Notices regarding the solicitation “Research and Development in 

Forensic Science for Criminal Justice Purposes”

February 25, 2019: The link to the DOJ Grants Financial Management Online Training under 

“Financial Management and System of Internal Controls” was updated.

February 19, 2019: Information regarding submission of information pertaining to disclosure and 

justification for DOJ High Risk Grantees was redacted.

February 19, 2019: The year and link contained within the “Limitation on use of Award Funds for 

Employee Compensation; Waiver” section was updated.

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 

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

Justice (NIJ) is seeking applications for funding of basic or applied research and development in 

forensic science for criminal justice purposes. This program furthers the Department’s mission 

by sponsoring research to provide objective, independent, evidence-based knowledge and tools 

to meet the challenges of criminal justice, particularly at the state and local levels. NIJ’s 

Forensic Science Technology Working Group (TWG) identifies current technology challenges 

encountered in operational forensic science laboratories. Research based knowledge and newly 

developed tools that work towards resolving these identified challenges facilitate the criminal 

justice community to enforce the law, promote public safety, prevent and reduce crime, and 

ensure fair and impartial administration of justice. 

Research and Development in Forensic Science 

for Criminal Justice Purposes 

Applications Due: April 11, 2019

Eligibility 

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

agreements with, 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), nonprofit and for-profit organizations (including tribal nonprofit and 

for-profit organizations), institutions of higher education (including tribal institutions of higher 

education), and certain qualified individuals. Federal agencies are eligible to apply. (Any award 

made to a federal agency will be made as an inter-agency reimbursable agreement.) Foreign 

governments, foreign organizations, and foreign colleges and universities are not eligible to 

apply. 

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

management fee. 

NIJ welcomes applications under which two or more entities would carry out the federal award; 

however, only one entity may be the applicant. Any others must be proposed as subrecipients 

(subgrantees)1. The applicant must be the entity that would have primary responsibility for 

carrying out the award, including administering funding, managing the entire research project, 

and monitoring and appropriately managing any subawards (“subgrants”). 

1

 For additional information on subawards, see "Budget and Associated Documentation" under Section D. Application 

and Submission Information. 
2 

NIJ-2019-15387 

Under this solicitation, any particular applicant entity may submit more than one application, as 

long as each application proposes a different project in response to the solicitation. Also, an 

entity may be proposed as a subrecipient (subgrantee) in more than one application.

NIJ may elect to fund applications submitted under this FY 2019 solicitation in future fiscal 

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

availability of appropriations. 

Deadline 

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 April 

11, 2019. 

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 

messages or rejection notifications from Grants.gov, and to correct in a timely fashion any 

problems that may have caused a rejection notification. 

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

For additional information, see How to Apply in Section D. Application and Submission 

Information. 

Contact Information 

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

Support Hotline at 800-518-4726, 606-545-5035, at 

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html, or via email to 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 may email the NIJ contact identified 

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

application. Additional information on reporting technical issues appears under Experiencing 

Unforeseen Grants.gov Technical Issues in the How to Apply section. 

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 www.nij.gov/funding/Pages/welcome.aspx. Answers to frequently asked

questions that may assist applicants are posted at www.nij.gov/funding/pages/faqs.aspx.

Grants.gov number assigned to this solicitation: NIJ-2019-15387

Release date: January 17, 2019
3

NIJ-2019-15387

Contents

A. Program Description.............................................................................................................. 4

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

Program-Specific Information ................................................................................................. 5

Goals, Objectives, Deliverables, and Expected Scholarly Products ........................................ 5

B. Federal Award Information....................................................................................................12

Type of Award .......................................................................................................................13

Financial Management and System of Internal Controls........................................................14

Budget Information ................................................................................................................15

Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement.................................................................................16

Pre-agreement Costs (also known as Pre-award Costs) .......................................................16

Limitation on Use of Award Funds for Employee Compensation; Waiver...............................16

Prior Approval, Planning, and Reporting of Conference/Meeting/Training Costs ...................17

Costs Associated with Language Assistance (if applicable)...................................................17

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

D. Application and Submission Information ...............................................................................18

What an Application Should Include ......................................................................................18

How to Apply .........................................................................................................................38

E. Application Review Information.............................................................................................42

Review Criteria ......................................................................................................................42

Review Process.....................................................................................................................44

F. Federal Award Administration Information ............................................................................46

Federal Award Notices ..........................................................................................................46

Administrative, National Policy, and Other Legal Requirements ............................................47

General Information about Post-Federal Award Reporting Requirements..............................48

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s) ...................................................................................49

H. Other Information..................................................................................................................49

Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552 and 5 U.S.C. 552a) ....................49

Provide Feedback to OJP......................................................................................................49

Application Checklist .............................................................................................................51
4 

NIJ-2019-15387 

Research and Development in Forensic Science 

for Criminal Justice Purposes 

(CFDA no. 16.560) 

A. Program Description

Overview 

With this solicitation, NIJ seeks proposals for basic or applied research and development 

projects. An NIJ forensic science research and development grant supports a discrete, 

specified, circumscribed project that will: 1.) increase the body of knowledge to guide and inform 

forensic science policy and practice; or 2.) lead to the production of useful material(s), device(s), 

system(s), or method(s) that have the potential for forensic application. 

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

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

forensic science research toward the development of highly-discriminating, accurate, reliable, 

cost-effective, and rapid methods for the identification, analysis, and interpretation of physical 

evidence for criminal justice purposes. Projects should address the challenges and needs of the 

forensic science community, including, but not limited to, the operational needs discussed at 

NIJ’s FY 2019 Forensic Science TWG meeting, which may be found on NIJ.gov. Additional 

research needs of the forensic science community can be found at the Organization of Scientific 

Area Committees website. While the goals and deliverables of proposed projects are not 

required to result in immediate solutions to the posted challenges and needs, proposals should 

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

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

are to include a strong letter of support, signed by an appropriate decision-making authority 

from each proposed, partnering agency. A letter of support must include the partnering agency’s 

acknowledgement that de-identified data provided through this project will be archived at the 

conclusion of the award — for example, and as appropriate, in the National Archive of Criminal 

Justice Data (NACJD) — (please see Goals, Objectives, Deliverables, and Expected Scholarly 

Products section below). If selected for award, applicants will be expected to have a formal 

agreement in place with partnering agencies by January 1, 2020. That agreement must include 

provisions to meet the data archiving requirements of the award. In rare circumstances, for 

example, where law prohibits the archiving of agency data, NIJ may agree to a successful 

applicant creating and archiving an appropriate synthetic dataset. Those circumstances will be 

rare, decided by NIJ on a case-by-case basis, and will require extensive documentation and 

justification for exceptions to be made. 

Statutory Authority: Any awards under this solicitation would be made under statutory 

authority provided by a full-year appropriations act for FY 2019. As of the writing of this 

solicitation, the Department of Justice is operating under a short-term "Continuing Resolution"; 

no full-year appropriation for the Department has been enacted for FY 2019. 
5

NIJ-2019-15387

Program-Specific Information

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

development forensic science projects for criminal justice purposes. For the purposes of this 

solicitation, the following definitions apply:

 Forensic — Of, relating to, or used in legal proceedings or argumentation.2

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

theoretical explanation of natural phenomena.3

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

of the fundamental aspects of phenomena and of observable facts without specific 

applications towards processes or products in mind. Basic research may include 

activities with broad applications in mind.4 For the purposes of this solicitation, basic 

research must include activities with broad application to forensic sciences related to the 

criminal justice system.

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

to determine the means by which a recognized and specific need may be met.5 For the 

purposes of this solicitation, the specific need(s) being met must relate to the 

improvement of forensic science services for criminal justice purposes.

 Development — The systematic application of knowledge or understanding, directed 

toward the production of useful materials, devices, and systems or methods, including 

design, development, and improvement of prototypes and new processes to meet 

specific requirements.6 For the purposes of this solicitation, the development of forensic 

technologies and methods should assist in answering questions posed in criminal 

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

science services.

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

mission. Proposed projects should address the current technology challenges encountered by 

forensic scientists, by generating new knowledge or tools that will lead to better methods, move

the state-of-the-art forward, or otherwise resolve identified issues; so as to assist law 

enforcement, enhance public safety, prevent and reduce crime, and ensure fair and impartial 

administration of justice. While the goals and deliverables of proposed projects are not required 

to result in immediate solutions to the posted challenges and needs, proposals should, at a 

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

Proposals are expected to identify the focus areas (e.g., forensic science discipline(s)) 

intended to benefit from the project. The focus areas should be listed in the keywords on 

the title page. Some examples are listed below (where available, links have also been 

provided to sites containing additional information).

 

2 The definition of “forensic” is taken from Webster’s II New Riverside University Dictionary.

3 The definition of “science” is taken from Webster’s II New Riverside University Dictionary.

4 Definition is taken from: OMB Circular A–11, Preparation, Submission, and Execution of the Budget, Section 84—

Character Classification (Schedule C).

5

Ibid.

6

Ibid.
6 

NIJ-2019-15387 

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

https://www.nist.gov/topics/forensic-science/biologydna-scientific-area-committee).

 Forensic crime scene analysis (https://www.nist.gov/topics/forensic-science/crimescenedeath-investigation-scientific-area-committee, https://www.nist.gov/topics/forensicscience/crime-scene-investigation-subcommittee).

 Forensic anthropology and forensic odontology (https://www.nist.gov/topics/forensicscience/anthropology-subcommittee, https://www.nist.gov/topics/forensicscience/odontology-subcommittee).

 Bloodstain pattern analysis (http://www.swgstain.org,

https://www.nist.gov/topics/forensic-science/bloodstain-pattern-analysis-subcommittee).

 Controlled substances (http://www.swgdrug.org, https://www.nist.gov/topics/forensicscience/seized-drugs-subcommittee).

 Fire debris analysis and arson scene investigations (http://www.swgfex.com,

https://www.nist.gov/topics/forensic-science/fire-and-explosion-investigationsubcommittee, https://www.nist.gov/topics/forensic-science/fire-debris-and-explosivessubcommittee).

 Firearms and toolmark identification (https://www.nist.gov/topics/forensicscience/firearms-and-toolmarks-subcommittee).

 Latent print (http://www.swgfast.org, https://www.nist.gov/topics/forensic-science/frictionridge-subcommittee).

 Shoeprint/tire tread examination (https://treadforensics.com/,

https://www.nist.gov/topics/forensic-science/footwear-and-tire-subcommittee).

 Questioned documents (http://www.swgdoc.org, https://www.nist.gov/topics/forensicscience/forensic-document-examination-subcommittee).

 Trace evidence (http://www.asteetrace.org, https://www.nist.gov/topics/forensicscience/sac-chemistryinstrumental-analysis, https://www.nist.gov/topics/forensicscience/materials-trace-subcommittee).

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

 Medicolegal death investigations, including forensic pathology (http://www.swgmdi.org,

https://www.nist.gov/topics/forensic-science/crime-scenedeath-investigation-scientificarea-committee, https://www.nist.gov/topics/forensic-science/medicolegal-deathinvestigation-subcommittee).

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

accredited crime laboratories, and demonstrated abilities to produce scholarly products. See the 

next section on Goals, Objectives, Deliverables, and Expected Scholarly Products for more 

details. 
7

NIJ-2019-15387

Goals, Objectives, Deliverables, and Expected Scholarly Products

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

address more than one goal should be separated into discrete phases that clearly identify the 

goal to be addressed by each phase (additional information regarding the phasing of proposals 

can be found in Section B. Federal Award Information). Proposed projects should include goals 

that speak to specific forensic science needs and challenges which, if resolved, will aid the 

criminal justice community to enforce the law, enhance public safety, prevent and reduce crime, 

and ensure fair and impartial administration of justice. While some late-stage applied research 

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

research projects are not required to result in immediate solutions. However, these early-stage 

research projects should clearly explain how the proposed objectives, once achieved, will 

produce knowledge that contributes to eventual solutions.

