summary, and Research Report. Any recipient of an award 

under this solicitation will be expected to submit a Final Research Report by the end of the 

award project period. The awardee will submit final written deliverables to NIJ for public archive 

on the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) website. Additional information on 

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

Technical Deliverables. In selected circumstances recipients funded to develop algorithms, 

methods, software, hardware or other technologies may be required to deliver exemplars along 

with detailed implementation instructions for third-party evaluation.

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. Grant recipients are strongly encouraged to submit data sets no later than 90 days or 

earlier prior to the end of the award project period.

In addition to these deliverables, 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.

For information about what the applicant needs to submit regarding Goals, Objectives, and 

Deliverables, please see the How to Apply section on the Application Goals, Objectives, 

Deliverables, and Timeline. 

Priority Areas

1. In order to further OJP’s mission, OJP will provide priority consideration when making 

award decisions to the following:

1A. Applications that propose project(s) that are designed to meaningfully advance 

equity and remove barriers to accessing services and opportunities for communities that 

have been historically underserved, marginalized, adversely affected by inequality, and 

disproportionately impacted by crime, violence, and victimization.

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

will address identified inequities and contribute to greater access to services and 

opportunities for communities that have been historically underserved, marginalized, 

adversely affected by inequality, and disproportionately impacted by crime, violence, and 

victimization. Project activities under this consideration may include, but are not limited 

to the following: improving victim services, justice responses, prevention initiatives, 

reentry services and other parts of an organization's or community’s efforts to advance 

public safety. Applicants should propose activities that address the cultural (and 

linguistic, if appropriate) needs of communities, outline how the proposed activities will 

be informed by these communities, and implement culturally responsive and inclusive 

outreach and engagement.
Page 16 O-NIJ-2024-171990

1B. 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) are a population specific organization that 

serves communities that have been historically underserved, marginalized, adversely 

affected by inequality, and disproportionately impacted by crime, violence, and 

victimization.

For purposes of this solicitation, population specific organizations are nonprofit, 

nongovernmental, or tribal organizations that primarily serve members of a specific 

underserved population and have demonstrated experience and expertise providing 

targeted services to members of that specific underserved population.

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

population specific organization (or funding the population specific subrecipient 

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

should also specify which historically underserved populations are intended or expected 

to be served or have their needs addressed under the proposed project(s).

2. NIJ will give special consideration in award decisions to proposals for which a Minority 

Serving Institution (MSI) is the lead applicant.

Minority-Serving Institutions 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 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

Awards, Amounts, and Durations

Anticipated Number of Awards: Up to 4 awards. Total number of awards NIJ expects to make to 

be determined by the number of applications received and their merit.
Page 17 O-NIJ-2024-171990

Anticipated Maximum Dollar Amount per Award: Approximately $750,000. NIJ anticipates 

funding up to 4 awards totaling $3,000,000.

Period of Performance Start Date: 01/01/2025. 

Period of Performance Duration (Months): Awards will normally not exceed a three-year period 

of performance, and applications proposing shorter timelines are preferred. Successful 

applicants will be expected to complete the work proposed within a five-year (60 Months) period 

of performance.

Anticipated Total Amount To Be Awarded Under This Solicitation: $3,000,000. 

Additional Information: Grantees must clear all required award special conditions before 

incurring expenses, barring spending pre-approval, and, if applicable, confirm NIJ approval of 

new or modified IRB and privacy certificate documents before beginning research activities.

Continuation Funding Intent

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

funding opportunity through continuation awards. NIJ will consider, among other factors, NIJ’s 

strategic priorities, a recipient’s overall management of the award, and the progress of the work 

funded under the award, when making continuation award decisions.

Availability of Funds

This funding opportunity, and awards under this funding opportunity, are subject to the 

availability of funding and to any changes or additional requirements that may be imposed by 

the agency or by law. In addition, nothing in this solicitation is intended to, 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 funding opportunity as grants and cooperative 

agreements. Cooperative agreements provide for NIJ to have substantial involvement in 

carrying out award activities. See the “Administrative, National Policy, and Other Legal 

Requirements” section of the 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.

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.) 
Page 18 O-NIJ-2024-171990

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 2024, 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 2024 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.

The applicant should identify within their budget which items, services, etc., will/would be 

covered by matching sources and explain what type of match will be provided.

Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement

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

and Submission Information” section.

