Notices regarding the solicitation “NIJ FY22 Research and Evaluation on the 

Administration of Justice: Diversion and Restorative Justice” 

March 28, 2022: On page 11 of this solicitation, NIJ has changed the anticipated total amount to be 

awarded under this solicitation from $4,000,000.00 to $3,000,000.00.

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

Approval Expires  12/31/2023 

U.S. Department of Justice 

Office of Justice Programs 

National Institute of Justice 

NIJ FY22 Research and Evaluation on the Administration of Justice: Diversion and 

Restorative Justice 

Assistance Listing Number # 

Grants.gov Opportunity Number: 

Solicitation Release Date: 

Version: 

Grants.gov Deadline: 

Application JustGrants Deadline: 

16.560 

O-NIJ-2022-171225

March 25, 2022 2:00 PM 

2

May 10, 2022 11:59 PM 

May 24, 2022 8:59 PM 

Overview 

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

applications for funding rigorous research and evaluation projects examining the impact of court and other 

criminal justice tools, practices, and policies on the administration of justice and public safety in state, local, and 

tribal jurisdictions. The two research priorities for this FY 2022 solicitation are: 

1. Diversion for persons who experience mental health issues.

2. Restorative justice strategies.

This program furthers the DOJ’s mission by supporting the development of new knowledge and tools to address 

the challenges of crime and justice in the United States. 

This solicitation incorporates the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide by reference. The OJP Grant 

Application Resource Guide provides guidance to applicants to prepare and submit to OJP of applications for 

funding. If this solicitation expressly modifies any provision in the OJP Grant Application Resource 

Guide, the applicant is to follow the guidelines in this solicitation as to that provision. 

Solicitation Categories 

This solicitation does not include Solicitation Categories. 

Eligible Applicants: 

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

Independent school districts, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal 

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

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

than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Public and State controlled 

institutions of higher education, Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Small businesses, Special 

district governments, State governments, Other 

Other 

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

Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the 

Northern Mariana Islands. 

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O-NIJ-2022-171225
To advance Executive Order 13929 Safe Policing for Safe Communities, the Attorney General determined that all 

state, local, and university or college law enforcement agencies must be certified by an approved independent 

credentialing body or have started the certification process, to be eligible for FY 2022 DOJ discretionary grant 

funding. To become certified, the law enforcement agency must meet two mandatory conditions: (1) the agency’s 

use-of-force policies adhere to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and (2) the agency’s use-of-force 

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

requirement also applies to law enforcement agencies receiving DOJ discretionary grant funding through a 

subaward. For detailed information on this certification requirement, please visit 

https://cops.usdoj.gov/SafePolicingEO to access the Standards for Certification on Safe Policing for Safe 

Communities, the Implementation Fact Sheet, and the List of Designated Independent Credentialing Bodies. 

Foreign governments, foreign organizations, and foreign colleges and universities are not eligible to apply. 

Federal agencies are not eligible to apply. 

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

NIJ will consider applications under which two or more entities would carry out the federal award; however, only 

one entity may be the applicant. Any others must be proposed as subrecipients (subgrantees). For additional 

information on subawards, see the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide. 

NIJ may elect to fund applications submitted under this FY 2022 solicitation in future fiscal years, dependent on, 

among other considerations, the merit of the applications and the availability of appropriations. 

Contact Information 

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

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities form (SF-LLL) in Grants.gov, contact the Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline 

at 800-518-4726, 606-545-5035, Grants.gov Customer Support, or support@grants.gov. The Grants.gov 

Support Hotline operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except on federal holidays. 

For technical assistance with submitting the full application in DOJ's Justice Grants System (JustGrants), contact 

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

operates 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. eastern time Monday-Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sunday, and Federal 

holidays. 

For assistance with any other requirements of this solicitation, contact the OJP Response Center by telephone at 

800-851-3420 or TTY: 301-240-6310 (hearing impaired only), or by email at grants@ncjrs.gov. The OJP 

Response Center hours of operation are 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., eastern time Monday–Friday, and 10:00 a.m. to 

8:00 p.m. on the solicitation closing date. 

Submission Information 

Applications will be submitted to DOJ in two steps: 

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

standard form (SF)-424 and a Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL) form when they register in Grants.gov 

at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html. 

Beginning April 4, 2022, the Federal government will cease using the Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) 

number to uniquely identify entities. At that point, entities doing business with the Federal government will use a 

Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) created in SAM.gov. If your entity is currently registered in SAM.gov, your UEI has 

already been assigned and is viewable in SAM.gov. This includes inactive registrations. If you are a new entity 

registering in SAM.gov, you will continue to register in SAM.gov using the DUNS number assigned by Dun and 

Bradstreet (D&B) until April 4, 2022. Upon completing your registration in SAM.gov, you will be assigned a UEI. 

For additional information, see the Unique Entity Identifier Update and the OJP Grant Application Resource 

Guide. 

IMPORTANT: Grants.gov will transition to UEI at 11:59 p.m. eastern time (ET) on March 31, 2022. 

To support this transition, DOJ will update all posted Grants.gov funding opportunity packages to reflect the use 

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O-NIJ-2022-171225 
of UEI. 

All entities applying for DOJ funding opportunities that have a Grants.gov close date after March 31, 2022, must 

take one of the following actions:

 1) Complete and submit the SF-424 and SF-LLL no later than March 30, 2022, at 8:00 p.m. ET. 

If the SF-424 is not completed and submitted by this time, any information contained in the SF-424 will 

be lost during the transition. 

If this occurs, applicants will need to re-enter their data in the new SF-424 form upon returning to 

Grants.gov on April 1, 2022.

 2) Wait until April 1, 2022, to begin and submit the Grants.gov application. 

