U.S. Department of Justice OMB No. 1121-0329

Office of Justice Programs 

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 research and evaluation related to childhood exposure 

to violence. In particular, NIJ is seeking proposals that address polyvictimization, harassment 

via electronic media (e.g., Facebook, e-mail), resilience and risk factors, or justice system 

response to children identified as exposed to various types of violence. This program furthers 

the Department’s mission by sponsoring research that provides objective, independent 

knowledge and tools to meet the challenges of crime and justice, particularly at the State and 

local levels.

Research and Evaluation on Children Exposed to Violence

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 (including federally 

recognized Indian tribal governments as determined by the Secretary of the Interior), nonprofit 

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

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

individuals. For-profit organizations must agree to forgo any profit or management fee. Foreign 

governments, foreign organizations, and foreign institutions of higher education are not eligible 

to apply.

NIJ may elect to make awards for applications submitted under this solicitation in future fiscal 

years, dependent on the merit of the applications and on the availability of appropriations.

Deadline

Applicants must register with Grants.gov prior to submitting an application. (See “How to Apply,”

page 24.) All applications are due by 11:59 p.m. eastern time on May 20, 2013. (See 

“Deadlines: Registration and Application,” page 3.)

Contact Information

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

Support Hotline at 800–518–4726 or 606–545–5035, or via e-mail at support@grants.gov.

Note: The Grants.gov Support Hotline hours of operation are 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 

except federal holidays.

For assistance with any other requirements of this solicitation, contact Dara Blachman-Demner, 

Social Science Analyst, by telephone at 202–514–9528 or by e-mail at Dara.BlachmanDemner@usdoj.gov. You may also contact Karen Stern, Social Science Analyst, by telephone 

at 202–514–9395, or by e-mail at Karen.Stern@usdoj.gov. 

Grants.gov number assigned to this announcement: NIJ-2013-3469

Release date: March 5, 2013

SL001042
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Contents

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

Deadlines: Registration and Application......................................................................................3

Eligibility......................................................................................................................................3

Program-Specific Information......................................................................................................3

Performance Measures.............................................................................................................11

Notice of Post-Award FFATA Reporting Requirement...............................................................12

What an Application Should Include..........................................................................................12

Information to Complete the Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424)...................12

Abstract.........................................................................................................................13

Program Narrative .........................................................................................................14

Budget Detail Worksheet and Budget Narrative.............................................................17

Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable)..................................................................18

Tribal Authorizing Resolution (if applicable)...................................................................18

Additional Attachments..................................................................................................18

Other Standard Forms...................................................................................................20

Selection Criteria.......................................................................................................................21

Review Process ........................................................................................................................22

Additional Requirements ...........................................................................................................22

How to Apply.............................................................................................................................24

Provide Feedback to OJP on This Solicitation...........................................................................27

Application Checklist.................................................................................................................28
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Research and Evaluation on Children Exposed to 

Violence

(CFDA No. 16.560)

Overview

NIJ is seeking multidisciplinary research and evaluation proposals related to childhood exposure 

to violence. In particular, NIJ seeks applications that address polyvictimization, Internet 

harassment/electronic aggression (e.g, bullying through Facebook, harassing e-mails), 

resilience, or justice system responses to children identified as being exposed to violence. For 

the purposes of this solicitation, “Children Exposed to Violence (CEV)” encompasses a broad 

area that includes children as both direct victims and as bystanders or observers of various 

forms of violence in the home, school, or community (including, but not limited to, peer 

victimization/bullying/harassment, child maltreatment, domestic violence, and community 

violence). This solicitation may be used to address other types of violence to which children are 

exposed, with the exception of media violence (e.g., television and movie violence, music 

advocating aggression, and violent video games).

Authorizing Legislation: Title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 

(sections 201 and 202).

Deadlines: Registration and Application

Applicants must register with Grants.gov in order to submit an application. OJP encourages

applicants to register several weeks before the application submission deadline. In addition, 

OJP urges applicants to submit applications 72 hours prior to the application due date. The 

deadline to apply for funding under this announcement is 11:59 p.m. eastern time on May 20, 

2013. See “How to Apply” on page 24 for details.

Eligibility

Refer to the title page for eligibility under this program.

Program-Specific Information

Research indicates that early exposure to violence has a significant impact on a child’s behavior 

and ability to learn and develop coping strategies. It is associated with increased delinquency as 

well as later academic failure, aggression, substance abuse, adult criminality, depression, and 

other mental health issues. Research also shows that positive outcomes are associated with the 

disruption of violence, and that intervention to improve parent-child functioning can interrupt 

negative impacts and improve a child’s development.

A national study supported by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 

(OJJDP) under the Safe Start Initiative, “Children’s Exposure to Violence: A Comprehensive 

National Survey (NatSCEV)”1 revealed that the majority of the children and youth (60.6 percent) 

in the nationally representative sample had directly experienced or witnessed at least one 
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victimization in the past year. Almost 50 percent had experienced a physical assault, 25 percent 

had witnessed family or community violence, 10 percent had experienced some form of 

maltreatment, and between 13 and 20 percent had been bullied. Notably, almost 40 percent had 

experienced more than one type of direct victimization during the previous year. The study 

suggests that practitioners and researchers should inquire about a larger spectrum of 

victimization types to identify multiple-victimized children and tailor prevention and interventions 

to the full range of threats children face.

