Notices regarding the solicitation “NIJ FY23 Research and Development in 

Forensic Science for Criminal Justice Purposes” 

March 13, 2023: Within the "Potential Impact" discussion under "Merit Review 

Criteria," the bullets under "Potential for innovative solution to address (all or 

a significant part of) the stated forensic science problem" have been updated.

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

Expires  12/31/2023 

U.S. Department of Justice 

Office of Justice Programs 

National Institute of Justice 

NIJ FY23 Research and Development in Forensic Science for Criminal Justice 

Purposes 

Assistance Listing Number #  16.560 

Grants.gov Opportunity Number: O-NIJ-2023-171606 

Solicitation Release Date:     February 16, 2023 12:30 PM ET  

Version:  1 

Step 1: Application Grants.gov Deadline:    April 19, 2023 11:59 PM ET  

Step 2: Application JustGrants Deadline:    April 26, 2023 8:59 PM ET 

Overview 

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

seeks applications for funding basic or applied research and development in forensic science for criminal 

justice purposes. 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. NIJ’s Forensic Science Strategic 

Research Plan and Forensic Science Technology Working Group (TWG) identify current research priorities 

and technology challenges encountered in operational forensic science laboratories. Research-based 

knowledge and newly developed tools that work towards addressing these priorities and resolving these 

challenges facilitate the criminal justice community to enforce the law, promote public safety, prevent and 

reduce crime, and ensure fair and impartial administration of justice. 

This solicitation incorporates guidance provided in the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide which provides 

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

expressly modifies any provision in the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide, the applicant is to 

follow the guidelines in this solicitation as to that provision. 

Solicitation Categories 

This solicitation does not include Solicitation Categories. 

Eligible Applicants: 

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

Independent school districts, Individuals, 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, Unrestricted (open to any type of entity 

above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled as Additional Information on Eligibility 

An applicant entity may submit more than one application, if each application proposes a different project in 

response to the solicitation. Also, an entity may be proposed as a subrecipient (subgrantee) in more than one 

application. 

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

Page 1 of 35 

O-NIJ-2023-171606 
only one entity may be the applicant. Any others must be proposed as subrecipients (subgrantees). For 

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

NIJ may elect to fund applications submitted under this FY 2023 solicitation in future fiscal years, dependent 

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

Contact Information 

For assistance with the requirements of this solicitation, contact the OJP Response Center at 800-851-3420, 

301-240-6310 (TTY for hearing-impaired callers only), or grants@ncjrs.gov. The OJP Response Center 

operates from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. eastern time (ET) Monday–Friday, and 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET on 

the solicitation close date. 

Submission Information 

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

Management (SAM). You must renew and validate your registration every 12 months. If you do not renew your 

SAM registration, it will expire. An expired registration can delay or prevent application submission in 

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

Submission: Applications must be submitted to DOJ electronically through a two-step process via Grants.gov 

and JustGrants. 

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

Assistance standard form (SF-424) and a Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL) form when they 

register in Grants.gov at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html. Submit the SF-424 and SF-LLL as 

early as possible, but no later than 48 hours before the Grants.gov deadline. If an applicant fails to 

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

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

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

support@grants.gov. The Grants.gov Support Hotline operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except on 

federal holidays. 

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

JustGrants.usdoj.gov by the JustGrants application deadline. 

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

Desk at 833-872-5175 or JustGrants.Support@usdoj.gov. The JustGrants Service Desk operates 7 a.m. to 9 

p.m. ET Monday–Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sunday, and Federal holidays. 

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

Guide and the JustGrants website for more information, resources, and training. Applicants should maintain all 

receipts and confirmations received from SAM.gov, Grants.gov, JustGrants systems. 

Page 2 of 35 

O-NIJ-2023-171606 
Contents 

Overview 1 

Contact Information 2 

Submission Information 2 

Program Description 5 

Overview 5 

Statutory Authority 5 

Specific Information 5 

Goals, Objectives, and Deliverables 7 

Priority Areas 10 

Federal Award Information 11 

Awards, Amounts and Durations 11 

Continuation Funding Intent 11 

Availability of Funds 12 

Type of Award 12 

Financial Management and System of Internal Controls 12 

Budget Information 12 

Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement 13 

Pre-agreement Costs (also known as Pre-award Costs) 13 

Limitation on Use of Award Funds for Employee Compensation: Waiver 13 

Prior Approval, Planning, and Reporting of Conference/Meeting/Training Costs 13 

Costs Associated with Language Assistance (if applicable) 13 

Anticipated Number of Awards 13 

Anticipated Maximum Dollar Amount of Awards 13 

Anticipated Total Amount to be Awarded Under Solicitation 14 

Period of Performance Duration 14 

Eligibility Information 14 

Application and Submission Information 14 

Content of Application Submission 14 

Information to Complete the Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424) in Grants.gov 15 

Standard Applicant Information (JustGrants 424 and General Agency Information) 15 

Proposal Abstract 15 

Proposal Narrative 15 

Goal, Objective and Deliverables 21 

Budget and Associated Documentation 21 

Budget Worksheet and Budget Narrative (Web-based Form) 21 

Pre-agreement Costs (also known as Pre-award Costs) 21 

Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable) 22 

Consultant Rate 22 

Limitation on Employee Compensation; Waiver 22 

Financial Management and System of Internal Controls Questionnaire (including applicant 22 

Disclosure of Process Related to Executive Compensation 22 

Additional Application Components 22 

Curriculum Vitae or Resumes 22 

Tribal Authorizing Resolution 22 

Timeline Form 22 

Letters of Support 22 

Research and Evaluation Independence and Integrity Statement 23 

Bibliography/reference 23 

disclosure of high-risk status) 

Page 3 of 35 

O-NIJ-2023-171606 
Any Tools/Instruments, Questionnaires, Tables/Charts/Graphs, or Maps 23 

Policy Act (NEPA) 

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

List of Individuals in the Application 23 

Human Subjects Protection 23 

Privacy Certificate 23 

Request to Use Incentives or Stipends 23 

Documentation of “new investigator” status, if applicable 24 

Consortium/Contractual Arrangements 24 

Data Archiving Plan 24 

Performance Report for Continuing Lines of Research 24 

List of Any Previous and Current NIJ Awards 24 

Potential Environmental Impact Coversheet and Checklist - National Environmental 24 

Current and Pending (Other) Support 25 

Disclosures and Assurances 25 

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities 25 

DOJ Certified Standard Assurances 25 

Applicant Disclosure of Duplication in Cost Items 25 

DOJ Certifications Regarding Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension and Other Responsibility 25 

Applicant Disclosure and Justification - DOJ High Risk Grantees 25 

How to Apply 25 

Submission Dates and Time 26 

Experiencing Unforeseen Technical Issues Preventing Submission of an Application 26 

Application Review Information 27 

Review Criteria 27 

Review Process 29 

Federal Award Administration Information 30 

Federal Award Notices 30 

Administrative, National Policy, and Other Legal Requirements 30 

Information Technology Security Clauses 30 

General Information about Post-Federal Award Reporting Requirements 30 

Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s) 30 

Other Information 30 

Freedom of Information and Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552 and 5 U.S.C. 552a) 30 

Provide Feedback to OJP 30 

Performance Measures 31 

Application Checklist 32 

Standard Solicitation Resources 34 

Endnotes 34 

Page 4 of 35 

O-NIJ-2023-171606 
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 basic or applied research and development projects. An 

NIJ forensic science research and development grant supports a discrete, specified, circumscribed project that 

will: 

1. Increase the body of knowledge to guide and inform forensic science policy and practice; or 

2. Lead to the production of useful material(s), device(s), system(s), or method(s) that have the potential 

for forensic application. 

The intent of this program is to direct the findings of basic scientific research; foster research and development 

in broader scientific fields applicable to forensic science; and support ongoing forensic science research 

toward the development of highly-discriminating, accurate, reliable, cost-effective, and rapid methods for the 

identification, analysis, and interpretation of forensic evidence for criminal justice purposes. Projects should 

address the challenges and needs of the forensic science community, including but not limited to priorities 

outlined in the NIJ Forensic Science Strategic Research Plan and operational needs identified at NIJ’s TWG 

meetings, which may be found on NIJ.OJP.gov. Additional research needs of the forensic science community 

can be found at the Organization of Scientific Area Committees website. Although the goals and deliverables 

of proposed projects are not required to result in immediate solutions to the posted challenges and needs, 

proposals should, at a minimum, address the foundational work that will lead to eventual solutions. 