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

JustGrants.usdoj.gov. To be considered timely, the full application must be submitted in JustGrants by the 

JustGrants application deadline. OJP encourages applicants to review the “How to Apply” section in the OJP 

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

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Contents 

Contact Information 2 

Page 4 of 26 

O-NIJ-2022-171225 

Program Description 6 

Overview 6 

Statutory Authority 6 

Specific Information 6 

Goals, Objectives, Deliverables, and Timeline 9 

Priority Areas 10 

Federal Award Information 10 

Awards, Amounts and Durations 11 

Continuation Funding Intent 11 

Availability of Funds 11 

Types of Awards 11 

Financial Management and System of Internal Controls 11 

Budget Information 11 

Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement 12 

Pre-agreement Costs (also known as Pre-award Costs) 12 

Limitation on Use of Award Funds for Employee Compensation: Waiver 12 

Prior Approval, Planning, and Reporting of Conference/Meeting/Training Costs 12 

Costs Associated with Language Assistance (if applicable) 12 

Anticipated Number of Awards 12 

Period of Performance Duration 12 

Eligibility Information 12 

Application and Submission Information 12 

Information to Complete the Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424) 13 

Standard Applicant Information (JustGrants 424 and General Agency Information) 13 

Proposal Abstract 13 

Proposal Narrative 13 

Goals, Objectives, Deliverables, and Timeline 15 

Budget and Associated Documentation 15 

Budget Worksheet and Budget Narrative (Web-based Form) 15 

Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable) 16 

Financial Management Questionnaire (including applicant disclosure of high-risk status) 16 

Disclosure of Process Related to Executive Compensation 16 

Additional Application Components 16 

Curriculum Vitae or Resumes 16 

Tribal Authorizing Resolution 16 

Timeline Form 16 

Letters of Support 16 

Research and Evaluation Independence and Integrity Statement 16 

Bibliography/reference 17 

Any tools/instruments, questionnaires, tables/chart/graphs, or maps 17 

List of Individuals in the Application 17 

Human Subjects Protection 17 

Privacy Certificate 17 

Request to Use Incentives or Stipends 17 

Consortium/Contractual Arrangements 17 

Data Archiving Plan 17 
Disclosures and Assurances 18 

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities 18 

DOJ Certified Standard Assurances 18 

Applicant Disclosure of Duplication in Cost Items 18 

DOJ Certifications Regarding Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension and Other Responsibility 

Matters; and Drug-Free Workplace Requirements 18 

Applicant Disclosure and Justification – DOJ High Risk Grantees (if applicable) 18 

How to Apply 18 

Submission Dates and Time 18 

Experiencing Unforeseen Technical Issues 19 

Application Review Information 19 

Review Criteria 19 

Review Process 21 

Federal Award Administration Information 21 

Federal Award Notices 21 

Administrative, National Policy, and Other Legal Requirements 21 

Information Technology (IT) Security Clauses 22 

General Information about Post-Federal Award Reporting Requirements 22 

Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s) 22 

Other Information 22 

Freedom of Information and Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552 and 5 U.S.C. 552a) 22 

Provide Feedback to OJP 22 

Performance Measures 22 

Application Checklist 24 

Endnotes 25 

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Program Description 

Overview 

OJP is committed to advancing work that promotes civil rights and racial equity, increases access to justice, 

supports crime victims and individuals impacted by the justice system, strengthens community safety and 

protects the public from crime and evolving threats, and builds trust between law enforcement and the 

community. 

With this solicitation, NIJ seeks proposals for rigorous research and evaluation projects examining the impact of 

court and other criminal justice tools, practices, and policies on the administration of justice and public safety in 

state, local, and tribal jurisdictions. The two research priorities for this FY2022 solicitation are: 

1. Diversion for persons who experience mental health issues. 

2. Restorative justice strategies. 

Applications proposing research involving partnerships with criminal justice or other agencies, should include a 

strong letter of support, signed by an appropriate decision-making authority from each proposed, partnering 

agency. A letter of support should include the partnering agency’s acknowledgement that de-identified data 

derived from, provided to, or obtained through this project 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 the NACJD’s policies and protections at (NACJD). If selected for award, grantees will 

be expected to have a formal agreement in place with partnering agencies by January 1, 2023. That formal 

agreement must include a provision to meet the data archiving requirements of the award. 

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. 

This solicitation supports DOJ’s goal to reform the criminal justice system. It also supports the National Institute of 

Justice Courts Strategic Research Plan, 2020-2024.[1] 

Statutory Authority 

Department of Justice Appropriations Act, 2022, Public Law 117-103, 136 Stat. 49, 132-133; 28 USC 530C. 

Specific Information 

Courts play an integral role in the administration of justice as collaborators and intermediaries between 

defendants, victims, law enforcement, corrections, and the community. NIJ’s Courts Research Portfolio[2] 

sponsors research, development, and evaluation to identify court tools, practices, and policies that satisfy 

criminal justice goals, including public safety, cost-efficiency, and fair and equitable treatment of victims and 

defendants. 

The two research priorities for this FY 2022 solicitation are: 

1. Diversion for persons who experience mental health issues. 

2. Restorative justice strategies. 

Research Priority 1: Diversion for Persons Who Experience Mental Health Issues 

In support of DOJ’s goal to reform the criminal justice system, the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) has identified 

diversion options among its FY2022 program priorities. Diversion programs attempt to minimize the formal 

processing of persons accused or convicted of a crime, such as with referral to treatment or other services as an 

alternative to criminal prosecution and imprisonment. As described by the Associate Attorney General, “We all 

want to reduce unnecessary arrests and incarceration”; addressing issues faced by people with mental illness 

requires a holistic approach, and the Department engages in research and evaluation to identify innovations that 

prove effective and can be scaled to other jurisdictions.[3] Experts convened by NIJ to discuss managing 

individuals with serious mental illness agree that guidance to courts on effective diversion strategies is a high 

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priority need. [4] 

With this solicitation, NIJ seeks applications for grant funding to conduct rigorous, applied research and 

evaluation projects examining the impact of diversion programs that promote alternatives to arrest and 

incarceration among persons who experience mental health issues on the administration of justice and public 

safety. NIJ is interested in research that addresses cross-system responses to persons with mental health issues 

that reduce arrest and increase referral to treatment, reduce recidivism, pretrial detention, increase communitybased sentences, and reduce returns to incarceration. 