The OJJDP Safe Start Initiative is a multisite program to reduce the impact of family and 

community violence on children through the development and implementation of comprehensive 

service delivery systems. Its first phase shows that working along a continuum of care to 

prevent, intervene, treat, and respond to children exposed to violence can reduce not only CEV 

but also can reduce children’s trauma-related symptoms and parental stress and improve child 

and parent functioning. An example of a specific program includes bringing police officers and 

mental health professionals together to provide training and constructive intervention for 

children exposed to domestic violence.2

Building off of and expanding this promising work throughout the Department of Justice (DOJ), 

the Attorney General’s Initiative, “Defending Childhood,” launched in September 2010, unifies 

efforts such as Safe Start with other DOJ initiatives to provide a comprehensive strategy to 

address the problem of children exposed to violence. Defending Childhood aims to prevent 

children’s exposure to violence, mitigate the negative impact of childhood exposure to violence, 

and develop knowledge and spread awareness about this issue. The Initiative’s initial phase 

included providing support and technical assistance to eight communities (two of which are 

tribal) to develop comprehensive community-based strategic planning to prevent and reduce the 

impact of children’s exposure to violence in their homes, schools, and communities. Additional 

support was provided in 2011 (see www.justice.gov/ag/defendingchildhood for more 

information).

Despite the existence of several model programs and the promising findings emerging from 

ongoing initiatives to reduce the impact of family and community violence, more information is 

needed to assess the effectiveness of specific intervention strategies. Thus, to increase 

evidence-based knowledge that will ultimately inform the development and enhancement of 

strategies designed to reduce the impact of violence on children and youth, NIJ seeks 

multidisciplinary research in the following areas:

1) Research has identified a number of factors that may exacerbate or ameliorate the 

impact of children’s exposure to violence on outcomes such as juvenile justice 

involvement, school drop-out, gang involvement, antisocial behavior, and substance use 

and abuse. 

________________________

1

Finkelhor, D., Turner, H.A., Ormrod, R., Hamby, S. and Kracke, K. (2009). Children’s Exposure to Violence: A 

Comprehensive National Survey. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office of Justice Programs, 

U.S. Department of Justice. www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/227744.pdf.

2

Communities Working Together to Help Children Exposed to Violence: Findings from Phase I of the Safe Start 

Initiative. (2011). Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. 

Department of Justice. www.safestartcenter.org/pdf/ssc_findings-brief-1108.pdf. 
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NIJ is seeking research to better understand factors that impact a child’s ability to cope 

with exposure to violence. Examples of research areas include but are not limited to: 

individual attributions and coping styles; developmental stage, gender, socioeconomic 

and cultural factors; and relationship to the perpetrator or victim.

NIJ is particularly interested in examining factors that may actively promote resilience 

and focus on promoting civic engagement. A number of innovative programs have 

focused on engaging at-risk youth in community service (such as service learning and 

youth courts) to increase community engagement and decrease juvenile justice and 

gang involvement. Emerging evidence suggests that youth from disadvantaged 

circumstances are less likely to participate in volunteer activities, less likely to 

demonstrate positive attitudes toward their ability to make a difference, and tend to 

exhibit lower levels of trust. Yet when these youth are engaged in volunteer activities, 

they demonstrate the same level of commitment as other youth and higher levels of civic 

engagement than youth from disadvantaged circumstances who do not volunteer —

suggesting that volunteer opportunities may provide an entry point to civic participation 

and positive youth development.3 Given the negative association between neighborhood 

collective efficacy and trust in social organizations with rates of violence, these are 

promising findings. NIJ is interested in supporting research to explore this link between 

civic engagement among youth exposed to violence and its potential impact on 

promoting adaptive outcomes.

2) There is recent evidence from the NatSCEV that exposure to more than one type of 

violence is the rule rather than the exception, and that children’s trauma symptoms may 

relate more to the variety and number of exposures than to specific types of 

victimization. Preliminary analysis of NatSCEV data identifies seven or more kinds of 

victimization in a single year as the threshold criterion for polyvictimization, a figure that 

designates 8 percent of the sample as polyvictims. In addition, several conceptual 

pathways to polyvictimization have been identified.4 But polyvictimization is not well 

understood, and NIJ is seeking applications to explore its identification, characteristics, 

correlates, and consequences. Examples of research areas include, but are not limited 

to:

• Theory-driven research on the identification, definition, and measurement of 

polyvictimization.

• Validation of different pathways to polyvictimization and common risk and 

protective factors across victimization types.

• The role of context (e.g., family, cultural, community) in understanding the 

varying impacts of polyvictimization.

________________

3 Spring, K., Dietz, N., and Grimm, R. Jr.. (2007). Leveling the Path to Participation: Volunteering and Civic 

Engagement Among Youth From Disadvantaged Circumstances. Corporation for National and Community Service. 

