U.S. Department of Justice 

Office of Justice Programs 

National Institute of Justice 

The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice 

is seeking applications for funding for research and development that can enhance the 

forensic uses of DNA technology. This solicitation focuses on technologies that result in 

faster, more robust, more informative, less costly, or less labor-intensive identification, 

collection, preservation, and/or analysis of DNA evidence collected from crime scenes. 

This program furthers the Department’s mission by sponsoring research to provide 

objective, independent, evidence-based knowledge and tools to meet the challenges of 

crime and justice, particularly at the State and local levels. 

Solicitation: 

Forensic DNA Research and Development 

Eligibility 

 (See “Eligibility,” page 4) 

Deadline 

Registration with Grants.gov is required prior to application submission. 

(See “Registration,” page 3) 

All applications are due December 29, 2008, 11:59 p.m. eastern time. 

Contact Information 

For assistance with the requirements of this solicitation, contact Lois Tully, Deputy Chief, 

Investigative and Forensic Sciences Division, at 202–307–0694 or lois.tully@usdoj.gov. 

This application must be submitted through Grants.gov. For technical assistance with 

submitting the application, call the Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline at 1–800–518–

4726 or send an e-mail to support@grants.gov.

Note: The Grants.gov Support Hotline hours of operation are Monday–Friday from 

7 a.m. to 9 p.m. eastern time. 

Grants.gov Funding Opportunity No. NIJ–2009–1937 

SL# 000846 
CONTENTS 

Overview ........................................................................................................................... 3

Deadline: Registration ....................................................................................................... 3 

Deadline: Application ........................................................................................................ 4 

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

Faith-Based and Other Community Organizations ................................................ 4 

American Indian Tribes and Alaska Native Tribes and/or Tribal Organizations....5 

Specific Information ........................................................................................................... 5 

Performance Measures ..................................................................................................... 9 

How to Apply ..................................................................................................................... 9 

What an Application Must Include ................................................................................... 11 

Selection Criteria ............................................................................................................. 13 

Review Process .............................................................................................................. 14 

Additional Requirements ................................................................................................. 15 

2 
Forensic DNA Research and Development 

CFDA No. 16.560 

Overview 

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) is the research, development, and evaluation 

agency of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and a component of the Office of 

Justice Programs (OJP). NIJ provides objective, independent, evidence-based 

knowledge and tools to enhance the administration of justice and public safety. NIJ 

solicits applications to inform its search for the knowledge and tools to guide policy and 

practice. 

NIJ is seeking applications for research and development that can enhance the forensic 

uses of DNA technology. This solicitation focuses on technologies that result in faster, 

more robust, more informative, less costly, or less labor-intensive identification, 

collection, preservation, and/or analysis of DNA evidence collected from crime scenes. 

Priority will be given to proposals that focus on the following: 

1. General improvements to the “front end” of the forensic DNA analysis process. 

2. Physical separation of the components of a mixture. 

3. Body-fluid/cell-type identification and characterization. 

4. Identification and/or characterization of biological marker systems that have the 

potential to reveal additional or more powerful information about the source of the 

biological evidence. 

5. Improved tools for examining aged, degraded, limited, damaged, inhibited, or 

otherwise compromised DNA evidence. 

6. Novel methods for genetic profiling. 

 

Deadline: Registration 

Registering with Grants.gov is a one-time process; however, processing delays may 

occur and it can take up to several weeks for first-time registrants to receive 

confirmations/user passwords. OJP highly recommends that applicants start the 

registration process as early as possible to prevent delays in submitting an application 

package to our agency by the application deadline specified. The registration process for 

organizations involves these steps: (1) Obtain a Data Universal Numbering System 

(DUNS) number; (2) Register your organization with the Central Contractor Registration 

(CCR) database; (3) Register with Grants.gov’s Credential Provider and obtain a 

username and password; (4) Register with Grants.gov to establish yourself as an 

Authorized Organization Representative (AOR); and (5) The E-Business Point of 

Contact (POC) assigns the “Authorized Applicant Role” to you. For more information 

about the registration process, go to www.grants.gov. Note: Your CCR registration 

3 
must be renewed once a year. Failure to renew the CCR registration may prohibit 

submission of a grant application through Grants.gov.