Applicants are encouraged to propose multidisciplinary research teams to build on the complementary 

strengths of different methods and areas of subject matter expertise. NIJ also seeks proposals that include 

consideration and measurement of issues of diversity, discrimination, and bias across age, gender and gender 

identity, race, ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation, as applicable. 

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

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

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

from, provided to, or obtained through an award funded by NIJ will be archived by the grant recipient in 

accordance with their data archiving plan (see Data Archiving Plan under “Application and Submission 

Information”) at the conclusion of the award. Applicants and their potential partners are encouraged to review 

NIJ’s data archiving guidance. If selected for an award, grantees will be expected to have a formal agreement 

in place with partnering agencies by January 1, 2024. That formal agreement must include a provision to meet 

the data archiving requirements of the award. 

NIJ seeks proposals that include robust, creative, and multi-pronged dissemination strategies that include 

strategic partnerships with organizations and associations that are best equipped to ensure that research 

findings lead to changes in policies and practices. 

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 agency is expected to conduct the a majority of the work proposed. 

Statutory Authority 

Department of Justice Appropriations Act, 2023 (Pub. L. No. 117-328, 136 Stat. 4536, 4537, 4542-4543); 

Department of Justice Appropriations Act, 2022 (Pub. L. No. 117-103, 136 Stat. 49,126); 28 U.S.C. 530C. 

Page 5 of 35 

O-NIJ-2023-171606 
Specific Information 

This solicitation seeks applications for funding to support basic or applied research and development forensic 

science projects. For the purposes of this solicitation, the following definitions apply: 

Forensic — Of, relating to, or used in legal proceedings or argumentation.[1] 

Science — The observation, identification, description, experimental investigations, and theoretical 

explanation of natural phenomena.[2] 

Basic research — A systematic study directed toward fuller knowledge or understanding of the 

fundamental aspects of phenomena and of observable facts without specific applications towards 

processes or products in mind. Basic research may include activities with broad applications in mind.[3] 

For the purposes of this solicitation, foundational/basic research must include activities with broad 

application to forensic sciences related to the criminal justice system. 

Applied research — A systematic study to gain knowledge or understanding necessary to determine the 

means by which a recognized and specific need may be met.[4] For the purposes of this solicitation, the 

specific need(s) being met must relate to the improvement of forensic science services for criminal 

justice purposes. 

Development — The systematic application of knowledge or understanding, directed toward the 

production of useful materials, devices, and systems or methods, including design, development, and 

improvement of prototypes and new processes to meet specific requirements.[5] For the purposes of this 

solicitation, the development of forensic technologies and methods should assist in answering questions 

posed in criminal investigations or increase crime laboratory capacity to meet the demand for forensic 

science services. 

Funding priorities for this program are expected to align with the Department of Justice’s mission. Proposed 

projects should address the current technology challenges encountered by forensic scientists by generating 

new knowledge or tools that will lead to better methods, move the state-of-the-art forward, or otherwise 

resolve identified issues so as to assist law enforcement, enhance public safety, prevent and reduce crime, 

and ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice. Although the goals and deliverables of proposed 

projects are not required to result in immediate solutions to the posted challenges and needs, proposals 

should, at a minimum, address the foundational work that will lead to eventual solutions. 

Proposals are expected to identify the focus areas (e.g., forensic science discipline[s]) intended to benefit from 

the project. The focus areas should be listed in the keywords on the title page. Some examples are listed 

below. Where available, links have also been provided to sites containing additional information. 

DNA and forensic biology (https://strbase-b.nist.gov/, http://www.swgdam.org, https://www.nist.gov/ 

topics/organization-scientific-area-committees-forensic-science/biologydna-scientific-area-committee). 

Forensic crime scene analysis (https://www.nist.gov/organization-scientific-area-committees-forensicscience/crime-scene-investigation-reconstruction). 

Forensic anthropology and forensic odontology (https://www.nist.gov/topics/forensic-science/ 

anthropology-subcommittee, https://www.nist.gov/topics/forensic-science/odontology-subcommittee). 

Bloodstain pattern analysis (https://www.nist.gov/topics/forensic-science/bloodstain-pattern-analysissubcommittee). 

Seized drugs (http://www.swgdrug.org, https://www.nist.gov/topics/forensic-science/seized-drugssubcommittee). 

Fire debris analysis and arson scene investigations (https://www.nist.gov/topics/forensic-science/fireand-explosion-investigation-subcommittee, https://www.nist.gov/topics/forensic-science/fire-debris-andexplosives-subcommittee). 

Firearms and toolmark identification (https://www.nist.gov/topics/forensic-science/firearms-andtoolmarks-subcommittee). 

Latent print ( 

Page 6 of 35 

O-NIJ-2023-171606 
https://www.nist.gov/topics/organization-scientific-area-committees-forensic-science/friction-ridgesubcommittee). 

Shoeprint/tire tread examination (https://www.nist.gov/topics/forensic-science/footwear-and-tiresubcommittee). 

Questioned documents (https://www.nist.gov/topics/forensic-science/forensic-document-examinationsubcommittee). 

Trace evidence (https://www.nist.gov/topics/forensic-science/sac-chemistryinstrumental-analysis, 

https://www.nist.gov/topics/forensic-science/materials-trace-subcommittee). 

Forensic toxicology (https://www.nist.gov/topics/forensic-science/toxicology-subcommittee). 

Medicolegal death investigations, including forensic pathology (https://www.nist.gov/topics/forensicscience/medicolegal-death-investigation-subcommittee). 

Digital/multimedia evidence (https://www.swgde.org/, https://www.nist.gov/topics/forensic-science/ 

digitalmultimedia-scientific-area-committee). 

Wildlife forensics (https://www.nist.gov/topics/organization-scientific-area-committees-forensic-science/ 

wildlife-forensics-subcommittee). 

Indicators of successful proposals may include relationships/collaborations with operational, accredited crime 

laboratories, and demonstrated abilities to produce scholarly products. See the next sections for more details. 

Goals, Objectives, and Deliverables 

Goals 

Proposals should address at least one of the goals specified below. Proposed projects that address more than 

one goal should be separated into discrete phases that clearly identify the goal to be addressed by each 

phase (additional information regarding the phasing of proposals can be found in Federal Award Information). 

Proposed projects should include goals that speak to specific forensic science needs and challenges which, if 

resolved, will aid the criminal justice community to enforce the law, enhance public safety, prevent and reduce 

crime, and ensure fair and impartial administration of justice. Although some late-stage applied research and 

development projects may be able to propose tangible or direct solutions, early-stage research projects are 

not required to result in immediate solutions; however, these early-stage research projects should clearly 

explain how the proposed objectives, once achieved, will produce knowledge that contributes to eventual 

solutions. 

Foundational/Basic Research Goal: Improve the understanding of the accuracy, reliability, and 

measurement validity of forensic science disciplines. Applicants may refer to Strengthening Forensic 

Science in the United States: A Path Forward by the National Research Council of the National 

Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to review historical material relevant to this goal. If 

addressing this goal, projects should meet at least one of the following objectives: 

Conduct basic scientific research in the physical, life, and cognitive sciences that is designed to 

increase the knowledge underlying forensic science disciplines intended for use in the criminal 

justice system. For the purposes of this objective, basic research studies proposed must include 

activities with broad application to forensic sciences related to the criminal justice system. 

Proposals should describe the anticipated impact of the study on one or more forensic science 

disciplines. 

Perform studies that examine the degree of accuracy and reliability of methods used by forensic 

scientists to achieve a more complete understanding of the scientific basis of forensic evidence 

and the interpretation of that evidence. Studies may also examine various processes within 

forensic methods, from the initial acceptance and examination of evidence for its probative value 

and quality, to the final interpretation of forensic results, including assessment of error rate. 

Conduct foundational research studies designed to further the understanding of quantifiable 

measures of uncertainty in the conclusions of forensic analyses, regardless of the sources of 

uncertainty. Studies should seek to establish limits of reliability and accuracy that forensic methods 

Page 7 of 35 

O-NIJ-2023-171606 
can achieve with respect to varying conditions of forensic evidence. 

Develop new approaches to forensic analysis, including quantitation of analyses that are currently 

qualitative in nature (e.g., in the development of quantitative studies related to friction ridge 

analysis or other impression and pattern evidence). 

Applied Research Goal: Increase knowledge or understanding necessary to guide criminal justice 

policy and practice related to the forensic sciences. To achieve this goal, projects should meet at least 

one of the following objectives: 

Perform applied research to increase knowledge of physical evidence and/or its behavior. 