Eligibility Information

For eligibility information, see the Synopsis section. 

For the purposes of this notice of funding opportunity, “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.

For the purposes of this notice of funding opportunity, other units of local government include 

towns, boroughs, parishes, villages, or other general purpose political subdivisions of a state.

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

eligible to apply. Federal agencies are not eligible to apply.

How To Apply

Application Resources

When preparing and submitting an application, the following resources may aid prospective 

applicants:

1. Grants.gov “How to Apply for Grants” 

2. OJP “How To Apply” section in the Application Resource Guide

3. JustGrants Application Submission Training

4. NIJ Guidance for Applicants and Awardees
Page 19 O-NIJ-2024-171990

This solicitation (notice of funding opportunity) incorporates guidance provided in the OJP Grant 

Application Resource Guide (Application Resource Guide), which provides additional 

information for applicants to prepare and submit applications to OJP for funding. If this 

solicitation requires something different from any guidance provided in the Application 

Resource Guide, the difference will be noted in this solicitation and the applicant is to 

follow the guidelines in this solicitation, rather than the guidance in the Application 

Resource Guide that is in conflict.

How To Apply

Registration

Before submitting an application, all applicants must register with the System for Award 

Management (SAM.gov). An applicant must renew their registration every 12 months. If an 

applicant does not renew their SAM.gov registration, it will expire. An expired registration can 

delay or prevent application submission in Grants.gov and JustGrants. Applicants are 

encouraged to start the SAM.gov registration process at least 30 days prior to the application 

deadlines. Applicants who fail to begin the registration or renewal process at least 10 business 

days prior to the Grants.gov deadline may not complete the process in time and will not be 

considered for late submission. 

A small business, in addition to obtaining the SAM.gov registration, should obtain an Employer 

Identification Number (EIN) from the Internal Revenue Service. The person applying for an 

award will submit the EIN value as the Tax Identification Number (TIN). The applicant should 

not submit their social security numbers. For additional information, including the steps to obtain 

an EIN: https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/apply-for-an-employeridentification-number-ein-online. 

Submission

Applications must be submitted to DOJ electronically through a two-step process that begins in 

Grants.gov and is completed in JustGrants. 

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

Grants.gov at https://grants.gov/register by the Grants.gov deadline. To leave time to address 

any technical issues that may arise, an applicant should submit the SF-424 and SF-LLL 

as early as possible and recommended not later than 48 hours before the Grants.gov 

deadline. If an applicant fails to submit in Grants.gov by the deadline, they will be unable to 

apply in JustGrants. Applicants can confirm Grants.gov submission by verifying their application 

status shows as “submitted” or “agency tracking number assigned.”

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

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

OJP recommends that applicants submit the complete application package in JustGrants at 

least 48 hours prior to the JustGrants deadline. Some of the required sections of the application 

will be entered directly into JustGrants, and other sections will require documents to be 

uploaded and attached. Therefore, applicants should allow enough time before the JustGrants 

deadline to prepare all the requirements of the application. Applicants may save their progress 
Page 20 O-NIJ-2024-171990

in the system and add to or change the application as needed prior to hitting the “Submit” button 

at the end of the application in JustGrants.

An applicant will receive emails when successfully submitting in Grants.gov and JustGrants and 

should maintain all emails and other confirmations received from SAM.gov, Grants.gov, and 

JustGrants systems.

For additional information, see the “How To Apply” section in the 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. ET on May 01, 

2024. 

The full application must be submitted in JustGrants by 8:59 p.m. ET on May 15, 2024. 

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 and application process in sufficient time (i.e., waiting until the due dates identified 

in this solicitation for those systems to begin the application steps) is not an acceptable reason

to request a technical waiver. 

Experiencing Unforeseen Technical Issues Preventing Submission of an Application 

(Technical Waivers)

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 submission of the 

application on time.

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 documentation of attempts 

to receive technical assistance to resolve the issue prior to the application deadline. A tracking 

number is the most typical documentation and is generated when the applicant contacts the 

applicable service desks to report technical difficulties. Tracking numbers are generated 

automatically when an applicant emails the applicable service desks, and for this reason, long 

call wait times for support do 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.gov Help Desk (Federal Service Desk), Monday-Friday from 

8:00 a.m. to 8:00 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. 
Page 21 O-NIJ-2024-171990

• JustGrants: contact the JustGrants Service Desk at JustGrants.Support@usdoj.gov or 

833-872-5175, Monday-Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. ET and Saturday, Sunday, 

and federal holidays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 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 (provide screenshots if applicable); 

• 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 (including all information listed above), 

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 “Experiencing 

Unforeseen Technical Issues” section in the Application Resource Guide. 