 Fundamental/Basic Research Goal: Improve the understanding of the accuracy, reliability, 

and measurement validity of forensic science disciplines. Applicants may refer to 

Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward by the National 

Research Council of the National Academies to review historical material relevant to this 

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

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

designed to increase the knowledge underlying forensic science disciplines intended for

use in the criminal justice system. For the purposes of this objective, basic research 

studies proposed must include activities with broad application to forensic sciences 

related to the criminal justice system. Proposals should describe the anticipated impact 

of the study on one or more forensic science disciplines.

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

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

forensic evidence and the interpretation of that evidence. Studies may also examine 

various processes within forensic methods, from the initial acceptance and examination 

of evidence for its probative value and quality, to the final interpretation of forensic 

results, including assessment of error rate.

o Conduct research studies designed to further the understanding of quantifiable 

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

sources of uncertainty. Studies should seek to establish limits of reliability and accuracy 

that forensic methods can achieve with respect to varying conditions of forensic 

evidence.

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

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

friction ridge analysis or other impression and pattern evidence).

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

justice policy and practice related to the forensic sciences. To achieve this goal, projects 

should meet at least one of the following objectives: 

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

behavior. Examples include, but are not limited to, the study of fluid transfer and fluid 
8

NIJ-2019-15387

dynamics of certain biological fluids (e.g., blood) to increase understanding of patterns 

deposited at crime scenes; the examination of chemical properties of evidence for the 

purpose of identifying source materials; studies of the behavior of chemical compounds 

of forensic interest in biological systems; research to better understand aged, degraded, 

limited, damaged, inhibited, or otherwise compromised physical evidence (e.g., studies 

on the effect of environmental factors on physical evidence; studies to increase the 

overall understanding of the processes and mechanisms that result in the inability to 

obtain analytical results from evidence).

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

forensic sciences in criminal justice settings. The purpose of an evaluation must be to 

test a new, modified, or previously untested technology to determine whether it is 

effective for forensic science application. Proposals for evaluation studies should 

systematically use scientific methods to measure efficiency, implementation, and utility 

of the technology being evaluated. The primary intent of a proposed evaluation study 

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

literature. Furthermore, knowledge gained from an evaluation study should be applicable 

to sites other than the one(s) being evaluated. An evaluation study should result in a 

report suitable for publication and dissemination to guide criminal justice policy and/or 

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

contribute to generalizable knowledge that can be applied beyond a particular 

program/geography, and can inform other researchers, practitioners, and/or 

policymakers.

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

have the potential for forensic application for criminal justice purposes. For development 

projects, proposals should demonstrate potential for increased quality of result and/or 

decreased time/cost for forensic analyses as compared to current standard practices. In 

order to achieve this goal, projects should meet at least one of the following objectives:

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

limited to, the development of improved methods for detection and identification of 

evidence at crime scenes; the development of improved screening methods to help 

assess the probative value of physical evidence (i.e., onsite presumptive and/or 

confirmatory analysis of evidence); the development of improved means to remotely 

detect forensic evidence at a crime scene in order to overcome scene hazards and 

prevent evidence contamination; the development of nondestructive or minimally 

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

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

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

reproducibility, selectivity, and/or sensitivity of current methods used in crime 

laboratories for forensic analysis.

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

separation method must be successful on typical forensic samples (limited in yield, etc.) 

and must not reduce the efficiency of downstream forensic methods. Examples of 

mixtures include, but are not limited to, cells from different sources (e.g., sperm cells 

from female epithelial cells, epithelial cells from different sources), products of DNA 

processes (e.g., polymerase chain reaction [PCR] products in mixtures from two or more 

individuals), and trace materials.
9 

NIJ-2019-15387 

o Develop improved tools for examining aged, degraded, limited, damaged, inhibited, or

otherwise compromised physical evidence. Examples include, but are not limited to, the

development of tools to determine the condition of the evidence to assist crime

laboratory analysts in selecting the appropriate analytical approach, the development of

methods to repair damaged evidence (without compromising sample integrity) to

increase the likelihood of obtaining an analytical result, improvements to the methods for

detection and/or removal or remediation of substances that inhibit the success of

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

compromised evidence.

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

Examples include streamlined, portable, high-throughput, more informative, more

sensitive, less susceptible to inhibition, and other novel methods for analysis of physical

evidence for criminal justice purposes.

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

derived from physical evidence, including an assessment of the significance of

association. This may include development of databases (comprehensive, searchable,

easily accessible, secure databases for use in determining the statistical strength of

analytical results obtained from evidence found at crime scenes) and/or analyses that

provide quantitative measures and statistical evaluation of forensic evidence.

Final Research Report. Any recipient of an award under this solicitation will be expected to 

submit a final research report. Additional information on the final research report requirement for 

the solicitation is posted on the Post Award Reporting Requirements Page on NIJ’s website. 

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. 

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

information, including examples of previous workshops and evaluations, can be found through 

the following links: http://www.nij.gov/topics/forensics/lab-operations/Pages/workshops.aspx and 

http://www.forensiccoe.org.

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

associations foster a greater understanding of the issues unique to the field of forensic science, 

and may strengthen the scope of the proposed research plan. 

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

funded projects) can be found at: http://www.nij.gov/topics/forensics/pages/welcome.aspx. 
10

NIJ-2019-15387 

Priority Areas of Research Opportunities 

NIJ is interested in funding innovative research that aligns with Administration priorities.7

Proposals that advance the following national priorities may be given special consideration in 

award decisions. If submitting a research proposal that contributes to one of the following 

national priorities, the applicant should state this on the title page of the proposal.

 Supporting Innovative Early-Stage Research: NIJ continues to support basic and early-stage

research which has the potential to advance the forensic science disciplines. Due to the

increased uncertainty inherent in early-stage research, priority consideration may be given

to those basic or early-stage applied research proposals that partner with the private sector

for committed later-stage financing of commercial products or services, or demonstrate the

ability to create such partnerships.

 Maximizing Interagency Coordination: NIJ may give priority consideration to proposals which

are strengthened by other agency funding, and can leverage such inter-agency support to

yield greater impact than from solely NIJ-funded activities. Other agency funding may

include any federal research funding agency, or larger U.S. government research and

development initiatives such as the National Nanotechnology Initiative. If submitting a

proposal under the Maximizing Interagency Coordination priority area, applicants should

indicate if non-NIJ support is past, current, or pending funding agency decision, as well as

explain how such projects and activities will be managed to avoid duplicative efforts.

 Developing a Future-Focused Workforce: NIJ supports the improvement of technical training

of future forensic scientists through science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)

training through hands-on laboratory and research experience. NIJ encourages applicants to

include the employment of students in their research proposals. Priority consideration may

be given to projects that emphasize the participation of student researchers. Applications

submitted under this priority consideration area should include in their management plans

how students will be recruited, what laboratory/research activities they will perform, what

training/education they will receive through the research, and how their post-graduation/-

project activities will be tracked and reported to NIJ.

 Modernizing and Managing Research Infrastructure: NIJ continues to support growing the

research infrastructure in the public forensic science laboratories of the United States. NIJ

will give priority consideration to research proposals from state and local governments that

incorporate innovative partnership models involving other research agencies, the private

sector, and/or academia. Proposals to this priority area should focus on the production of

practical knowledge that will have a direct and immediate impact on laboratory processes

and/or policy related specifically to the examination and interpretation of physical evidence

in forensic science laboratories.

New Investigator Opportunities 

NIJ is interested in funding new investigators in forensic science research as it pertains to NIJ’s 

mission. Proposals whose principal investigator and any co-investigator(s) are defined as “new 

investigators” may, in appropriate circumstances, be given special consideration in award 

decisions. 

7 https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/whitehouse.gov/files/ostp/fy2019-administration-research-development-budgetpriorities.pdf. 
11

NIJ-2019-15387 

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

criteria below must be demonstrated. If submitting a proposal as a “new investigator”, the 

applicant should identify the principal investigator(s) and any co-investigators, as “new 

investigator(s)” on the title page of the proposal.

 The investigator must have received — no earlier than April 1, 2015 — an initial

appointment in the United States to a full-time junior faculty position8 at a university or to

an equivalent full-time staff scientist position in a research institution; hold such a fulltime appointment at the time of application submission; and must never have received

NIJ funding for a research project — other than a Graduate Research Fellowship

program grant; or

 The investigator must be an established researcher who has not successfully competed

for NIJ funding as a principal investigator, co-principal investigator, or collaborative

researcher in the past 10 years. The investigator must hold a full-time appointment in the

United States to a faculty position at a university or an equivalent position as a scientist

on the staff of a research institution at the time of application submission.

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

must meet the definition of “new investigator” in order for the application to be 

considered as one from a “new investigator.”

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. 

8

 Typically, the appropriate faculty rank is that of “Assistant Professor,” although some institutions may use a different 

title to designate junior faculty status. 
12

NIJ-2019-15387 

Objective Performance Measure(s) Data Recipient Provides

Conduct research in 

science, technology, 

engineering, and/or 

mathematics having 

clear implications for 

criminal justice policy 

and practice in the 

United States.

1. Relevance to the needs of the field as 

measured by whether the project’s 

substantive scope did not deviate from 

the funded project or any subsequent 

agency-approved modifications to the 

scope.

2. Quality of the research as demonstrated 

by the scholarly products that result in 

whole or in part from work funded under 

the NIJ award, such as published, peerreviewed, scientific journal articles, and/or 

(as appropriate for the funded project) law 

review journal articles, book chapter(s) or 

book(s) in the academic press, 

technological prototypes, patented

inventions, or similar scientific products.

3. Quality of management as measured by 

such factors as whether significant project 

milestones were achieved, reporting and 

other deadlines were met, and costs 

remained within approved limits.

4. If applicable, the number of technologies 

fielded as a result (in whole or in part) of 

work funded under the NIJ award.

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.

4. If applicable, description 

of all technologies fielded 

as a result (in whole or in 

part) of work funded 

under the NIJ award.

B. Federal Award Information 

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

of funds, the quality of the applications, and other pertinent factors. In FY 2018, NIJ provided 

approximately $24 million to fund research and development projects related to forensic 

science, including DNA. NIJ funding for an individual research or development project rarely 

exceeds $500,000 annually, although total funding for some projects requiring multiple years to 

complete has exceeded $1 million in previous years. In FY 2018, the average forensic science 

research and development award was approximately $230,000 per year. The average project 

period was two years. Information on previous years’ awards is provided for reference. 

Applicants should propose costs using calculations based on the specific activities proposed in 

the narratives. Costs estimates should be focused on maximizing the potential for success of 

the proposed project, rather than past averages.

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

requirements of the research, and not necessarily on the anticipated amount of funding 

available in FY 2019 for awards under this solicitation. However, to expedite the budget 

approval process, applicants are encouraged to break out their budgets by project year or by 

phases in the event that NIJ choses to fund the project partially or incrementally. 
13

NIJ-2019-15387 

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, 2020. 

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

with each phase resulting in completion of one or more significant, defined milestones, then NIJ 

strongly recommends that the applicant structure the application—specifically including the 

narrative, expected scholarly products, timelines/milestones, and budget detail worksheet and 

budget narrative—to clearly define each phase. (This is particularly the case if the applicant 

proposes a project that will exceed—in cost or the length of the period of performance—the 

amount or length of time anticipated for an individual award (or awards) under this solicitation.) 

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

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

would be productive. (If, in FY 2019, 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.) 

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 any award under this solicitation in the form of a grant. See Administrative, 

National Policy, and Other Legal Requirements, under Section F. Federal Award Administration 

Information, for a brief discussion of important statutes, regulations, and award conditions that 

apply to many (or in some cases, all) OJP grants. As stated in the Eligibility section of this 

solicitation, awards to federal agencies will be in the form of an interagency reimbursable 

agreement. 

However, on a case-by-case basis, NIJ may elect to make an award to non-federal recipients 

under this solicitation in the form of a cooperative agreement, which is a type of award that 

provides for OJP to have substantial involvement in carrying out of activities under the award. 

See Administrative, National Policy, and Other Legal Requirements, under Section F. Federal 

Award Administration Information, for a brief discussion of what may constitute substantial 

federal involvement. As discussed later in the solicitation, important rules (including limitations) 

apply to any conference/meeting/training costs under cooperative agreements. 