Deadline: Application 

The due date for applying for funding under this announcement is December 29, 2008, 

11:59 p.m. eastern time. 

Within 24 to 48 hours after submitting your electronic application, you should receive an 

e-mail validation message from Grants.gov. The validation message will tell you whether 

the application has been received and validated or has been rejected, and why. 

Important: You are urged to submit your application at least 72 hours prior to the due 

date of the application to allow time to receive the validation message and to correct any 

problems that may have caused the rejection notification. 

If you experience unforeseen Grants.gov technical issues beyond your control, you must 

contact OJP staff within 24 hours after the due date and request approval to submit 

your application. At that time, OJP staff will require you to e-mail the complete grant 

application, along with your DUNS number, and provide a Grants.gov Help Desk 

tracking number(s). After OJP reviews all of the information submitted and contacts 

Grants.gov to validate the technical issues reported by the applicant, OJP will contact 

you to either approve or deny the request. 

To ensure a fair competition for limited discretionary funds, the following conditions are 

not valid reasons to permit late submissions: (1) failure to begin the registration process 

in sufficient time; (2) failure to follow Grants.gov instructions on how to register and apply 

as posted on its Web site; (3) failure to follow all of the instructions in the OJP 

solicitation; and (4) technical issues experienced with the applicant’s computer or 

information technology (IT) environment. 

Eligibility 

In general, NIJ is authorized to make grants to, or enter into contracts or cooperative 

agreements with, States (including territories), local governments (including federally 

recognized Indian tribal governments that perform law enforcement functions), nonprofit 

and profit organizations (including tribal nonprofit and profit organizations), institutions of 

higher education (including tribal institutions of higher education), and certain qualified 

individuals. Foreign governments, foreign organizations, and foreign institutions of higher 

education are not eligible to apply. 

Faith-Based and Other Community Organizations: Consistent with Executive Order 

13279, dated December 12, 2002, and 28 C.F.R. Part 38, it is DOJ policy that faithbased and other community organizations that statutorily qualify as eligible applicants 

under DOJ programs are invited and encouraged to apply for assistance awards to fund 

eligible grant activities. Faith-based and other community organizations will be 

considered for awards on the same basis as other eligible applicants and, if they receive 

assistance awards, will be treated on an equal basis with all other grantees in the 

administration of such awards. No eligible applicant or grantee will be discriminated for 

4 
or against on the basis of its religious character or affiliation, religious name, or the 

religious composition of its board of directors or persons working in the organization. 

Faith-based organizations receiving DOJ assistance awards retain their independence 

and do not lose or have to modify their religious identity (e.g., remove religious symbols) 

to receive assistance awards. DOJ grant funds, however, may not be used to fund any 

inherently religious activity, such as prayer or worship. Inherently religious activity is 

permissible, although it cannot occur during an activity funded with DOJ grant funds; 

rather, such religious activity must be separate in time or place from the DOJ-funded 

program. Further, participation in such activity by individuals receiving services must be 

voluntary. Programs funded by DOJ are not permitted to discriminate in the provision of 

services on the basis of a beneficiary’s religion. 

If your organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the 

basis of religious belief, it may be entitled, under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, 

42 U.S.C. § 2000bb, to receive Federal funds and yet maintain that hiring practice, even 

if the law creating the funding program contains a general ban on religious discrimination 

in employment. For the circumstances under which this may occur, and the certifications 

that may be required, please see the section titled “Funding to Faith-Based 

Organizations” on the "Other Requirements for OJP Applications" Web page at 

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/funding/other_requirements.htm. 

Applicants are also encouraged to review the “Civil Rights Compliance” section of the 

“Other Requirements for OJP Applications” Web page, which also can be found at 

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/funding/other_requirements.htm. 

American Indian Tribes and Alaska Native Tribes and/or Tribal Organizations: If a 

grant application is being submitted on behalf of a tribe or tribal organization, a current 

authorizing resolution of the governing body of the tribal entity or other enactment of the 

tribal council or comparable government body authorizing the inclusion of the tribe or 

tribal organization named in the application must be included with the application. 

Specific Information—Forensic DNA Research and 

Development 

The goal of NIJ’s Forensic DNA Research and Development Program is to harness the 

tremendous growth in the broader scientific fields, such as molecular biology, genetics, 

and biotechnology, and direct it toward the development of highly discriminating, reliable, 

cost-effective, and rapid forensic DNA testing methods. 

