Notices regarding the solicitation “National Youth Gang Survey, 

Fiscal Year 2020”

March 25, 2020: The application deadline was changed to May 26, 2020.

The original solicitation document begins on the next page.
U.S. Department of Justice OMB No. 1121-0329 

Office of Justice Programs Approval Expires 11/30/2020 

National Institute of Justice 

National Youth Gang Survey, Fiscal Year 2020 

FY 2020 Competitive Research Cooperative Agreement Solicitation 

CFDA No. 16.560

Grants.gov Solicitation Number:

Solicitation Release Date: 

Application Deadline:

NIJ-2020-18233 

March 24, 2020 

11:59 p.m. eastern time on May 26, 2020

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

Justice (NIJ) is seeking applications for funding to design, test, and implement a nationally 

representative survey of law enforcement agencies to: (1) provide useful, timely, and reliable 

statistics on the prevalence of youth gangs and gang members and (2) assess gang-related 

crime and law enforcement responses. This program furthers the Department’s mission to 

reduce violent crime and promote public safety. 

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

Grant Application Resource Guide provides guidance to applicants on how to prepare and 

submit applications for funding to OJP. 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. 

Eligibility (Who may apply) 

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

agreements with, eligible entities as listed below: 

 States (including territories);

 Units of local government;

 Federally recognized Indian tribal governments that perform law enforcement functions

(as determined by the Secretary of the Interior);
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 Nonprofit and for-profit organizations (including tribal nonprofit and for-profit

organizations)1; and

 Institutions of higher education (including tribal institutions of higher education).

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.) 

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

management fee. 

Contact Information 

For technical assistance with submitting an application, contact the Grants.gov Customer Support 

Hotline at 1-800-518-4726 or 1-606-545-5035 (international), at 

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html, or at support@grants.gov. The Grants.gov 

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

An applicant that experiences unforeseen Grants.gov technical issues beyond its control that 

prevent it from submitting its application by the deadline must email the NIJ contact identified 

below within 24 hours after the application deadline to request approval to submit its 

application after the deadline. Additional information on reporting technical issues appears 

under “Experiencing Unforeseen Grants.gov Technical Issues” in the “How To Apply 

(Grants.gov)” section in the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide.

For assistance with any other requirements of this solicitation, contact the National Criminal 

Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) Response Center: toll-free at 1-800-851-3420; via TTY at 

301-240-6310 (hearing impaired only); email grants@ncjrs.gov; fax to 301-240-5830; or web

chat at https://webcontact.ncjrs.gov/ncjchat/chat.jsp. The NCJRS Response Center hours of

operation are 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. eastern time, Monday through Friday, and 10:00 a.m. to

8:00 p.m. eastern time on the solicitation close date. General information on applying for NIJ

awards can be found at https://nij.ojp.gov/funding. Answers to frequently asked questions that

may assist applicants are posted at https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/frequently-asked-questions-aboutapplying-grants-and-cooperative-agreements.

Deadline Details 

Applicants must register with Grants.gov at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html

prior to submitting an application. All applications are due by 11:59 p.m. eastern time on 

May 26, 2020 

To be considered timely, an application must be submitted by the application deadline using 

Grants.gov, and the applicant must have received a validation message from Grants.gov that 

indicates successful and timely submission. OJP urges applicants to submit applications at least 

72 hours prior to the application due date, to allow time for the applicant to receive validation 

1 Under this program, an award may be made to a nonprofit organization only if the organization has "501(c)(3)" 

status under applicable Internal Revenue Service rules. See https://www.ojp.gov/funding/Explore/

LegalOverview2020/OrganizationalRequirements.htm for additional information on demonstrating nonprofit status.
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messages or rejection notifications from Grants.gov, and to correct in a timely fashion any 

problems that may have caused a rejection notification.

An applicant must use the Add Attachment button to attach a file to its application. Do not click 

the paperclip icon to attach files. This action will not attach the files to the application. After 

adding an attachment, select the View Attachment button to confirm you attached the correct 

file. To remove the file, select the Delete Attachment button.

OJP encourages all applicants to read this Important Notice: Applying for Grants in Grants.gov.

For additional information, see the “How to Apply (Grants.gov)” section in the OJP Grant 

Application Resource Guide.
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Contents

A. Program Description 5

Overview 5

Program-Specific Information 5

Goals, Objectives, Deliverables, and Expected Scholarly Products 6

B. Federal Award Information 12

Type of Award 13

Financial Management and System of Internal Controls 13

Budget Information 13

Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement 14

Pre-agreement Costs (also known as Pre-award Costs) 14

Limitation on Use of Award Funds for Employee Compensation; Waiver 14

Prior Approval, Planning, and Reporting of Conference/Meeting/Training Costs 14

Costs Associated with Language Assistance (if applicable) 14

C. Eligibility Information 14

D. Application and Submission Information 14

What an Application Should Include 14

How To Apply (Grants.gov) 20

E. Application Review Information 20

Review Criteria 20

Review Process 22

F. Federal Award Administration Information 23

Federal Award Notices 23

Administrative, National Policy, and Other Legal Requirements 23

Information Technology (IT) Security Clauses 24

General Information about Post-Federal Award Reporting Requirements 24

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s) 24

H. Other Information 24

Freedom of Information and Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552 and 5 U.S.C. 552a) 24

Provide Feedback to OJP 24

Application Checklist 25
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National Youth Gang Survey, Fiscal Year 2020

CFDA No. 16.560

A. Program Description

Overview

In collaboration with the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), NIJ 

seeks proposals for funding to conduct a study of youth gangs. The award recipient will be 

expected to develop, test, and administer a national data collection from law enforcement 

agencies to produce accurate and reliable national estimates of, and information about, youth 

gangs and youth gang-related criminal activities and law enforcement approaches to dealing 

with those activities.