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 2018 Awards” in the OJP Funding Resource Center at 

https://ojp.gov/funding/index.htm. 
14

NIJ-2019-15387 

Financial Management and System of Internal Controls 

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

entities9

) must, as described in the Part 200 Uniform Requirements10 as set out at 2 C.F.R. 

200.303:

(a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that

provides reasonable assurance that [the recipient (and any subrecipient)] is

managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations,

and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls

should be in compliance with guidance in “Standards for Internal Control in the

Federal Government” issued by the Comptroller General of the United States and

the “Internal Control Integrated Framework”, issued by the Committee of

Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).

(b) Comply with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the

Federal awards.

(c) Evaluate and monitor [the recipient’s (and any subrecipient’s)] compliance with

statutes, regulations and the terms and conditions of Federal awards.

(d) Take prompt action when instances of noncompliance are identified including

noncompliance identified in audit findings.

(e) Take reasonable measures to safeguard protected personally identifiable

information and other information the Federal awarding agency or pass-through

entity designates as sensitive or [the recipient (or any subrecipient)] considers

sensitive consistent with applicable Federal, state, local, and tribal laws regarding

privacy and obligations of confidentiality.

To help ensure that applicants understand applicable administrative requirements and cost 

principles, OJP encourages prospective applicants to enroll, at no charge, in the DOJ Grants 

Financial Management Online Training, available at https://onlinegfmt.training.ojp.gov/. (This 

training is required for all OJP recipients.) 

Also, applicants should be aware that OJP collects information from applicants on their financial 

management and systems of internal controls (among other information) which is used to make 

award decisions. Under Section D. Application and Submission Information, applicants may 

access and review the OJP Financial Management and System of Internal Controls 

Questionnaire (https://ojp.gov/funding/Apply/Resources/FinancialCapability.pdf) that OJP 

requires all applicants (other than an individual applying in his/her personal capacity) to 

download, complete, and submit as part of the application. 

9 For purposes of this solicitation, the phrase “pass-through entity” includes any recipient or subrecipient that provides 

a subaward (“subgrant”) to carry out part of the funded award or program.

10 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. 
15

NIJ-2019-15387 

Budget Information 

What will not be funded: 

 Applications that are not responsive to this specific solicitation. This includes:

o Proposals that do not contain a research component or do not respond to the specific

goals of this solicitation.

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

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

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

evaluation, or analysis. Proposals that include equipment purchases should include a

discussion of how federally-funded equipment is proposed to be used after the funded work

has been completed and/or the project period has ended. Note that OJP may issue specific

equipment disposition instructions in appropriate circumstances.)

 Proposals primarily to provide training.

 Proposals that provide direct criminal/forensic laboratory services.

 Proposals in the area of digital evidence or digital forensics. Digital evidence includes

information stored or transmitted in binary form that may be relied on in court. It is typically

found on computer hard drives, mobile phones, personal digital assistants, CDs/DVDs, flash

memory equipment and other electronic devices. Digital evidence is commonly associated

with electronic crime (e.g., child pornography or credit card fraud); however, digital evidence

can also be used as forensic evidence in other types of crimes.

 Proposals that focus primarily on crimes directly related to nonhuman animals. (A project

may include nonhuman animals, if: (a.) they are necessary to conduct the proposed

research [e.g., the use of animals or other organisms for experimental modeling], or (b.) the

nonhuman biological components are analogous to the physical evidence that would be

examined in criminal investigations involving human suspects and victims.)

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

research design is not novel nor applicable across the geography of the United States. The

primary intent of these studies must be to generate new knowledge or contribute to the

knowledge in the forensic scientific literature that is applicable to locations other than the

one(s) being evaluated.

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

in victimization.

 Proposals that seek to administer surveys on the perceptions of physical evidence collection

policies among evidence examiners.

 Proposals that focus on legal factors involved in how physical evidence is processed.
16

NIJ-2019-15387 

 Proposals for social science research whose primary focus is not identification, collection,

testing and interpretation of physical evidence.

 Proposals focused on criminal psychology.

 Proposals involving the use of canines, (e.g. detector dogs).

 Proposals on voice authentication.

 Proposals on deception detection.

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

workshop, or any other organized and formal meeting, whether conducted face-to-face or

via the Internet, where individuals assemble (or meet virtually) to exchange information and

views or explore or clarify a defined subject, problem, or area of knowledge, whether or not

a published report results from such meeting. A meeting where a gathering discusses

general matters as part of a normal course of doing business is not considered a

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

research findings.

Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement 

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

an Application Should Include in Section D. Application and Submission Information. 

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

Pre-agreement costs are costs incurred by the applicant prior to the start date of the period of 

performance of the federal award. 

OJP does not typically approve pre-agreement costs; an applicant must request and obtain the 

prior written approval of OJP for all such costs. All such costs incurred prior to award and prior 

to approval of the costs are incurred at the sole risk of the applicant. (Generally, no applicant 

should incur project costs before submitting an application requesting federal funding for those 

costs.) Should there be extenuating circumstances that make it appropriate for OJP to consider 

approving pre-agreement costs, the applicant may contact the point of contact listed on the title 

page of this solicitation for the requirements concerning written requests for approval. If 

approved in advance by OJP, award funds may be used for pre-agreement costs, consistent 

with the recipient’s approved budget and applicable cost principles. See the section on “Costs 

Requiring Prior Approval” in the DOJ Grants Financial Guide at 

https://ojp.gov/financialguide/DOJ/index.htm for more information. 

Limitation on Use of Award Funds for Employee Compensation; Waiver 

With respect to any award of more than $250,000 made under this solicitation, a recipient may 

not use federal funds to pay total cash compensation (salary plus cash bonuses) to any 

employee of the recipient at a rate that exceeds 110 percent of the maximum annual salary 

payable to a member of the Federal Government’s Senior Executive Service (SES) at an 
17

NIJ-2019-15387 

agency with a Certified SES Performance Appraisal System for that year.11 The 2019 salary 

table for SES employees is available at the Office of Personnel Management website at 

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salarytables/19Tables/exec/html/ES.aspx. Note: A recipient may compensate an employee at a 

greater rate, provided the amount in excess of this compensation limitation is paid with nonfederal funds. (Non-federal funds used for any such additional compensation will not be 

considered matching funds, where match requirements apply.) If only a portion of an 

employee’s time is charged to an OJP award, the maximum allowable compensation is equal to 

the percentage of time worked times the maximum salary limitation. 

The Director of the National Institute of Justice may exercise discretion to waive, on an 

individual basis, this limitation on compensation rates allowable under an award. An applicant 

that requests a waiver should include a detailed justification in the budget narrative of its 

application. An applicant that does not submit a waiver request and justification with its 

application should anticipate that OJP will require the applicant to adjust and resubmit the 

budget. 

The justification should address, in the context of the work the individual would do under the 

award, the particular qualifications and expertise of the individual, the uniqueness of a service 

the individual will provide, the individual’s specific knowledge of the proposed program or 

project, and a statement that explains whether and how the individual’s salary under the award 

would be commensurate with the regular and customary rate for an individual with his/her 

qualifications and expertise, and for the work he/she would do under the award. 

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

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

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

application—the OJP policy and guidance on approval, planning, and reporting of such events, 

available at www.ojp.gov/financialguide/DOJ/PostawardRequirements/chapter3.10a.htm. OJP 

policy and guidance (1) encourage minimization of conference, meeting, and training costs; (2) 

require prior written approval (which may affect project timelines) of most conference, meeting, 

and training costs for cooperative agreement recipients and of some conference, meeting, and 

training costs for grant recipients; and (3) set cost limits, which include a general prohibition of 

all food and beverage costs. 

Costs Associated with Language Assistance (if applicable) 

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

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

or benefits for individuals with limited English proficiency may be allowable. Reasonable steps 

to provide meaningful access to services or benefits may include interpretation or translation 

services, where appropriate. 

For additional information, see the "Civil Rights Compliance" section under “Overview of Legal

Requirements Generally Applicable to OJP Grants and Cooperative Agreements – FY 2018

Awards” in the OJP Funding Resource Center at https://ojp.gov/funding/index.htm.

11 OJP does not apply this limitation on the use of award funds to the nonprofit organizations listed in Appendix VIII to 

2 C.F.R. Part 200. 
18

NIJ-2019-15387 

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 

This section describes in detail what an application should include. An applicant should 

anticipate that if it fails to submit an application that contains all of the specified elements, it may 

negatively affect the review of its application; and, should a decision be made to make an 

award, it may result in the inclusion of award conditions that preclude the recipient from 

accessing or using award funds until the recipient satisfies the conditions and OJP makes the 

funds available. 

Moreover, an applicant should anticipate that an application that OJP determines is

nonresponsive to the scope of the solicitation, or that OJP determines does not include the 

application elements that NIJ has designated to be critical, will neither proceed to peer review 

nor receive further consideration. For this solicitation, NIJ has designated the following 

application elements as critical: Program Narrative, Budget Detail Worksheet, 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.) 

NOTE: OJP has combined the Budget Detail Worksheet and Budget Narrative in a single 

document collectively referred to as the Budget Detail Worksheet. See “Budget Information and 

Associated Documentation” below for more information about the Budget Detail Worksheet and 

where it can be accessed. 

OJP strongly recommends that applicants use appropriately descriptive file names (e.g., 

“Program Narrative,” “Budget Detail Worksheet,” “Timelines,” “Memoranda of Understanding,” 

“Resumes”) for all attachments. Also, OJP recommends that applicants include resumes in a 

single file. 

Please review the “Note on File Names and File Types” under How to Apply to be sure 

applications are submitted in permitted formats. 

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

The SF-424 is a required standard form used as a cover sheet for submission of preapplications, applications, and related information. Grants.gov and OJP’s Grants

Management System (GMS) take information from the applicant’s profile to populate the

fields on this form. When selecting "type of applicant," if the applicant is a for-profit entity,

select "For-Profit Organization" or "Small Business" (as applicable).

To avoid processing delays, an applicant must include an accurate legal name on its SF424. On the SF-424, current OJP award recipients, when completing the field for “Legal

Name” (box 8a), should use the same legal name that appears on the prior year award
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NIJ-2019-15387 

document (which is also the legal name stored in OJP’s financial system.) Also, current 

recipients should enter the Employer Identification Number (EIN) in box 8b exactly as it 

appears on the prior year award document. An applicant with a current, active award(s) 

must ensure that its GMS profile is current. If the profile is not current, the applicant should 

submit a Grant Adjustment Notice updating the information on its GMS profile prior to 

applying under this solicitation. 

A new applicant entity should enter its official legal name in box 8a, its address in box 8d, its 

EIN in box 8b, and its Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number in box 8c of the 

SF-424. A new applicant entity should attach official legal documents to the application (e.g., 

articles of incorporation, 501(c)(3) status documentation, organizational letterhead) to 

confirm the legal name, address, and EIN entered into the SF-424. OJP will use the System 

for Award Management (SAM) to confirm the legal name and DUNS number entered in the 

SF-424; therefore, an applicant should ensure that the information entered in the SF-424 

matches its current registration in SAM. See the How to Apply section for more information 

on SAM and DUNS numbers. 

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.”)

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 250-400 words. Project abstracts not submitted in the template below 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 the form’s standard 12-point 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 at www.nij.gov/funding/documents/nij-project-abstract-template.pdf.

3. Program Narrative

The program narrative section of the application should not exceed 18 single-spaced pages

in 12-point font with 1-inch margins, of which a minimum of nine (9) pages should be

dedicated to Project Design and Implementation. If included in the main body of the program

narrative, tables, charts, figures, and other illustrations count toward the 18-page limit for the

narrative section. The project abstract, table of contents, appendices, and government forms

do not count toward the 18-page limit.
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NIJ-2019-15387 

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

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

The following sections should be included as part of the program narrative.12

Program Narrative Guidelines: 

a. Title Page (not counted against the 18-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. Additional information such as key words, including 

forensic science focus areas, and requests for consideration under “new 

investigator” and/or “priority areas of research” areas, should also be included on 

the title page. 

b. Resubmit Response (if applicable) (not counted against the 18-page program

narrative limit).