Application and Submission Information

Content of Application Submission and Available Surveys

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:

• SF-424 and SF-LLL (in Grants.gov). 

• Proposal Narrative (in JustGrants). 

• Budget Web-Based Form, which includes the budget details and the budget narrative (in 

JustGrants). 

• 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 not proceed to peer 

review and will not receive any further consideration.
Page 22 O-NIJ-2024-171990

Content of the 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 

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 funding opportunity is not subject to Executive Order (E.O.) 

12372. In completing the SF-424, an applicant should answer question 19 by selecting 

“Program is not covered by E.O. 12372.”

Content of the JustGrants Application Submission

Entity and User Verification (First Time Applicant)

For first time JustGrants applicants, once the application is received from Grants.gov, DOJ will 

send an email (from DIAMD-NoReply@usdoj.gov) to the individual listed in Section 8F of the 

SF-424 with instructions on how to create a JustGrants account. This email should arrive within 

24 hours after this individual receives confirmation from Grants.gov of their SF-424 and SF-LLL 

submissions. Register the Entity Administrator (the person who manages who can access 

JustGrants on behalf of the applicant), the Application Submitter, and Authorized 

Representative for the applicant with JustGrants as early as possible and (recommended) not 

later than 48-72 hours before the JustGrants deadline. Once registered in JustGrants, the 

Application Submitter will receive a link in an email to complete the rest of the application in 

JustGrants. Find additional information on JustGrants Application Submission in the Application 

Resource Guide. 

Standard Applicant Information

The “Standard Applicant Information” section of the JustGrants application is pre-populated 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 

goals, objectives, research questions, research design and methods, work products and 

dissemination plan — must be completed in the JustGrants web-based 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 Application Resource Guide for 

an example of a proposal abstract. 
Page 23 O-NIJ-2024-171990

Data Requested With Application

The following application elements should be submitted in the web-based forms in JustGrants.

Financial Management and System of Internal Controls Questionnaire (including applicant 

disclosure of high-risk status)

The Financial Management and System of Internal Controls Questionnaire helps OJP assess

the financial management and internal control systems, and the associated potential risks of an 

applicant as part of the pre-award risk assessment process. Every OJP applicant (other than an 

individual applying in their personal capacity, not representing an applicant organization) is 

required to complete the web-based Questionnaire form in JustGrants. See the Application 

Resource Guide: Financial Management and System of Internal Controls Questionnaire 

(including Applicant Disclosure of High Risk Status) for additional guidance on how to complete 

the questionnaire. 

Brief Applicant Entity Questionnaire

The Office of Justice Programs (OJP) is collecting the following information to help assess its 

efforts to attract a broader range of applicants. These questions apply to the applicant entity and 

its work and scope only, and not to the specific project(s) being proposed within the application. 

Responses to the questions will not be considered in the application review process. The 

questions included in the questionnaire are available in the Standard Forms & Instructions: Brief 

Applicant Entity Questionnaire. 

Principal Investigator Contact Information

To facilitate administrative processes associated with application review and post review 

activities, applicants are requested to enter the name of the Principal Investigator for the 

application project, as well as their contact information.

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 size 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 final award decisions.

The Proposal Narrative must 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).
Page 24 O-NIJ-2024-171990

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

available.

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

research”.

• 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/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 programspecific 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 an applicant is seeking consideration under Priority 1A, it should explain in this 

section how the proposed project(s) will meaningfully address identified inequities 

and contribute to greater access to services and opportunities for communities that 
Page 25 O-NIJ-2024-171990

have been historically underserved, marginalized, adversely affected by inequality, 

and disproportionately impacted by crime, violence, and victimization. The applicant 

should also identify how the project design and implementation will specifically 

incorporate the input and/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 capabilities 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.

• 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 1B, it should: (1) 

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

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

budget) will enhance its capabilities and competencies to implement the proposed 

project; (2) specify which populations are intended or expected to be served, have 

their needs addressed, and/or be affected by the proposed project; and (3) include 

information to confirm that the population specific organization is specifically 

designed to serve communities that have been historically underserved, 

marginalized, adversely affected by inequality, and disproportionately impacted by 

crime, violence, and victimization (examples of such information include, but are not 

limited to, the website address, charter, mission statement, or operating principles of 

the population specific organization).