4 Finkelhor, D., Turner, H.A., Hamby, S., and Ormond E. (2011). Polyvictimization: Children’s Exposure to Multiple 

Types of Violence, Crime, and Abuse. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office of Justice 

Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/235504.pdf. 
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• Understanding the mechanisms by which polyvictimization leads to a range of 

behavioral and justice-related outcomes for youth.

3) Internet harassment/victimization or electronic aggression has received much attention 

as an emerging juvenile/criminal justice and public health issue, with policies and 

legislation both proposed and implemented to address the problem. However, research 

in this area is limited, so many policies and practices are not evidence-based and have 

not been subject to rigorous evaluation. Although definitions vary, such victimization is 

generally defined as any type of aggressive behavior that occurs through the use of 

electronic media (e.g., e-mail, text, chat rooms, Web sites, IMs) with the intent to harass, 

harm, embarrass, threaten, or otherwise bother the victim.5

This would therefore exclude 

more general exposure to such things as violent television shows, movies, or video 

games that are not directed at a specific individual. 

Although a number of studies citing rates of Internet harassment/electronic aggression 

and associated victim outcomes have been completed, standard definitions and 

measurements have not been used, limiting the ability to interpret and use research 

findings or to conduct meta-analysis. NIJ is interested in supporting research that seeks 

to understand the relationship between Internet harassment/electronic victimization and 

other forms of violence and victimization, with respect to associated risk factors and 

effects on functioning. Research and evaluation that assesses the reliability and validity 

of definition(s) and measurement tools is also of interest. Specifically, NIJ is seeking 

research in the following areas:

• The relationship of Internet harassment/electronic aggression to other forms of 

“offline” violence, such as sexual harassment, bullying, and physical violence.

• The relationship between Internet harassment/electronic aggression and 

exposure to violence in home, school, and neighborhood environments.

• How known risk and protective factors for other types of victimization are (or are 

not) associated with the risk of Internet harassment/electronic aggression.

• Factors that may affect the impact of Internet harassment/electronic aggression 

such as type, severity, mechanism, number of peers involved, relationship 

between victim and perpetrator, and other factors.

• Development and validation of standardized (i.e., normed) measures for Internet

harassment/electronic aggression victimization.

________________

5 David-Ferdon, C. and Hertz, M.F. (2009). Electronic Media and Youth Violence: A CDC Issue Brief for 

Researchers. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 

www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/Electronic_Aggression_Researcher_Brief-a.pdf; Ybarra, M.L., and Mitchell, 

K.J. (2004). “Online Aggressor/Targets, Aggressors, and Targets: A Comparison of Associated Youth 

Characteristics.” Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 45:1308–1316. 
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4) As discussed above, many innovative and promising programs have been developed to 

address the needs of children exposed to violence in the legal and criminal justice 

system. Yet most of these programs have focused on child maltreatment or domestic 

violence. Although these are clearly high-priority groups, youth are exposed to the courts 

and the justice system for other reasons as well. Thus, NIJ is seeking research on 

criminal or juvenile justice system responses to children identified as witnesses to or 

victims of violence and trauma across a broad range of violence exposure. Examples of 

research areas include, but are not limited to:

• The impact of existing tools and strategies currently available to assist first 

responders, judges, or other court personnel in identifying and providing 

appropriate referrals and services to children exposed to violence. Research is 

particularly needed to understand whether and how such programs lead to 

increased service retention and improved long-term outcomes for victimized 

youth.

• Examination of how various court processing and prosecution strategies and 

policies (e.g., the use of guardian ad litems) impact youth outcomes.

• Evaluation of how individual experiences and beliefs (particularly about violence) 

among first responders and court personnel impact responses and final 

outcomes for children.

• How youth beliefs about their treatment by the court (e.g., fairness, swiftness,

and reasonableness of sanctions) affect their outcomes.

• Incidence, prevalence and outcome of children’s exposure to violence within the 

justice system, and how the system addresses this issue.

NIJ is particularly interested in understanding these factors among populations of youth that 

experience disproportionately high rates of exposure to violence. In addition, NIJ will prioritize 

applications that include a strong theoretical basis and fall under the above-identified topical 

areas. 

Goals, Objectives, and Deliverables

This program has two primary goals. Although several objectives are provided as examples 

under each goal, it is not necessary for applicants to use these particular objectives under each

goal. Applicants may select to pursue Goal 1, Goal 2, or both. Applicants should either select 

those objectives appropriate to their goal(s) or provide their own objectives appropriate to their 

specific proposal.

If applicants elect to modify the objectives, they should keep in mind the following:

Goals and objectives should reflect the Program-Specific Information provided in the previous 

section.

• Both proposed goals and objectives should be measurable.

• Goals describe long-term impacts of the proposed work.

• Objectives are used to describe short-term specific effects under a particular goal.
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Goal 1: Conduct research or evaluation to enhance knowledge regarding children exposed to 

violence.

• Objective 1: Identify factors that may actively promote resilient outcomes in children 

exposed to violence and protective and risk factors for children exposed to violence 

(particularly polyvictimized children).

• Objective 2: Examine the link between programs designed to increase community 

engagement and their impact on children exposed to violence.