Statutory Authority: Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 (section 221); 

Department of Justice Appropriations Act, 2020, Public Law 116-93, 133 Stat. 2317, 2410; 28 

U.S.C. 530C.

Program-Specific Information

There is widespread consensus among law enforcement officers, citizens, and researchers that 

the presence of youth gangs in the community is associated with the heightened commission of 

crimes, particularly violent crimes. Youth who join gangs are more likely to display an increase 

in their offending behavior for the duration of their gang involvement, and even youth who desist 

from gang involvement can experience long-term negative life consequences.2

The award recipient will develop, test, and administer a national data collection from law 

enforcement agencies that will illuminate the magnitude of youth gang activity and law 

enforcement responses to it. Study objectives will include:

1. Developing a sampling plan and collecting data from a nationally representative sample 

of U.S. law enforcement agencies.

2. Producing accurate and reliable national estimates of gang presence, gang membership, 

and gang-related crime in urban, suburban, and rural communities across the United 

States.

3. Acquiring detailed data about the characteristics of these crimes.

4. Analyzing how the prevalence and characteristics of such crimes, as well as gang 

presence and membership, have changed over time.

5. Obtaining information about law enforcement strategies for gang prevention, 

intervention, and suppression.

 

2 For additional discussion, see article by Terence P. Thornberry, Brook Kearley, Denise C. Gottfredson, Molly P. 

Slothower, Deanna N. Devlin, and Jamie J. Fader. (2018). “Reducing crime among youth at risk for gang 

involvement: A randomized trial,” Criminology & Public Policy, Volume 17, Issue 4, available at 

https://fftllc.com/documents/Thornberry_et_al-2018.pdf.
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6. Producing methodological reports; a final research report and statistical tables; a 

complete, archived data set; and other research publications for dissemination to the 

public.

Ideally, this survey will extend prior studies conducted annually between 1996 and 2012 as part 

of the National Youth Gang Survey.3,4 For the data collection years 2002 to 2012, those studies 

included:5

 All police departments serving cities with populations of 50,000 or more (n=624).

 All suburban county police and sheriff’s departments (n=739).

 A randomly selected sample of police departments serving cities with populations 

between 2,500 and 49,999 (n=543).

 A randomly selected sample of rural county police and sheriff’s departments (n=492). 

The definition of youth gangs in the National Youth Gang Survey excluded motorcycle gangs, 

hate or ideology gangs, prison gangs, and exclusively adult gangs as these groups are 

characteristically distinct from youth gangs. In 2012, the last year of data collection, the survey 

response rate was 87 percent. Nearly 30 percent of all responding agencies reported the 

presence of gang activity, with a concentration of such activity primarily in urban areas. In 2012, 

the survey produced national estimates of 30,700 gangs with 850,000 gang members located 

throughout 3,100 jurisdictions with gang problems.6

Under this solicitation, NIJ intends to extend these prior studies. Applicants should identify 

which topics merit revisiting, and what additional emerging youth gang issues might also be 

considered. For instance, how should key terms be defined, such as gang, gang member, and 

gang crime? Do these definitions allow for comparability across jurisdictions and with previous 

surveys? Should the survey now incorporate emerging issues such as social media indicators or 

new approaches to prevention, intervention, and suppression?

Goals, Objectives, Deliverables, and Expected Scholarly Products

The ultimate goal of this solicitation is to develop information to inform the development of 

improved strategies and practices to reduce gang-related crime, to include the strategic 

targeting of resources to combat youth gang-related violence and other crimes. Applicants are 

encouraged to propose an approach that would maximize the utility of the survey findings for 

survey respondents in the law enforcement community.

 

3 The National Youth Gang Survey was initiated under grant awards from OJJDP to support this survey and other 

research activities at the National Youth Gang Center. This center later merged with the National Gang Center, which 

is co-sponsored by OJJDP and the Bureau of Justice Assistance.

4 For further information on the National Youth Gang Survey, refer to archived data sets, codebooks, and a selection 

of related publications at the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data. For the survey administrations from 1996-

2001, see: https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/NACJD/studies/36786. For the survey administrations from 2002-

2012, see: https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/NACJD/studies/36787.

5 A new sampling frame of law enforcement agencies was adopted in 2002.

6 For further details on the National Youth Gang Survey sample, methodology, and results, visit the National Gang 

Center website at: https://www.nationalgangcenter.gov/Survey-Analysis.
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The activities below are necessary for the successful applicant to meet the solicitation goals and 

objectives, including the main project deliverables. In their proposal, the applicant should briefly 

describe how they would accomplish each task and deliverable, and propose a timeline. More 

specifically, this should include: (1) a description of the specific strategies and approaches that 

would be conducted to meet each task; (2) a description of the capabilities and demonstration of 

the expertise that will enable the applicant to successfully meet each task; (3) a schedule to 

identify start dates for each task and subtask, and completion dates for all deliverables; and (4) 

a budget for performing the work. The application should fully describe the applicant’s 

knowledge of the challenges and complexities associated with developing and testing survey 

instruments, designing samples, achieving adequate response rates to minimize bias in the 

national estimates, assessing the need for and conducting nonresponse bias analyses, imputing 

for item missing data, and weighting sample data to produce national estimates.