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

• 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 
Page 26 O-NIJ-2024-171990

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). 

• Any table/charts/graphs supporting program narrative.

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 to provide notice that award 

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

reporting requirements. 

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

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

goals and objectives identified in the “Goals and Objectives” section. Applicants can 

visit OJP’s performance measurement page at www.ojp.gov/performance for more 

information on performance measurement activities. 

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

“Performance Measures” section. Some measures are presented as examples, while 

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

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

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.

Application Goals, Objectives, Deliverables, and Timeline

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

This is a summary of the goals, objectives, deliverables, and timeline that relate to the proposal 

narrative. 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 stepby-step directions. 

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

the problem noted in the proposal narrative. 

• Program Objectives and Timeline: The applicant should include objectives to

accomplish its goals. Objectives are specific, measurable actions to reach the project’s 

desired results. The included timelines should be clearly linked to the goal.

• Deliverables and Timeline: Project deliverables refer to outputs — tangible (for 

example, a report or a website) or intangible (for example, greater feelings of safety 

reported by the community) — that are documented and submitted within the scope of a 

project. Deliverables include timelines.

Deliverables Expected by Successful Applicants

See Deliverables guidance on page 11.
Page 27 O-NIJ-2024-171990

Program objectives and deliverables should be included in one timeline.

Budget and Associated Documentation

Funding Restrictions

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

management fee.

Budget Detail and Narrative Web-Based Form

The applicant will complete the JustGrants web-based budget form, which includes both 

detailed calculations and budget narrative sections. 

For additional information about how to prepare a budget for federal funding, see the 

“Application Resource Guide” section on Budget Preparation and Submission Information and

the technical steps to complete the budget form in JustGrants in the Complete the Application in 

JustGrants: Budget training. 

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

Requirement” provisions in the 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% 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.

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 1A and has proposed activities to 

incorporate the input and participation of communities that have been historically underserved, 

marginalized, adversely affected by inequality, and disproportionately impacted by crime, 

violence and victimization, 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 1B based on the identification of a 

proposed subrecipient as a population specific organization, the proposed funding for the 

subrecipient must reflect a minimum of 40% of the total award funding within the web-based 

budget form. 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 proposed project that will meaningfully address identified inequities and contribute to 

greater access to services and opportunities for communities that have been historically 
Page 28 O-NIJ-2024-171990

underserved, marginalized, adversely affected by inequality, and disproportionately impacted by 

crime, violence, and victimization.

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

OJP strongly encourages every applicant that proposes to use award funds for any conference, 

meeting, or training related activity (or similar event) to review carefully — before submitting an 

application — the Application Resource Guide for information on prior approval, planning, and 

reporting of conference/meeting/training costs.

Costs Associated With Language Assistance (if applicable)

If an applicant proposes a program or activity that would deliver services or benefits to 

individuals, the costs of taking reasonable steps to provide meaningful access to those services 

or benefits for individuals with limited English proficiency may be allowable. See the Application 

Resource Guide for information on costs associated with language assistance.

Budget/Financial Attachments

Pre-Agreement (Pre-Award) Costs (if applicable)

Pre-agreement costs are defined as costs requiring approval incurred by the applicant prior to 

the start date of the period of performance of the federal award. OJP does not typically approve 

pre-agreement costs. If a successful applicant, in anticipation of the federal award, but before 

the start date of the period of performance, incurs costs that are necessary for efficient and 

timely performance of the funded project, those costs may not be charged to the award. See the

“Costs Requiring Prior Approval” section in the DOJ Grants Financial Guide Post-Award 

Requirements for more information.

Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable)

Indirect costs are costs of an organization that are not readily assignable to a particular project 

but are necessary to the operation of the organization and the performance of the project. 

Examples of costs usually treated as indirect include those incurred for facility operation and 

maintenance, depreciation, and administrative salaries. The requirements for the development 

and submission of indirect cost proposals and cost allocation plans are listed in Appendices III – 

VII of 2 C.F.R. Part 200. A non-federal applicant should follow the guidelines applicable to its 

type of organization. If applicable, an applicant with a current federally-approved indirect cost

rate agreement will upload it as an attachment in JustGrants. See the DOJ Financial Guide for 

additional information on Indirect Cost Rate Agreement. 