Forensic DNA analysis has played a crucial role in the investigation and resolution of 

thousands of violent crimes since the late 1980s. Currently, short tandem repeats 

(STRs) are the most widely used markers for forensic DNA testing. Because of their high 

discriminatory power, good resolution of alleles, and the ability to rapidly process 

samples using multiplexed polymerase chain reaction (PCR), 13 STRs have been 

chosen as the core loci upon which the FBI’s National DNA Index System (NDIS) has 

been built. 

In recent years, other genetic polymorphisms, such as those found in the mitochondrial 

DNA (mtDNA) genome and the Y chromosome, have been shown to provide effective 

5 
results that can augment traditional STR data. MtDNA analysis is especially useful for 

cases involving extremely degraded or limited biological samples, such as skeletal 

remains or shed hairs. Y-chromosome markers can be beneficial in resolving sexual 

assault cases. Single nucleotide polymorphisms, now known to be abundant throughout 

the nuclear genome, may become important genetic markers for the forensic scientist in 

the future. The emerging discipline of proteomics may include forensic applications that 

have not yet been explored. An increased understanding of these and other systems 

with potential forensic utility, as well as the continued development of advanced methods 

(particularly those amenable to automated and high-throughput processes) for 

examining biological evidence, will greatly benefit the field. 

Applicants to this solicitation should demonstrate an appreciation of and general 

familiarity with the technologies currently used for analyzing DNA evidence. They should 

have a general understanding of issues such as chain of custody, courtroom 

admissibility, degraded or limited DNA, and mixtures of DNA from multiple tissues or 

individuals. Applicants should also have an appreciation of the costs to implement and 

maintain the proposed technology as well as the training that will be required. 

NIJ strongly encourages researchers to seek guidance from or partner with appropriate 

State or local crime laboratories. Such associations foster a greater understanding of the 

issues unique to the field of forensic DNA and may strengthen the scope of the proposed 

research plan. 

Information on projects funded under NIJ’s Forensic DNA Research and Development 

Program can be found on http://www.dna.gov/research/. 

Suggested Areas of Research: Tools and technologies that will allow faster, more 

reliable, more robust, more informative, less costly, or less labor-intensive identification, 

collection, preservation, and/or analysis of DNA evidence collected from the crime 

scene. 

Priority will be given to proposals focusing on the following needs and 

requirements: 

• General improvements to the “front end” of the forensic DNA analysis 

process. Examples include: 

1. Development of rapid screening methods for use at crime scenes to help 

assess the probative value of biological materials. 

2. Development of nondestructive or minimally destructive methods for 

biological evidentiary sample identification and/or collection. 

3. Development of improved tools (e.g., substrates, devices, methods) for 

biological evidence preservation and/or storage. The tool must effectively 

maintain the integrity of the sample, and efficiently and consistently 

release the sample for subsequent analysis. 

4. Development of nondestructive or minimally destructive methods for DNA 

extraction. 

6 
5. Development of genetic screening methods for assessing probative value 

of evidentiary samples. This method could help crime laboratory analysts 

to focus the full analysis on the most probative samples, thus reducing 

the time currently spent on interpretation and reporting of samples that 

are nonprobative. 

• Physical separation of cells (sperm cells from female epithelial cells, 

epithelial cells from different sources, etc.) or other components (e.g., 

polymerase chain reaction [PCR] products) in mixtures from two or more 

individuals or sources. A method that can physically separate the various 

components of a mixture will benefit the overall DNA analysis method. The 

separation method must be successful on typical forensic samples (limited in 

yield, etc.) and must not reduce the efficiency of downstream DNA profiling 

methods. 

• Body-fluid/cell-type identification and characterization. Biological evidence is 

frequently a combination of various body fluids/cell types (e.g., sperm/semen, 

vaginal fluid/vaginal epithelial cells, saliva/oral epithelial cells). A confirmatory 

method for determining the source of the components present in the biological 

evidence would benefit the overall DNA analysis process. 