Examples include, but are not limited to, the study of fluid transfer and fluid dynamics of certain 

biological fluids (e.g., blood) to increase understanding of patterns deposited at crime scenes; the 

examination of chemical properties of evidence for the purpose of identifying source materials; 

studies of the behavior of chemical compounds of forensic interest in biological systems; research 

to better understand aged, degraded, limited, damaged, inhibited, or otherwise compromised 

physical evidence (e.g., studies on the effect of environmental factors on physical evidence; 

studies to increase the overall understanding of the processes and mechanisms that result in the 

inability to obtain analytical results from evidence). 

Perform evaluation studies of technologies that are expected to have application to forensic 

sciences in criminal justice settings. The purpose of an evaluation must be to test a new, modified, 

or previously untested technology to determine whether it is effective for forensic science 

application. Proposals for evaluation studies should systematically use scientific methods to 

measure efficiency, implementation, and utility of the technology being evaluated. The primary 

intent of a proposed evaluation study must be to generate new knowledge, or contribute to the 

knowledge in the forensic scientific literature. Furthermore, knowledge gained from an evaluation 

study should be applicable to sites other than the one(s) being evaluated. An evaluation study 

should result in a report suitable for publication and dissemination to guide criminal justice policy 

and/or practice related to the forensic sciences. The results of an evaluation study should 

contribute to generalizable knowledge that can be applied beyond a particular program/ 

geography, and can inform other researchers, practitioners, and/or policymakers. 

Development Goal: Produce novel and useful materials, devices, systems, or methods that have the 

potential for forensic application for criminal justice purposes. For development projects, proposals 

should demonstrate potential for increased quality of result and/or decreased time/cost for forensic 

analyses as compared to current standard practices. In order to achieve this goal, projects should meet 

at least one of the following objectives: 

Improve the “front end” of the forensic analysis processes. Examples include, but are not limited to, 

the development of improved methods for detection and identification of evidence at crime scenes; 

the development of improved screening methods to help assess the probative value of forensic 

evidence (i.e., onsite presumptive and/or confirmatory analysis of evidence); the development of 

improved means to remotely detect forensic evidence at a crime scene in order to overcome scene 

hazards and prevent evidence contamination; the development of nondestructive or minimally 

destructive methods for evidentiary sample identification and/or collection; the development of 

improved tools or methods for evidence preservation and/or storage. 

Develop instrumental systems to improve analysis throughput and the reliability, reproducibility, 

selectivity, and/or sensitivity of current methods used in crime laboratories for forensic analysis. 

Develop tools or methods that can separate the various components of a mixture. The separation 

method must be successful on typical forensic samples (limited in yield, etc.) and must not reduce 

the efficiency of downstream forensic methods. Examples of mixtures include, but are not limited 

to, cells from different sources (e.g., sperm cells from female epithelial cells, epithelial cells from 

different sources), products of DNA processes (e.g., polymerase chain reaction [PCR] products in 

mixtures from two or more individuals), and trace materials. 

Page 8 of 35 

O-NIJ-2023-171606 
Develop improved tools for examining aged, degraded, limited, damaged, inhibited, or otherwise 

compromised physical evidence. Examples include, but are not limited to, the development of tools 

to determine the condition of the evidence to assist crime laboratory analysts in selecting the 

appropriate analytical approach, the development of methods to repair damaged evidence (without 

compromising sample integrity) to increase the likelihood of obtaining an analytical result, 

improvements to the methods for detection and/or removal or remediation of substances that inhibit 

the success of analysis, or other methods that will maximize the success rate of the analysis of 

compromised evidence. 

Develop novel approaches to forensic science methods for analysis and interpretation. Examples 

include streamlined, portable, high-throughput, more informative, more sensitive, less susceptible 

to inhibition, and other novel methods for analysis of forensic evidence for criminal justice 

purposes. 

Develop novel approaches and/or enhance current approaches to interpret forensic data derived 

from physical evidence, including an assessment of the significance of association. This may 

include development of databases[6] (comprehensive, searchable, easily accessible, secure 

databases for use in determining the statistical strength of analytical results obtained from 

evidence found at crime scenes), and/or analyses that provide quantitative measures and 

statistical evaluation of forensic evidence. 

Deliverables 

Technical Summary. Any recipient of an award under this solicitation will be expected to submit a technical 

summary. Additional information on the technical summary requirement for the solicitation is posted on NIJ’s 

webpage. 

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

will be expected to submit all data sets in accordance with their data archiving plan (see Data Archiving Plan 

under “Application and Submission Information”) that result in whole or in part from the work funded by the 

award, along with associated files and any documentation necessary for others to reproduce the project’s 

findings. 

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) book chapter(s) or book(s) in the academic 

press, technological prototypes, patented inventions, or similar scientific products. Awardees are encouraged 

to publish their research using open access options. Grant funds may be used for costs associated with open 

access publication. NIJ expects that there will be an equal effort to make the research findings accessible to 

practitioner and policymaker audiences. 

Some projects may be chosen for technology evaluation or technology transition activities. More information, 

including examples of previous workshops and evaluations, can be found through the following link: http:// 

www.forensiccoe.org. 

NIJ encourages researchers to seek guidance from, or partner with, crime laboratories. Such associations 

foster a greater understanding of the issues unique to the field of forensic science and may strengthen the 

scope of the proposed research plan. To assist researchers in identifying appropriate practitioner partners, NIJ 

has developed a site for crime laboratories to indicate their interest in participating in research. Interested 

laboratories are encouraged to visit https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/forensics/connecting-researchers-forensiclaboratories to provide their contact information. 

Researchers who have developed methods and/or technologies that are ready for evaluation in forensic 

laboratory practice, including previous and current NIJ research grantees, are strongly encouraged to apply to 

NIJ’s Research and Evaluation in Publicly Funded Forensic Laboratories program. 

Information on NIJ’s forensic science research and development programs (including previously funded 

Page 9 of 35 

O-NIJ-2023-171606 
projects) can be found at: https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/forensics. 

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 

Research and Development Priority Opportunities 

NIJ is interested in funding innovative research that aligns with administration R&D priorities.[7] Proposals that 

advance the following administrative priorities may be given special consideration in award decisions. If 

submitting a research proposal that contributes to one of the following national priorities, the 

applicant should state this on the title page of the proposal. 

Catalyze Research and Innovation in Critical and Emerging Technologies: NIJ supports technologies 

that power the industries of the future, to include industries which support the forensic sciences that 

may: (1) increase the body of knowledge to guide and inform forensic science policy and practice; or (2) 

lead to the production of useful material(s), device(s), system(s), or method(s) that have the potential 

for forensic application. 

National Artificial Intelligence Initiative: “The mission of the National AI Initiative is to ensure 

continued U.S. leadership in AI research and development, lead the world in the development 

and use of trustworthy AI in the public and private sectors, and prepare the present and future 

U.S. workforce for the integration of AI systems across all sectors of the economy and 

society.”[8] NIJ is interested in funding proposals that employ AI in order to advance forensic 

science. National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI): The NNI is a U.S. government research and 

development initiative to understand and control matter at the nanoscale, intended to 

revolutionize technology and industry to benefit society. “The vision of the NNI is a future in 

which the ability to understand and control matter at the nanoscale leads to a revolution in 

technology and industry that benefits society.”[9] NIJ is interested in funding proposals that 

employ nanotechnology to advance forensic science. 

STEM Education and Engagement: NIJ supports the improvement of technical training of future forensic 

scientists through science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) training through hands-on 

laboratory and research experience. NIJ encourages applicants to include the employment of students in 

their research proposals. Furthermore, NIJ supports building capacity at institutions that serve high 

proportions of underrepresented or underserved groups. Applications submitted under this priority 

consideration area should include in their management plans how students will be recruited; what 

laboratory/research activities they will perform; what training/education they will receive through the 

research; how the project promotes diversity, inclusion, equity, and accessibility in STEM; and how their 

post-graduation/project activities will be tracked and reported to NIJ.[10] 

New Investigator Opportunities 

NIJ is interested in funding new investigators engaging in forensic science research. Proposals whose 

principal investigator and all co-investigator(s) are defined as “new investigators” may, in appropriate 

circumstances, be given special consideration in award decisions. 

To be considered a “new investigator” for the purposes of this solicitation, one of the two criteria below must 

be demonstrated. If submitting a proposal as a “new investigator”, the applicant should identify the 

principal investigator and any co-investigators as “new investigator” on the title page of the proposal. 