Research areas include but are not limited to: 

Law enforcement and behavioral health responses.[5] 

Prosecutor- and defense-led diversion.[6] 

Problem-solving courts. 

Community-based supervision. 

Also, NIJ is particularly interested in the following research topics: 

Determination of legal competency to stand trial in any criminal proceeding, and restoration to competency. 

Data collection and information sharing across public health, public safety, and other relevant agencies. 

Mental health and public safety triage and response referrals. 

Veterans in the criminal justice system. 

Applicants are encouraged to visit the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s (BJA’s) Justice and Mental Health 

Collaboration Program (JMHCP) webpage[7]for information on programs and training regarding innovative crosssystem collaboration for individuals with mental illnesses or co-occurring mental health and substance use 

disorders who come into contact with the justice system. 

Proposed research must address programs that promote alternatives to arrest and incarceration among adults 

who experience mental health issues. Proposed research on programs that target incarcerated persons or 

reentry programs will not be funded under this solicitation. Proposals may also examine comorbid populations 

with substance use disorders, but persons with mental health issues must be the primary focus of the research. 

Research Priority 2: Restorative Justice Strategies 

Restorative justice is an approach to achieving justice through voluntary and cooperative processes that include 

those who have a stake in a specific offense.[8] They can create opportunities for empowerment of crime victims 

to identify their own needs and requirements for justice, and those who have harmed have an opportunity to take 

action to repair the harm caused by criminal behavior. Reparative agreements may address potential causes of 

criminal behavior and provide alternatives to incarceration including rehabilitative services and community 

restitution. 

With this solicitation, NIJ seeks applications for grant funding to conduct rigorous, applied research and 

evaluation projects examining the impact of restorative justice strategies on the administration of justice and 

public safety. 

Research topics include but are not limited to: 

Victim involvement, consequences, and satisfaction. 

Victim assistance provider services. 

Roles of law enforcement, defense, probation, and other criminal justice agencies. 

Case identification for different restorative justice strategies. 

Effective elements of restorative justice program models. 

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Case and individual outcomes for persons charged, including recidivism. 

Equitable access to resources, net widening, and other potential concerns. 

Applicants are encouraged to visit websites supported by the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) and BJA for 

information on relevant programs. In 2021, OVC supported a Restorative Justice Symposium that examined 

restorative justice principles and practices and explore community trauma and community healing.[9] The National 

Center on Restorative Justice webpage[10] describes projects to promote educational and research opportunities, 

[11] and to create best practice standards for understanding and implementing restorative principles.[12] BJA also 

supports restorative justice strategy development under various programs.[13] 

Proposed research must address restorative justice strategies relevant to cases involving adults who come into 

contact with the criminal justice system. Relevant projects funded by NIJ concern tribal communities and reentry 

populations,[14] for example. 

Additional Guidance 

Proposed research must address the administration of justice and public safety in state, local, and tribal 

jurisdictions relevant to at least one of the two research priorities: diversion for persons who experience mental 

health issues, or restorative justice strategies. Applications for funding research that fall outside of these two 

research priorities will not be considered. 

A single application may address more than one research priority, area, or topic such as those identified by NIJ in 

this solicitation; however, the rationale and approach to studying each proposed must be made clear in the 

application. 

Research applications must: 

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 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 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. 

Submit a project timeline beginning in January 1, 2023 that indicates key milestones and necessary steps 

to produce the grant deliverables outlined in the Deliverables section below. 

Evaluation Research 

If relevant, applications are expected to propose the most rigorous evaluation design appropriate for the research 

questions to be addressed. If the primary purpose of the evaluation is to determine the effectiveness or impact of 

an intervention (e.g., program, practice, or policy), the most rigorous evaluation designs may include random 

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

conditions. In cases where randomization is not feasible, applicants should propose a strong quasi-experimental 

design that can address the risk of selection bias. 

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Randomized controlled trial (RCT) studies are a powerful, much needed tool for building scientific evidence about 

what works. Therefore, studies employing RCT methods to assess the effectiveness of programs and practices 

will be given higher priority consideration. RCT applications with strong designs measuring outcomes of selfevident policy importance are strongly encouraged. A strong RCT design should include low sample attrition, 

sufficient sample size, close adherence to random assignment, valid outcome measures, and statistical analyses. 

NIJ is interested in research applications that address cost-efficiency. Cost-efficiency analysis indicates what 

impact the program has on public resources and expenditures and whether the investment yields savings over 

the status quo or an alternative. See NIJ’s website for more information and publications on cost-efficiency in the 

context of evaluation research.[15] 

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. The intervention strategies, setting, other contextual factors, and resources should be taken 

into account 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. 

Goals, Objectives, Deliverables, and Timeline 

Goals 

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

other agencies in state, tribal, and local jurisdictions in their efforts to reform the criminal justice system. 

Objectives 

The objectives of this solicitation are to support applied research that examines: the impact of diversion programs 

that promote alternatives to arrest and incarceration among persons who experience mental health issues on the 

administration of justice and public safety; and the impact of restorative justice strategies on the administration of 

justice and public safety. 

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 final protocol decisions. Draft 

presentation materials (PowerPoint slides and/or handouts) are suggested. 

Draft Abstract, Executive Summary, and Report. By 90 days prior to the grant end date, the awardee will submit 

to NIJ draft written deliverables for external expert and agency review coordinated by NIJ. Written feedback will 

be provided by NIJ to the awardee for consideration in preparing the final written deliverables. 

Final Abstract, Executive Summary, and Research Report. With consideration to feedback provided via the 

reviews of draft written deliverables, the awardee will submit final written deliverables to NIJ by the grant end date 

for public archive on the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) website. 

Technical Deliverables. Should any algorithm, method, software development kit, and/or training data set result 

from research and evaluation activities funded under this solicitation, such work products will be delivered to NIJ 

at the end of the award for potential third-party evaluation, along with detailed implementation instructions. 

Documentation must include descriptions of algorithmic development and approaches to data collection. 

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

will be expected to submit to the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data (NACJD) all data sets that result in 

whole or in part from the work funded by the award, along with associated files and any documentation 

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

the data set through secondary analysis. 