1. Project Management

Consistent with the use of a cooperative agreement, NIJ will have substantial involvement in the 

project. The successful applicant will work in close collaboration with NIJ with respect to review 

and approval of all major project decisions and deliverables.

Post-award meeting and project schedule. The recipient’s project director and key staff will 

attend a kickoff meeting with the assigned NIJ social science analyst and other key federal staff 

at OJP’s offices in Washington, D.C. The initial meeting should focus on a review of the overall 

project goals and tasks, and discuss areasof concern related to the proposed project plan, 

project schedule, staffing plan, and other management requirements.

Based on the post-award meeting discussion, the recipient should anticipate the potential need 

to submit an updated version of the project plan and project schedule to NIJ for review and 

comment.

Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval. DOJ regulations (28 C.F.R. Part 46, Protection of 

Human Subjects) protect the human subjects of federally funded research. In brief, the 

regulations require that, unless an exemption applies, NIJ-funded research projects that involve 

human subjects must be reviewed and approved by an IRB. Before a recipient will be permitted 

to use NIJ funds for any research activity involving human subjects, the recipient must submit to 

NIJ documentation of IRB approval that is sufficient to demonstrate compliance with the 

requirements of 28 C.F.R. Part 46.

Data privacy and confidentiality requirements. DOJ regulations (28 C.F.R. Part 22, 

"Confidentiality of Identifiable Research and Statistical Information") require recipients, and any 

subrecipients under an NIJ award, to protect the privacy of individuals by requiring that 

information identifiable to a private person obtained during an NIJ-funded research or statistical 

program may only be used for the purpose for which the information was obtained.

Applicants that propose to conduct a research or statistical project that will collect personally 

identifiable information must submit an acceptable "Privacy Certificate" as part of the 

application. The Privacy Certificate must include a complete description of the policies and 

procedures that the applicant will use to ensure the confidentiality of identifiable data. The eight 

elements required for a Privacy Certificate are outlined at 22 C.F.R. 22.23.

An application that lacks an acceptable Privacy Certificate may result in restrictions that 

preclude use of award funds until an acceptable certificate is submitted.
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Project calls and meetings. The recipient will establish a routine method for updating the

assigned NIJ social science analyst on the status of the project. Virtual or in-person stakeholder 

meetings will also be required for experts and other stakeholders to provide feedback on, and a 

review of, the content and development of the survey instruments. The recipient will also 

participate in a wrap-up meeting at the end of the project to present findings to NIJ and other 

federal personnel whom NIJ may identify.

2. Survey Development and Implementation

Instrumentation. NIJ expects applicants to examine the 1996-2012 survey methodology and 

questionnaire content, and demonstrate understanding of prior studies. The recipient will work 

with NIJ and its designees to review publicly available products from prior studies and develop 

new or modified survey instruments. The recipient should consider ways to: (1) structure the 

survey methodology and (2) construct the final survey items so as to maximize the potential for 

deriving core estimates from the survey that can be compared to past estimates. The recipient 

will make recommendations on the optimal mode(s) of data collection considering the survey 

cost, length of the data collection period(s), respondent burden, and anticipated response rates.

The recipient will convene one or more expert panels to inform the development of the 

instruments and mode of survey administration. The list of experts will be developed with NIJ’s 

assistance and concurrence, and will include expertise on youth gangs, survey methodology, 

and law enforcement gang-related data and practices. The application should include proposed 

names and/or characteristics of expert panel members. The goal of the meeting will be to 

recommend items for inclusion and discuss the feasibility of the items, wording of questions,

and mode(s) of data collection. NIJ encourages the applicant to propose a plan for cognitive 

testing of all proposed questionnaire items. The final survey instruments will be submitted to NIJ 

prior to pilot testing for review and comment.

Required deliverables: (1) expert panel meeting (virtual or in-person) to discuss survey 

instruments and modes of administration and (2) revised and final versions of survey 

instruments, including screen shots for web-based data collection (if proposed).

Survey pilot tests. The recipient will develop and propose to NIJ a plan to pilot test the 

proposed instruments and data collection protocol. This draft report will contain a detailed plan 

for the proposed method to conduct the pilot testing, along with descriptions of any possible 

alternative methods and their anticipated benefits and drawbacks with respect to cost and 

response rates. The recipient will respond to and/or incorporate feedback from NIJ and its 

designees, and prepare a final plan to pilot test the proposed instruments and data collection 

protocol.

Following completion of the pilot testing, the recipient will produce a report:

 Evaluating the strengths and challenges of the research design and its individual 

components to meet its objectives.

 Conducting an item response analysis to identify questions that may be 

problematic or unnecessary.

 Proposing revisions to the instruments and the data collection protocol based 

on responses to the pilot survey.
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Based on the pilot test results, the recipient will provide a detailed plan for the full administration 

of the survey to NIJ for review. This draft plan will include all survey protocols to be 

implemented, including quality control procedures, and administration techniques to ensure data 

quality and completeness to minimize bias in the estimates. The plan should describe how the 

protocols and procedures would minimize costs and bias, and maximize response rates.

Required deliverables: (1) draft and final pilot testing plans for the survey, (2) report on the 

results of the pilot test, and (3) draft and final administration plans for the full survey, including 

any staff training materials.

Sampling plan. The recipient will work collaboratively with NIJ to finalize a sample design to 

produce national estimates, taking into consideration how prior sampling plans performed, 

including their limitations, challenges, and strengths. The recipient will work with NIJ and the 

Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) to use the BJS Law Enforcement Agency Roster to identify a 

sample of eligible law enforcement agencies.