• Identification and/or characterization of biological markers that have the 

potential to reveal additional or more powerful information about the 

source of the biological evidence. Examples include markers that have the 

potential to provide forensically useful information about the phenotype of the 

DNA contributor, markers that can reveal information about the circumstances 

surrounding a crime, markers that can augment other forensic DNA marker 

systems, or markers that can increase the discriminatory power of DNA 

(including the differentiation of twins). 

• Improved tools for examining aged, degraded, limited, damaged, inhibited, 

or otherwise compromised DNA evidence. Examples include: 

1. Development of tools to determine the condition of the DNA to assist 

crime laboratory analysts in selecting the appropriate DNA profiling 

approach. 

2. Development of methods to repair damaged DNA evidence to increase 

the likelihood of obtaining a DNA profile. 

3. Improvements to the methods for detection and/or removal of PCR 

inhibitors. 

4. Other methods that will maximize the success rate of the analysis of 

compromised DNA evidence. 

5. Improvements to the overall understanding of the processes and 

mechanisms that result in the inability to obtain a DNA profile from 

biological evidence. 

7 
• Novel approaches for genetic profiling. Examples include streamlined, 

portable, high-throughput, more informative, more sensitive, less susceptible to 

inhibition, non-PCR-based, and/or all-inclusive (e.g., DNA extraction through 

analysis) methods for analysis of biological evidence.

Please note: All applicants under this solicitation must comply with Department of 

Justice regulations on confidentiality and human subjects protection. See the 

Confidentiality and Human Subjects Protection Compliance section under “Other 

Requirements for OJP Applications” at 

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/funding/other_requirements.htm. 

What will not be funded:

1. Provision of training or direct service. 

2. Proposals primarily to purchase equipment, materials, or supplies. (Your budget 

may include these items if they are necessary to conduct applied research, 

development, demonstration, evaluation, or analysis.) 

3. Work that will be funded under another specific solicitation. 

4. Proposals focusing on nonhuman DNA.

5. Proposals that do not contain a research and/or development component or are 

otherwise nonresponsive to the general goals of this solicitation. 

Cost of proposed work: 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. All awards are subject to the availability of appropriated funds 

and to any modifications or additional requirements that may be imposed by law. 

In recent years, approximately 8 percent of applications to NIJ's annual Science and 

Technology solicitations have been funded. NIJ funding for an individual research or 

development project rarely exceeds $500,000 annually, though total funding for projects 

requiring multiple years to complete has exceeded $1 million in some cases. If feasible, 

NIJ recommends that applicants divide the proposed work into discrete phases, with 

each phase resulting in the delivery of a measurable deliverable. Applicants should try to 

structure the phases so that the funding required in any fiscal year will not exceed 

$500,000. Although NIJ cannot guarantee that subsequent phases, stages, or tasks will 

be funded, this approach will enable NIJ to fund the proposed work incrementally, 

depending on, among other things, the quality of the deliverable at the end of each 

phase, strategic priorities, and the availability of funds. However, applicants should not 

divide their work if it is not feasible to do so without impairing the technical and 

programmatic soundness of their approach. Note: Deliverables (e.g., technical reports, 

proof-of-concept demonstrations, prototypes, etc.) will be required at the end of each 

phase to enable NIJ to assess the progress of the work and assist NIJ in making 

reasoned determinations as to the suitability of funding the next phase of the work. 

Applicants should be aware that the total period of an award, including one that receives 

additional funding, ordinarily will not exceed 3 years. 

A grant made by NIJ under this solicitation may account for up to 100 percent of the total 

cost of the project. See "Cofunding" under "What an Application Must Include." 

Limitation on use of award funds for employee compensation; waiver: No portion 

of any award of more than $250,000 made under this solicitation may be used to pay 

any portion of the total cash compensation (salary plus bonuses) of any employee of the 

8 
award recipient whose total cash compensation exceeds 110 percent of the maximum 

annual salary payable to a member of the Federal Government’s Senior Executive 

Service (SES) at an agency with a Certified SES Performance Appraisal System for that 

year. (The salary table for SES employees is available at http://www.opm.gov.) 

This prohibition may be waived at the discretion of the Assistant Attorney General for the 

Office of Justice Programs. An applicant that wishes to request a waiver should include 

a detailed justification in the budget narrative for the application. 