In addition to these deliverables (and the required reports and data on performance measures), NIJ expects 

scholarly products to result from each award under this solicitation, taking the form of one or more published, 

peer-reviewed, scientific journal articles, and/or (if appropriate) law review journal articles, book chapter(s) or 

book(s) in the academic press, technological prototypes, patented inventions, or similar scientific products. NIJ 

expects that there will be an equal effort to make the research findings accessible to practitioner and policymaker 

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O-NIJ-2022-171225 
audiences. 

Applicants should discuss potential risks and harms to individuals or groups associated with the use and 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. 

The Goals, Objectives, and Deliverables are directly related to the performance measures that show the 

completed work’s results, as discussed in the “Application and Submission Information” section. 

Priority Areas 

The Department of Justice is committed to advancing work that promotes civil rights and racial equity, increases 

access to justice, supports crime victims and individuals impacted by the justice system, strengthens community 

safety and protects the public from crime and evolving threats, and builds trust between law enforcement and the 

community. 

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

Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government 

Consistent with this Executive Order, the term “underserved community” refers to a population sharing a 

particular characteristic, as well as a geographic community, that has been systematically denied a full 

opportunity to participate in aspects of economic, social, and civic life or whose members have been historically 

underserved, marginalized, and adversely affected by inequality. Such communities include, among others, Black 

people, Hispanics and Latino/a/e people, Native American and other Indigenous peoples of North America 

(including Alaska Natives, Eskimos, and Aleuts), Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. 

In support of Executive Order 13985, OJP will: 

A. Give priority consideration to applications that propose research project(s) that will address issues 

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

been historically underserved, marginalized, and adversely affected by inequality, when making award 

decisions. 

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

inequities and barriers to equal opportunity, and/or contribute to greater access to services for underserved 

and historically marginalized populations. 

B. Give priority consideration to applicants that can demonstrate that their capabilities and competencies for 

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

subrecipient that will receive at least 30% of the requested award funding, as demonstrated in the Budget 

Worksheet and Budget Narrative) identifies as a culturally specific organization. To receive this additional 

priority consideration, applicants must describe how being a culturally specific organization (or funding the 

culturally specific subrecipient organization(s)) will enhance their ability to implement the proposed project 

(s) and should also specify which culturally specific populations are intended or expected to be served or to 

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

Culturally specific organizations are defined for purposes of this solicitation as private nonprofit or tribal 

organizations whose primary purpose as a whole is to provide culturally specific services to, among others, 

Black people, Hispanics and Latino/a/e people, Native American and other Indigenous peoples of North 

America (including Alaska Natives, Eskimos, and Aleuts), Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and/or 

Pacific Islanders. 

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

decisions.  Receiving priority consideration for one or more priority areas is not a guarantee of an award. 

Federal Award Information 

Solicitation Categories 

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60 

This solicitation does not include Solicitation Categories. 

Awards, Amounts and Durations 

Anticipated Maximum Dollar Amount of Awards 

$1,000,000.00 

Period of Performance Duration (Months) 

Period of Performance Start Date 

1/1/23 12:00 AM 

Anticipated Total Amount to be Awarded Under 

Solicitation 

$3,000,000.00 

Additional Information 

Please see Anticipated Number of Awards and Period 

of Performance Duration sections below. 

Continuation Funding Intent 

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

through continuation awards. NIJ will consider, among other factors, NIJ’s strategic priorities, a recipient’s overall 

management of the award, and the award-funded work’s progress, when making continuation award decisions. 

Availability of Funds 

This solicitation, and awards (if any are made) under this solicitation, are subject to the availability of appropriated 

funds and to any modifications or additional requirements that may be imposed by the agency or by law.  In 

addition, nothing in this solicitation is intended to, 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. 

Types of Awards 

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

Legal Requirements” section of the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for a brief discussion of important 

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

Financial Management and System of Internal Controls 

Award recipients and subrecipients (including recipients or subrecipients that are 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 OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for additional information. 

Budget Information 

If the applicant is proposing a project that reasonably could be conducted in discrete phases, with each phase 

resulting in completion of one or more significant, defined milestones, then NIJ strongly recommends that the 

applicant structure the application — specifically including the narrative, expected scholarly products, 

timelines/milestones, and budget detail worksheet and budget narrative — to clearly define each phase. (This is 

particularly the case if the applicant proposes a project that will exceed — in cost or the length of the period of 

performance — the amount or length of time anticipated for an individual award (or awards) under this 

solicitation.) Given limitations on the availability to NIJ of funds for awards for research, development, and 

evaluation, this information will assist NIJ in considering whether partial funding of applications would be 

productive. (If, in FY 2022, 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 2022 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. (A budget may include these items if 

they are necessary to conduct research, development, demonstration, evaluation, or analysis.) 

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

Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement 

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

Information” section. 

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

See the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for information on Pre-agreement Costs (also known as Preaward Costs). 

Limitation on Use of Award Funds for Employee Compensation: Waiver 

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

Employee Compensation; Waiver. 

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

See the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for information on Prior Approval, Planning, and Reporting of 

Conference/Meeting/Training Costs. 

Costs Associated with Language Assistance (if applicable) 

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

Anticipated Number of Awards 

NIJ anticipates funding five (5) or more grants across the two research priorities, each grant ranging from 

$250,000 to $1 million. 

Period of Performance Duration 

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 period of 

performance. 

Eligibility Information 

For eligibility information, see the solicitation cover page. 

For information on cost sharing or match requirements, see the “Federal Award Information” section. 

Application and Submission Information 

Content of Application Submission 

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

to advance to peer review and receive consideration for funding: 

Proposal Narrative 

Budget Worksheet and Budget Narrative (Web-based Form) (The web-based form includes the budget 

details and the budget narrative.) 

Curriculum Vitae/Resumes for Key Personnel. (Curriculum Vitae for key personnel. For purposes of this 

solicitation, “key personnel” means the principal investigator, and any and all co-principal investigators.) 