The recipient should consider the costs and benefits of proposed sampling strategies and data 

collection approaches to determine the optimal approach. The recipient should explore the 

trade-offs of precision and cost with respect to a large sample size. The recipient should also 

document any possible coverage bias associated with the proposed sampling frame and 

strategies.

Required deliverables: Report containing the proposed sample design and list of sampled law 

enforcement agencies.

OMB clearance. The recipient will work with NIJ to complete the necessary Paperwork 

Reduction Act (PRA)/Office of Management and Budget (OMB) package requirements and 

application process to secure the PRA clearance for the survey pilot test(s) and the full survey 

administration.

The recipient will prepare and provide to NIJ a draft package for OMB clearance that includes 

the pilot test(s) and full survey. The draft OMB package will include the 30- and 60-day notices; 

form 83-I; parts A and B of the supporting statement (including a plan, if needed, for 

nonresponse bias assessment and adjustments); a justification memorandum; and copies of all 

survey documents, including but not limited to the survey instruments, all instructions and 

follow-up documents, and any telephone scripts. NIJ will provide sample documents as needed. 

Applicants should plan on a period of 7 to 8 months to obtain full clearance, which includes NIJ 

internal review.

Required deliverables: All draft materials to support OMB clearance for the pilot testing and full 

administration of the survey.

Survey administration. The applicant will propose to launch the National Youth Gang Survey 

for one or more full waves of data collection. NIJ is seeking to achieve a response rate that 

meets or exceeds 80 percent in conjunction with minimizing bias in attaining national 

representation. The recipient should have a data quality follow-up protocol in place to verify the 

consistency and accuracy of completed surveys, and to monitor unit and item nonresponse 

throughout the process to minimize nonresponse bias. The recipient will provide NIJ with 

ongoing status updates of the progress of survey administration. These status updates will 

include summary reports that provide information about the status of the collection, including the 

overall response rate, response rate for selected subsets, assessment of nonresponse bias, 
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and other information to be determined in conjunction with NIJ. At NIJ’s discretion, the recipient 

may extend the data collection period to reach a satisfactory response rate or to resolve 

significant data quality issues. This may involve repeated contact attempts via multiple modes of 

communication with respondents. If the response rate falls below 80 percent, and all actions to 

increase response rates have been implemented and failed, the recipient of funds will conduct a 

nonresponse bias analysis.

Required deliverables: (1) during the data collection period, summary reports delivered biweekly

to describe and assess response rates, data quality, and potential for nonresponse bias and (2) 

ad hoc reports, as needed, to describe any problems with data collection activities and 

corresponding remedial action.

3. Post-Survey Administration

Post-survey adjustments. The recipient will develop and submit plans for data edits and data 

documentation to NIJ for review and approval. Data edits and processing should be 

documented thoroughly for verification. The recipient will conduct item and unit nonresponse 

analyses, and assess response patterns to determine the reliability and validity of the reported 

data. The recipient will provide documentation on nonresponse adjustment strategies, including 

all item imputation and unit weights necessary to produce national-level estimates, and for 

standard error calculations.

Required deliverables: (1) written documentation of data processing procedures and data 

editing and cleaning; (2) draft and final plans for nonresponse adjustment, item imputation, and 

unit weighting; and (3) a draft methodological report for the survey.

Final research report and statistical tables. Upon completion of each full wave of data 

collection, the recipient will produce a final research report, including detailed statistical tables. 

Additional information on the final research report requirement for the solicitation is posted on 

the Research, Development, and Evaluation Grant Award Requirements section on NIJ’s 

website. The statistical tables, with corresponding tables of confidence intervals, should 

sufficiently represent the key findings of the data collection.

NIJ retains rights to exclusive data use of each full wave of data collection until the public-use 

data file is submitted to and released by the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data (NACJD) 

at https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/content/NACJD/index.html, or until NIJ provides the 

recipient with written approval to publish and widely disseminate the study findings. At the 

discretion of NIJ, the recipient may be required to work with NIJ or its designee on an agencypublished article. The recipient should also include a comprehensive dissemination plan to 

detail its proposed strategy to ensure the study findings are widely disseminated upon data

release.

Required deliverables: final research report, including statistical tables and tables of confidence 

intervals on findings.

Final verification and data set. Final verification procedures should be conducted prior to 

delivering a final data set to NACJD. Any data issues must be reported to NIJ for resolution.

The recipient will produce a final data file and codebook documentation following specifications 

used by NACJD and standards issued by the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social 

Research. The recipient will also provide supporting documentation, including a detailed 
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codebook. Documentation should also describe the sampling plan, performance of the sample, 

description of imputation and weighting procedures, codes that identify aspects of data quality 

from the collection (such as missing data and imputed values), and any documentation 

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

scientific value of the data set through secondary analysis. For more information, see Program 

Narrative in Section D. Application and Submission Information.

Required deliverables: (1) data documentation and codebook and (2) final cleaned electronic 

versions of all data sets consistent with NACJD requirements.

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

described in Section F. Federal Award Administration Information), NIJ expects scholarly 

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

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

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

inventions, or similar scientific products.

The Goals, Objectives, Deliverables, and Expected Scholarly Products are directly related to the 

performance measures that demonstrate the results of the work completed.

Performance Measures

OJP will require each successful applicant to submit regular performance data that demonstrate 

the results of the work carried out under the award (see “General Information about PostFederal Award Reporting Requirements” in Section F. Federal Award Administration 

Information).