If an applicant is resubmitting an application presented previously to NIJ, but not 

funded, the applicant should indicate this. A statement should be provided, no 

more than two pages, addressing: (1) the title, submission date, and NIJassigned application number of the previous application, and (2) a brief summary 

of revisions to the application, including responses to previous feedback received 

from NIJ. See additional information regarding revision applications under Project 

Design and Implementation section below. 

c. Table of Contents and Figures (not counted against the 18-page program narrative

limit).

d. Main Body

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

depth. 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. It is not

uncommon for multiple problems to exist simultaneously (for example, there may

be a criminal justice problem affecting public safety, a current technical

12 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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NIJ-2019-15387 

challenge/need identified by forensic practitioners, as well as a 

scientific/technology gap between the current state of the art and a desired 

solution) and applicants should discuss each of these clearly and justify the 

importance of the separate issues. As part of this discussion, applicants should 

present a review of previous literature and discuss previous research related to 

these problems. 

This section should also identify the proposed research questions and introduce 

the purpose, goals, and objectives of the proposed project. 

The Statement of the Problem and Research Questions section should do the 

following: 

o Explain the importance of the problem or critical barrier to progress in the

field that the proposed project addresses.

o Explain the criminal justice significance of the problem.

o Describe the scientific premise for the proposed project, including

consideration of the strengths and weaknesses of published research or

preliminary data crucial to the support of your application.

o Describe the current state of the art and technologies, both in practice and in

past/current research, directed at the described problem. If this request is a

direct follow-up of an earlier study, describe those results.

o Explain how the proposed project will improve scientific knowledge, technical

capability, and/or forensic practice. Describe how concepts, methods,

technologies, or services that drive the forensic science field will be changed

if the proposed aims are achieved.

o Include a review of relevant literature.

 Project Design and Implementation. (This section should account for a minimum

of nine (9) pages of the main body of the narrative.) Applicants should provide a

detailed description of the strategies to implement this research project and

address the research questions. Design elements should follow directly from the

research project’s goals and objectives and address the program-specific

information noted under Error! Reference source not found.. Applicants should

escribe 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.

The Project Design and Implementation section should include the following:

o Describe the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses to be used to

accomplish the specific aims of the project. Describe the experimental design

and methods proposed and how they will achieve robust and unbiased
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NIJ-2019-15387 

results. Include how the data will be collected, analyzed, and interpreted as 

well as any data archiving plans, as appropriate. 

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

clearly describe the study population. Include detailed information about how 

subjects were or will be identified and sampled and the method(s) of 

characterization. For case-control studies, provide inclusion and exclusion 

criteria and any matching done between cases and controls. Describe 

relevant environmental factors and how they were measured. If the subjects 

provided for this study are a subset of a family population, explain which 

individuals were included and how they were selected. Highlight special 

features of the study population that would enhance success. 

o Sample information: In table form, provide: sample description such as 

case/control status and/or collection site; number of samples included in the 

study; subsample source (e.g., tissue source of the DNA). If data from other 

subjects will be included in the analysis, add row(s) to describe those 

samples. Three examples are provided here: 

Sample Set Target no. of SamplesSource Service Previous Service

Known controls 500 Buccal Targeted sequencing STR base genotyping

Forensic samples 500 Buccal Targeted sequencing STR base genotyping

Sample 

Set

Target no. of 

Samples

Source Subsample Set Service

Crania 300 Modern 

Donated

Collection

300 individuals of known 

Hispanic Ancestry; 150 Male, 

150 Female

Morphometric sex

stimation

Pelvis 300 Modern 

Donated

Collection

300 individuals of known 

Hispanic Ancestry; 150 Male, 

150 Female

Morphometric sex

estimation

Subject Description Target no. of Samples Collection Site

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

Controls – subjects donating hair for wigs 100 Scalp, cut (not plucked)

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

relevant information (e.g., the extraction methods used for each DNA source 

and the approximate DNA concentrations). Describe previous analyses done 

on these subjects. 

o Power and effect size: Use power analyses to describe the range of effect 

sizes detectable by the study. Address relevant features of the analytic plan, 

such as the model(s) to be tested, the extent of multiple testing, and what 

significance level would be used for testing. Include all appropriate 

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

provide power analyses for each category. If there is a plan to test for 

environment effects, address the power for detection of these effects. 
23

NIJ-2019-15387 

o Data analyses: Provide a thorough plan for data analyses. Include: analytical

approaches to be used and their justification; plans for quality control

analyses; methods to control for possible confounding effects; how false

positive rates will be controlled in light of multiple testing; etc. If there is a plan

to analyze the data obtained with earlier data, or to perform comparisons to

determine success, describe your strategy for that process.

o Describe the role of each team member in the analysis process, and

summarize the team's experience with the approaches proposed.

o Discuss potential problems, alternative strategies, and benchmarks for

success anticipated to achieve the aims.

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

establish feasibility, and address the management of any high risk aspects of

the proposed work.

o Explain how relevant variables are factored into research designs and

analyses.

o Data management: Describe the institutional computing resources available

for this study, the type of database that will be used (if applicable), and how

the data will be managed. Highlight the team's experience with management

of data sets (especially those similar to the proposed project). Also describe

strategies for data sustainability beyond the proposed funded work.

 Preliminary Data: For new lines of research, include preliminary results, if

available. Discuss the PI’s preliminary studies, data, and or experience

pertinent to this application. Preliminary data can be an essential part of a

research grant application, and help to establish the likelihood of success

of the proposed project. New Investigators should include preliminary

data.

 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 Potential Impact section should do the following:

o Explain the criminal justice significance of the proposed study.

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

forensic practice paradigms.

o Describe any novel theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies,

instrumentation, or interventions to be developed or used, and any advantage

over existing methodologies, instrumentation, or inventions.

o Explain any refinements, improvements, or new applications of theoretical

concepts, approaches or methodologies, or instrumentation.
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NIJ-2019-15387 

o Describe planned scholarly products (See Goals, Objectives, Deliverables, 

and Expected Scholarly Products for a discussion of expected scholarly 

products.) 

o Describe implications for criminal justice policy and practice in the United 

States. 

o Describe the plan for dissemination to appropriate audiences. Applicants 

should also identify plans to broader interested practitioners and policy 

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

 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 implementing projects of similar scope, design, and magnitude. 

Applicants should address: 

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. 

The Capabilities/Competencies section should include the following: 

o Facilities and other resources: Describe how the scientific environment in 

which the research will be done contributes to the probability of success (e.g., 

institutional support, physical resources, and intellectual rapport). In 

describing the scientific environment in which the work will be done, discuss 

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

scientific environment or subject populations or will employ useful 

collaborative arrangements. If there are multiple performance sites, describe 

the resources available at each site. 

o Equipment: List major items of equipment already available for this project 

and, if appropriate identify location and pertinent capabilities. 

o Senior/key personnel profile: Describe each senior/key personnel’s role in the 

project, and why the individual is well-suited for that role. The relevant factors 

may include: aspects of past training; previous experimental work on this 

specific topic or related topics; technical expertise; collaborators or scientific 

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

personnel are defined as all individuals who contribute in a substantive, 

meaningful way to the scientific development or execution of the project, 
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NIJ-2019-15387 

whether or not salaries are requested. Consultants should be included if they 

meet this definition. 

 Principal investigator (PI) profile should be listed first.

 The remaining senior/key personnel profiles should be listed in

alphabetical order. While alphabetical order is preferred, it is not required.

However, be aware that these profiles will appear in the application in the

order provided by the applicant. Therefore, peer reviewers will see them

in the order presented. Those with a postdoctoral role should be included

if they meet the definition of senior/key personnel.

 Other significant contributors (OSCs): OSCs are those individuals who

commit to contribute to the scientific development or execution of the

project, but do not commit any specified measurable effort (i.e., person

months) to the project. These individuals are typically presented at effort

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

effort may not be listed as OSCs. Consultants should be included if they

meet the OSC definition. OSCs should be listed after all senior/key

persons.

e. Appendices (not counted against the 18-page program narrative limit) include:

 Bibliography/references. Provide a bibliography of any references cited in the

Project Narrative. Each reference must include the names of all authors (in the

same sequence in which they appear in the publication), the article and journal

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

only bibliographic citations. While there is not a page limitation, it is important to

be concise, and to select only those literature references pertinent to the

proposed research. Attach this information as a separate PDF file titled

“Bibliography and References Cited.”

 Any tools/instruments, questionnaires, tables/charts/graphs, or maps pertaining

to the proposed project that are supplemental to such items included in the main

body of the narrative. (Tables, charts, graphs, or other relevant illustrations that

are essential for comprehension of the project/program design should be

included in the main body of the narrative.)

 Curriculum vitae, resumes or biosketches of senior/key personnel. For the

purposes of this solicitation, “senior/key personnel” means the principal

investigator, any and all co-principal investigators, and other significant

contributors. Reviewers use these pages in part to address the

“Capabilities/Competencies” selection criterion. Attach this information as a

separate PDF file titled “CVs of Key Personnel.” In addition, curriculum vitae,

resumes, 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 should be provided).
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NIJ-2019-15387 

 Documentation of “new investigator” status, if applicable. 

 Progress report for renewal and revision applications, if applicable. For 

renewal/revision applications, provide a progress report. Provide the beginning 

and ending dates for the period covered since the last competitive review. 

Summarize the specific aims of the previous project period and the importance of 

the findings, and emphasize the progress made toward their achievement. 

Explain any significant changes to the specific aims and any new directions, 

including changes to the specific aims resulting from significant budget 

reductions. For any studies meeting the NIJ definition for research involving 

human subjects (http://www.nij.gov/funding/humansubjects/pages/welcome.aspx), 

discuss previous participant enrollment (e.g., recruitment, retention, inclusion of 

women, minorities, children, etc.) as part of the progress report, particularly if 

relevant to studies proposed in the renewal or revision application. If applicable, 

Reviewers use these pages in part to address the “Project Design and 

Implementation” selection criterion. Attach this information as a separate PDF file 

titled “Progress Report for Renewal”.

 Progress report publication list (renewal applications only). List the titles and 

complete references to all appropriate publications, manuscripts accepted for 

publication, patents, and other printed materials that have resulted from the 

project since it was last reviewed competitively. This list should be included with 

the “Progress Report for Renewal” PDF file attachment noted above.

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

leadership plan must be included. For applications designating multiple PIs, all 

such individuals must be assigned the PI role on the Senior/Key Personnel 

Profile form, even those at organizations other than the applicant organization. A 

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

governance and organizational structure of the leadership team and the research 

project should be described, including communication plans, process for making 

decisions on scientific direction, and procedures for resolving conflicts. The roles 

and administrative, technical, and scientific responsibilities for the project or 

program should be delineated for the PIs and other collaborators. Do not submit 

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

use these pages in part to address the “Capabilities/Competencies” selection 

criterion. Attach this information as a separate PDF file titled “Multiple PI 

Leadership Plan.”

 Consortium/contractual arrangements. Explain the programmatic, fiscal, and 

administrative arrangements to be made between the applicant organization and 

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

significant portion of the overall project, explain why the applicant organization, 

rather than the ultimate performer of the activities, should be the grantee. 

Reviewers use these pages in part to address the “Project Design and 

Implementation” selection criterion. Attach this information as a separate PDF file 

titled “Consortium/Contractual Arrangements”

 Letters of support. Attach all appropriate letters of support, including any letters 

necessary to demonstrate the support of consortium participants and 
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NIJ-2019-15387 

collaborators such as senior/key personnel and other significant contributors 

included in the grant application. Letters are not required for personnel (such as 

research assistants) not contributing in a substantive, measurable way to the 

scientific development or execution of the project. Letters should stipulate 

expectations for co-authorship, and whether samples, data, or other resources 

promised in the letter are freely available to other investigators in the scientific 

community or will be provided to the particular investigators only. For 

consultants, letters should include rate/charge for consulting services and level of 

effort/number of hours per year anticipated. In addition, letters ensuring access to 

core facilities and resources should stipulate whether access will be provided as 

a fee-for-service. Combine and attach this information as one separate PDF file 

titled “Letters of Support”.