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See the “Application Elements and Formatting Instructions” section of the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide 

for information on what happens to an application that does not contain all the specified elements or is 

nonresponsive to the scope of the solicitation. 

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

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

submission of pre-applications, applications, and related information. See the OJP Grant Application Resource 

Guide for additional information on completing the SF-424. 

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

complete the application in JustGrants. JustGrants will use this information (email address) to assign the 

application to this user in JustGrants. 

Intergovernmental Review: This solicitation (“funding opportunity”) is not subject to Executive Order 12372. (In 

completing the SF-424, an applicant is to answer question 19 by selecting the response that the “Program is not 

covered by E.O. 12372.”) 

Standard Applicant Information (JustGrants 424 and General Agency Information) 

The “Standard Applicant Information” section of the JustGrants application is 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 its 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 the purpose of the 

project, primary activities, expected outcomes, the service area, intended beneficiaries and subrecipients (if 

known), will be completed in the JustGrants web-based form. This abstract should be written in the third person 

and will be made publicly available on the OJP website if the project is awarded. 

Proposal Narrative 

The proposal narrative should be submitted as an attachment in JustGrants. The attached document should be 

double-spaced, using a standard 12-point font; have no less than 1-inch margins; and should not exceed 25 

pages. Pages should be numbered and submitted as an attachment. If the program narrative fails to comply with 

these length-related restrictions, NIJ may consider such noncompliance in peer review and in final award 

decisions. 

The following sections must be included as part of the proposal narrative: 

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

The title page should include: 

Project title. 

Submission date. 

Funding opportunity number. 

Principal Investigator (and any co-principal investigators). 

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

Requests for consideration under “priority area 1A,” and/or “priority area 1B” 

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 

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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 program-specific information noted in the solicitation. Applicants should 

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

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

analytical and technical approaches for the proposed research and address the feasibility of the proposed 

project and potential challenges or problems in carrying out the activities. 

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

proposed project(s) will address issues related to racial equity and/or the removal of barriers to access and 

opportunity, and/or contribute to greater access to services, for communities that have been historically 

underserved, marginalized, and adversely affected by inequality. 

3. Potential Impact. 

Applicants should describe the potential impact of the research and how it may inform or improve criminal 

or juvenile justice-related policy, practice, or theory in the United States. The applicant should include a 

discussion of the proposed dissemination plan to produce scholarly products and to make information 

available to broader interested audiences, such as criminal justice practitioners or policymakers. 

4. Capabilities and Competencies. 

This section should describe the experience and capability of the applicant organization, key staff, and any 

proposed subgrantees (including consultants) that the applicant will use to implement and manage this 

effort and the federal funds under this award, highlighting any previous experience implementing projects of 

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

Experience and capacity to work with the proposed data sources in the conduct of similar research 

efforts. 

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. 

If the applicant is seeking priority consideration under Priority 1(B), it should describe within this section how 

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being a culturally specific organization (or funding a culturally specific subrecipient organization at a 

minimum of 30% of the project budget) will enhance its ability to implement the proposed project(s) and 

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

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

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

The project management plan. 

If the application (including the budget) identifies any proposed non-competitive agreements that are 

or may be considered procurement "contracts" (rather than subawards), for purposes of federal grants 

administrative requirements, the applicant also must list the entities with which the applicant proposes 

to contract. 

List of other agencies, organizations, or funding sources to which this application has been submitted 

(if applicable). 

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

Note: Applicants are not required to submit performance data with the application. Rather, performance 

measure information is included as an alert that successful applicants will be required to submit 

performance data as part of each award’s reporting requirements. 

OJP will require each successful applicant to submit regular performance data that show the completed 

work’s results. The performance data directly relate to the goals, objectives, and deliverables identified in 

the “Goals, Objectives, and Deliverables” discussion. 

A list of performance measure questions for this program can be found on page 22. 

Applicants can also visit OJP’s performance measurement page at www.ojp.gov/performance for an 

overview of performance measurement activities at OJP. 

NIJ will require award recipients to submit performance measure data in quarterly financial reports, semiannual performance reports, and the Final Research Report. NIJ will provide further guidance on the postaward submission process, if selected for award. 

Goals, Objectives, Deliverables, and Timeline 

Applicants will submit the project's goals, objectives, deliverables, and timelines in the JustGrants web-based 

form. 

Budget and Associated Documentation 

Budget Worksheet and Budget Narrative (Web-based Form) 

The applicant will complete the JustGrants web-based budget form. See the OJP Grant Application Resource 

Guide for additional information. 

If the applicant is seeking priority consideration under Priority 1(B) based on the identification of at least one 

proposed subrecipient as a culturally specific organization, the proposed funding for the subrecipient in the webbased budget form must be a minimum of 30% of award funding. 

The budget narrative must also describe how the activities that will be funded with the (minimum) 30% of award 

funding provided to the subrecipient specifically relate to the priority consideration requested under Priority 

1(B) and described in the Capabilities and Competencies section of the application. 

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

provisions in the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide. The applicant is to follow the guidance in the following 

paragraph instead of the guidance stated under the “Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement” heading in the OJP 

Grant Application Resource Guide. 

Cofunding: An award made by NIJ under this solicitation may account for up to 100 percent of the total cost of 

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the project. The application should indicate whether it is feasible for the applicant to contribute cash, facilities, or 

services as non-federal support for the project. The application should identify generally any such contributions 

that the applicant expects to make and the proposed budget should indicate in detail which items, if any, will be 

supported with non-federal contributions. 

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

Information. 

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

amount incorporated into the approved budget becomes mandatory and subject to audit. 

Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable) 

The applicant will submit its indirect cost rate agreement by uploading it as an attachment in JustGrants. See the 

OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for additional information. 

Financial Management Questionnaire (including applicant disclosure of high-risk status) 

The applicant will download the questionnaire, complete it, and submit it by uploading it as an attachment in 

JustGrants. See the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for the link to the questionnaire and additional 

information. 

Disclosure of Process Related to Executive Compensation 

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

“Disclosure of Process Related to Executive Compensation” provisions.  Applicants to this solicitation are not 

required to provide this disclosure. 