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

an overview of performance measurement activities at OJP.

The application should demonstrate the applicant’s understanding of the performance data 

reporting requirements for this grant program and detail how the applicant will gather the 

required data should it receive funding.

Please note that applicants are not required to submit performance data with the application. 

Performance measures information is included as an alert that successful applicants will be 

required to submit performance data as part of the reporting requirements under an award.
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Objective Performance Measure(s) Data Recipient Provides

Conduct research in 

social and behavioral 

sciences having clear 

implications for juvenile 

and criminal justice 

policy and practice in 

the United States.

1. Relevance to the needs of the field as 

measured by whether the project’s 

substantive scope did not deviate from the

funded project or any subsequent agencyapproved modifications to the scope.

2. Quality of the research as demonstrated by 

the scholarly products that result in whole 

or in part from work funded under the NIJ 

award, such as published, peer-reviewed, 

scientific journal articles, and/or (as 

appropriate for the funded project) law 

review journal articles, book chapter(s) or 

book(s) in the academic press, 

technological prototypes, patented 

inventions, or similar scientific products.

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.

1. Quarterly financial 

reports, semi-annual and 

final progress reports, 

and products of the work 

performed under the NIJ 

award (including, at 

minimum, a final 

research report).

If 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.

B. Federal Award Information

Maximum number of awards NIJ expects to make: One award

Estimated maximum dollar amount for each award: Up to $1,000,000

Total amount anticipated to be awarded under solicitation: Up to $1,000,000

Period of performance start date: January 1, 2021

Period of performance duration: To be determined by the 

period of performance of 

awarded application. 

Successful applicant will be

expected to complete the 

work proposed within a fiveyear period of performance.

To allow time for (among other things) any necessary post-award review and financial clearance 

by OJP of the proposed budget and for any associated responses or other action(s) that may be 

required of the recipient, applicants should propose an award start date of January 1, 2021.

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 
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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 2020, 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, in certain cases, provide additional funding in future years to awards made under this 

solicitation, through continuation awards. OJP will consider, among other factors, OJP’s 

strategic priorities, a recipient’s overall management of the award, and progress of awardfunded work, when making continuation award decisions.

Under this solicitation, only one application by any particular applicant entity will be considered. 

An entity may, however, be proposed as a subrecipient (subgrantee) in more than one 

application.

All awards are subject to the availability of appropriated funds and to any modifications or 

additional requirements that may be imposed by law.

Type of Award

NIJ expects to make awards under this solicitation as cooperative agreements, 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 additional information.

Please note: Any recipient of an award under this solicitation will be required to comply with 

DOJ regulations on confidentiality and protection of human subjects. See “Requirements related 

to Research” under “Overview of Legal Requirements Generally Applicable to OJP Grants and 

Cooperative Agreements – FY 2020 Awards” in the OJP Funding Resource Center.

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 Requirements7 as set out at 2 C.F.R. 

200.303, comply with standards for financial and program management. See OJP Grant 

Application Resource Guide for additional information.

Budget Information

What will not be funded:

 Applications primarily to purchase equipment, materials, or supplies. (A budget may 

include these items if they are necessary to conduct research, development, 

demonstration, evaluation, or analysis.)

 

7 The "Part 200 Uniform Requirements” means the DOJ regulation at 2 C.F.R Part 2800, which adopts (with certain 

modifications) the provisions of 2 C.F.R. Part 200.
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 Applications that are not responsive to this specific solicitation.

Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement

See “Cofunding” paragraph under item 4 (“Budget Information and Associated Documentation”) 

under “What an Application Should Include” in Section D. Application and Submission 

Information.

Please see the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for information on the following:

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

 Limitation on Use of Award Funds for Employee Compensation; Waiver

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

 Costs Associated with Language Assistance (if applicable)

C. Eligibility Information

For eligibility information, see title page.

For information on cost sharing or match requirements, see “What an Application Should 

Include” in Section D. Application and Submission Information.

D. Application and Submission Information

What an Application Should Include

The following application elements MUST be included in the application submission for an 

application to meet the basic minimum requirements (BMR) to advance to peer review and 

receive consideration for funding: Program Narrative, Budget Detail Worksheet (including 

Budget Narrative), and resumes/curriculum vitae of key personnel. (For purposes of this 

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

investigators.)

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

Resource Guide for information on what happens to an application that does not contain all the 

specified elements, or that is nonresponsive to the scope of the solicitation.

1. Application for Federal Assistance (Standard Form (SF)-424)

The SF-424 is a required standard form used as a cover sheet for submission of preapplications, applications, and related information. See the OJP Grant Application Resource 

Guide for additional information on completing the SF-424.

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

Executive Order 12372. (In completing the SF-424, an applicant is to answer question 19 by 

selecting the response that the “Program is not covered by E.O. 12372.”)
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2. Project Abstract

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

to the proposed project. NIJ uses the project abstract for a number of purposes, including 

assignment of the application to an appropriate review panel. If the application is funded, the 

project abstract typically will become public information and be used to describe the project.

Applications should include a high quality project abstract that summarizes the proposed 

project in no more than 400 words. Project abstracts should be:

 Written for a general public audience.

 Submitted as a separate attachment with “Project Abstract” as part of its file name.

 Single-spaced, using a standard 12-point Times New Roman font with 1-inch 

margins.

As a separate attachment, the project abstract will not count against the page limit for the 

program narrative.