 Data archiving plan(s). NIJ considers the archiving and sharing of unique

research resources developed through NIJ-sponsored research an important

means to enhance the value and further the advancement of the research. When

resources have been developed with NIJ funds and the associated research

findings published or provided to NIJ, it is important that they be made readily

available for research purposes to qualified individuals within the scientific

community. Applications should include as an appendix a brief plan about

proposed data management and archiving, including submission to NIJ 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. Attach this information as a

separate PDF file titled “Data Archiving Plan(s).”

 List of proposed project staff, affiliation, and roles. 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 (such as advisory board members). This appendix to the

program narrative is to include, for each listed 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 at

https://www.nij.gov/funding/documents/nij-project-staff-template.xlsx to provide

this list. 
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NIJ-2019-15387 

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 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

nij.gov/funding/humansubjects/Pages/welcome.aspx). Note: Final IRB approval 

is not required at the time an application is submitted. 

 Privacy Certificate (for further guidance go to 

nij.gov/funding/humansubjects/pages/confidentiality.aspx). 

 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://www.nij.gov/funding/Pages/research-participant-costs-andincentives.aspx. 

4. Budget and Associated Documentation 

The Budget Detail Worksheet and the Budget Narrative are now combined in a single 

document collectively referred to as the Budget Detail Worksheet. The Budget Detail 

Worksheet is a user-friendly, fillable, Microsoft Excel-based document designed to calculate 

totals. Additionally, the Excel workbook contains worksheets for multiple budget years that 

can be completed as necessary. All applicants should use the Excel version when 

completing the proposed budget in an application, except in cases where the 

applicant does not have access to Microsoft Excel or experiences technical 

difficulties. If an applicant does not have access to Microsoft Excel or experiences 

technical difficulties with the Excel version, then the applicant should use the 508-compliant 

accessible Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) version. 
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NIJ-2019-15387 

Both versions of the Budget Detail Worksheet can be accessed at 

https://ojp.gov/funding/Apply/Forms/BudgetDetailWorksheet.htm.

a. Budget Detail Worksheet

The Budget Detail Worksheet should provide the detailed computation for each budget

line item, listing the total cost of each and showing how it was calculated by the

applicant. For example, costs for personnel should show the annual salary rate and the

percentage of time devoted to the project for each employee paid with grant funds. The

Budget Detail Worksheet should present a complete itemization of all proposed costs.

For questions pertaining to budget and examples of allowable and unallowable costs,

see the DOJ Grants Financial Guide at https://ojp.gov/financialguide/DOJ/index.htm.

b. Budget Narrative

The budget narrative should thoroughly and clearly describe every category of expense

listed in the Budget Detail Worksheet. OJP expects proposed budgets to be complete,

cost effective, and allowable (e.g., reasonable, allocable, and necessary for project

activities).

An applicant should demonstrate in its budget narrative how it will maximize cost

effectiveness of award expenditures. Budget narratives should generally describe cost

effectiveness in relation to potential alternatives and the goals of the project. For

example, a budget narrative should detail why planned in-person meetings are

necessary, or how technology and collaboration with outside organizations could be

used to reduce costs, without compromising quality.

The budget narrative should be mathematically sound and correspond clearly with the

information and figures provided in the Budget Detail Worksheet. The narrative should

explain how the applicant estimated and calculated all costs, and how those costs are

necessary to the completion of the proposed project. The narrative may include tables

for clarification purposes, but need not be in a spreadsheet format. As with the Budget

Detail Worksheet, the budget narrative should describe costs by year.

c. 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.
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NIJ-2019-15387 

d. Information on Proposed Subawards (if any), as well as on Proposed Procurement

Contracts (if any)

Applicants for OJP awards typically may propose to make subawards. Applicants also 

may propose to enter into procurement contracts under the award. 

Whether an action – for federal grants administrative purposes – is a subaward or 

procurement contract is a critical distinction as significantly different rules apply to 

subawards and procurement contracts. If a recipient enters into an agreement that is a 

subaward of an OJP award, specific rules apply – many of which are set by federal 

statutes and DOJ regulations; others by award conditions. These rules place particular 

responsibilities on an OJP recipient for any subawards the OJP recipient may make. The 

rules determine much of what the written subaward agreement itself must require or 

provide. The rules also determine much of what an OJP recipient must do both before 

and after it makes a subaward. If a recipient enters into an agreement that is a 

procurement contract under an OJP award, a substantially different set of federal rules 

applies. 

OJP has developed the following guidance documents to help clarify the differences 

between subawards and procurement contracts under an OJP award and outline the 

compliance and reporting requirements for each. This information can be accessed 

online at https://ojp.gov/training/training.htm. 

 Subawards under OJP Awards and Procurement Contracts under Awards: A

Toolkit for OJP Recipients.

 Checklist to Determine Subrecipient or Contractor Classification.

 Sole Source Justification Fact Sheet and Sole Source Review Checklist.

In general, the central question is the relationship between what the third-party will do 

under its agreement with the recipient and what the recipient has committed (to OJP) to 

do under its award to further a public purpose (e.g., services the recipient will provide, 

products it will develop or modify, research or evaluation it will conduct). If a third party 

will provide some of the services the recipient has committed (to OJP) to provide, will 

develop or modify all or part of a product the recipient has committed (to OJP) to 

develop or modify, or will conduct part of the research or evaluation the recipient has 

committed (to OJP) to conduct, OJP will consider the agreement with the third party a 

subaward for purposes of federal grants administrative requirements. 

This will be true even if the recipient, for internal or other non-federal purposes, labels or 

treats its agreement as a procurement, a contract, or a procurement contract. Neither 

the title nor the structure of an agreement determines whether the agreement -- for 

purposes of federal grants administrative requirements -- is a subaward or is instead a 

procurement contract under an award. The substance of the relationship should be given 

greater consideration than the form of agreement between the recipient and the outside 

entity. 
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NIJ-2019-15387 

1. Information on proposed subawards

A recipient of an OJP award may not make subawards ("subgrants") unless the 

recipient has specific federal authorization to do so. Unless an applicable statute or 

DOJ regulation specifically authorizes (or requires) subawards, a recipient must have 

authorization from OJP before it may make a subaward. 

A particular subaward may be authorized by OJP because the recipient included a 

sufficiently-detailed description and justification of the proposed subaward in the 

Program Narrative, Budget Detail Worksheet, and Budget Narrative as approved by 

OJP. If, however, a particular subaward is not authorized by federal statute or 

regulation, and is not approved by OJP, the recipient will be required, post-award, to 

request and obtain written authorization from OJP before it may make the subaward. 

If an applicant proposes to make one or more subawards to carry out the federal 

award and program, the applicant should-- (1) identify (if known) the proposed 

subrecipient(s), (2) describe in detail what each subrecipient will do to carry out the 

federal award and federal program, and (3) provide a justification for the 

subaward(s), with details on pertinent matters such as special qualifications and 

areas of expertise. Pertinent information on subawards should appear not only in the 

Program Narrative, but also in the Budget Detail Worksheet and Budget Narrative. 

2. Information on proposed procurement contracts (with specific justification for

proposed noncompetitive contracts over $250,000)

Unlike a recipient contemplating a subaward, a recipient of an OJP award generally 

does not need specific prior federal authorization to enter into an agreement that --

for purposes of federal grants administrative requirements -- is considered a 

procurement contract, provided that (1) the recipient uses its own documented 

procurement procedures and (2) those procedures conform to applicable federal law, 

including the Procurement Standards of the (DOJ) Part 200 Uniform Requirements 

(as set out at 2 C.F.R. 200.317 - 200.326). The Budget Detail Worksheet and Budget 

Narrative should identify proposed procurement contracts. (As discussed above, 

subawards must be identified and described separately from procurement contracts.) 

The Procurement Standards in the Part 200 Uniform Requirements, however, reflect 

a general expectation that agreements that (for purposes of federal grants 

administrative requirements) constitute procurement “contracts” under awards will be 

entered into on the basis of full and open competition. All noncompetitive (sole 

source) procurement contracts must meet the OJP requirements outlined at 

https://ojp.gov/training/subawards-procurement.htm. If a proposed procurement 

contract would exceed the simplified acquisition threshold -- currently, $250,000 -- a 

recipient of an OJP award may not proceed without competition unless and until the 

recipient receives specific advance authorization from OJP to use a non-competitive 

approach for the procurement. An applicant that (at the time of its application) 

intends – without competition – to enter into a procurement contract that would 

exceed $250,000 should include a detailed justification that explains to OJP why, in 

the particular circumstances, it is appropriate to proceed without competition. 

If the applicant receives an award, sole source procurements that do not exceed the 

Simplified Acquisition Threshold (currently $250,000) must have written justification 
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NIJ-2019-15387 

for the noncompetitive procurement action maintained in the procurement file. If a 

procurement file does not have the documentation that meets the criteria outlined in 

2 C.F.R. 200, the procurement expenditures may not be allowable. Sole source 

procurement over the $250,000 Simplified Acquisition Threshold must have prior 

approval from OJP using a Sole Source Grant Adjustment Notice (GAN). Written 

documentation justifying the noncompetitive procurement must be submitted with the 

GAN and maintained in the procurement file. 

e. Pre-Agreement Costs

For information on preagreement costs, see Section B. Federal Award Information.

5. Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable)

Indirect costs may be charged to an award only if:

(a) The recipient has a current (unexpired), federally approved indirect cost rate; or

(b) The recipient is eligible to use, and elects to use, the “de minimis” indirect cost rate

described in the Part 200 Uniform Requirements, as set out at 2 C.F.R. 200.414(f).

An applicant with a current (unexpired) federally-approved indirect cost rate is to attach a 

copy of the indirect cost rate agreement to the application. An applicant that does not have a 

current federally-approved rate may request one through its cognizant federal agency, which 

will review all documentation and approve a rate for the applicant entity, or, if the applicant’s 

accounting system permits, applicants may propose to allocate costs in the direct cost 

categories. 

For assistance with identifying the appropriate cognizant federal agency for indirect costs, 

please contact the Office of the Chief Financial Officer Customer Service Center at 1-800-

458-0786 or at ask.ocfo@usdoj.gov. If DOJ is the cognizant federal agency, an applicant

may obtain information needed to submit an indirect cost rate proposal at

https://www.ojp.gov/funding/Apply/Resources/IndirectCosts.pdf.

Certain OJP recipients have the option of electing to use the “de minimis” indirect cost rate. 

An applicant that is eligible to use the “de minimis” rate that wishes to use the "de minimis" 

rate should attach written documentation to the application that advises OJP of both-- (1) the 

applicant’s eligibility to use the “de minimis” rate, and (2) its election to do so. If an eligible 

applicant elects the “de minimis” rate, costs must be consistently charged as either indirect 

or direct costs, but may not be double charged or inconsistently charged as both. The "de 

minimis" rate may no longer be used once an approved federally-negotiated indirect cost 

rate is in place. (No entity that ever has had a federally-approved negotiated indirect cost 

rate is eligible to use the "de minimis" rate.) For the “de minimis” rate requirements 

(including information on eligibility to elect to use the rate), see the Part 200 Uniform 

Requirements, at 2 C.F.R. 200.414(f). 

6. Tribal Authorizing Resolution (if applicable)

A tribe, tribal organization, or third party that proposes to provide direct services or

assistance to residents on tribal lands should include in its application a resolution, letter,

affidavit, or other documentation, as appropriate, that demonstrates (as a legal matter) that
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NIJ-2019-15387 

the applicant has the requisite authorization from the tribe(s) to implement the proposed 

project on tribal lands. In those instances when an organization or consortium of tribes 

applies for an award on behalf of a tribe or multiple specific tribes, the application should 

include appropriate legal documentation, as described above, from all tribes that would 

receive services or assistance under the award. A consortium of tribes for which existing 

consortium bylaws allow action without support from all tribes in the consortium (i.e., without 

an authorizing resolution or comparable legal documentation from each tribal governing 

body) may submit, instead, a copy of its consortium bylaws with the application. 