Additional Application Components 

Applicants will attach the additional requested documentation in JustGrants. 

Curriculum Vitae or Resumes 

Curriculum vitae of key personnel. Curriculum vitae or resume of the principal investigator and any and all coprincipal investigators. In addition, curriculum vitae, resume, or biographical sketches of all other individuals 

(regardless of “investigator” status) who will be significantly involved in substantive aspects of the proposed 

project (including, for example, individuals such as statisticians used to conduct proposed data analysis). 

Tribal Authorizing Resolution 

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

attachment. If applicable, the applicant will submit the tribal authorizing documentation by uploading it as an 

attachment in JustGrants. See the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for information on tribal authorizing 

resolutions. 

Timeline Form 

Proposed project timeline and expected milestones. 

Letters of Support 

Letters of cooperation/support or administrative agreements from organizations collaborating in the project, such 

as law enforcement and correctional agencies (if applicable). 

Research and Evaluation Independence and Integrity Statement 

If an application proposes research (including research and development) and/or evaluation, the applicant must 

demonstrate research/evaluation independence and integrity, including appropriate safeguards, before it may 

receive award funds. The applicant will submit documentation of its research and evaluation independence and 

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

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Application Resource Guide. 

Bibliography/reference 

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

Any tools/instruments, questionnaires, tables/chart/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 attached as a separate file (documentation and forms related to 

Institutional Review Board [IRB] review). See https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/human-subjects-protection. Note: Final 

IRB approval is not required at the time an application is submitted. 

Privacy Certificate 

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

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

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

Consortium/Contractual Arrangements 

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

organization and the consortium organization(s). 

Data Archiving Plan 

Data archiving plan attached as a separate file. 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/research-development-and-evaluationgrant-award-requirements#data. 

Applications should include as a separate file a brief plan — labeled “Data Archiving Plan” — to comply with data 

archiving requirements. The plan should provide brief details about proposed data management and archiving, 

including submission to NIJ (through NACJD) of all files and documentation necessary to allow for future 

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

secondary analysis. Pertinent files and documentation include, among other things, qualitative and quantitative 

data produced, instrumentation and data collection forms, codebook(s), any specialized programming code 

necessary to reproduce all constructed measures and the original data analysis, description of necessary deidentification procedures, and (when required) a copy of the privacy certificate and informed consent protocols. 

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

requirements. 

Note that recipients are strongly encouraged to submit required data sets at least 90 days before the end of the 

period of performance. 

Disclosures and Assurances 

The applicant will address the following disclosures and assurances. 

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities 

Complete and submit the SF-LLL in Grants.gov. See the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for additional 

information. 

DOJ Certified Standard Assurances 

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

Resource Guide for additional information. 

Applicant Disclosure of Duplication in Cost Items 

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

Application Resource Guide for additional information. 

DOJ Certifications Regarding Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters; and Drug-Free 

Workplace Requirements 

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

Responsibility Matters; Drug-Free Workplace Requirements; Law Enforcement and Community Policing in 

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

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

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

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

How to Apply 

Step 1: The applicant must submit the SF-424 and SF-LLL in Grants.gov at 

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html. 

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

JustGrants.usdoj.gov. 

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

DOJ Application Submission Checklist. 

Submission Dates and Time 

The SF-424 and the SF-LLL must be submitted in Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. eastern time on May 10, 2022. 

(IMPORTANT: Please carefully review UEI Transition details under Step 1. of the Submission Information 

section above). 

The full application must be submitted in JustGrants by 8:59 p.m. eastern time on May 24, 2022. 

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

sufficient time to correct errors and resubmit by the submission deadlines if a rejection notification is received. To 

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be considered timely, the full application must be submitted in JustGrants by the JustGrants application 

deadline. 

Experiencing Unforeseen Technical Issues 

An applicant that experiences unforeseen SAM.gov, Grants.gov, or JustGrants technical issues beyond its 

control that prevent application submission by the deadline, must demonstrate all efforts in requesting technical 

support, in order to submit an application by the deadline. Technical support is available via phone and email to 

the applicable SAM.gov, Grants.gov, or JustGrants support centers or service desks in which an applicant 

received a ticket number for resolution. If an applicant misses a deadline due to unforeseen technical difficulties, 

the applicant may request a waiver to submit an application after the deadline. Note: If an applicant does not 

submit all the required Grants.gov forms by the Grants.gov deadline, the applicant will not be able to proceed to 

the JustGrants portion of the application process. 

An applicant experiencing technical difficulties with the following systems must contact the associated support 

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

Grants.gov - contact the Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline. 

SAM.gov - contact the SAM Help Desk (Federal Service Desk). 

JustGrants - contact the JustGrants Support Desk at JustGrants.Support@usdoj.gov or 833–872–5175. 

An applicant requesting a waiver to submit a late application must document their request for technical 

assistance in an email to OJP Response Center at grants@ncjrs.gov within 24 hours after the application 

deadline to request approval to submit its application after the deadline. If an applicant has technical issues with 

Grants.gov, the applicant must contact OJP Response Center within 24 hours of the Grants.gov deadline to 

request approval to submit after the deadline. However, waiver requests will not be reviewed until after the 

JustGrants deadline to allow time for all waivers to be submitted. Waiver requests to submit after the submission 

deadline must: 

Describe the technical difficulties experienced. 

Include a timeline of the applicant's submission efforts (e.g., what date and time did the error occur, what 

date and time was action taken to resolve the issue and resubmit, and what date and time did support 

representatives respond). 

Include an attachment(s) of the complete grant application and all required documentation and material. 

Include the applicant's DUNS number (or Unique Entity Identifier if applying after April 4, 2022), any 

applicable SAM.gov tracking number(s), Grants.gov Help Desk, and JustGrants Support Desk Ticket 

Numbers. 

OJP will review each request for late submission and required supporting documentation and notify the applicant 

whether the request has been approved or denied. For more details on the waiver process, OJP encourages 

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

Resource Guide. 

Application Review Information 

Review Criteria 

Merit Review Criteria 

Applications that meet the basic minimum requirements will be evaluated by peer reviewers on how the proposed 

project/program addresses the following criteria: 

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

Demonstrated understanding of the problem. 