Project abstracts should follow the detailed template (including the detailed instructions as to 

content) available on the NIJ webpage.

3. Program Narrative

The program narrative section of the application should not exceed 30 double-spaced pages 

in 12-point font with 1-inch margins. If included in the main body of the program narrative, 

tables, charts, figures, and other illustrations count toward the 30-page limit for the narrative 

section. The project abstract, table of contents, appendices, and government forms do not 

count toward the 30-page limit.

If the program narrative fails to comply with these length-related restrictions, NIJ may 

negatively consider such noncompliance in peer review and in final award decisions.

The following sections should be included as part of the program narrative.

8

Program Narrative Guidelines:

a. Title Page (not counted against the 30-page program narrative limit)

The title page should include the title of the project, submission date, funding opportunity 

number, and the name and complete contact information (that is, address, telephone 

number, and e-mail address) for both the applicant and the principal investigator.

 

8 As noted earlier, if the proposed program or project 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 set out each phase clearly. (In 

appropriate cases, the expected scholarly product(s) from a particular phase may vary from those described above.) 

See generally “Goals, Objectives, Deliverables, and Expected Scholarly Products” under “Program-Specific 

Information,” above.
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b. Table of Contents and Figures (not counted against the 30-page program narrative 

limit)

c. Main Body

The main body of the program narrative should describe the proposed project in depth. 

The proposal should be responsive to the presentation “Program-Specific Information” 

and statement of the “Goals, Objectives, Deliverables, and Expected Scholarly 

Products.”

The following sections should be included as part of the program narrative:

 Statement of the Problem and Research Questions. 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. 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 discuss the 

purpose, goals, and objectives of the proposed project.

 Project Design and Implementation. Applicants should provide a detailed description 

of the strategies to implement this research project and address the research 

questions. Design elements should follow directly from the research project’s goals 

and objectives and address the “Program-Specific Information” and statement of the 

“Goals, Objectives, Deliverables, and Expected Scholarly Products.” Applicants 

should describe the research methodology 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.

 Potential Impact. Applicants should describe the potential impact of the research and 

how it may inform or improve criminal or juvenile justice-related policy, practice, or 

theory in the United States.

The discussion of impact should include a discussion of the deliverables, including 

planned scholarly products indicated in the “Program-Specific Information” and 

statement of the “Goals, Objectives, Deliverables, and Expected Scholarly Products,”

and a plan for dissemination to appropriate audiences. Applicants should identify 

plans to produce or make available to broader interested practitioners and policy 

makers in a form that is designed to be readily accessible and useful to them.

 Capabilities/Competencies. This section should describe the experience and 

capability of the applicant organization, key staff, and any proposed subgrantees 

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

and the federal funds under this award, highlighting any previous experience 
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implementing projects of similar scope, design, and magnitude. Applicants should 

address:

o Knowledge of the challenges and complexities associated with survey and 

questionnaire design and testing; frame development and maintenance;

developing and testing various data collection methodologies and procedures; 

and nonresponse adjustment methods to produce reliable national and statelevel estimates.

o Knowledge of data collection issues related to youth gangs, and challenges 

facing researchers seeking to establish a sampling frame of law enforcement 

agency respondents. Specifically, the applicant should demonstrate knowledge 

of issues relevant for establishing national estimates of the prevalence of youth 

gangs, gang members, and gang-related crime; and generating useful 

knowledge regarding emerging gang-related issues.

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

of similar research efforts.

o Experience and capacity to design and implement rigorous research and data 

analysis projects.

o 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.

d. Appendices (not counted against the 30-page program narrative limit) include:

 Bibliography/references.

 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.

 Curriculum vitae or resume of the principal investigator and any and all co-principal 

investigators. In addition, curriculum vitae, resume, or biographical sketches of all 

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

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

such as statisticians used to conduct proposed data analysis).

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

conflicts on the part of prospective reviewers of the application), 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. This applies to all such 

individuals, including, for example, individuals who are or would be employees of the 

applicant or employees of any proposed subrecipient entity, any individuals who 

themselves may be a subrecipient, and individuals who may (or will) work without 

compensation. This appendix to the program narrative is to include, for each listed 
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individual: name, title, employer, any other potentially-pertinent organizational 

affiliation(s), and the individual's proposed roles and responsibilities in carrying out 

the proposed project. If the application identifies any specific entities or organizations 

(other than the applicant) that will or may work (or advise or consult) on the proposed 

project, without also naming any associated individuals, the name of each such 

organization also should be included on this list.

Applicants should use the “Proposed Project Staff, Affiliation, and Roles” form

available on the NIJ webpage to prepare this list.

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. Applicants 

should provide this list as a separate sheet entitled "Proposed non-competitive 

procurement contracts."

For information on distinctions — for purposes of federal grants administrative 

requirements — between subawards and procurement contracts under awards, see 

“Budget Information and Associated Documentation,” below.

 Proposed project timeline and expected milestones.

 Human Subjects Protection paperwork (documentation and forms related to 

Institutional Review Board [IRB] review). See https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/humansubjects-and-privacy-protection. Note: Final IRB approval is not required at the time 

an application is submitted.

 Privacy Certificate (for further guidance go to 

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

 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 “Goals, Objectives, Deliverables, and Expected Scholarly Products” under 

“Program-Specific Information,” above, for definition of “scholarly products.”) 

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

been submitted (if applicable).

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

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

document, according to the requirements set forth at 

https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/participant-support-costs-and-incentives-social-scienceresearch.