• Objective 3: Increase the knowledge base regarding different aspects of Internet

harassment/electronic aggression.

• Objective 4: Examine the impact of justice system responses and the experiences and 

beliefs of justice system personnel on children exposed to violence.

• Objective 5: Conduct research on pathways to polyvictimization, risk, and protective 

factors related to polyvictimization, the impact of context on polyvictimization, and the 

mechanisms by which polyvictimization leads to a range of outcomes for youth.

Goal 2: Develop and/or validate standardized definitions or measurements related to various 

forms of violence to which youth are exposed.

• Objective 1: Develop and/or validate standardized definitions or measurements for 

polyvictimization.

• Objective 2: Develop and/or validate standardized definitions or measurements of 

internet harassment and electronic aggression.

Required deliverables include quarterly financial reports, semi-annual progress reports, data in 

a format suitable for archiving, and a final technical report suitable for publication. Other 

potential deliverables (e.g., conference presentations, peer-reviewed journal publications, 

materials for the NIJ Web site or NIJ publications) should be included in the application and will 

be discussed and agreed upon with the NIJ project officer if an award is made.

Evidence-based Programs or Practices

OJP places a strong emphasis on the use of data and evidence in policymaking and program 

development in criminal justice. OJP is committed to:

• improving the quantity and quality of evidence OJP generates; 

• integrating evidence into program, practice, and policy decisions within OJP and the 

field; and

• improving the translation of evidence into practice.

OJP considers programs and practices to be evidence-based when their effectiveness has been 

demonstrated by causal evidence, generally obtained through one or more outcome 

evaluations. Causal evidence documents a relationship between an activity or intervention 

(including technology) and its intended outcome, including measuring the direction and size of a 

change, and the extent to which a change may be attributed to the activity or intervention.

Causal evidence depends on the use of scientific methods to rule out, to the extent possible, 

alternative explanations for the documented change. The strength of causal evidence, based on 
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the factors described above, will influence the degree to which OJP considers a program or 

practice to be evidence based. OJP’s CrimeSolutions.gov is one resource that applicants may 

use to find information about evidence-based programs in criminal justice, juvenile justice, and 

crime victim services.

Amount and Length of Awards: NIJ anticipates that up to a total of $1 million may become 

available for one or multiple awards made through this solicitation. All awards are subject to 

the availability of appropriated funds and to any modifications or additional requirements 

that may be imposed by law. NIJ funding for an individual research project rarely exceeds 

$500,000, though total funding for projects requiring multiple years to complete has exceeded 

$1 million in some cases.

Applicants should be aware that the total period for an award ordinarily will not exceed 3 years. 

A proposed start date prior to January 1, 2014, is not advisable. 

Evaluation research: Within applications proposing evaluation research, funding priority will be 

given to experimental research designs that use random selection and assignment of 

participants to experimental and control conditions. When randomized designs are not feasible, 

priority will be given to quasi-experimental designs that include contemporary procedures such 

as Propensity Score Matching or Regression Discontinuity Design to address selection bias in 

evaluating outcomes and impacts. 

Evaluations that also include measurements of program fidelity and implementation as part of a 

thorough process assessment are desirable. Measurements of program fidelity should be 

included as part of an assessment of program processes and operations to ensure that policies, 

programs, and technologies are implemented as designed. As one aspect of a comprehensive 

evaluation, assessments of program processes should include objective measurements and 

qualitative observations of programs as they are actually implemented and of services that are 

delivered. These may include assessment of such aspects as adherence to program content 

and protocol, quantity and duration, quality of delivery, and participant responsiveness. 

Proposed evaluation research designs with multiple units of analysis and multiple 

measurements also will be given priority. Design aspects that contribute to the validity of results 

are necessary to effectively address issues of generalizability and representativeness of 

findings. 

Finally, applications that include cost/benefit analysis will be given priority. NIJ views 

cost/benefit analysis as an effective way to communicate and disseminate findings from 

evaluation research. 

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

regulations on confidentiality and human subjects’ protection. See “Other Requirements for OJP 

Applications” at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/funding/other_requirements.htm. 

What will not be funded: 

1. Provision of training or direct service. 

2. Proposals primarily to purchase equipment, materials, or supplies. (The budget may include 

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

evaluation, or analysis.) 
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3. Work that will be funded under another specific solicitation. 

4. Proposals that do not contain a research component or do not respond to the specific goals 

of this solicitation. 

Budget 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, recipients may 

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

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

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

agency with a Certified SES Performance Appraisal System for that year. The 2012 salary table 

for SES employees is available at www.opm.gov/oca/12tables/indexSES.asp. Note: A recipient 

may compensate an employee at a greater rate, provided the amount in excess of this 

compensation limitation is paid with non-federal funds. (Any such additional compensation will 

not be considered matching funds where match requirements apply.)

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

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

requesting a waiver should include a detailed justification in the budget narrative of the 

application. Unless the applicant submits a waiver request and justification with the application, 

the applicant should anticipate that OJP will request the applicant to adjust and resubmit the 

budget.