Consultant Rate (if applicable)

Costs for consultant services require prior approval from OJP. If the proposed project expects to 

fund consultant services, compensation for individual consultant services is to be reasonable 

and consistent with that paid for similar services in the marketplace. See the DOJ Grants 

Financial Guide for information on the consultant rates, which require prior approval from OJP. 

Limitation on Use of Award Funds for Employee Compensation for Awards Over $250,000; Waiver (if 

applicable)
Page 29 O-NIJ-2024-171990

If an applicant proposes to hire employees with federal award funds, for any award of more than 

$250,000 made under a funding opportunity, an award recipient may not use federal funds to 

pay total cash compensation (salary plus cash bonuses) to any employee of the recipient at a 

rate that exceeds 110% of the maximum annual salary payable to a member of the federal 

government’s Senior Executive Service (SES) at an agency with a Certified SES Performance 

Appraisal System for that year. See the Application Resource Guide for information on the 

“Limitation on Use of Award Funds for Employee Compensation for Awards over $250,000; 

Waiver.” 

Disclosure of Process Related to Executive Compensation (if applicable)

This notice of funding opportunity expressly modifies the Application Resource Guide by not 

incorporating its “Disclosure of Process Related to Executive Compensation” provisions. 

Applicants to this funding opportunity 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 co-principal 

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 (if applicable)

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 Application Resource Guide for 

information on tribal authorizing resolutions.

Letters of Support (if applicable)

Applicants should include, for each named supporting entity, a signed letter of support that 

outlines the supporting entity’s reasons for supporting for the project and the scope of work they 

are committing to. Applications submitted from two or more entities are encouraged to submit 

signed letters of support that provide a detailed description of why the proposed project should 

receive federal funding. 

Each letter of support should include the following: (1) a description of the relationship between 

the applicant entity and the supporting entity; (2) a description of the need and what benefits 

would be gained from the project; (3) a description of the applicant’s capacity to complete the 

proposed project; and (4) an understanding that final, de-identified project data will be archived 

with the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data (NACJD). Letters of support should be signed 

by the relevant decision-maker and then submitted as one separate attachment to the 

application in JustGrants. 
Page 30 O-NIJ-2024-171990

Research and Evaluation Independence and Integrity Statement (if applicable)

If an application proposes research (including research and development) and/or 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 Application Resource Guide. 

Bibliography/References 

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/humansubjects-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/privacy-certificate-guidance#model-privacy-certificate). 

Request to Use Incentives or Stipends

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

Documentation of “New Investigator” status (if applicable) 

Documentation of “new investigator” status, if applicable.
Page 31 O-NIJ-2024-171990

Consortium/Contractual Agreements

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 de-identification 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.

Project Management Plan and Timeline

Applicants should also outline the management plan and organization that connects to the goals 

and objectives of the project, including the project management structure, approach, and 

strategies. Among other factors, that plan should include a description of the anticipated level of 

effort of key personnel. In addition, applicants should include a project management timeline 

documenting the timing for project tasks, management, milestones, and deliverables.

Disclosures and Assurances

The applicant will address the following disclosures and assurances. 

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities

The SF-LLL attachment that was completed and submitted in Grants.gov is attached to this 

section. 

Applicant Disclosure of Duplication in Cost Items

To ensure funding coordination across grant making agencies, and to avoid unnecessary or 

inappropriate duplication among grant awards, the applicant will disclose if it has any pending 

applications for federal funding, including pending applications for subawards of federal funds.
Page 32 O-NIJ-2024-171990

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

See the Application Resource Guide for additional information. 

DOJ Certified Standard Assurances

Review and accept the DOJ Certified Standard Assurances in JustGrants. See the 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 in JustGrants the DOJ Certifications Regarding Lobbying; Debarment, 

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

Enforcement and Community Policing. See the 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 Application Resource Guide

for additional information.

Application Review Information

Review Criteria

Basic Minimum Review Criteria

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 

requirements for all OJP solicitations:

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

• The application must request funding within any stated programmatic funding limits or 

boundaries.

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

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

requirements.

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) (10%) 

• Demonstrated understanding of the problem.
Page 33 O-NIJ-2024-171990

• 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) (20%)

• 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 (applicants should briefly describe the 

management plan here; full details for the project management structure, 

approach, and strategies should be described in the project management plan).