 Data archiving plan. Applicants should anticipate that NIJ will require (through 

special award conditions, that data sets resulting in whole or in part from projects 

funded under this solicitation be submitted for archiving with the NACJD. See

https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/data-archiving-plans-nij-funding-applicants.
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Applications should include as an appendix a brief plan — labeled “Data Archiving 

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

details about proposed data management and archiving, including submission to NIJ 

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

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

value of the data set through secondary analysis. Pertinent files and documentation 

include, among other things, qualitative and quantitative data produced, 

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

programming code necessary to reproduce all constructed measures and the original 

data analysis, description of necessary de-identification procedures, and (when 

required) a copy of the privacy certificate and informed consent protocols.

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

associated with meeting archiving requirements.

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

days before the end of the period of performance.

 Letters of cooperation/support or administrative agreements from organizations 

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

applicable).

Please see the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for information on the following:

4. Budget Information and Associated Documentation in the Budget Preparation and 

Submission Information section.

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 Section B. 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.

5. Indirect Cost Rate Agreement

6. Tribal Authorizing Resolution (if applicable)
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7. Financial Management and System of Internal Controls Questionnaire (including 

applicant disclosure of high-risk status)

8. Disclosure of Lobbying Activities

9. Applicant Disclosure of Pending Applications

10. Applicant Disclosure and Justification – DOJ High-Risk Grantees9(if applicable)

11. Research and Evaluation Independence and Integrity

12. Disclosure of Process Related to Executive Compensation

How To Apply (Grants.gov)

Applicants must register in and submit applications through Grants.gov, a primary source to find 

federal funding opportunities and apply for funding. Find information on how to apply in 

response to this solicitation in the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide.

Registration and Submission Steps

Applicants will need the following identifying information when searching for the funding 

opportunity on Grants.gov.

 Assistance Listing 16.560, National Institute of Justice Research, Evaluation, and 

Development Project Grants.

 NIJ-2020-18233.

For information on each registration and submission step, see the OJP Grant Application 

Resource Guide.

E. Application Review Information

Review Criteria

Applications that meet basic minimum requirements will be evaluated by peer reviewers using 

the following review criteria.

Statement of the Problem and Research Questions (Understanding of the problem, research 

questions, and their importance) – 20%

1. Demonstrated understanding of the problem.

2. Demonstrated importance of research questions, goals and objectives, including 

alignment with the aims of the solicitation.

 

9 A “DOJ High-Risk Grantee” is a recipient that has received a DOJ High-Risk designation based on a documented 

history of unsatisfactory performance, financial instability, management system or other internal control deficiencies, 

or noncompliance with award terms and conditions on prior awards, or that is otherwise not responsible.
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3. Demonstrated awareness of the state of current research.

Project Design and Implementation (Quality and technical merit) – 40%

1. Soundness of methods and analytic and technical approach to addressing the stated 

aim(s) of the proposed project.

2. Feasibility of proposed project.

3. Awareness of potential pitfalls of proposed project design and feasibility of proposed 

actions to minimize and/or mitigate them.

4. Likelihood of the proposed research to address the key objectives outlined under 

Program-Specific Information, and Goals, Objectives, Deliverables, and Expected 

Scholarly Products.

Potential Impact – 15%

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

justice in the United States, such as:

 Potential for significantly improved understanding of the stated criminal/juvenile justice 

problem.

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

criminal/juvenile justice problem.

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

applicant organization and proposed project staff) – 25%

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

any and all co-principal investigators, and all other individuals (and organizations) 

identified in the application (regardless of “investigator” status) who will be significantly 

involved in substantive aspects of the proposed project).

2. Demonstrated ability of the applicant organization to implement the proposed strategies 

and manage the effort.

3. Relationship between the capabilities/competencies of the proposed project staff 

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

project.

Plan for Dissemination to Broader Audiences (if applicable to the proposed project)

Peer reviewers may comment — in the context of scientific and technical merit — on strength 

and feasibility the proposed plan (if any) to produce or to make available to broader interested 

audiences, such as criminal/juvenile justice practitioners or policymakers, summary information 

from the planned scholarly products of the project.
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Budget

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

the context of scientific and technical merit.

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

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

3. Use of existing resources to conserve costs.

4. Alignment of the proposed budget with proposed project activities.

Review Process

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

understandable, measurable, achievable, and consistent with the solicitation.

The following five paragraphs in this solicitation expressly modify the “Application Review 

Information” provisions in the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide. An applicant is to follow 

the guidance in these five paragraphs instead of the guidance stated under the “Application 

Review Information” heading in the Guide.

Peer reviewers will review the applications submitted under this solicitation that meet basic 

minimum requirements. For purposes of assessing whether an application meets basic 

minimum requirements and should proceed to further consideration, OJP screens applications 

for compliance with those requirements. Although specific requirements may vary, the following 

are common requirements applicable to all solicitations for funding under OJP programs:

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

 The application must request funding within programmatic funding constraints (if 

applicable).

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

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

requirements.

 The application, if submitted by an applicant that is a DOJ High-Risk Grantee,

10 or is 

designated “high-risk” by a federal grant-making agency outside of DOJ, must not have 

been determined by the Director to pose a substantial risk of program implementation 

failure, based on 1) the applicant’s lack of sufficient progress in addressing required 

corrective actions necessary for removal of the DOJ High-Risk Grantee (or non-DOJ 

high-risk) designation, 2) the nature and severity of the issues leading to or 

accompanying the DOJ High-Risk Grantee (or non-DOJ high-risk) designation, and/or 3) 

the applicant’s expected ability to manage grant funds and achieve grant goals and 

objectives.