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Demonstrated importance of research questions, goals and objectives, including alignment with the aims of 

the solicitation. 

Demonstrated awareness of the state of current research. 

2. Project Design and Implementation (quality and technical merit) (50%). 

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. 

3. Capabilities and Competencies (capabilities, demonstrated productivity, and experience of the applicant 

organization and proposed project staff) (25%) 

Qualifications and experience of proposed project staff (that is, the principal investigator, any and all coprincipal investigators, and all other individuals (and organizations) identified in the application (regardless 

of “investigator” status) who will be significantly involved in substantive aspects of the proposed project). 

Demonstrated ability of the applicant organization to implement the proposed strategies and manage the 

effort. 

Relationship between the capabilities/competencies of the proposed project staff (including the applicant 

organization) and the scope and strategies of the proposed project. 

4. Potential Impact (10%) 

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. 

5. Budget (0%) 

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. 

Total cost of the project relative to the perceived benefit (cost effectiveness). 

Appropriateness of the budget relative to the level of effort. 

Use of existing resources to conserve costs. 

Other Review Criteria 

Other important considerations for NIJ include geographic diversity, strategic priorities (specifically including, but 

not limited to, those priority areas already mentioned), available funding, past performance, and the extent to 

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which the Budget Worksheet and Budget Narrative (web-based form) accurately explain project costs that are 

reasonable, necessary, and otherwise allowable under federal law and applicable federal cost principles. 

Review Process 

Applications submitted under this solicitation that meet the basic minimum requirements, will be evaluated for 

technical merit by a peer review panel(s) in accordance with OJP peer review policy and procedures using the 

stated review criteria listed above. 

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

review. Although specific requirements may vary, the following are common requirements applicable to all OJP 

solicitations: 

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

The application must request funding within programmatic funding constraints (if applicable). 

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

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

The application, if submitted by an applicant that is a DOJ High Risk Grantee, or is designated “high 

risk” by a federal grant-making agency outside of DOJ, must not have been determined by the NIJ 

Director to pose a substantial risk of program implementation failure, based on 1) the applicant’s lack 

of sufficient progress in addressing required corrective actions necessary for removal of the DOJ 

High Risk Grantee (or non-DOJ high risk) designation, 2) the nature and severity of the issues 

leading to or accompanying the DOJ High Risk Grantee (or non-DOJ high risk) designation, and/or 

3) the applicant’s expected ability to manage grant funds and achieve grant goals and objectives. 

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 with respect to performance, integrity, and business 

ethics, OJP checks whether the applicant is listed in SAM as excluded from receiving a federal award. 

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

consider any information about the applicant that appears in the non-public segment of the integrity and 

performance system accessible through SAM (currently, the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity 

Information System, FAPIIS). 

Important note on FAPIIS: An applicant may review and comment on any information about itself that currently 

appears in FAPIIS and was entered by a federal awarding agency. OJP will consider such comments by the 

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

All final award decisions will be made by the Director of the National Institute of Justice, who may consider not 

only peer review ratings and NIJ recommendations, but also other factors as indicated in this section. 

Federal Award Administration Information 

Federal Award Notices 

See the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for information on award notifications and instructions. 

Administrative, National Policy, and Other Legal Requirements 

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

application, the recipient must comply with all award conditions and all applicable requirements of federal statutes 

and regulations, including the applicable requirements referred to in the assurances and certifications executed in 

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

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

Guide. 

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Information Technology (IT) Security Clauses 

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

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

security. 

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 typically must submit quarterly financial reports, semi-annual performance 

reports, final financial and performance reports, final research reports, and, if applicable, an annual audit report in 

accordance with the Part 200 Uniform Requirements or specific award conditions. Future awards and fund 

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

See the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for additional information on specific post-award reporting 

requirements, including performance measure data. 

Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s) 

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

page 2. 

For contact information for Grants.gov and JustGrants, see page2. 

Other Information 

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

See the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for information on the Freedom of Information and Privacy Act (5 

U.S.C. 552 and 5 U.S.C. 552a). 

Provide Feedback to OJP 

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

Performance Measures 

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Objective Performance Measure(s) Description Data Recipient 

Provides 

Conduct research in 

social and behavioral 

sciences having clear 

implications for 

criminal justice policy 

and practice in the 

United States. 

1. Relevance to the needs of the 

field as measured by whether 

the project’s substantive scope 

did not deviate from the funded 

project or any subsequent 

agency-approved modifications 

to the scope. 

A technology is 

defined as a tool 

to include, for 

example, test 

methods, 

software, 

hardware, etc. 

1. Quarterly financial 

reports, semi-annual and 

final progress reports, 

and products of the work 

performed under the NIJ 

award (including, at 

minimum, a final 

research report). If 

Conduct research in 

science, technology, 

engineering, and/or 

mathematics having 

clear implications for 

criminal or juvenile 

justice policy and 

practice in the United 

States. 

2. Quality of the research as 

demonstrated by the scholarly 

products that result, in whole or 

in part, from work funded under 

the NIJ award, such as 

published, peer-reviewed, 

scientific journal articles, and/or 

(as appropriate for the funded 

project) law review journal 

articles, book chapter(s) or book 

A fielded 

technology is 

one that remains 

in use at the 

conclusion of the 

grant or 

agreement. 

applicable, an annual 

audit report. 

2. List of citation(s) to all 

scholarly products that 

resulted, in whole or in 

part, from work funded 

under the NIJ award. 

3. If applicable, each 

(s) in the academic press, 

technological prototypes, 

patented inventions, or similar 

scientific products. 

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. 

4. Number of technologies 

fielded as a result, in whole or in 

part, of work funded under the 

NIJ award. 

data set that resulted, in 

whole or in part, from 

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. 

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Application Checklist 

NIJ FY22 Research and Evaluation on the Administration of Justice: Diversion and Restorative Justice 

This application checklist has been created as an aid in developing an application. The DOJ Application 

Submission Checklist is another resource. 