Performance Measures 

To assist in fulfilling the Department’s responsibilities under the Government 

Performance and Results Act (GPRA), P.L. 103–62, applicants who receive funding 

under this solicitation must provide data that measure the results of their work. 

Performance measures for this solicitation are as follows: 

Objective Performance Measures Data Grantee Provides 

Develop tools and technologies 

that will allow faster, more robust, 

more informative, less costly, or 

less labor-intensive identification, 

collection, preservation, and/or 

analysis of DNA evidence 

collected from crime scenes. 

1. Relevance to the needs of 

the field as measured by 

whether the grantee’s 

substantive scope did not 

deviate from the funded 

proposal or any subsequent 

agency modifications to the 

scope. 

2. Quality of the research as 

assessed by peer reviewers. 

3. Quality of management as 

measured by whether 

significant interim project 

milestones were achieved, final 

deadlines were met, and costs 

remained within approved 

limits. 

4. If applicable, number of 

fielded technologies. 

5. If applicable, number of NIJ 

final grant reports, NIJ research 

documents, and grantee 

research documents published. 

1. A final report providing a 

comprehensive overview of the 

project and a detailed description 

of the project design, data, and 

methods; a full presentation of 

scientific findings; and a thorough 

discussion of the implications of 

the project findings for criminal 

justice practice and policy. 

2. Quarterly financial reports, 

semi-annual progress reports, 

and a final progress report. 

3. If applicable, each data set that 

was collected, acquired, or 

modified in conjunction with the 

project. 

4. If applicable, description of 

fielded technologies. 

5. If applicable, citation to 

report(s)/document(s).

How to Apply 

DOJ is participating in the e-Government initiative, one of 25 initiatives included in the 

President’s Management Agenda. Part of this initiative—Grants.gov—is a “one-stop 

storefront” that provides a unified process for all customers of federal grants to find 

funding opportunities and apply for funding. 

9 
Grants.Gov Instructions: Complete instructions can be found at www.grants.gov. 

If you experience difficulties at any point during this process, please call the Grants.gov 

Customer Support Hotline at 1–800–518–4726, Monday–Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 

p.m. eastern time. 

Funding Opportunities With Multiple Purpose Areas: Some OJP solicitations posted 

to Grants.gov contain multiple purpose areas, denoted by the individual Competition ID. 

If you are applying to a solicitation with multiple Competition IDs, you must select the 

appropriate Competition ID for the intended purpose area of your application. The 

application will be peer reviewed according to the requirements of the purpose area 

under which it is submitted. 

Note: OJP’s Grants Management System (GMS) does not support Microsoft Vista 

or Microsoft 2007. Therefore, OJP will not review any application whose 

attachments are in Microsoft Vista or Microsoft 2007 format. GMS downloads 

applications from Grants.gov and is the system in which OJP reviews applications and 

manages awarded grants. Applications submitted via GMS must be in the following 

formats: Microsoft Word (*.doc), Word Perfect (*.wpd), PDF files (*.pdf), or Text 

Documents (*.txt) and may include Microsoft Excel (*.xls) files. GMS is not yet 

compatible with Vista and cannot yet process Microsoft Word 2007 documents saved in 

the new default format with the extensions of “.docx.” Please ensure the documents you 

are submitting in Grants.gov are saved using “Word 97–2003 Document (*.doc)” format. 

Additionally, GMS does not accept executable file types as application attachments. 

These disallowed file types include, but are not limited to, the following extensions: 

".com," ".bat," ".exe," ".vbs," ".cfg," ".dat," ".db," ".dbf," ".dll," ".ini," ".log," ".ora," ".sys," 

and ".zip." 

CFDA Number: The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number for this 

solicitation is 16.560, titled “National Institute of Justice Research, Evaluation, and 

Development Project Grants,” and the Grants.gov funding opportunity number is NIJ–

2009–1937. 

A DUNS number is required: The Office of Management and Budget requires that all 

businesses and nonprofit applicants for Federal funds include a DUNS (Data Universal 

Numeric System) number in their application for a new award or renewal of an award. 

Applications without a DUNS number are incomplete. A DUNS number is a unique ninedigit sequence recognized as the universal standard for identifying and keeping track of 

entities receiving Federal funds. The identifier is used for tracking purposes and to 

validate address and point-of-contact information for Federal assistance applicants, 

recipients, and subrecipients. The DUNS number will be used throughout the grant life 

cycle. Obtaining a DUNS number is a free, simple, one-time activity. Obtain one by 

calling 1–866–705–5711 or by applying online at http://www.dnb.com/us. Individuals are 

exempt from this requirement. 