The investigator must have received — no earlier than April 1, 2019 — an initial appointment in the 

United States to a full-time junior faculty position[11] at a university or to an equivalent full-time staff 

scientist position in a research institution; hold such a full-time appointment at the time of application 

submission; and must never have received NIJ funding for a research project — other than a Graduate 

Page 10 of 35 

O-NIJ-2023-171606 
Research Fellowship program grant; or 

The investigator must be an established researcher who has not successfully competed for NIJ funding 

as a principal investigator or co-principal investigator in the past 10 years. The investigator must hold a 

full-time appointment in the United States to a faculty position at a university or an equivalent position 

as a full-time staff scientist at a research institution at the time of application. 

In the case of a grant application that involves more than one investigator, all co-investigators must meet 

the definition of “new investigator” in order for the application to be considered as a “new investigator 

” application. 

Minority Serving Institutions 

There is a body of evidence that racial and ethnic minority groups are underrepresented in science and 

engineering fields at all levels.[12][13] NIJ will give special consideration in award decisions to proposals from 

Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). 

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.) 

MSI status will not be a factor considered by reviewers, who review and score applications strictly according to 

the Merit Review Criteria, but may be considered by the NIJ Director in making award decisions. 

Federal Award Information 

Solicitation Categories 

This solicitation does not include Solicitation Categories. 

Awards, Amounts and Durations 

Anticipated Number of Awards 

Up to 45 

Period of Performance Duration (Months) 

60 

Period of Performance Start Date 

1/1/24 

Anticipated Total Amount to be Awarded Under 

Solicitation 

$12,000,000.00 

Additional Information 

Please see Anticipated Number of Awards, 

Anticipated Maximum Dollar Amount of Awards, 

Anticipated Total Amount to be Awarded Under 

Solicitation, 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 

Page 11 of 35 

O-NIJ-2023-171606 
overall management of the award, and the award-funded work’s progress, when making continuation award 

decisions. 

Availability of Funds 

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

any modifications or additional requirements that may be imposed by the agency or by law. In addition, 

nothing in this solicitation is intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, 

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

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

Type of Award 

NIJ expects to make awards under this solicitation as grants. However, on a case-by-case basis, NIJ may 

elect to make an award to non-federal recipients under this solicitation as a cooperative agreement, which 

provides for OJP to have substantial involvement in carrying out award activities. 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 2023, NIJ elects to fund only certain phases of a proposed project, the expected scholarly 

products from the partial-funding award may, in some cases, vary from those described above.) 

NIJ may elect to fund applications submitted under this FY 2023 solicitation in future fiscal years, dependent 

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

What will not be funded: 

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

Proposals that do not contain a research component. 

Proposals that do not respond to the specific goals of this solicitation. 

Proposals that do not clearly address criminal justice concerns in the United States. 

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.) 

Proposals that include equipment purchases should include a discussion of how federally-funded 

equipment is proposed to be used after the funded work has been completed and/or the project period 

has ended. Note that OJP may issue specific equipment disposition instructions in appropriate 

circumstances.) 

Proposals primarily to provide training. 

Page 12 of 35 

O-NIJ-2023-171606 
Proposals that provide direct criminal/forensic laboratory services. 

Proposals focusing on the estimation of postmortem interval (i.e., time since death) whose research 

design is not novel nor applicable across the geography of the United States. The primary intent of these 

studies must be to generate new knowledge or contribute to the knowledge in the forensic scientific 

literature that is applicable to locations other than the one(s) being evaluated. 

Proposals that focus on predicting the behavior of criminal offenders or indicators that result in 

victimization. 

Proposals that seek to administer surveys on the perceptions of forensic evidence collection policies 

among evidence examiners. 

Proposals that focus on legal factors involved in how forensic evidence is processed. 

Proposals for social science research that do not focus on the identification, analysis, and scientific 

interpretation of forensic evidence for criminal justice purposes. 

Proposals focused on criminal psychology. 

Proposals involving the use of canines (i.e., detector dogs) as the sole sensing instrument. Research 

involving detector dogs must incorporate quantitative instrumental methods of chemical analysis. 

Proposals on deception detection. 

Costs associated with conducting conferences. A conference is a symposium, seminar, workshop, or 

any other organized and formal meeting, whether conducted face-to-face or via the Internet, where 

individuals assemble (or meet virtually) to exchange information and views or explore or clarify a defined 

subject, problem, or area of knowledge, whether or not a published report results from such a meeting. A 

meeting where a gathering discusses general matters as part of a normal course of doing business is not 

considered a conference. Funds may be used to attend conferences for the purposes of dissemination of 

research findings. 

Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement 

This solicitation does not require a match. 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 

1 to 45 

Page 13 of 35 

O-NIJ-2023-171606 
Anticipated Maximum Dollar Amount of Awards 

NIJ funding for an individual research or development project rarely exceeds $500,000 annually. In FY 2022, 

the average forensic science research and development award was approximately $206,451 per year. 

Information on previous years’ awards is provided solely for reference. Applicants are encouraged to propose 

budgets that match the research activities proposed. Cost estimates should be focused on maximizing the 

potential for success of the proposed project, rather than past averages. 

Anticipated Total Amount to be Awarded Under Solicitation 

Total funding for this solicitation and the number of awards made will depend on the availability of funds, the 

quality of the applications, and other pertinent factors. In FY 2022, NIJ provided over $11.6 million to fund 

research and development projects related to forensic science. 

Period of Performance Duration 

To be determined by the period of performance of awarded applications. The average project period for FY 

2022 forensic science research and development awards was two years. Successful applicants will be 

expected to complete the work proposed within a five-year period of performance. 

Period of performance start date: January 1, 2024. Applicants that are Federal agencies may propose a start 

date as early as October 1, 2023. 

An applicant should base its federal funding request and period of performance on the actual requirements of 

the research, and not necessarily on the anticipated amount of funding available in FY 2023 for awards under 

this solicitation. However, to expedite the budget approval process, applicants are encouraged to break out 

their budgets by project year or by phases, in the event that NIJ chooses to fund the project partially or 

incrementally. 

Eligibility Information 

For eligibility information, see the solicitation cover page. 

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

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

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

Northern Mariana Islands. 

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

Federal agencies are eligible to apply. (Any award made to a federal agency will be made as an inter-agency 

reimbursable agreement.) 

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

agencies must be certified by an approved independent credentialing body or have started the certification 

process to be eligible for FY 2023 DOJ discretionary grant funding. To become certified, the law enforcement 

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

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

situations where use of deadly force is allowed by law. The certification requirement also applies to law 

enforcement agencies receiving DOJ discretionary grant funding through a subaward. For detailed information 

on this certification requirement, please visit https://cops.usdoj.gov/SafePolicingEO to access the Standards 

for Certification on Safe Policing for Safe Communities, the Implementation Fact Sheet, and the List of 

Designated Independent Credentialing Bodies. 

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

fee. 

Application and Submission Information 

Page 14 of 35 

O-NIJ-2023-171606 
Content of Application Submission 

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

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

Proposal Narrative 

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

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

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

other significant contributors.) 

If NIJ determines that an application does not include these elements, it will neither proceed to peer review, 

nor receive further consideration. 

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

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

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

Guide for additional information on completing the SF-424. 

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

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

application to this user in JustGrants. 

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

12372. In completing the SF-424, an applicant is to answer question 19 by selecting “Program is not covered 

by E.O. 12372.” 

Standard Applicant Information (JustGrants 424 and General Agency Information) 

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

The proposal abstract is a very important part of the application, and serves as an introduction to the proposed 

project. NIJ uses the proposal abstract for a number of purposes, including assignment of the application to an 

appropriate review panel. If the application is funded, the proposal abstract typically will become public 

information and be used to describe the project. 

A Proposal Abstract (no more than 400 words) summarizing the proposed project—including its purpose, 

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

known)—must be completed in the JustGrants 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 

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

Proposal Narrative 

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

be single-spaced, using a standard 12-point font; have no less than 1-inch margins; and should not exceed 18 

pages, of which a minimum of nine (9) pages should be dedicated to Project Design and Implementation. If 

Page 15 of 35 

O-NIJ-2023-171606 
included in the main body of the proposal narrative, tables, charts, figures, and other illustrations count toward 

the 18-page limit for the narrative section. The proposal abstract, table of contents, appendices, and 

government forms do not count toward the 18-page limit. Pages should be numbered. If the Proposal 

Narrative fails to comply with these length restrictions, NIJ may consider such noncompliance in peer review 

and in the final award decision. 