7. Financial Management and System of Internal Controls Questionnaire (including

applicant disclosure of high-risk status)

Every OJP applicant (other than an individual applying in his or her personal capacity) is

required to download, complete, and submit the OJP Financial Management and System of

Internal Controls Questionnaire (Questionnaire) at

https://ojp.gov/funding/Apply/Resources/FinancialCapability.pdf as part of its application.

The Questionnaire helps OJP assess the financial management and internal control

systems, and the associated potential risks of an applicant as part of the pre-award risk

assessment process.

The Questionnaire should only be completed by financial staff most familiar with the

applicant's systems, policies, and procedures in order to ensure that the correct responses

are recorded and submitted to OJP. The responses on the Questionnaire directly impact the

pre-award risk assessment and should accurately reflect the applicant’s financial

management and internal control system at the time of the application. The pre-award risk

assessment is only one of multiple factors and criteria used in determining funding.

However, a pre-award risk assessment that indicates that an applicant poses a higher risk to

OJP may affect the funding decision and/or result in additional reporting requirements,

monitoring, special conditions, withholding of award funds, or other additional award

requirements.

Among other things, the form requires each applicant to disclose whether it currently is

designated “high risk” by a federal grant-making agency outside of DOJ. For purposes of

this disclosure, high risk includes any status under which a federal awarding agency

provides additional oversight due to the applicant’s past performance, or other programmatic

or financial concerns with the applicant. If an applicant is designated high risk by another

federal awarding agency, the applicant must provide the following information:

 The federal awarding agency that currently designates the applicant high-risk.

 The date the applicant was designated high-risk.

 The high-risk point of contact at that federal awarding agency (name, phone number,

and email address).

 The reasons for the high-risk status, as set out by the federal awarding agency.

OJP seeks this information to help ensure appropriate federal oversight of OJP awards. An 

applicant that is considered “high-risk” by another federal awarding agency is not 

automatically disqualified from receiving an OJP award. OJP may, however, consider the 
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NIJ-2019-15387 

information in award decisions, and may impose additional OJP oversight of any award 

under this solicitation (including through the conditions that accompany the award 

document). 

8. Disclosure of Lobbying Activities

Each applicant must complete and submit this information. An applicant that expends any

funds for lobbying activities is to provide all of the information requested on the form

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL) posted at

https://ojp.gov/funding/Apply/Resources/Disclosure.pdf. An applicant that does not expend

any funds for lobbying activities is to enter “N/A” in the text boxes for item 10 (“a. Name and

Address of Lobbying Registrant” and “b. Individuals Performing Services”).

9. Additional Attachments

a. Potential Environmental Impact Coversheet and Checklist

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

application to assist NIJ in assessing the potential environmental impacts of the activities

proposed for funding by the applicant. Specifically, the applicant is expected to:

• Carefully read the Programmatic Environmental Assessment;

• Complete the Cover Sheet and the attached the Programmatic Checklist; and

• Attach the completed documents to the grant application.

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

any organization identified in the Budget Detail Worksheet that will receive grant funds 

through a sub-award or procurement contract to perform any of the following activities: 

new construction or renovations that change the basic prior use of a facility or 

significantly change the size; research and/or technology development that could be 

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

involving the use of chemicals. 

b. Applicant disclosure of pending applications13

Each applicant is to disclose whether it has (or is proposed as a subrecipient under) any

pending applications for federally-funded grants or cooperative agreements that (1)

include requests for funding to support the same project being proposed in the

application under this solicitation, and (2) would cover the identical cost items outlined in

the budget submitted to OJP under this solicitation. The applicant is to disclose both

applications made directly to federal awarding agencies, and also applications for

subawards of federal funds (e.g., applications to State agencies that will subaward

(“subgrant”) federal funds).

13 Typically, the applicant is not the principal investigator. Rather, the applicant, most frequently, is the institution, 

organization, or company in which the principal investigator is employed. 
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NIJ-2019-15387 

OJP seeks this information to help avoid inappropriate duplication of funding. Leveraging 

multiple funding sources in a complementary manner to implement comprehensive 

programs or projects is encouraged and is not seen as inappropriate duplication. 

Each applicant that has one or more pending applications as described above is to 

provide the following information about pending applications submitted within the last 12 

months: 

 The federal or State funding agency.

 The solicitation name/project name.

 The point of contact information at the applicable federal or State funding

agency.

SAMPLE

Federal or State 

Funding Agency 

Solicitation 

Name/Project 

Name

Name/Phone/E-mail for Point of Contact 

at Federal or State Funding Agency

DOJ/Office of 

Community Oriented 

Policing Services 

(COPS Office)

COPS Hiring 

Program

Jane Doe, 202/000-0000; 

jane.doe@usdoj.gov

Health and Human 

Services/ Substance 

Abuse and Mental 

Health Services 

Administration

Drug-Free 

Communities 

Mentoring 

Program/North 

County Youth 

Mentoring 

Program

John Doe, 202/000-0000; john.doe@hhs.gov

Each applicant should include the table as a separate attachment to its application. The 

file should be named “Disclosure of Pending Applications.” The applicant’s Legal Name 

on the application must match the entity named on the disclosure of pending 

applications statement. 

Any applicant that does not have any pending applications as described above is to

submit, as a separate attachment, a statement to this effect: “[Applicant Name on SF424] does not have (and is not proposed as a subrecipient under) any pending

applications submitted within the last 12 months for federally-funded grants or

cooperative agreements or for subawards under federal grants or cooperative

agreements that request funding to support the same project being proposed in this

application to OJP and that would cover the identical cost items outlined in the budget

submitted as part of this application.”
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NIJ-2019-15387 

c. Applicant Disclosure and Justification – DOJ High Risk Grantees14 (if applicable)

An applicant that is designated as a DOJ High Risk Grantee is to submit , as a 

separate attachment to its application, information that OJP will use, among other 

pertinent information, to determine whether it will consider or select the application for an 

award under this solicitation. The file should be named “DOJ High Risk Grantee 

Applicant Disclosure and Justification.” (See, also, “Review Process,” below, under 

Section E. Application Review Information, for a brief discussion of how such information 

may considered in the application review process.) 

OJP constantly seeks to optimize its investments in criminal- and juvenile justicefocused programs and activities, increase program effectiveness, and maximize the 

return — and program impact — from limited programmatic resources. Therefore, OJP 

may remove from consideration or not select for award a “DOJ High Risk Grantee” 

applicant that is determined to pose a substantial risk of program implementation failure. 

In making such determinations, OJP will consider one or more of the following factors: 

the applicant’s lack of sufficient progress in addressing required corrective actions 

necessary for removal of the DOJ High Risk Grantee designation; the nature and 

severity of the issues leading to or accompanying the applicant’s DOJ High Risk Grantee 

designation; or the applicant’s expected ability to manage grant funds and achieve grant 

goals and objectives. 

In this attachment, the applicant is to provide any additional information or justification –

especially with regard to corrective actions yet to be implemented (as of the application 

date) – that may help demonstrate how the applicant has addressed or otherwise 

mitigated such uncorrected matters, such that any negative impact on the proposed 

program and its implementation would be immaterial or would be significantly reduced or 

eliminated. (To the extent that the applicant believes that any of the information provided 

pursuant to this disclosure may be confidential in nature, the applicant should specifically 

identify it.) 

d. Research and Evaluation Independence and Integrity

When an application proposes research (including research and development) and/or 

evaluation, the applicant must demonstrate research/evaluation independence and 

integrity, including appropriate safeguards, before it may receive award funds. The 

applicant must demonstrate independence and integrity regarding both this proposed 

research and/or evaluation, and any current or prior related projects. 

Each application should include an attachment that addresses both i. and ii. below. 

Attach this information as a separate PDF file titled “Research and Evaluation 

Independence and Integrity.”

i. For purposes of this solicitation, each applicant is to document research and

evaluation independence and integrity by including one of the following two items:

14 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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NIJ-2019-15387 

a. A specific assurance that the applicant has reviewed its application to identify

any actual or potential apparent conflicts of interest (including through review of

pertinent information on the principal investigator, any co-principal investigators,

and any subrecipients), and that the applicant has identified no such conflicts of

interest – whether personal or financial or organizational (including on the part of

the applicant entity or on the part of staff, investigators, or subrecipients) – that

could affect the independence or integrity of the research, including the design,

conduct, and reporting of the research.

OR

b. A specific description of actual or potential apparent conflicts of interest that the

applicant has identified – including through review of pertinent information on the

principal investigator, any co-principal investigators, and any subrecipients – that

could affect the independence or integrity of the research, including the design,

conduct, or reporting of the research. These conflicts may be personal (e.g., on

the part of investigators or other staff), financial, or organizational (related to the

applicant or any subrecipient entity). Some examples of potential investigator (or

other personal) conflict situations are those in which an investigator would be in a

position to evaluate a spouse’s work product (actual conflict), or an investigator

would be in a position to evaluate the work of a former or current colleague

(potential apparent conflict). With regard to potential organizational conflicts of

interest, as one example, generally an organization would not be given an award

to evaluate a project, if that organization had itself provided substantial prior

technical assistance to that specific project or a location implementing the project

(whether funded by OJP or other sources), because the organization in such an

instance might appear to be evaluating the effectiveness of its own prior work.

The key is whether a reasonable person understanding all of the facts would be

able to have confidence that the results of any research or evaluation project are

objective and reliable. Any outside personal or financial interest that casts doubt

on that objectivity and reliability of an evaluation or research product is a problem

and must be disclosed.

ii. In addition, for purposes of this solicitation, each applicant is to address possible

mitigation of research integrity concerns by including, at a minimum, one of the

following two items:

a. If an applicant reasonably believes that no actual or potential apparent conflicts

of interest (personal, financial, or organizational) exist, then the applicant should

provide a brief narrative explanation of how and why it reached that conclusion.

The applicant also is to include an explanation of the specific processes and

procedures that the applicant has in place, or will put in place, to identify and

prevent (or, at the very least, mitigate) any such conflicts of interest pertinent to

the funded project during the period of performance. Documentation that may be

helpful in this regard may include organizational codes of ethics/conduct and

policies regarding organizational, personal, and financial conflicts of interest.

There is no guarantee that the plan, if any, will be accepted as proposed.

OR
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NIJ-2019-15387 

b. If the applicant has identified actual or potential apparent conflicts of interest

(personal, financial, or organizational) that could affect the independence and

integrity of the research, including the design, conduct, or reporting of the

research, the applicant is to provide a specific and robust mitigation plan to

address each of those conflicts. At a minimum, the applicant is expected to

explain the specific processes and procedures that the applicant has in place, or

will put in place, to identify and eliminate (or, at the very least, mitigate) any such

conflicts of interest pertinent to the funded project during the period of

performance. Documentation that may be helpful in this regard may include

organizational codes of ethics/conduct and policies regarding organizational,

personal, and financial conflicts of interest. There is no guarantee that the plan, if

any, will be accepted as proposed.

OJP will assess research and evaluation independence and integrity based on 

considerations such as the adequacy of the applicant’s efforts to identify factors that 

could affect the objectivity or integrity of the proposed staff and/or the applicant entity 

(and any subrecipients) in carrying out the research, development, or evaluation activity; 

and the adequacy of the applicant’s existing or proposed remedies to control any such 

factors. 

How to Apply 

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

federal funding opportunities and apply for funding. Find complete instructions on how to 

register and submit an application at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html.

Applicants that experience technical difficulties during this process should call the Grants.gov 

Customer Support Hotline at 800-518-4726 or 606–545–5035, which operates 24 hours a day, 7 

days a week, except on federal holidays. 

Important Grants.gov update. Grants.gov has updated its application tool. The legacy PDF 

application package has been phased out and was retired on December 31, 2017. Grants.gov 

Workspace is now the standard application method for applying for grants. OJP applicants 

should familiarize themselves with the Workspace option now. For complete information and 

instructions on using Workspace (and other changes), go to the Workspace Overview page at 

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html. 

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

and it can take several weeks for first-time registrants to receive confirmation of registration 

and a user password. OJP encourages applicants to register several weeks before the 

application submission deadline. In addition, OJP urges applicants to submit applications at 

least 72 hours prior to the application due date, in order to allow time for the applicant to receive 

validation messages or rejection notifications from Grants.gov, and to correct in a timely fashion 

any problems that may have caused a rejection notification. 