The justification should include the particular qualifications and expertise of the individual, the 

uniqueness of the service the individual will provide, the individual’s specific knowledge of the 

program or project being undertaken with award funds, and a statement explaining that the 

individual’s salary is commensurate with the regular and customary rate for an individual with 

his/her qualifications and expertise, and for the work to be done.

Minimization of Conference Costs

OJP encourages applicants to review the OJP guidance on conference approval, planning, and 

reporting that is available on the OJP Web site at www.ojp.gov/funding/confcost.htm. This 

guidance sets out the current OJP policy, which requires all funding recipients that propose to 

hold or sponsor conferences (including meetings, trainings, and other similar events) to 

minimize costs, requires OJP review and prior written approval of most conference costs for 

cooperative agreement recipients (and certain costs for grant recipients), and generally prohibits 

the use of OJP funding to provide food and beverages at conferences. The guidance also sets 

upper limits on many conference costs, including facility space, audio/visual services, logistical 

planning services, programmatic planning services, and food and beverages (in the rare cases 

where food and beverage costs are permitted at all). 

Prior review and approval of conference costs can take time (see the guidance for specific 

deadlines), and applicants should take this into account when submitting proposals. Applicants 

also should understand that conference cost limits may change and that they should check the 

guidance for updates before incurring such costs.
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Note on food and beverages: OJP may make exceptions to the general prohibition on using 

OJP funding for food and beverages, but will do so only in rare cases where food and 

beverages are not otherwise available (e.g., in extremely remote areas); the size of the event 

and capacity of nearby food and beverage vendors would make it impractical to not provide food 

and beverages; or a special presentation at a conference requires a plenary address where 

conference participants have no other time to obtain food and beverages. Any such exception 

requires OJP’s prior written approval. The restriction on food and beverages does not apply to 

water provided at no cost, but does apply to any and all other refreshments, regardless of the 

size or nature of the meeting. Additionally, this restriction does not affect direct payment of per 

diem amounts to individuals in a travel status under your organization’s travel policy.

Match Requirement 

See “Cofunding” paragraph under “What an Application Should Include” (below).

Performance Measures

To assist the Department 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, applicants that receive funding under this solicitation must provide data 

that measure the results of their work done under this solicitation. OJP will require any award 

recipient, post award, to provide the data requested in the “Data Grantee Provides” column so 

that OJP can calculate values for the “Performance Measures” column. Performance measures 

for this solicitation are as follows:

Objective Performance Measure(s) Data Grantee Provides

Develop and analyze 

information and data 

that would increase 

our understanding of 

the scope, causes, 

and outcomes of 

childhood exposure 

to violence and 

victimization.

Develop and analyze 

information and data 

that evaluates 

innovative programs, 

strategies, and 

policies that serve to 

prevent and reduce 

the incidence and 

impact of violence 

and victimization of 

children and to 

promote overall 

public safety.

1. Relevance to the needs of the 

field as measured by whether the 

grantee’s substantive scope did 

not deviate from the funded 

proposal or any subsequent 

agency modifications to the scope.

2. Quality of the research as 

assessed by peer reviewers. 

3. Quality of management as 

measured by whether significant 

interim project milestones were 

achieved, final deadlines were 

met, and costs remained within 

approved limits.

4. If applicable, number of NIJ final 

grant reports, NIJ research 

documents, and grantee research 

documents published.

1. A final report providing a 

comprehensive overview of the 

project and a detailed description of 

the project design, data, and 

methods; a full presentation of 

scientific findings; and a thorough 

discussion of the implications of the 

project findings for criminal justice 

practice and policy in the United 

States.

2. Quarterly financial reports, semiannual progress reports, and a final 

progress report.

3. Each data set that was collected, 

acquired, or modified in conjunction 

with the project.

4. Citations to reports/documents.
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OJP does not require applicants to submit performance measures data with their applications. 

Instead, applicants should discuss in their application their proposed methods for collecting data 

for performance measures. Refer to the section “What an Application Should Include” on page 

12 for additional information.

Notice of Post-Award FFATA Reporting Requirement

Applicants should anticipate that OJP will require all recipients (other than individuals) of awards 

of $25,000 or more under this solicitation, consistent with the Federal Funding Accountability 

and Transparency Act of 2006 (FFATA), to report award information on any first-tier subawards 

totaling $25,000 or more, and, in certain cases, to report information on the names and total 

compensation of the five most highly compensated executives of the recipient and first-tier 

subrecipients. Each applicant entity must ensure that it has the necessary processes and 

systems in place to comply with the reporting requirements should it receive funding. Reports 

regarding subawards will be made through the FFATA Subaward Reporting System (FSRS), 

found at www.fsrs.gov.

Please note also that applicants should anticipate that no subaward of an award made under 

this solicitation may be made to a subrecipient (other than an individual) unless the potential 

subrecipient acquires and provides a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number.

What an Application Should Include

Applicants should anticipate that if they fail to submit an application that contains all of the 

specified elements, it may negatively affect the review of their application; and, should a 

decision be made to make an award, it may result in the inclusion of special conditions that 

preclude the recipient from accessing or using award funds pending satisfaction of the 

conditions.