The Proposal Narrative should include the following sections: 

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

The title page should include: 

Project title. 

Submission date. 

Funding opportunity number. 

Principal Investigator (and any co-principal investigators). 

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

Requests for consideration under “new investigator” and/or “research and development priority 

opportunities” areas. 

Key words, including forensic science focus areas. 

Contact information (that is, name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address) for both the 

applicant institution and the principal investigator. 

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

If an applicant is resubmitting an application previously submitted to NIJ, but not funded, the applicant should 

indicate this. A statement may 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. 

This section should also identify the proposed research questions and introduce the purpose, goals, and 

objectives of the proposed project. 

The Statement of the Problem section should do the following: 

Explain the importance of the problem or critical barrier to progress in the field that the proposed 

project addresses. 

Explain the criminal justice significance of the problem. 

Describe the scientific premise for the proposed project, including consideration of the strengths 

and weaknesses of published research or preliminary data crucial to the support of your 

application. 

Page 16 of 35 

O-NIJ-2023-171606 
Describe the current state of the art and technologies, both in practice and in past/current research, 

directed at the described problem. If this request is a direct follow-up of an earlier study, describe 

those results. 

Explain how the proposed project will improve scientific knowledge, technical capability, and/or 

forensic practice. Describe how concepts, methods, technologies, or services that drive the 

forensic science field will be changed if the proposed aims are achieved. 

Include a review of relevant literature. 

2. Project Design and Implementation (This section should account for a minimum of nine (9) pages of 

the main body of the narrative.) 

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. 

The Project Design and Implementation section should include the following: 

Describe the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses to be used to accomplish the specific 

aims of the project. Describe the experimental design and methods proposed and how they will 

achieve robust and unbiased results. Include how the data will be collected, analyzed, and 

interpreted, as well as the data archiving plan (see Data Archiving Plan under Appendices). 

Human subjects/study population: If the project will involve human subjects, clearly describe the 

study population. Include detailed information about how subjects were or will be identified and 

sampled and the method(s) of characterization. For case-control studies, provide inclusion and 

exclusion criteria and any matching done between cases and controls. Describe relevant 

environmental factors and how they were measured. If the subjects provided for this study are a 

subset of a family population, explain which individuals were included and how they were selected. 

Highlight special features of the study population that would enhance success. 

Sample information: In table form, provide: sample description such as case/control status and/or 

collection site; number of samples included in the study; subsample source (e.g., tissue source of 

the DNA). If data from other subjects will be included in the analysis, add row(s) to describe those 

samples. 

Three examples are provided below: 

Sample Set Target # of 

Samples 

Source Service Previous Service 

Known 

controls 

500 Buccal Targeted 

sequencing 

STR base genotyping 

Forensic 

samples 

500 Buccal Targeted sequencing STR base genotyping 

Page 17 of 35 

O-NIJ-2023-171606 
Sample Set Target # of 

Samples 

Source Subsample Set Service 

Crania 300 Modern 

Donated 

Collection 

300 individuals of 

known Hispanic 

Ancestry; 150 

Male, 150 Female 

Morphometric sex 

Estimation 

Pelvis 300 Modern 

Donated 

Collection 

300 individuals of 

known Hispanic 

Ancestry; 150 

Male, 150 Female 

Morphometric sex 

Estimation 

Subject Description Target # of Samples Collection Site 

Patients at drug rehab facilities 100 Scalp, cut (not plucked) 

Controls – subjects donating hair for 

wigs 

100 Scalp, cut (not plucked) 

Provide supporting text that justifies the choice of samples. Describe other relevant information 

(e.g., the extraction methods used for each DNA source and the approximate DNA concentrations). 

Describe previous analyses done on these subjects. 

Power and effect size: Use power analyses to describe the range of effect sizes detectable by the 

study. Address relevant features of the analytic plan, such as the model(s) to be tested, the extent 

of multiple testing, and what significance level would be used for testing. Include all appropriate 

parameters. If the study design requires separate analysis of subject groups, provide power 

analyses for each category. If there is a plan to test for environment effects, address the power for 

detection of these effects. 

Data analyses: Provide a thorough plan for data analyses. Include: analytical approaches to be 

used and their justification; plans for quality control analyses; methods to control for possible 

confounding effects; how false positive rates will be controlled in light of multiple testing; etc. If 

there is a plan to analyze the data obtained with earlier data, or to perform comparisons to 

determine success, describe your strategy for that process. 

Describe the role of each team member in the analysis process, and summarize the team's 

experience with the approaches proposed. 

Discuss potential problems, alternative strategies, and benchmarks for success anticipated to 

achieve the aims. 

If the project is in the early stages of development, describe any strategy to establish feasibility, 

and address the management of any high-risk aspects of the proposed work. 

Explain how relevant variables are factored into research designs and analyses. 

Data management: Describe the institutional computing resources available for this study, the type 

of database that will be used (if applicable), and how the data will be managed. Highlight the 

team’s experience with management of data sets (especially those similar to the proposed project). 

Also describe strategies for data sustainability beyond the proposed funded work. 

Preliminary Data/Results: For new lines of research, include preliminary results, if available. 

Discuss the PI’s preliminary studies, data, and or experience pertinent to this application. 

Preliminary data can be an essential part of a research grant application and can help to establish 

the likelihood of success of the proposed project. New Investigators should include preliminary 

Page 18 of 35 

O-NIJ-2023-171606 
data. 

3. Potential Impact 

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

criminal justice-related policy, practice, or theory in the United States. 

The Potential Impact section should do the following: 

Explain the criminal justice significance of the proposed study. 

Explain how the application challenges and seeks to shift current research or forensic practice 

paradigms. 

Describe any novel theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or 

interventions to be developed or used, and any advantage over existing methodologies, 

instrumentation, or inventions. 

Explain any refinements, improvements, or new applications of theoretical concepts, approaches or 

methodologies, or instrumentation. 

Describe the plan for dissemination to produce scholarly products (see Deliverables above, for a 

discussion of expected scholarly products). Applicants should also identify plans to broader 

interested practitioners and policy makers in a form that is designed to be readily accessible and 

useful to them. Awardees are encouraged to publish their research using open access options. 

Grant funds may be used for costs associated with open access publication. 

Describe implications for criminal justice policy and practice in the United States. 

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 the anticipated level of effort of 

key personnel. 

The Capabilities/Competencies section should include the following: 

Facilities and other resources: Describe how the scientific environment in which the research will 

be done contributes to the probability of success (e.g., institutional support, physical resources, 

and intellectual rapport). In describing the scientific environment in which the work will be done, 

discuss ways in which the proposed studies will benefit from unique features of the scientific 

environment or subject populations or will employ useful collaborative arrangements. If there are 

multiple performance sites, describe the resources available at each site. 

Equipment: List major items of equipment already available for this project and, if appropriate, 

identify location and pertinent capabilities. 

Page 19 of 35 

O-NIJ-2023-171606 
Senior/Key personnel profile: Describe each senior/key personnel’s role in the project and why the 

individual is well-suited for that role. The relevant factors may include: aspects of past training; 

previous experimental work on this specific topic or related topics; technical expertise; 

collaborators or scientific environment; and/or past performance in this or related fields. Senior/key 

personnel are defined as all individuals who contribute in a substantive, meaningful way to the 

scientific development or execution of the project, whether or not salaries are requested. 

Consultants should be included if they meet this definition. 

Principal investigator (PI) profile should be listed first. 

The remaining senior/key personnel profiles should be listed in alphabetical order. Although 

alphabetical order is preferred, it is not required. However, be aware that these profiles will 

appear in the application in the order provided by the applicant. Therefore, peer reviewers will 

see them in the order presented. Those with a postdoctoral role should be included if they 

meet the definition of senior/key personnel. 

Other significant contributors (OSCs): OSCs are those individuals who commit to contribute 

to the scientific development or execution of the project, but do not commit any specified 

measurable effort (i.e., person months) to the project. These individuals are typically 

presented at effort of “zero person months” or "as needed." Individuals with measurable effort 

may not be listed as OSCs. Consultants should be included if they meet the OSC definition. 

OSCs should be listed after all senior/key persons. 