OJP strongly encourages all prospective applicants to sign up for Grants.gov email notifications 

regarding this solicitation at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/manage-subscriptions.html. If 

this solicitation is cancelled or modified, individuals who sign up with Grants.gov for updates will 

be automatically notified. 
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NIJ-2019-15387 

Browser Information: Grants.gov was built to be compatible with Internet Explorer. For 

technical assistance with Google Chrome, or another browser, contact Grants.gov Customer 

Support. 

Note on Attachments. Grants.gov has two categories of files for attachments: “mandatory” and 

“optional.” OJP receives all files attached in both categories. Attachments are also labeled to 

describe the file being attached (e.g., Project Narrative, Budget Narrative, Other, etc.) Please 

ensure that all required documents are attached in the correct Grants.gov category and are 

labeled correctly. Do not embed “mandatory” attachments within another file.

Note on File Names and File Types: Grants.gov only permits the use of certain specific 

characters in file names of attachments. Valid file names may include only the characters shown 

in the table below. Grants.gov rejects any application that includes an attachment(s) with a file 

name that contains any characters not shown in the table below. Grants.gov forwards 

successfully-submitted applications to the OJP Grants Management System (GMS). 

Characters

Upper case (A – Z)

Lower case (a – z)

Underscore (__)

Hyphen ( - )

Space

Period (.)

Special Characters Special Characters Special Characters

Parenthesis ( ) Curly braces { } Square brackets [ ]

Ampersand (&)* Tilde (~) Exclamation point (!)

Comma ( , ) Semicolon ( ; ) Apostrophe ( ‘ )

At sign (@) Number sign (#) Dollar sign ($)

Percent sign (%) Plus sign (+) Equal sign (=)

*When using the ampersand (&) in XML, applicants must use the “&” format.

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.” GMS may reject applications 

with files that use these extensions. It is important to allow time to change the type of file(s) if 

the application is rejected. 

All applicants are required to complete the following steps: 

Unique Entity Identifier (DUNS Number) and System for Award Management (SAM)

Every applicant entity must comply with all applicable System for Award Management (SAM) 

and unique entity identifier (currently, a Data Universal Numbering System [DUNS] number) 

requirements. SAM is the repository for certain standard information about federal financial 

assistance applicants, recipients, and subrecipients. A DUNS number is a unique nine-digit 

identification number provided by the commercial company Dun and Bradstreet. More detailed 

information about SAM and the DUNS number is in the numbered sections below. 

If an applicant entity has not fully complied with the applicable SAM and unique identifier 

requirements by the time OJP makes award decisions, OJP may determine that the applicant is 

not qualified to receive an award and may use that determination as a basis for making the 

award to a different applicant. 
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Applying as an Individual 

An individual who wishes to apply in his/her personal capacity should search Grants.gov for 

funding opportunities for which individuals are eligible to apply. Use the Funding Opportunity 

Number (FON) to register. (An applicant applying as an individual must comply with all 

applicable Grants.gov individual registration requirements.) 

Enter the FON at https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/IndCPRegister to complete the registration 

form and create a username and password for Grants.gov. (An applicant applying as an 

individual should complete all steps except 1, 2, and 4.) 

Registration and Submission Steps 

1. Acquire a unique entity identifier (currently, a DUNS number). In general, the Office of

Management and Budget requires every applicant for a federal award (other than an

individual) to include a "unique entity identifier" in each application, including an application

for a supplemental award. Currently, a DUNS number is the required unique entity identifier.

This unique entity identifier is used for tracking purposes, and to validate address and point

of contact information for applicants, recipients, and subrecipients. It will be used throughout

the life cycle of an OJP award. Obtaining a DUNS number is a free, one-time activity. Call

Dun and Bradstreet at 866–705–5711 to obtain a DUNS number or apply online at

www.dnb.com. A DUNS number is usually received within 1-2 business days.

2. Acquire or maintain registration with SAM. Any applicant for an OJP award creating a

new entity registration (or updating or renewing a registration) in SAM.gov must submit an

original, signed notarized letter appointing the authorized Entity Administrator within thirty

(30) days of the registration activation. Notarized letters must be submitted via U.S.

Postal Service Mail. Read the Alert at sam.gov/SAM/ to learn more about what is required

in the notarized letter, and read the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) at

www.gsa.gov/samupdate to learn more about this process change. All applicants for OJP

awards (other than individuals) must maintain current registrations in the SAM database.

Applicants will need the authorizing official of the organization and an Employer

Identification Number (EIN). Information about SAM registration procedures can be

accessed at sam.gov/SAM/.

An application cannot be successfully submitted in Grants.gov until Grants.gov receives the 

SAM registration information. Once the SAM registration/renewal is complete, the 

information transfer from SAM to Grants.gov can take as long as 48 hours. OJP 

recommends that the applicant register or renew registration with SAM as early as possible. 

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

username and password. Complete the AOR profile on Grants.gov and create a username

and password. An applicant entity’s "unique entity identifier" (DUNS number) must be used

to complete this step. For more information about the registration process for organizations

and other entities, go to https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organizationregistration.html. Individuals registering with Grants.gov should go to

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration.html.

4. Acquire confirmation for the AOR from the E-Business Point of Contact (E-Biz POC).

The E-Biz POC at the applicant organization must log into Grants.gov to “confirm” the
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NIJ-2019-15387 

applicant organization’s AOR. The E-Biz POC will need the Marketing Partner Identification 

Number (MPIN) password obtained when registering with SAM to complete this step. Note 

that an organization can have more than one AOR. 

5. Search for the funding opportunity on Grants.gov. Use the following identifying

information when searching for the funding opportunity on Grants.gov. The Catalog of

Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number for this solicitation is 16.560; and the funding

opportunity number is NIJ-2019-15387.

6. Access Funding Opportunity and Application Package from Grants.gov. Select “Apply

for Grants” under the “Applicants” column. Enter your email address to be notified of any

changes to the opportunity package before the closing date. Click the Workspace icon to

use Grants.gov Workspace.

7. Submit a valid application consistent with this solicitation by following the directions

in Grants.gov. Within 24-48 hours after submitting the electronic application, the applicant

should receive two notifications from Grants.gov. The first will confirm the receipt of the

application. The second will state whether the application has been validated and

successfully submitted, or whether it has been rejected due to errors, with an explanation. It

is possible to first receive a message indicating that the application is received, and then

receive a rejection notice a few minutes or hours later. Submitting an application well ahead

of the deadline provides time to correct the problem(s) that caused the rejection. Important:

OJP urges each applicant to submit its application at least 72 hours prior to the application

due date, to allow time to receive validation messages or rejection notifications from

Grants.gov, and to correct in a timely fashion any problems that may have caused a

rejection notification. Applications must be successfully submitted through Grants.gov by

11:59 p.m. eastern time on April 11, 2019.

Click https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html for further 

details on DUNS numbers, SAM, and Grants.gov registration steps and timeframes. 

Note: Application Versions 

If an applicant submits multiple versions of the same application, OJP will review only the most 

recent system-validated version submitted. 

Experiencing Unforeseen Grants.gov Technical Issues 

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

prevent it from submitting its application by the deadline must contact the Grants.gov Customer 

Support Hotline at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html or the SAM Help Desk

(Federal Service Desk) at https://www.fsd.gov/fsd-gov/home.do to report the technical issue and 

receive a tracking number. The applicant must e-mail the NIJ contact identified in the Contact 

Information section on the title page within 24 hours after the application deadline to request 

approval to submit its application after the deadline. The applicant’s e-mail must describe the 

technical difficulties, and must include a timeline of the applicant’s submission efforts, the 

complete grant application, the applicant’s DUNS number, and any Grants.gov Help Desk or 

SAM tracking number(s). 

Note: OJP does not automatically approve requests to submit a late application. After 

OJP reviews the applicant’s request, and contacts the Grants.gov or SAM Help Desks to verify 
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the reported technical issues, OJP will inform the applicant whether the request to submit a late 

application has been approved or denied. If OJP determines that the untimely application 

submission was due to the applicant’s failure to follow all required procedures, OJP will deny the 

applicant’s request to submit its application. 

The following conditions generally are insufficient to justify late submissions: 

 Failure to register in SAM or Grants.gov in sufficient time (SAM registration and renewal

can take as long as 10 business days to complete. The information transfer from SAM to

Grants.gov can take up to 48 hours.)

 Failure to follow Grants.gov instructions on how to register and apply as posted on its

Website.

 Failure to follow each instruction in the OJP solicitation.

 Technical issues with the applicant’s computer or information technology environment,

such as issues with firewalls or browser incompatibility.

Notifications regarding known technical problems with Grants.gov, if any, are posted at 

the top of the OJP Funding Resource Center at https://ojp.gov/funding/index.htm. 

E. Application Review Information

Review Criteria

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

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

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

the following review criteria. Each individual criterion is assigned a different weight based on the 

percentage value listed. For example, the first criterion, Statement of the Problem, is worth 10 

percent of the score in the assessment of the application’s technical merit. 

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

questions, and their importance) – 10% 

1. Demonstrated understanding of the problem(s) that exist in an identified forensic science

field/discipline.

2. Demonstrated understanding of the technology needs of the forensic science

practitioners.

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

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

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

alignment with the aims of the solicitation.

5. Demonstrated awareness of the state of current research.
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NIJ-2019-15387 

Project Design and Implementation (Quality and technical merit) – 50% 

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

aim(s) of the proposed project. The overall strategy, methodology, and analyses should

be well-reasoned and appropriate to accomplish the specific aims of the project.

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

of the proposed technology or methodology should be established and supported by

preliminary data presented in or referenced in the proposal. More innovative plans

and/or plans with a higher potential for failure should be counterbalanced to manage the

inherent risk; e.g., by firm theoretical basis, reasonable preliminary data (depending on

the mechanism), the track record of the principal investigator and any co-principal

investigator(s), and an outstanding scientific and management plan.

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

and approaches for data analysis are thorough and appropriate to accomplish the

specific aims of the project.

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

actions to minimize and/or mitigate them.

5. Feasibility of completing the deliverables noted in the solicitation (which include

datasets, peer-reviewed journal articles, technological prototypes and patented

inventions, as appropriate).

Potential Impact – 20% 

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

justice in the United States, such as: 

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

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

capability, and/or forensic science practice in the criminal justice system be

improved?

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

forensic science field(s) related to criminal justice?

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

science problem.

 How will successful completion change the concepts, methods, technologies,

treatments, or services that drive the forensic science field as it relates to criminal

justice?

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

science problem and associated critical barriers to progress?
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NIJ-2019-15387 

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

applicant organization and proposed project staff) – 20% 

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.

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

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

contribution to the probability of success.

5. Demonstrated ability to produce scholarly products.

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.

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 the proposed 

plan (if any) to produce or to make available to broader interested audiences, such as forensic 

science practitioners or policymakers, summary information from the planned scholarly products 

of the project. 

Review Process 

OJP is committed to ensuring a fair and open process for making awards. NIJ reviews the 

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

measurable, and achievable, as well as consistent with the solicitation. 

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 
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NIJ-2019-15387 

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 designated as “critical elements.”

 The application, if submitted by an applicant that is a DOJ High Risk Grantee,15 or is

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

been determined by the Director/Administrator 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.

 The applicant must not be identified in SAM as excluded from receiving federal awards.

For a list of the critical elements for this solicitation, 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 external peer reviewers, internal peer reviewers, or a combination, 

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

reviewer is an expert in the subject matter of a given solicitation who is not a current DOJ 

employee. An internal reviewer is a current DOJ employee who is well-versed or has expertise 

in the subject matter of this solicitation. Peer reviewers’ ratings and any resulting 

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

important considerations for NIJ include priority consideration areas as described previously, 

geographic diversity, strategic priorities, past performance, and available funding, as well as 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 applicants. 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 about the applicant that appears in the non-public segment of the 

15 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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integrity and performance system accessible through SAM (currently, the Federal Awardee 

Performance and 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.