Central Contractor Registration (CCR) is required: In addition to the DUNS number 

requirement, OJP requires that all applicants (other than individuals) for Federal financial 

assistance maintain current registrations in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) 

database. The CCR database is the repository for standard information about Federal 

financial assistance applicants, recipients, and subrecipients. Organizations that have 

previously submitted applications via Grants.gov are already registered with CCR, as it 

10 
is a requirement for Grants.gov registration. Please note, however, that applicants must 

update or renew their CCR registration at least once per year to maintain an active 

status. Information about registration procedures can be accessed at www.ccr.gov. 

What an Application Must Include 

Responding to this solicitation involves a two-step process. The first step involves 

submitting a concept paper, which will be reviewed by a panel comprising both expert 

practitioners and technologists. The deadline for the concept paper is December 29, 

2008, 11:59 p.m. eastern time. If the concept paper is recommended and approved, the 

applicant will be contacted, invited to submit a full proposal, and given a proposal 

deadline. Extensions to deadlines are generally not granted. 

Concept Paper 

A concept paper should capture the essence of the full proposal and will be evaluated 

using the same selection criteria (see “Selection Criteria” section). The main difference 

between the concept paper and the full proposal is that the concept paper is much 

shorter and does not contain a detailed budget. The concept paper should be a single 

document and must not exceed 10 double-spaced pages in 12-point font with 1-inch 

margins. Appendices are not required; however, if included, will count toward the 10-

page limit. Concept papers exceeding the page limit may be truncated prior to evaluation 

or may not receive further consideration. 

The concept paper should contain the sections listed below. 

a. Abstract (not to exceed 600 words). 

b. Table of contents. 

c. Main body, which includes: 

• Purpose, goals, and objectives. 

• Review of relevant literature. 

• Research design and methods. 

• Implications for criminal justice policy and practice in the United States. 

• Management/staffing plan and organization. 

• Dissemination strategy. 

d. Concept paper funding estimate, which includes an estimate of funding 

required for the full scope, duration, and cost of the project as to give an 

indication of the overall costs of the project, as well as the costs of each major 

phase or component of the project. 

e. Chart for timeline, research calendar, or milestones. 

11 
Full Proposal 

Invited full proposals should include the following: 

Standard Form 424 

Program Narrative 

The Program Narrative includes: 

a. Abstract (not to exceed 600 words). 

b. Table of contents. 

c. Main body, which includes: 

• Purpose, goals, and objectives. 

• Review of relevant literature. 

• Research design and methods. 

• Implications for criminal justice policy and practice in the United States. 

• Management plan and organization. 

• Dissemination strategy. 

d. Appendixes (not counted against program narrative page limit) include: 

• Bibliography/References (if applicable). 

• List of key personnel (required). 

• Résumés of key personnel (required). 

• List of previous and current NIJ awards (required). 

• Letters of cooperation/support or administrative agreements from 

organizations collaborating in the project (if applicable). 

• Chart for timeline, research calendar, or milestones (required). 

• Other materials required by the solicitation. 

Budget Detail Worksheet 

The Budget Detail Worksheet, which is only required for the full proposal and not the 

concept paper, should address the full scope, duration, and cost of the project. The 

Budget Detail Worksheet should include a breakdown of costs associated with each 

budget category, including itemizations and calculations where necessary.

The budget must be broken down on a year-to-year basis over the length of the project. 

That is, if the proposed project is 3 years, then there should be a separate budget for 

year one, year two, and year three. 

Templates for filling out the Budget Detail Worksheet may be found online at 

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/funding/forms/budget_detail.pdf, OJP Standard Forms & 

Instructions. If you have any questions, please contact the Office of the Chief Financial 

Officer's Customer Service Center at 1–800–458–0786. 

Budget Narrative 

The Budget Narrative is a plain language description of each of the proposed 

expenditures listed in the Budget Detail Worksheet. It should clearly explain the purpose 

and reason for all expenditures in the budget. There should be no ambiguities about any 

budget item. The narrative should also include details for calculated rates or other 

figures. 