• 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.

• 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.
Page 34 O-NIJ-2024-171990

• Use of existing resources to conserve costs.

Reviewers are not expected to conduct a detailed financial analysis and assessment of 

the budget, but rather to consider it from the perspective of their experience.

Other Review Criteria/Factors

Other important considerations for OJP 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. Costs are allowable when they are 

reasonable, allocable to, and necessary for the performance of the federal award, and when 

they comply with the funding statute and agency requirements (to include the conditions of the 

award), including the cost principles set out in the Uniform Requirements 2 C.F.R. Part 200, 

Subpart E. 

Risk Criteria/Factors

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

reviews information related to the degree of risk posed by the applicant. 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 is listed 

in SAM.gov 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 that appears in the non-public 

segment of the integrity and performance system accessible through SAM.gov. 

Important note on Responsibility/Qualification Data (formerly FAPIIS): An applicant may review 

and comment on any information about its organization that currently appears in SAM.gov and 

was entered by a federal awarding agency. OJP will consider such comments by the applicant, 

in addition to the other information in SAM.gov, in its assessment of the risk posed by the 

applicant.

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.

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 staff recommendations, but also 

other factors as indicated in this section. 

Federal Award Administration Information

Federal Award Notices
Page 35 O-NIJ-2024-171990

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

September 30. See the Application Resource Guide for information on award notifications and 

instructions.

Evidence-Based Programs or Practices

OJP strongly encourages the use of data and evidence in policymaking and program 

development for criminal justice, juvenile justice, and crime victim services. For additional 

information and resources on evidence-based programs or practices (programs or practices that 

have been evaluated as effective), see the Application Resource Guide. 

Information Regarding Potential Evaluation of Programs and Activities

OJP may conduct or support an evaluation of the projects and activities funded under this 

solicitation. For additional information on what should be included in the application, see the 

Application Resource Guide section entitled “Information Regarding Potential Evaluation of 

Programs and Activities.” 

Administrative, National Policy, and Other Legal Requirements

If selected for funding, in addition to implementing the funded project consistent with the OJPapproved 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 Application Resource Guide. 

Civil Rights Compliance

If a successful applicant accepts funding from OJP — as a recipient of OJP funding — that 

award recipient must comply with certain federal civil rights laws that prohibit it from 

discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, or disability in how the 

recipient delivers its program’s services or benefits and in its employment practices. The civil 

rights laws that may be applicable to the award include Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 

(Title VI), the nondiscrimination provisions of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act 

of 1968 (Safe Streets Act), and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. These and other 

federal civil rights laws are discussed in greater detail here: Overview of Legal Requirements 

Generally Applicable to OJP Grants and Cooperative Agreements - FY 2024 Awards under the 

“Civil Rights Requirements” section, and additional resources are available from the OJP Office 

for Civil Rights. 

Part of complying with civil rights laws that prohibit national origin discrimination includes 

recipients taking reasonable steps to ensure that people who are limited in their English 

proficiency (LEP) because of their national origin have meaningful access to a recipient’s 

program and activity. An LEP person is one whose first language is not English and who has a 

limited ability to read, write, speak, or understand English. To help recipients meet this 

obligation to serve LEP persons, DOJ has published a number of resources, including a 

language access assessment and planning tool, which are available at 

https://www.lep.gov/language-access-planning. Additional resources are available at 

https://www.ojp.gov/program/civil-rights-office/limited-english-proficient-lep. If the award 

recipient proposes a program or activity that would deliver services or benefits to LEP 
Page 36 O-NIJ-2024-171990

individuals, the recipient may use grant funds to support the costs of taking reasonable steps 

(e.g., interpretation or translation services) to provide meaningful access. Similarly, recipients 

are responsible for ensuring that their programs and activities are readily accessible to qualified 

individuals with disabilities. Applicants for OJP funding must allocate grant funds or explain how 

other available resources will be used to ensure meaningful and full access to their programs. 

For example, grant funds can be used to support American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter 

services for deaf or hard of hearing individuals or the purchase of adaptive equipment for 

individuals with mobility or cognitive disabilities. For resources, see http://www.ADA.gov or 

contact OJP.

Financial Management and System of Internal Controls

Award recipients and subrecipients (including recipients or subrecipients that are pass-through 

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 Application 

Resource Guide for additional information.