Moreover, applicants should anticipate that applications that are determined to be 

nonresponsive to the scope of the solicitation, or that do not include the application elements 

that NIJ has designated to be critical, will neither proceed to peer review nor receive further 

consideration. Under this solicitation, NIJ has designated the following application elements as 

critical: Program Narrative, Budget Detail Worksheet and Budget Narrative, and

resumes/curriculum vitae of key personnel. Applicants may combine the Budget Narrative and 

the Budget Detail Worksheet in one document. However, if an applicant submits only one 

document, it must contain both narrative and detail information.

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

“Program Narrative,” “Budget Detail Worksheet and Budget Narrative,” “Timelines,” 

“Memoranda of Understanding,” “Resumes”) for all attachments. Also, OJP recommends that

applicants include resumes in a single file.

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 GMS take information 

from the applicant’s profile to populate the fields on this form. When selecting "type of 
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applicant," if the applicant is a for-profit entity, select "For-Profit Organization" or "Small 

Business" (as applicable).

2. Abstract

Applications should include a high-quality “Project Abstract” that summarizes the 

proposed project in 250–400 words. Project abstracts should be—

 Written for a general public audience.

 Submitted as a separate attachment with <Project Abstract> as part of its 

file name.

 Single-spaced, using a standard 12-point font (Times New Roman) with 

1-inch margins.

As a separate attachment, the project abstract will not count against the 30-page limit 

for the program narrative. 

All project abstracts should follow the detailed template available at 

www.ojp.usdoj.gov/funding/Project_Abstract_Template.pdf and the supplemental 

instructions below.

The abstract is a critical part of your application, serving as an important introduction to 

your proposed study. NIJ uses the abstract for a number of purposes, including 

assignment to the appropriate independent review panel. If your proposal is funded, the 

abstract typically will become public information and be used to describe your proposed 

work. The abstract should describe the proposed work succinctly and accurately. The 

250–400 word abstract does not count against the 30-page limit for program narrative

and should include the following information:

1. Goals and Objectives: State the problem under investigation (including 

research goals and objectives), and the anticipated relevance of the project to 

criminal justice policy, practice, and theory.

2. Subjects: If applicable, include the number of subjects in your study and a 

description of their characteristics, such as age, gender, race/ethnicity, and other 

pertinent characteristics, such as methods used to gain access to subjects.

3. Research Design and Methods: Describe the proposed method and/or 

research design, including data to be used in addressing research questions, 

data collection procedures and instrumentation, access to data, and other 

methods or procedures of the proposed study. Include a clear, proposed timeline 

for the project.

4. Analysis: Summarize the techniques proposed for data analysis. Summarize 

steps to be taken to strengthen the reliability and validity of the analysis. 
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5. Products, Reports, and Data Archiving: Describe the expected products such 

as data sets, interim and final reports, and newly developed instrumentation (if 

applicable). Describe data to be archived under NIJ’s Data Resource Program. 

Permission to Share Project Abstract with the Public: It is unlikely that NIJ will be able to 

fund all promising applications submitted under this solicitation, but it may have the 

opportunity to share information with the public regarding promising but unfunded 

applications, for example, through a listing on a webpage available to the public. The 

intent of this public posting would be to allow other possible funders to become aware of 

such proposals. 

Applicants are asked to indicate whether they give OJP permission to share their project 

abstract (including contact information) with the public. Granting (or failing to grant) this 

permission will not affect OJP’s funding decisions, and, if the application is not funded, 

granting permission will not guarantee that abstract information will be shared, nor will it 

guarantee funding from any other source.

Note: OJP may choose not to list a project that otherwise would have been included in a 

listing of promising but unfunded applications, should the abstract fail to meet the format 

and content requirements noted above and outlined in the project abstract template.

3. Program Narrative

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

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

appendices, and government forms do not count toward the 30-page limit for the 

narrative section.

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.

Program Narrative Guidelines: 

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

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

opportunity number, and the applicant’s name and complete contact information 

(i.e., name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address).

b. Resubmit Response (if applicable) (not counted against the 30-page program 

narrative limit). If an applicant is resubmitting a proposal that was 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 NIJ-assigned application number of the previous proposal, 

and (2) a brief summary of revisions to the proposal. This document should be 

inserted after the abstract.
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c. Table of Contents and Figures (not counted against the 30-page program 

narrative limit).

d. Main body. The main body of the program narrative should describe the project 

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

narrative: 

• Statement of the Problem.

• Project/Program Design and Implementation.

• Capabilities/Competencies.

• Impact/Outcomes and Evaluation.

• Dissemination Strategy.

Within these sections, the narrative should address:

• Purpose, goals, and objectives.

• Review of relevant literature.

• Detailed description of research design and methods to include: research 

questions, hypotheses, description of sample, analysis plan, etc.

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

• Management plan and organization.

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

• Bibliography/references.

• Any tools/instruments, questionnaires, tables/charts/graphs, or maps 

 pertaining to the proposed study.

• Curriculum vitae, resumes or biographical sketches of key personnel. 

• Project timeline and research calendar with expected milestones. 

• Research independence and integrity (see “Selection Criteria,” below).