What an Applicant Must Do: 

Prior to registering in Grants.gov: 

Confirm your Entity’s System Award Management (SAM) Registration Information (see OJP Grant 

Application Resource Guide) 

Acquire a SAM Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): 

If applying before April 4, 2022, obtain or confirm your Data Universal Number System 

(DUNS) number at www.dnb.com. 

On April 4, 2022, the federal government will stop using DUNS and start using the new 

SAM UEI. 

To register in Grants.gov: 

Acquire an AOR and a Grants.gov username and password (see OJP Grant Application Resource 

Guide) 

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

Application Resource Guide) 

To find the funding opportunity: 

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

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

Resource Guide) 

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

Read Important Notice: Applying for Grants in Grants.gov 

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

ojp.gov/financialguide/DOJ/PostawardRequirements/chapter3.10a.htm (see OJP Grant Application 

Resource Guide 

Overview of Post-Award Legal Requirements: 

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

Agreements - FY 2022 Awards” in the OJP Funding Resource Center. 

Review Scope Requirement: 

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

Review Eligibility Requirement: See cover page. 

~~~ 

Prepare to submit the Application for Federal Assistance standard form (SF)-424 and Disclosure of

Lobbying Activities form (SF-LLL) 

Review Information to complete the Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424) in Grants.gov 

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

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

After the SF-424 and SF-LLL submission in Grants.gov, receive Grants.gov email notifications that: 

Submission has been received in Grants.gov 

Submission has either been successfully validated or rejected with errors (see OJP Grant 

Application Resource Guide) 

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If no Grants.gov receipt and validation, or error notifications are received: 

Contact OJP Response Center regarding technical difficulties (see OJP Grant Application Resource 

Guide) 

Receive email notification to complete application in JustGrants: 

Proceed to complete application in JustGrants 

Content of Application Submission: Critical Application Elements 

The following items are critical application elements required to pass the basic minimum requirements review. If 

OJP determines that an application does not include the following elements, it will neither proceed to peer review, 

nor receive further consideration. 

Proposal Narrative 

Budget Worksheet and Budget Narrative (web-based form) 

Curriculum Vitae/Resumes for Key Personnel 

~~~ 

Budget and Associated Documentation: 

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

Financial Management and System of Internal Controls Questionnaire (see OJP Grant Application 

Resource Guide) 

Disclosure of Process related to Executive Compensation (see OJP Grant Application Resource 

Guide) 

Additional Application Components: 

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

Research and Evaluation Independence and Integrity (see OJP Grant Application Resource Guide) 

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

Application Resource Guide) 

Disclosures and Assurances: 

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

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

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

DOJ Certifications Regarding Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters; 

and Drug-Free Workplace Requirements (see OJP Grant Application Resource Guide) 

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

Application Resource Guide) 

Submit application in JustGrants: 

Application has been successfully submitted in JustGrants 

If no JustGrants application submission, validation, or error notifications are received: 

Contact the JustGrants Service Desk at 833-872-5175 or JustGrants.Support@usdoj.gov regarding technical difficulties. 

Endnotes 

[1] National Institute of Justice Courts Strategic Research Plan, 2020-2024. 

https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/nij/254684.pdf. 

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[2] Visit NIJ’s Courts’ website for more information on NIJ’s Courts Research Portfolio at 

https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/courts; and see article, NIJ’s Courts Research: Examining Alternatives to Incarceration 

for Veterans and Other Policy Innovation, https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/nijs-courts-research-examiningalternatives-incarceration-veterans-and-other-policy. 

[3] Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta Delivers Remarks at Taking the Call Conference (2021, October 

20). https://www.justice.gov/opa/speech/associate-attorney-general-vanita-gupta-delivers-remarks-taking-callconference. 

[4] See Managing the Seriously Mentally Ill in Corrections (2019) report produced under NIJ’s Priority Criminal 

Justice Needs Initiative at 

https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR2600/RR2698/RAND_RR2698.pdf. 

[5] Past research funded by NIJ includes: An Evaluation of the SEPTA Police SAVE Initiative, 

https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/awards/15pnij-21-gg-02717-ress; and A Law Enforcement Pathway to Treatment: A 

Multi-Site Evaluation of Self-Referral Deflection Programs, https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/awards/2019-75-cx-0011. 

[6] Past research funded by NIJ includes: NIJ’s Multisite Evaluation of Prosecutor-Led Diversion Programs: 

Strategies, Impacts, and Cost-Effectiveness, https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/251665.pdf 

; and Prosecutor-Led Pretrial Diversion: Case Studies in Eleven Jurisdictions, 

https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/251664.pdf. 

[7]Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (JMHCP), https://bja.ojp.gov/program/justice-and-mentalhealth-collaboration-program-jmhcp/overview. 

[8] The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) Glossary, https://ovc.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh226/files/modelstandards/6/glossary.html#demo2_tip. 

[9] Restorative Justice Symposium, https://ovc.ojp.gov/events/restorative-justice-symposium. 

[10] National Center on Restorative Justice, https://bja.ojp.gov/program/national-center-restorativejustice/overview. 

[11] National Center on Restorative Justice, https://www.vermontlaw.edu/academics/centers-andprograms/national-center-on-restorative-justice. 

[12] National Center on Restorative Justice, https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/awards/15pbja-20-gk-00035-ncrj. 

[13] See for example FY 2021 Smart Prosecution – Innovative Prosecution Solutions, 

https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/o-bja-2021-55002. 

[14] See Tribal Justice, Tribal Court: Strengthening Tribal Justice Systems Using Restorative Approaches, 

https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/awards/2019-75-cx-0013; 2020 OVK Tribal-Research Capacity Building Grant, 

https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/awards/2020-r2-cx-0039; and Evaluation of Reentry-Based Restorative Justice: A 

Randomized Controlled Trial, https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/awards/2019-ry-bx-0002. 

[15] See Drug Court Performance Measures, Program Evaluation and Cost Efficiency – Logic Model for Adult 

Drug Courts at https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/drug-court-performance-measures-program-evaluation-and-costefficiency-logic-model. 

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