Information Technology Security Clauses

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

information technology security. See the 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 

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

Required reports. Award recipients must submit quarterly financial reports, 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 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 in the solicitation Synopsis. 

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

see the solicitation Synopsis. 

Other Information

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

See the Application Resource Guide for information on the Freedom of Information and Privacy 

Act (5 U.S.C. §§ 552 and 552a).
Page 37 O-NIJ-2024-171990

Provide Feedback to OJP

See the Application Resource Guide for information on how to provide feedback to OJP. 
Page 38 O-NIJ-2024-171990

Performance Measures

Objective Performance Measure(s) Data Recipient Provides

Conduct research in 

social and behavioral 

sciences that has 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 

annual audit report.

Conduct research in 

science, technology, 

engineering, and/or 

mathematics that has 

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, peerreviewed, 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.

4. Number of technologies fielded 

as a result, in whole or in part, of 

work funded under the NIJ award. 

4. Description of all 

technologies fielded as a 

result, in whole or in part, 

of work funded under the 

NIJ award.
Page 39 O-NIJ-2024-171990

Application Checklist

NIJ FY24 Research and Evaluation on Drugs and Crime: Money Laundering, Firearms, 

and Human Trafficking

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

• Confirm your entity’s registration in the System Award Management (SAM.gov) is active 

through the solicitation period; submit a new or renewal registration in SAM.gov if 

needed (see Application Resource Guide). 

Register in Grants.gov

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

and password (see Application Resource Guide). 

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

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 Application 

Resource Guide). 

• Sign up for Grants.gov email notifications (optional) (see Application Resource Guide). 

• Read Important Notice: Applying for Grants in Grants.gov (about browser compatibility 

and special characters in file names). 

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

available at https://www.ojp.gov/funding/financialguidedoj/iii-postawardrequirements#6g3y8 (see 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 2024 Awards” in the OJP Funding Resource Center. 

Review the Scope Requirement

• The federal amount requested is within the allowable limit(s) of $3,000,000. 

Review Eligibility Requirement

• Review the “Eligibility” section in the Synopsis and “Eligibility Information” section in the 

solicitation.

Application Step 1

After registering with SAM.gov, submit the SF-424 and SF-LLL in Grants.gov. 
Page 40 O-NIJ-2024-171990

• 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 or 800-851-3420 or TTY: 301-240-

6310 (hearing impaired only) or Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline at 800-518-4726, 

606-545-5035, Grants.gov customer support, or support@grants.gov regarding technical 

difficulties (see Application Resource Guide section on Experiencing Unforeseen 

Technical Issues). 

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

• Entity and User Verification (First Time Applicant).

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

• Proposal Abstract. 

• Proposal Narrative* (Critical Component).

• Application Goals, Objectives, Deliverables, and Timeline. 

Budget and Associated Documentation

• Budget Detail Narrative and web-based form* (Critical Component). 

• Financial Management and System of Internal Controls Questionnaire (see Application 

Resource Guide). 

• Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable) (see Application Resource Guide). 

Additional Application Components

• Curriculum Vitae or Resumes* (Critical Component).

• Tribal Authorizing Resolution (if applicable) (see Application Resource Guide).

• Letters of Support (if applicable). 

• Research and Evaluation Independence and Integrity Statement (if applicable) (see 

Application Resource Guide). 

• Bibliography/References. 

• Any Tools/Instruments, Questionnaires, Tables/Charts/Graphs, or Maps. 
Page 41 O-NIJ-2024-171990

• List of Individuals in the Application. 

• Human Subjects Protection. 

• Privacy Certificate. 

• Request to Use Incentives or Stipends. 

• Documentation of “New Investigator” Status (if applicable). 

• Consortium/Contractual Arrangements. 

• Data Archiving Plan. 

• Project Management Plan and Timeline. 

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

Application Resource Guide). 

Disclosures and Assurances

• Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL) (see Application Resource Guide). 

• Applicant Disclosure of Duplication in Cost Items (see Application Resource Guide). 

• DOJ Certified Standard Assurances (see Application Resource Guide). 

• DOJ Certifications Regarding Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension and Other 

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

Community Policing (see Application Resource Guide). 

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

Application Resource Guide). 

*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 Application 

Resource Guide for additional information. 
Page 42 O-NIJ-2024-171990

Standard Solicitation Resources

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 day-to-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.

Weekly Training Webinars are advertised here and provide opportunities for users to receive 

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

functionality.