12 
As with the Budget Detail Worksheet, the Budget Narrative must be broken down on a 

year-to-year basis. 

Indirect Rate Agreement (if applicable) 

Applicants that do not have a federally negotiated indirect cost rate and wish to establish 

one can submit a proposal to their “cognizant” Federal agency. Generally, the cognizant 

Federal agency is the agency that provides the preponderance of direct Federal funding. 

This can be determined by reviewing an organization’s schedule of Federal financial 

assistance. If DOJ is your cognizant Federal agency, obtain information needed to 

submit an indirect cost rate proposal at 

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/financialguide/part3/part3chap17.htm.

Other Program Attachments 

These include several forms, available on OJP’s funding page at 

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/funding/forms.htm. 

Page limit: The program narrative section of invited full proposals must not exceed 25 

double-spaced pages in 12-point font with 1-inch margins. Abstract, table of contents, 

charts, figures, appendixes, and government forms do not count toward the 25-page limit 

for the narrative section. 

Cofunding: A grant made by NIJ under this solicitation may account for up to 100 

percent of the total cost of the project. You must indicate whether you believe it is 

feasible for you to contribute cash, facilities, or services as non-Federal support for the 

project. Your application should identify generally any such contributions that you expect 

to make and your proposed budget should indicate in detail which items, if any, will be 

supported with non-Federal contributions. 

Selection Criteria 

Successful applicants must demonstrate the following: 

Statement of the Problem/Program Narrative (Understanding of the problem and its 

importance)—(15%) 

Include appropriate citations and other information to demonstrate an understanding 

of the problem and the expected contribution of the proposed research to the field of 

forensic DNA. 

 Project/Program Design and Implementation (Quality and technical merit)—(30%) 

1. Awareness of the state of current research or technology. 

2. Soundness of methodology and analytic and technical approach. 

3. Feasibility of proposed project and awareness of pitfalls. 

4. Innovation and creativity (when appropriate). 

Capabilities/Competencies (Capabilities, demonstrated productivity, and experience of 

applicants)—(20%)

1. Qualifications and experience of proposed staff. 

 2. Demonstrated ability of proposed staff and organization to manage the effort. 

13 
 3. Adequacy of the plan to manage the project, including how various tasks are 

subdivided and resources are used. 

 4. Successful past performance on NIJ grants and contracts (when applicable). 

Budget—(15%)

1. Total cost of the project relative to the perceived benefit. 

 2. Appropriateness of the budget relative to the level of effort. 

 3. Use of existing resources to conserve costs. 

Impact/Outcomes and Evaluation (Relevance to policy and practice)—15% 

1. Potential for significant advances in scientific or technical understanding of the 

problem. 

2. Potential for significant advances in the field. 

3. Relevance for improving the policy and practice of criminal justice and related 

agencies and improving public safety, security, and quality of life. 

4. Affordability and cost-effectiveness of proposed end products, when applicable 

(e.g., purchase price and maintenance costs for a new technology or cost of 

training to use the technology). 

5. Perceived potential for commercialization and/or implementation of a new 

technology (when applicable). 

Dissemination Strategy—(5%)

1. Well-defined plan for the grant recipient to disseminate results to appropriate 

audiences, including researchers, practitioners, and policymakers. 

 2. Suggestions for print and electronic products NIJ might develop for practitioners 

and policymakers. 

Relevance of the project for policy and practice. 

Higher quality applications clearly explain the practical implications of the project. They 

connect technical expertise with criminal justice policy and practice. To ensure that the 

project has strong relevance for policy and practice, some researchers and technologists 

collaborate with practitioners and policymakers. You may include letters showing support 

from practitioners, but they carry less weight than clear evidence that you understand 

why policymakers and practitioners would benefit from your work and how they would 

use it. While a partnership may affect State or local activities, it should also have broader 

implications for others across the country. 

Review Process 

OJP is committed to ensuring a standardized process for awarding grants. NIJ reviews 

the application to make sure that the information presented is reasonable, 

understandable, measurable, achievable, and consistent with program or legislative 

requirements as stated in the solicitation. 