 

10 See “Applicant Disclosure and Justification – DOJ High-Risk Grantees” under “What an Application Should 

Include,” above, for a definition of “DOJ High-Risk Grantee.”
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For a list of the application elements that MUST be included in the application submission in 

order for an application to meet the basic minimum requirements, see “What an Application 

Should Include” under Section D. Application and Submission Information.

Peer review panels will evaluate, score, and rate applications that meet basic minimum 

requirements. NIJ may use internal peer reviewers, external peer reviewers, or a combination, 

to assess applications on technical merit using the solicitation’s review criteria. An internal 

reviewer is a current DOJ employee who is well-versed or has expertise in the subject matter of 

this solicitation. An external peer reviewer is an expert in the subject matter of a given 

solicitation who is not a current DOJ employee. Peer reviewers’ ratings and any resulting 

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

Other important considerations for NIJ include geographic diversity, strategic priorities, available 

funding, the planned scholarly products, and the extent to which the Budget Detail Worksheet 

and Budget Narrative accurately explain project costs that are reasonable, necessary, and 

otherwise allowable under federal law and applicable federal cost principles.

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

reviews information related to the degree of risk posed by the applicant. Among other things to 

help assess whether an applicant that has one or more prior federal awards has a satisfactory 

record with respect to performance, integrity, and business ethics, OJP checks whether the 

applicant is listed in SAM as excluded from receiving a federal award.

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

must review and consider any information above the applicant that appears in the non-public 

segment of the integrity and performance system accessible through SAM (currently, the 

Federal Awardee Performance Integrity Information System, FAPIIS).

Important note on FAPIIS: An applicant, at its option, may review and comment on any 

information about itself that currently appears in FAPIIS and was entered by a federal awarding 

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

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

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

take into account not only peer review ratings and NIJ recommendations, but also other factors 

as indicated in this section.

F. Federal Award Administration Information

Please see the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for information on the following:

 Federal Award Notices

 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 applicable 
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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 (IT) Security Clauses

 General Information about Post-Federal Award Reporting Requirements

In addition to the deliverables described in Section A. Program Description, any recipient 

of an award under this solicitation will be required to submit certain reports and data.

Required reports. Recipients typically must submit quarterly financial reports, semiannual progress reports, final financial and progress reports, and, if applicable, an 

annual audit report in accordance with the Part 200 Uniform Requirements or specific 

award conditions. Applicants should anticipate that progress reports will be required to 

follow the non-budgetary components of the Research Performance Progress Report 

(RPPR) template/format. General information on RPPRs may be found at 

www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/rppr/. 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 measures data.

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s)

For questions directed to the Federal Awarding Agency, see NCJRS contact information on 

page 2.

For contact information for Grants.gov, see page 2.

H. Other Information

Please see the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for information on the following:

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

 Provide Feedback to OJP
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Application Checklist

National Youth Gang Survey, Fiscal Year 2020

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

What an Applicant Should Do:

Prior to Registering in Grants.gov:

 Acquire a DUNS Number (see OJP Grant Application Resource Guide)

 Acquire or renew registration with SAM (see OJP Grant Application Resource Guide)

To Register with Grants.gov:

 Acquire AOR and Grants.gov username/password

(see OJP Grant Application Resource Guide)

 Acquire AOR confirmation from the E-Biz POC (see OJP Grant Application Resource Guide)

To Find Funding Opportunity:

 Search for the Funding Opportunity on Grants.gov (see page 20)

 Access Funding Opportunity and Application Package

(see OJP Grant Application Resource Guide)

 Sign up for Grants.gov email notifications (optional)

(see OJP Grant Application Resource Guide)

 Read Important Notice: Applying for Grants in Grants.gov

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

ojp.gov/financialguide/DOJ/PostawardRequirements/chapter3.10a.htm

(see OJP Grant Application Resource Guide)

After Application Submission, Receive Grants.gov Email Notifications That:

 (1) application has been received,

 (2) application has either been successfully validated or rejected with errors

(see OJP Grant Application Resource Guide)

If No Grants.gov Receipt, and Validation or Error Notifications are Received:

 Contact NIJ regarding technical difficulties

(see OJP Grant Application Resource Guide)

Overview of Post-Award Legal Requirements:

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

Cooperative Agreements – FY 2020 Awards” in the OJP Funding Resource Center.

Scope Requirement:

 The federal amount requested is within the allowable limit(s) of up to $1,000,000.

Eligibility Requirement: See cover page.
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What an Application Should Include:

The following items are critical application elements required to pass basic minimum requirements 

review. An application that OJP determines does not include the application elements that must 

be included in the application submission in order for the application to meet the basic minimum 

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

 Program Narrative (see page 15)

 Budget Detail Worksheet (including Budget Narrative

(see OJP Grant Application Resource Guide)

 Resumes/curriculum vitae of key personnel (see page 17)

 Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424) (see OJP Grant Application Resource Guide)

 Project Abstract (see page 15)

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

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

 Financial Management and System of Internal Controls Questionnaire

(see OJP Grant Application Resource Guide)

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

 Applicant Disclosure of Pending Applications (see OJP Grant Application Resource Guide)

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

(see OJP Grant Application Resource Guide)

 Research and Evaluation Independence and Integrity

(see OJP Grant Application Resource Guide)

Additional Attachments:

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

(see OJP Grant Application Resource Guide)