• Human Subjects Protection Paperwork including Institutional Review 

Board (IRB) documentation and forms (see 

www.ojp.gov/nij/funding/humansubjects/human-subjects.htm).

• Privacy Certificate (for further guidance go to 

www.ojp.gov/nij/funding/humansubjects/privacy-certificate-guidance.htm).

• List of previous and current NIJ awards to applicant organization and 

investigator(s).

• Letters of cooperation/support or administrative agreements from 

organizations collaborating in the project, such as law enforcement and 

correctional agencies (if applicable).

• List of other agencies, organizations, or funding sources to which this 

proposal has been submitted (if applicable).

• Other materials specified by the solicitation.

• Data archiving plan (see descriptive paragraph below).

Data Archiving Plan: Applications should include a brief plan to comply with data archiving 

requirements. The plan should be one or two pages in length and include a description of the 

proposed data management and archiving process including confidentiality protections and level 

of effort associated with meeting archiving requirements. Associated tasks should be reflected 

in the proposed project budget and budget narrative sections of the application.
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NIJ requires that data resulting from funded research be submitted as grant products or 

deliverables for archiving with the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data (NACJD) 

(www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/NACJD/archive.jsp). The purpose of the Data Archiving Plan is 

to demonstrate recognition by applicants that data sets resulting from the proposed research 

are required to be submitted as grant products for archiving according to special grant 

conditions. Along with other grant products, special conditions require that all research data be 

submitted 90 days before the end of the project period. Some amount of grant award funds is 

typically withheld for submission of research data along with the final report and other 

products/deliverables.

The plan should be submitted as an appendix labeled, “Data Archiving Plan.” The number of 

pages used for the plan will not count against the narrative page limit. The plan should provide 

brief details about the proposed archiving process including submission of these files: qualitative 

and quantitative data, final technical reports, instrumentation and data collection forms, and the 

privacy certificate and informed consent protocols including protections for confidentiality (where 

applicable). The focus of the Data Archiving Plan is to describe how the grant data products will 

be prepared and documented so as to allow reproduction of the project’s findings as well as 

future research that can extend the scientific value of the original project (See: 

www.icpsr.umich.edu/files/ICPSR/access/dataprep.pdf).

Specifically, the Data Archiving Plan includes:

• Information regarding data formats (quantitative/qualitative/spatial) and software with 

which data will be collected, entered into a database, stored, analyzed and transferred. 

Standard commercial software or software typically acceptable to NACJD should be 

identified for use in the proposed data collection 

(www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/NACJD/archiving/deposit-nij-data.jsp).

• A description of procedures by which the applicant plans to collect data along with 

anticipated units of analysis (e.g., individuals, locations), level of analysis and other 

identifiers for each data file that will be submitted upon completion of the funded 

research. 

• If the proposed research includes collection of information identifiable to private persons, 

the following should be included

o A description of all assurances of confidentiality made to those persons.

o A copy of the consent form used.

o A copy of the Privacy Certificate (as submitted to and approved by the funding 

agency).

o IRB approval documentation.

o Any information transfer agreement used to transfer the data with identifiers.

• Any anticipated variable creation, data transformations or scale construction that may be 

critical to the interpretation or analysis of the data by others. 

• A plan for submission of computer programming code or software syntax providing detail 

on how the data will be processed including any significant treatments of the data such 

as de-identification, imputation, filtering or weighting. 
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• A description of the technical documentation (e.g., data dictionary or codebook) that 

explains how variables will be designated in the data file(s), such as the use of variable 

naming conventions and variable groups, missing data/value designations, variable and

category/value labels, operational definitions and citations as needed for these variables. 

• Contact information for the Principal Investigator in the event other researchers should 

need more information about the study or the data.

4. Budget Detail Worksheet and Budget Narrative

a. Budget Detail Worksheet 

A sample Budget Detail Worksheet can be found at 

www.ojp.gov/funding/forms/budget_detail.pdf. Applicants that submit their budget in 

a different format should include the budget categories listed in the sample budget 

worksheet.

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

see the OJP Financial Guide at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/financialguide/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).

Applicants should demonstrate in their budget narratives how they will maximize cost 

effectiveness of grant 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 narrative should be mathematically sound and correspond 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 they are relevant 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 be broken down by year.

Cofunding: A grant 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.

If a successful applicant’s proposed match exceeds the required 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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5. Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable)

Indirect costs are allowed only if the applicant has a federally approved indirect cost rate. 

(This requirement does not apply to units of local government.) Attach a copy of the 

federally approved indirect cost rate agreement to the application. Applicants that do not 

have an approved rate may request one through their cognizant federal agency, which 

will review all documentation and approve a rate for the applicant organization, or, if the 

applicant’s accounting system permits, costs may be allocated in the direct cost 

categories. If DOJ is the cognizant federal agency, obtain information needed to submit 

an indirect cost rate proposal at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/funding/pdfs/indirect_costs.pdf.