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

Multiple PI leadership plan. For applications designating multiple PIs, a leadership plan must be 

included. For applications designating multiple PIs, all such individuals must be assigned the PI 

role on the Senior/Key Personnel Profile form, even those at organizations other than the applicant 

organization. A rationale for choosing a multiple PI approach should be described. The governance 

and organizational structure of the leadership team and the research project should be described, 

including communication plans, process for making decisions on scientific direction, and 

procedures for resolving conflicts. The roles and administrative, technical, and scientific 

responsibilities for the project or program should be delineated for the PIs and other collaborators. 

Do not submit a leadership plan if you are not submitting a multiple PI application. Reviewers use 

these pages in part to address the “Capabilities/Competencies” selection criterion. Attach this 

information as a separate PDF file titled “Multiple PI Leadership 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: An applicant is not required to submit performance data with the application. Rather, performance 

measure information is included as a notification that award recipients will be required to submit 

performance data as part of each award’s reporting requirements. Some measures are presented as 

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

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

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

the “Goals, Objectives, and Deliverables” discussion. Applicants can visit OJP’s performance 

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

at OJP. 

Page 20 of 35 

O-NIJ-2023-171606 
A list of performance measure questions for this program can be found in the ‘Performance Measures’ 

section below. 

NIJ will require award recipients to submit performance measure data, quarterly financial reports, semiannual performance reports, and the technical summary in JustGrants. NIJ will provide further guidance 

on the post-award submission process, if the applicant is selected for award. 

Note on Project Evaluations 

An applicant that proposes to use award funds through this solicitation to conduct project evaluations must 

follow the guidance in the “Note on Project Evaluations” section in the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide. 

Goal, Objective and Deliverables 

The applicant will submit the project’s goals, objectives, deliverables, and timeline in the JustGrants webbased form. The applicant will also enter the projected fiscal year and quarter that each objective and 

deliverable will be completed. Please refer to the Application Submission Job Aid for step-by-step directions. 

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

the previous section and outline the project’s goals. 

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

specific, quantifiable statements of the project’s desired results. They should be measurable and clearly linked 

to the goals of the project. 

Deliverables. Project deliverables refer to outputs—tangible or intangible—that are submitted within the scope 

of a project. 

Budget and Associated Documentation 

Budget Worksheet and Budget Narrative (Web-based Form) 

The applicant will complete the JustGrants web-based budget form. For additional information, see the OJP 

Grant Application Resource Guide OJP Grant Application Resource Guide and the Complete the Application 

in JustGrants – Budget training. NIJ encourages the budgeting of grant funds for open access 

publication costs. 

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

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

following paragraph instead of the guidance stated under the “Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement” 

heading in the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide. 

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

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

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

contributions that the applicant expects to make and the proposed budget should indicate in detail which 

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

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

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

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

Requirements for more information. 

Page 21 of 35 

O-NIJ-2023-171606 
Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable) 

If applicable, the applicant will upload their indirect cost rate agreement as an attachment in JustGrants. See 

the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for more information on indirect costs. 

Consultant Rate 

See the DOJ Grants Financial Guide for information on the consultant rates which require prior approval from 

OJP. 

Limitation on Employee Compensation; Waiver 

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

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

Financial Management and System of Internal Controls Questionnaire (including applicant disclosure 

of high-risk status) 

The applicant will download the questionnaire, complete it, and upload it as an attachment in JustGrants. See 

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

Disclosure of Process Related to Executive Compensation 

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

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

required to provide this disclosure. 

Additional Application Components 

The applicant will attach the additional requested documentation in JustGrants. 

Curriculum Vitae or Resumes 

Provide curriculum vitae, resumes, or biosketches of senior/key personnel (not counted against the proposal 

narrative page limit). Curriculum vitae, resumes, or biosketches of senior/key personnel should not exceed five

 (5) pages per person. For the purposes of this solicitation, “senior/key personnel” means the principal 

investigator, all co-principal investigators, and other significant contributors. Reviewers use these pages, in 

part, to address the “Capabilities/Competencies” selection criterion. NIJ encourages use of the SciENcv 

standard format biosketch (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sciencv/). Attach this information as a separate PDF 

file titled “CVs of Key Personnel.” 

Tribal Authorizing Resolution 

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

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

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

Timeline Form 

Proposed project timeline and expected milestones. 

Letters of Support 

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

such as law enforcement and correctional agencies (if applicable). Attach all appropriate letters of support, 

Page 22 of 35 

O-NIJ-2023-171606 
including any letters necessary to demonstrate the support of consortium participants and collaborators, such 

as senior/key personnel and other significant contributors included in the grant application. Letters are not 

required for personnel (such as research assistants) not contributing in a substantive, measurable way to the 

scientific development or execution of the project. Letters should stipulate expectations for co-authorship, and 

whether samples, data, or other resources promised in the letter are freely available to other investigators in 

the scientific community or will be provided to the particular investigators only. For consultants, letters should 

include rate/charge for consulting services and level of effort/number of hours per year anticipated. In addition, 

letters ensuring access to core facilities and resources should stipulate whether access will be provided as a 

fee-for-service. Combine and attach this information as one separate PDF file titled “Letters of Support”. 

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 upload documentation of its research and evaluation 

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

Application Resource Guide. 

Bibliography/reference 

Provide a bibliography of any references cited in the Proposal Narrative. Each reference must include the 

names of all authors (in the same sequence in which they appear in the publication), the article and journal 

title, book title, volume number, page numbers, and year of publication. Include only bibliographic citations. 

Although there is not a page limitation, it is important to be concise, and to select only those literature 

references pertinent to the proposed research. Attach this information as a separate PDF file titled 

“Bibliography and References Cited.” 

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. (Tables, charts, graphs, or other 

relevant illustrations that are essential for comprehension of the project/program design should be included in 

the main body of the narrative.) 

List of Individuals in the Application 

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

prospective reviewers of the application), provide a complete list of the individuals named or otherwise 

identified anywhere in the application (including in the budget or in any other attachment) who will or may work 

(or advise or consult) on the proposed research, development, or evaluation project. Applicants should use the 

“Proposed Project Staff, Affiliation, and Roles” form available on the NIJ webpage to prepare this list. 

Human Subjects Protection 

Human Subjects Protection paperwork as a separate attachment (documentation and forms related to 

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

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

Privacy Certificate 

Privacy Certificate as a separate file (for further guidance go to https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/confidentiality-andprivacy-protections and https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/model-privacy-certificate). 

Request to Use Incentives or Stipends 

Page 23 of 35 

O-NIJ-2023-171606 
Applicants proposing to use incentives or stipend 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. 

Documentation of “new investigator” status, if applicable 

Documentation of “new investigator” status, if applicable. Documentation may be in the form of: 

A signed letter from the dean, department head, or equivalent, stating date of initial appointment to a 

junior faculty position; or 

A signed letter from the principal investigator attesting that the principal investigator (and any coinvestigators) have not served as principal investigator or co-principal investigator on an NIJ-funded 

grant in the last 10 years 

Consortium/Contractual Arrangements 

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

organization and the consortium organization(s). If consortium/contractual activities represent a significant 

portion of the overall project, explain why the applicant organization, rather than the ultimate performer of the 

activities, should be the grantee. Reviewers use these pages in part to address the “Project Design and 

Implementation” selection criterion. Attach this information as a separate PDF file titled “Consortium/ 

Contractual Arrangements”. 

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 archived in accordance with the submitted plan 

as approved by NIJ. At a minimum, this plan should include submission of study-level information to the 

National Archive of Criminal Justice Data (NACJD) that links to a publicly available data posting location. See 

https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/data-archiving. 

Applications should include as a separate attachment a brief plan — labeled “Data Archiving Plan” — to 

comply with data archiving requirements. The plan should provide details about proposed data management 

and archiving of all files and documentation necessary for others to reproduce the project’s findings. 

Pertinent files and documentation may include, among other things, qualitative and quantitative data 

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

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

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

requirements. 

Performance Report for Continuing Lines of Research 

Performance report for continuing lines of research, if applicable. Applicants with current or prior NIJ-funded 

projects in the same line of research as that being proposed, may attach the most recent performance report, 

if desired. 

List of Any Previous and Current NIJ Awards 

List of any previous and current NIJ awards to the applicant and investigator(s), including the NIJ-assigned 

award numbers and a brief description of any scholarly products that resulted, in whole or in part, from work 

funded under the NIJ award(s). (See “Deliverables” under “Program-Specific Information,” above, for definition 

of “scholarly products.”) 