Peer reviewers will be reviewing the applications submitted under this solicitation as 

well. NIJ may use either internal peer reviewers, external peer reviewers, or a 

combination of both to review the applications under this solicitation. An external peer 

reviewer is an expert in the field of the subject matter of a given solicitation who is NOT 

a current U.S. Department of Justice employee. An internal reviewer is an expert in the 

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field of the subject matter of a given solicitation who is a current U.S. Department of 

Justice employee. Applications will be screened initially to determine whether the 

applicant meets all eligibility requirements. Only applications submitted by eligible 

applicants that meet all other requirements (such as timeliness, proper format, and 

responsiveness to the scope of the solicitations) will be evaluated, scored, and rated by 

a peer review panel. Peer reviewers’ ratings and any resulting recommendations are 

advisory only. In addition to peer review ratings, considerations may include, but are not 

limited to, underserved populations, strategic priorities, past performance, and available 

funding. 

After the peer review is finalized, the Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO), in 

consultation with NIJ, conducts a financial review of all potential discretionary awards 

and cooperative agreements to evaluate the fiscal integrity and financial capability of 

applicants; examines proposed costs to determine if the budget and budget narrative 

accurately explain project costs; and determines whether costs are reasonable, 

necessary, and allowable under applicable Federal cost principles and agency 

regulations. OCFO also reviews the award document and verifies the OJP Vendor 

Number. 

When awards will be made: All applicants, whether they are accepted or rejected, will 

be notified. The review and approval process takes about 9 months. You should not 

propose to begin work until at least 9 months after the application deadline on the cover 

of this solicitation. Also, you should not expect to receive notification of a decision for at 

least 9 months after that date. Lists of awards are updated regularly on NIJ’s Web site at 

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/funding/welcome.htm. 

Absent explicit statutory authorization or written delegation of authority to the contrary, 

all final grant award decisions will be made by the Assistant Attorney General (AAG), 

who may also give consideration to factors including, but not limited to, underserved 

populations, strategic priorities, past performance, and available funding when making 

awards. 

Additional Requirements 

Successful applicants selected for an award must agree to comply with additional 

applicable requirements prior to receiving grant funding. We strongly encourage you to 

review the information listed below pertaining to these additional requirements prior to 

submitting your application. Additional information for each can be found at 

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/funding/other_requirements.htm. 

• Civil Rights Compliance 

• Funding to Faith-Based Organizations 

• Confidentiality and Human Subjects Protection 

• Anti-Lobbying Act 

• Financial and Government Audit Requirements 

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• National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 

• DOJ Information Technology Standards 

• Single Point of Contact Review 

• Nonsupplanting of State and Local Funds 

• Criminal Penalty for False Statements 

• Compliance With Office of Justice Programs Financial Guide 

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/financialguide/

• Suspension or Termination of Funding 

• Nonprofit Organizations 

• For-Profit Organizations 

• Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) 

• Rights in Intellectual Property 

• Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) of 2006 

If your proposal is funded, you will be required to submit several reports and other 

materials, including: 

Final substantive report: The final report should be a comprehensive overview of the 

project and should include, among other things, a detailed description of the project 

design, data, and methods; a full presentation of scientific findings; and a thorough 

discussion of the implications of the project findings for criminal justice practice and 

policy. It must contain an abstract of no more than 600 words and an executive summary 

of no more than 2,500 to 4,000 words. 

A draft of the final report, abstract, and executive summary must be submitted 90 days 

before the end date of the grant. The draft final report will be peer reviewed upon 

submission. The reviews will be forwarded to the principal investigator with suggestions 

for revisions. The author must then submit the revised final report, abstract, and 

executive summary by the end date of the grant. The abstract, executive summary, and 

final report must be submitted in both paper and electronic formats. 

For program evaluation studies, the final report should include a section on measuring 

program performance. This section should outline the measures used to evaluate 

program effectiveness, modifications made to those measures as a result of the 

evaluation, and recommendations regarding these and other potential performance 

measures for similar programs. (This information will be particularly valuable to NIJ and 

other Federal program agencies in implementing performance measures for federally 

funded criminal justice programs.) 

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Interim reports: Grantees must submit quarterly financial reports, semi-annual progress 

reports, a final progress report, and, if applicable, an annual audit report in accordance 

with Office of Management and Budget Circular A–133. Future awards and fund 

drawdowns may be withheld if reports are delinquent.