The evaluation of risks goes beyond information in SAM, however. OJP itself has in place a 

framework for evaluating risks posed by applicants for competitive awards. OJP takes into 

account information pertinent to matters such as —

1. Applicant financial stability and fiscal integrity.

2. Quality of the applicant’s management systems, and applicant’s ability to meet 

prescribed management standards, including those outlined in the DOJ Grants Financial 

Guide.

3. Applicant’s history of performance under OJP and other DOJ awards (including scholarly 

products, and compliance with reporting requirements and award conditions), as well as

awards from other federal agencies.

4. Reports and findings from audits of the applicant, including audits under the Part 200 

Uniform Requirements.

5. Applicant's ability to comply with statutory and regulatory requirements, and to effectively 

implement other award requirements.

Note on applicants with a “high risk” designation: Risks associated with DOJ High Risk 

Grantees, or applicants designated as “high risk” by a federal grant-making agency outside of 

DOJ, are taken into account during the review process, and each applicant with such “high risk” 

designations will be considered for funding on a case-by-case basis, depending on the nature 

and severity of the issues that led to the DOJ High Risk Grantee (or non-DOJ high risk) 

designation, status of progress in addressing corrective actions, and expected ability to manage 

grant funds and achieve grant goals and objectives. A “high risk” designated applicant is to 

submit disclosure and justification documentation consistent with the requirements specified, 

above, under “What an Application Should Include” in Section C. Application and Submission 

Information.

All final award decisions will be made by the 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

Federal Award Notices

Award notifications will be made by September 30, 2019. OJP sends award notifications by 

email through GMS to the individuals listed in the application as the point of contact and the 

authorizing official (E-Biz POC and AOR). The email notification includes detailed instructions 
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NIJ-2019-15387 

on how to access and view the award documents, and steps to take in GMS to start the award 

acceptance process. GMS automatically issues the notifications at 9:00 p.m. eastern time on 

the award date. 

For each successful applicant, an individual with the necessary authority to bind the applicant 

will be required to login; execute a set of legal certifications and a set of legal assurances; 

designate a financial point of contact; thoroughly review the award, including all award 

conditions; and sign and accept the award. The award acceptance process requires physical 

signature of the award document by the authorized representative and the scanning and 

submission of the fully-executed award document to OJP. 

Administrative, National Policy, and Other Legal Requirements 

If selected for funding, in addition to implementing the funded project consistent with the OJPapproved application, the recipient must comply with all award conditions, as well as all 

applicable requirements of federal statutes and regulations (including applicable requirements 

referred to in the assurances and certifications executed in connection with award acceptance). 

OJP strongly encourages prospective applicants to review information on post-award legal 

requirements and common OJP award conditions prior to submitting an application. 

Applicants should consult the “Overview of Legal Requirements Generally Applicable to OJP 

Grants and Cooperative Agreements - FY 2018 Awards,” available in the OJP Funding 

Resource Center at https://ojp.gov/funding/index.htm. In addition, applicants should examine the 

following two legal documents, as each successful applicant must execute both documents 

before it may receive any award funds. (An applicant is not required to submit these documents 

as part of an application.) 

 Certifications Regarding Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension and Other Responsibility

Matters; and Drug-Free Workplace Requirements.

 Certified Standard Assurances.

The webpages accessible through the “Overview of Legal Requirements Generally Applicable to 

OJP Grants and Cooperative Agreements - FY 2018 Awards” are intended to give applicants for 

OJP awards a general overview of important statutes, regulations, and award conditions that 

apply to many (or in some cases, all) OJP grants and cooperative agreements awarded in FY 

2019. Individual OJP awards typically also will include additional award conditions. Those 

additional conditions may relate to the particular statute, program, or solicitation under which the 

award is made; to the substance of the funded application; to the recipient's performance under 

other federal awards; to the recipient's legal status (e.g., as a for-profit entity); or to other 

pertinent considerations. 

As stated above, NIJ expects that it will make any award under this solicitation in the form of a 

grant, or in the case of a federal agency, an inter-agency reimbursable agreement. NIJ may, on 

a case-by-case basis, elect to make an award under this solicitation in the form of a cooperative 

agreement. Cooperative agreements include a condition in the award document that sets out 

the nature of the “substantial federal involvement” in carrying out the award and program. 

Generally stated, under OJP cooperative agreement awards, responsibility for the day-to-day 

conduct of the funded project rests with the recipient. OJP, however, may have substantial 

involvement in matters such as substantive coordination of technical efforts and site selection, 
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NIJ-2019-15387 

as well as review and approval of project work plans, research designs, data collection 

instruments, and major project-generated materials. In addition, OJP often indicates in the 

award terms and conditions that it may redirect the project if necessary. 

In addition to an award condition that sets out the nature of the anticipated “substantial federal 

involvement” in the award, cooperative agreements awarded by OJP include an award condition 

the requires specific reporting in connection with conferences, meetings, retreats, seminars, 

symposium, training activities, or similar events funded under the award. 

Awards under this solicitation will include a condition (the specific terms of which will govern the 

award) related to verification of employment eligibility. The condition will, generally speaking, 

require the recipient (and any subrecipient) that accepts the award to verify the employment 

eligibility of any individual hired under the award, consonant with 8 U.S.C. § 1324a(1). 

Awards under this solicitation will include a condition (the specific terms of which will govern the 

award) related to competition requirements set forth at 2 C.F.R. § 200.319. The condition will, 

generally speaking, prohibit recipients (and any subrecipients) from procuring goods and 

services with award funds by means of any competition that disadvantages or excludes vendors 

on the basis of their having (or their having had) a prior or existing contractual relationship with 

the federal government. 

General Information about Post-Federal Award Reporting Requirements 

As indicated earlier in this solicitation, NIJ expects scholarly products to result from any award 

under this solicitation. Please review the Goals, Objectives, Deliverables, and Expected 

Scholarly Products of this solicitation, as well as the Performance Measures. In addition to the 

deliverables and expected scholarly products, any recipient of an award under this solicitation 

will be required to submit the following reports and data. 

Required reports. Recipients typically must submit quarterly financial reports, semi-annual

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.) 

Awards that exceed $500,000 will include an additional condition that, under specific 

circumstances, will require the recipient to report (to FAPIIS) information on civil, criminal, and 

administrative proceedings connected with (or connected to the performance of) either the OJP 

award or any other grant, cooperative agreement, or procurement contract from the federal 

government. Additional information on this reporting requirement appears in the text of the 

award condition posted on the OJP webpage at https://ojp.gov/funding/FAPIIS.htm. 

Data on performance measures. In addition to required reports, an award recipient under this 

solicitation also must provide data that measure the results of the work done under the award. 

To demonstrate program progress and success, as well as to assist DOJ with fulfilling its 

responsibilities under the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA), Public 

Law 103-62, and the GPRA Modernization Act of 2010, Public Law 111–352, OJP will require 

any award recipient, post award, to provide performance data listed as part of regular progress 
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reporting. Successful applicants will be required to access OJP’s performance measurement 

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

OJP. 

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s)

For OJP contact(s), see the title page. 

For contact information for Grants.gov, see the title page. 

H. Other Information

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

All applications submitted to OJP (including all attachments to applications) are subject to the 

federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and to the Privacy Act. By law, DOJ may withhold 

information that is responsive to a request pursuant to FOIA if DOJ determines that the 

responsive information either is protected under the Privacy Act or falls within the scope of one 

of nine statutory exemptions under FOIA. DOJ cannot agree in advance of a request pursuant 

to FOIA not to release some or all portions of an application. 

In its review of records that are responsive to a FOIA request, OJP will withhold information in 

those records that plainly falls within the scope of the Privacy Act or one of the statutory 

exemptions under FOIA. (Some examples include certain types of information in budgets, and 

names and contact information for project staff other than certain key personnel.) In appropriate 

circumstances, OJP will request the views of the applicant/recipient that submitted a responsive 

document. 

For example, if OJP receives a request pursuant to FOIA for an application submitted by a 

nonprofit or for-profit organization or an institution of higher education, or for an application that 

involves research, OJP typically will contact the applicant/recipient that submitted the 

application and ask it to identify -- quite precisely -- any particular information in the application 

that the applicant/recipient believes falls under a FOIA exemption, the specific exemption it 

believes applies, and why. After considering the submission by the applicant/recipient, OJP 

makes an independent assessment regarding withholding information. OJP generally follows a 

similar process for requests pursuant to FOIA for applications that may contain law-enforcement 

sensitive information. 

Provide Feedback to OJP 

To assist OJP in improving its application and award processes, OJP encourages applicants to 

provide feedback on this solicitation, the application submission process, and/or the application 

review process. Provide feedback to OJPSolicitationFeedback@usdoj.gov. 

IMPORTANT: This e-mail is for feedback and suggestions only. OJP does not send replies from 

this mailbox to messages it receives in this mailbox. Any prospective applicant that has specific 

questions on any program or technical aspect of the solicitation must use the appropriate 

telephone number or e-mail listed on the front of this solicitation document to obtain information. 

These contacts are provided to help ensure that prospective applicants can directly reach an 

individual who can address specific questions in a timely manner. 
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NIJ-2019-15387 

If you are interested in being a reviewer for other OJP grant applications, please e-mail your 

resume to ojpprsupport@usdoj.gov. (Do not send your resume to the OJP Solicitation Feedback 

email account.) Note: Neither you nor anyone else from your organization or entity can be a 

peer reviewer in a competition in which you or your organization/entity has submitted an 

application.
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Application Checklist

Research and Development in Forensic Science for Criminal Justice Purposes

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 page 40)

_____ Acquire or renew registration with SAM (see page 40)

To Register with Grants.gov: 

_____ Acquire AOR and Grants.gov username/password (see page 40)

_____ Acquire AOR confirmation from the E-Biz POC (see page 40)

To Find Funding Opportunity:

_____ Search for the funding opportunity on Grants.gov (see page 41)

_____ Access Funding Opportunity and Application Package (see page 41)

_____ Sign up for Grants.gov email notifications (optional) (see page 38)

_____ 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 page 17)

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 page 41)

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

_____ Contact NIJ regarding experiencing technical difficulties (see page 2)

Overview of Post-Award Legal Requirements:

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

Cooperative Agreements – FY 2018 Awards” in the OJP Funding Resource Center at 

https://ojp.gov/funding/index.htm.

Eligibility Requirement: See cover page.

What an Application Should Include:

_____ Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424) (see page 18)

_____ Project Abstract (if applicable) (see page 19)

_____ Program Narrative (critical element) (see page 19)

_____ Appendices (see page 25)

_____ Bibliography/references

_____ Any tools/instruments, questionnaires, tables/charts/graphs, or maps pertaining 

to the proposed study that supplement those in the narrative 

_____ Curriculum vitae, resumes, or biosketches of the principal investigator, and any 

and all co-principal investigators (critical element) 

_____ Documentation of “new investigator” status (if applicable)

_____ Proposed project timeline and expected milestones

_____ Progress report for renewal and revision applications (if applicable)
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_____ Progress report publication list

_____ Multiple PI leadership plan

_____ Consortium/contractual arrangements

_____ Letters of support

_____ Data archiving plan

_____ List of proposed project staff, affiliation, and roles

_____ Human subjects protection paperwork 

_____ Privacy Certificate 

_____ List of any previous and current NIJ awards to applicant organization and 

investigator(s) (if applicable)

_____ List of other agencies, organizations, or funding sources to which this proposal 

has been submitted (if applicable)

_____ Incentive or stipend approval request (if applicable)

_____ Budget Detail Worksheet (critical element) (see page 29)

_____ Budget Narrative (critical element) (see page 29)

_____ Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable) (see page 32)

_____ Tribal Authorizing Resolution (if applicable) (see page 32)

_____ Financial Management and System of Internal Controls Questionnaire (see page 33)

_____ Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL) (see page 34)

_____ Additional Attachments 

_____ Potential Environmental Impact Coversheet and Checklist (see page 34)

_____ Applicant Disclosure of Pending Applications (see page 34)

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

(see page 36)

_____ Research and Evaluation Independence and Integrity (see page 36)

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

(see page 16)