Page 24 of 35 

O-NIJ-2023-171606 
Potential Environmental Impact Coversheet and Checklist - National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 

Each applicant is to submit an NIJ Programmatic Coversheet and Checklist with its application to assist NIJ in 

assessing the potential environmental impacts of the activities proposed for funding by the applicant. 

Specifically, the applicant is expected to: 

Carefully read the Programmatic Environmental Assessment, 

Complete the Cover Sheet and the attached the Programmatic Checklist, and 

Attach the completed documents to the grant application. 

The applicant should also submit a Cover Sheet and NIJ Programmatic Checklist for any organization 

identified in the Budget Detail Worksheet that will receive grant funds through a sub-award or procurement 

contract to perform any of the following activities: new construction or renovations that change the basic 

prior use of a facility or significantly change the size; research and/or technology development that could be 

expected to have an effect on the environment; or implementation of programs involving the use of 

chemicals. For more information about NEPA and NIJ’s NEPA Process, please go to https://nij.ojp.gov/ 

funding/national-environmental-policy-act-nepa. 

Current and Pending (Other) Support 

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

Disclosures and Assurances 

The applicant will address the following disclosures and assurances. 

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities 

Complete and submit the SF-LLL in Grants.gov. Once the applicant submits in Grants.gov, this information will 

pre-pend into JustGrants. See the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for additional information. 

DOJ Certified Standard Assurances 

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

Resource Guide for additional information. 

Applicant Disclosure of Duplication in Cost Items 

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

Grant Application Resource Guide for additional information. 

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

Drug-Free Workplace Requirements; Law Enforcement and Community Policing 

Review and accept in JustGrants the DOJ Certifications Regarding Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension and 

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

See the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for additional information. 

Applicant Disclosure and Justification - DOJ High Risk Grantees 

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

High Risk Grantee is an award recipient that has received a DOJ High Risk designation based on a 

documented history of unsatisfactory performance; financial instability; management system or other internal 

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

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

How to Apply 

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

Page 25 of 35 

O-NIJ-2023-171606 
Management (SAM). You must renew and validate your registration every 12 months. If you do not renew your 

SAM registration, it will expire. An expired registration can delay or prevent application submission in 

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

Submission: Applications must be submitted to DOJ electronically through a two-step process via Grants.gov 

and JustGrants. 

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

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html by the Grants.gov deadline. Submit the SF-424 and SF-LLL 

as early as possible, but no later than 48 hours before the Grants.gov deadline. If an applicant fails to 

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

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

JustGrants.usdoj.gov by the JustGrants deadline. 

Within 24 hours after receipt of confirmation emails from Grants.gov, the individual in Section 8F of the SF-424 

will receive an email from DIAMD-NoReply@usdoj.gov with instructions on how to create a JustGrants 

account. Register the Entity Administrator and the Application Submitter with JustGrants as early as possible 

but no later than 48-72 hours before the JustGrants deadline. Once registered in JustGrants, the Application 

Submitter will receive an emailed link to complete the rest of the application in JustGrants. The Entity 

Administrator also will need to log into JustGrants to review and invite the applicant’s Authorized 

Representative(s) before an application can be submitted. 

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

Some of the application components will be entered directly into JustGrants, and others will require uploading 

attached documents. Therefore, applicants will need to allow ample time before the JustGrants deadline to 

prepare each component. Applicants may save their progress in the system and revise the application as 

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

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

the DOJ Application Submission Checklist. 

Submission Dates and Time 

The SF-424 and the SF-LLL must be submitted in Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. eastern time on April 19, 2023. 

The full application must be submitted in JustGrants by 8:59 p.m. eastern time on April 26, 2023. 

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

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

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

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

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

Experiencing Unforeseen Technical Issues Preventing Submission of an Application 

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

that a technical issue with a government system prevented application submission. 

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

the applicant may request a waiver to submit an application after the deadline. However, the waiver request 

will not be considered unless it includes a tracking number generated when the applicant contacts the 

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

an applicant emails the applicable service desks; and for this reason applicants are encouraged to email the 

appropriate service desk, even if they also intend to call the service desk for phone support. Experiencing  wait 

times for phone support does not relieve the applicant of the responsibility of getting a tracking number. 

An applicant experiencing technical difficulties must contact the associated service desk indicated below to 

Page 26 of 35 

O-NIJ-2023-171606 
report the technical issue and receive a tracking number: 

SAM.gov - contact the SAM Help Desk (Federal Service Desk), Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. 

ET at 866-606-8220. 

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

on federal holidays, at 800-518-4726, 606-545-5035, or support@grants.gov. 

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

Monday – Friday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET and Saturday, Sunday, and Federal holidays from 9 a.m. to 5 

p.m. ET. 

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

Response Center at grants@ncjrs.gov within 24 hours of the Grants.gov deadline to request approval to 

submit after the deadline. 

If an applicant has technical issues with JustGrants that prevent application submission by the deadline, the 

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

deadline to request approval to submit after the deadline. 

Waiver requests sent to the OJP Response Center must -

describe the technical difficulties experienced, 

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

time of actions taken to resolve the issue and resubmit, and date and time support representatives 

responded), 

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

materials, 

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

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

technical issue. 

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

whether the request for late submission has been approved or denied. An applicant who does not provide 

documentation of a technical issue or who 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 OJP Grant Application Resource Guide. 

Application Review Information 

Review Criteria 

Merit Review Criteria 

Depending on the number of applications received, applications may be categorized by scientific discipline into 

discrete groups for purposes of peer review and/or selection of award. 

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(s) that exist in an identified forensic science field/ 

discipline. 

Demonstrated awareness of the current state of the art and technologies, both in practice and in 

past/current research, directed at the described problem(s). 

Page 27 of 35 

O-NIJ-2023-171606 
Project Design and Implementation (quality and technical merit) (40%) 

Soundness of methods and analytic and technical approach to addressing the stated aim(s) of the 

proposed project. The overall strategy, methodology, and analyses should be well reasoned and 

appropriate to accomplish the specific aims of the project. 

Feasibility of proposed project and the strength of supporting data. The proof-of-principle of the 

proposed technology or methodology should be established and supported by preliminary data 

presented in, or referenced in, the proposal. More innovative plans and/or plans with a higher 

potential for failure should be counterbalanced to manage the inherent risk; e.g., by firm theoretical 

basis, reasonable preliminary data (depending on the mechanism), the track record of the principal 

investigator and any co-principal investigator(s), and an outstanding scientific and management 

plan. 

Detailed description and justification of the sample type and sample size to be tested and 

approaches for data analysis are thorough and appropriate to accomplish the specific aims of the 

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 (which include datasets, peerreviewed journal articles, technological prototypes, patented inventions, etc., as appropriate). 

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

organization and proposed project staff) (15%) 

Qualifications and experience of proposed project staff (that is, the principal investigator, 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 proposed project staff to produce scholarly products. 

Strength of the scientific environment (e.g., institutional support, equipment and other physical 

resources, or collaborative arrangements) in which the work will be done and its contribution to the 

probability of success. 

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

applicant organization) and the scope and methods of the proposed project. 

Potential Impact (30%) 

Potential for a significant scientific or technical advance(s) that will improve criminal justice in the 

United States, such as: 

Potential for significantly improved understanding of the stated forensic science problem. 

If the goals of the project are achieved, how will scientific knowledge, technical capability, 

and/or forensic science practice in the criminal justice system be improved? 

What is the likelihood that the project will exert a sustained, powerful influence on the forensic 

science field(s) related to criminal justice? 

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

problem. 

How will successful completion change the concepts, methods, technologies, treatments, or 

services that drive the forensic science field as it relates to criminal justice?

How will a successful project address the identified criminal justice or forensic science 

problem and associated critical barriers to progress?

Page 28 of 35 

O-NIJ-2023-171606 
Strength and feasibility of the proposed dissemination plan to produce scholarly products (such as 

published, peer-reviewed, scientific journal articles, book chapter(s) or book(s) in the academic 

press, technological prototypes, patented inventions, databases, standards, or similar scientific 

products) as well as make summary information available to broader interested audiences, such as 

criminal justice practitioners or policymakers. 

Budget (5%) 

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

context of scientific and technical merit. 

Alignment of the proposed budget with proposed project activities. 

Appropriateness of the budget relative to the level of effort. 

Use of existing resources to conserve costs. 

Other Review Criteria/Factors 

Other important considerations for NIJ include strategic priorities (specifically including, but not limited to the 

priority areas of research and development opportunities, new investigator, and Minority Serving Institutions 

already mentioned, if applicable), available funding, past performance, planned scholarly products, geographic 

diversity, and the extent to which the Budget Web-Based Form accurately explains project costs that are 

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

Review Process 

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

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

review criteria listed above. 

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

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

OJP solicitations: 

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

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

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

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

Peer review panels will evaluate and score applications that meet basic minimum requirements. NIJ may use 

external peer reviewers, internal peer reviewers, or a combination, to assess applications on technical merit 

using the solicitation’s review criteria. An external peer reviewer is an expert in the subject matter of a given 

solicitation who is not a current DOJ employee. An internal reviewer is a current DOJ employee who is wellversed or has expertise in the subject matter of this solicitation. Peer reviewers’ ratings and any 

resulting recommendations are advisory only, although reviewer views are considered carefully. 

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 entity. Among other things to help assess 

whether an applicant with one or more prior federal awards has a satisfactory record of performance, integrity, 

and business ethics, OJP checks whether the applicant entity is listed in SAM as excluded from receiving a 

federal award. 

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

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

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

Information System, FAPIIS). 

Page 29 of 35 

O-NIJ-2023-171606 
Important Note on FAPIIS: An applicant may review and comment on any information about its organization 

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

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

by the applicant entity. 

All final award decisions will be made by the Director of the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), who may take 

into account not only peer review ratings and NIJ recommendations, but also other factors as indicated in this 

section. 

Federal Award Administration Information 

Federal Award Notices 

Generally, award notifications are made by the end of the current Federal fiscal year, September 30th. See 

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

Administrative, National Policy, and Other Legal Requirements 

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

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

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

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

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

Resource Guide. 

Information Technology Security Clauses 

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

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

General Information about Post-Federal Award Reporting Requirements 

In addition to the deliverables described in the “Program Description” section, all award 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, technical summary, and, if applicable, an annual audit report 

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

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

reports.) 

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

requirements, including performance measure data. 

Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s) 

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

cover page. 

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

solicitation cover page. 

Other Information 

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

See the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide 

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

Page 30 of 35 

O-NIJ-2023-171606 
Provide Feedback to OJP 

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

Performance Measures 

Objective Performance Measure(s) Description Data Recipient 

Provides 

Conduct research in 

science, technology, 

engineering, and/or 

mathematics having 

clear implications for 

criminal  justice policy 

and practice in the 

United States. 

1. Quality of the research as 

demonstrated by the scholarly 

products that result in whole or in 

part from work funded under the 

NIJ award, such as published, 

peer-reviewed, scientific journal 

articles, and/or (as appropriate for 

the funded project) law review 

journal articles, book chapter(s) or 

book(s) in the academic press, 

technological prototypes, patented 

inventions, or similar scientific 

products. 

2. 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. 

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. 

A technology is 

defined as a tool 

to include, for 

example, test 

methods, 

software, 

hardware, etc. 

A fielded 

technology is one 

that remains in 

use at the 

conclusion of the 

grant or 

agreement. 

1. Quarterly financial 

reports, semi-annual and 

final performance 

reports, and products of 

the work performed 

under the NIJ award 

(including, at minimum, a 

technical summary). If 

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 

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. 

Page 31 of 35 

O-NIJ-2023-171606 
Application Checklist 

NIJ FY23 Research and Development in Forensic Science for Criminal Justice Purposes 

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

reference the OJP Application Submission Steps in the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide and the DOJ 

Application Submission Checklist. 

Pre-Application 

Before Registering in Grants.gov: 

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

Grant Application Resource Guide) 

Register in Grants.gov 

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

(see OJP Grant Application Resource Guide) 

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

Application Resource Guide) 

Find the Funding Opportunity 

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

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

Resource Guide) 

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

Read Important Notice: Applying for Grants in Grants.gov 

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

www.ojp.gov/funding/financialguidedoj/iii-postaward-requirements#6g3y8 (see OJP Grant Application 

Resource Guide) 

Review the Overview of Post-Award Legal Requirements 

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

Agreements - FY 2023 Awards” in the OJP Funding Resource Center. 

Review the Scope Requirement 

The federal amount requested is within the allowable limit(s) of $12M. 

Review Eligibility Requirement: 

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

~~~~ 

Application Step 1 

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

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

complete the application in JustGrants and the SF-LLL in Grants.gov 

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

notifications: 

a submission receipt 

a validation receipt 

a grantor agency retrieval receipt 

Page 32 of 35 

O-NIJ-2023-171606 
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 OJP Grant Application Resource Guide) 

Within 24 hours after receipt of confirmation emails from Grants.gov, the individual in Section 8F of the SF-424 

will receive an email from JustGrants with login instructions. 

Proceed to Application Step 2 and complete application in JustGrants 

Application Step 2 

Submit the following information in JustGrants: 

Application Components 

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

Proposal Abstract 

Proposal Narrative* 

Budget and Associated Documentation 

Budget Web-Based form* 

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

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

Resource Guide) 

Additional Application Components 

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

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

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

Application Resource Guide) 

Curriculum vitae, resumes, or biosketches of senior/key personnel* 

Timeline Form 

Letters of Support 

Bibliography/references 

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

List of Individuals 

Human Subjects 

Privacy Certificate 

Request to Use Incentives or Stipends 

Documentation of “new investigator” status, if applicable 

Consortium/Contractual Arrangements 

Data Archiving Plan 

Performance Report for Continuing Lines of Research 

List of Any Previous and Current NIJ Awards 

Potential Environmental Impact Coversheet and Checklist - National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 

Page 33 of 35 

O-NIJ-2023-171606 
Current and Pending (Other) Support 

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) 

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

minimum requirements review. If OJP determines that an application does not include the designated 

items, it will neither proceed to peer review, nor receive further consideration. 

Review, Certify and Submit Application in JustGrants 

Any validation errors will immediately display on screen after submission. 

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

application. Access the Application Submission Validation Errors Quick Reference Guide for step-by- step instructions to resolve errors prior to submission. 

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

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

received: 

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

technical difficulties. See the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for additional information. 

Standard Solicitation Resources 

OJP Grant Application Resource Guide provides guidance to assist OJP grant applicants in preparing and 

submitting applications for OJP funding. 

DOJ Grants Financial Guide serves as the primary reference manual to assist award recipients in fulfilling their 

fiduciary responsibility to safeguard grant funds and to ensure funds are used for the purposes for which they 

were awarded. It compiles a variety of laws, rules and regulations that affect the financial and administrative 

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

DOJ grants and cooperative agreements in ensuring the effective 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. 

Virtual Q&A Sessions are advertised here and provide opportunities for users to receive topic-specific training, 

direct technical assistance and support on JustGrants system functionality. 

Page 34 of 35 

O-NIJ-2023-171606 
Endnotes 

[1] The definition of “forensic” is taken from Webster’s II New Riverside University Dictionary. 

[2] The definition of “science” is taken from Webster’s II New Riverside University Dictionary. 

[3] Definition is taken from: OMB Circular A–11, Preparation, Submission, and Execution of the Budget, 

Section 84—Character Classification (Schedule C). 

[4] Definition is taken from: OMB Circular A–11, Preparation, Submission, and Execution of the Budget, 

Section 84—Character Classification (Schedule C). 

[5] Definition is taken from: OMB Circular A–11, Preparation, Submission, and Execution of the Budget, 

Section 84—Character Classification (Schedule C). 

[6] If database development is proposed, subsequent NIJ awardees are encouraged to share such information 

with the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s forensic catalog of databases at https:// 

www.nist.gov/oles/forensic-database. 

[7] https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/M-21-32-Multi-Agency-Research-andDevelopment-Prioirties-for-FY-2023-Budget-.pdf. 

[8] https://www.ai.gov/. 

[9] https://www.nano.gov/, 

[10] https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/M-21-32-Multi-Agency-Research-andDevelopment-Prioirties-for-FY-2023-Budget-.pdf 08/M-20-29.pdf. 

[11] Typically, the appropriate faculty rank is that of “Assistant Professor,” although some institutions may use 

a different title to designate junior faculty status. 

[12] National Science Board, National Science Foundation. 2022. Higher Education in Science and 

Engineering. Science and Engineering Indicators 2022. NSB-2022-3. Alexandria, VA. Available at https:// 

ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsb20223/. 

[13] National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics. 2021. Women, Minorities, and Persons with 

Disabilities in Science and Engineering: 2021. Special Report NSF 21-321. Alexandria, VA: National Science 

Foundation. Available at https://ncses.nsf.gov/wmpd. 

Page 35 of 35 

O-NIJ-2023-171606