6. Tribal Authorizing Resolution (if applicable)

Tribes, tribal organizations, or third parties proposing to provide direct services or 

assistance to residents on tribal lands should include in their applications a resolution, a 

letter, affidavit, or other documentation, as appropriate, that certifies that the applicant 

has the legal authority from the tribe(s) to implement the proposed project on tribal 

lands. In those instances when an organization or consortium of tribes applies for a grant 

on behalf of a tribe or multiple specific tribes, then the application should include 

appropriate legal documentation, as described above, from all tribes that would receive 

services/assistance under the grant. 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. Additional Attachments

a. Applicant disclosure of pending applications.

Applicants are to disclose whether they have pending applications for federally funded 

assistance that include requests for funding to support the same project being proposed 

under this solicitation and will cover the identical cost items outlined in the budget 

narrative and worksheet in the application under this solicitation. The disclosure should 

include both direct applications for federal funding (e.g., applications to federal agencies) 

and indirect applications for such funding (e.g., applications to State agencies that will be 

subawarding federal funds).

OJP seeks this information to help avoid any 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.

Applicants that have pending applications as described above are 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 funding agency.
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SAMPLE

Applicants should include the table as a separate attachment, with the file name 

“Disclosure of Pending Applications,” to their application. Applicants that do not have 

pending applications as described above are to include a statement to this effect in the 

separate attachment page. (e.g., “[Applicant Name] does not have pending applications

submitted within the last 12 months for federally funded assistance that include requests 

for funding to support the same project being proposed under this solicitation and will 

cover the identical cost items outlined in the budget narrative and worksheet in the 

application under this solicitation.”)

b. Research and Evaluation Independence and Integrity

If a proposal involves research and/or evaluation, regardless of the proposal’s rating 

under the selection criteria, in order to receive funds, the applicant’s proposal must 

demonstrate research/evaluation independence, including appropriate safeguards to 

ensure research/evaluation objectivity and integrity.

For purposes of this solicitation, research and evaluation independence and integrity 

pertains to ensuring that the design, conduct, or reporting of research/evaluation funded 

by NIJ grants, cooperative agreements, or contracts will not be biased by any personal 

or financial conflict of interest on the part of the investigators responsible for the 

research/evaluation or on the part of the applicant organization. Conflicts can be either 

actual or apparent. Examples of potential investigator (or other personal) conflict 

situations may include where an investigator would be in a position to evaluate a 

spouse’s work product (actual conflict), or where an investigator would be in a position to 

evaluate the work of a former colleague (apparent conflict). With regard to potential 

organizational conflicts of interest, as one example, generally an organization could not 

be given a grant to evaluate a project if that organization had itself provided substantial 

prior technical assistance to that project, as the organization in such an instance would 

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/evaluation project are objective and reliable. Any outside 

personal or financial interest that casts doubt on that objectivity and reliability is a 

problem. 

Federal or 

State 

Funding 

Agency 

Solicitation 

Name/Project 

Name

Name/Phone/E-mail for Point of Contact at 

Funding Agency

DOJ/COPS COPS Hiring 

Program

Jane Doe, 202/000-0000; jane.doe@usdoj.gov

HHS/ 

Substance 

Abuse & 

Mental Health 

Services 

Administration

Drug Free 

Communities 

Mentoring Program/ 

North County Youth 

Mentoring Program

John Doe, 202/000-0000; john.doe@hhs.gov
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In the appendix dealing with research and evaluation independence and integrity, the 

applicant should explain the process and procedures that the applicant has put in place 

to identify and eliminate (or, at the very least, mitigate) potential personal or financial 

conflicts of interest on the part of its staff, consultants, and/or subrecipients. It should 

also identify any potential organizational conflicts of interest on the part of the applicant 

with regard to the proposed research/evaluation. If the applicant reasonably believes 

that no potential personal or organizational conflicts of interest exist, then the applicant 

should provide a brief narrative explanation of how and why it reached that conclusion.

Where potential personal or organizational conflicts of interest exist, in the appendix, the 

applicant should identify the safeguards the applicant has or will put in place to 

eliminate, mitigate, explain, or otherwise address those conflicts of interest.

Considerations in assessing research and evaluation independence and integrity will 

include, but may not be limited to, the adequacy of the applicant’s efforts to identify 

factors that could affect the objectivity/integrity of the proposed staff and/or the 

organization 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.

8. Other Standard Forms

Additional forms that OJP may require in connection with an award are available on

OJP’s funding page at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/funding/forms.htm. For successful applicants, 

receipt of funds may be contingent upon submission of all necessary forms. Note in 

particular the following forms:

a. Standard Assurances*

Applicants must read, certify, and submit this form in GMS prior to the receipt 

of any award funds.

b. Certifications Regarding Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension and Other Responsibility 

Matters; and Drug-Free Workplace Requirements*

Applicants must read, certify, and submit in GMS prior to the receipt of any 

award funds.

c. Accounting System and Financial Capability Questionnaire

Any applicant (other than an individual) that is a non-governmental entity and 

that has not received any award from OJP within the past 3 years, must 

download, complete, and submit this form.

*These OJP Standard Assurances and Certifications are forms which applicants accept 

in GMS. They are not additional forms to be uploaded at the time of application 

submission.
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Selection Criteria

Statement of the Problem (Understanding of the problem and its importance)—10%

Project/Program Design and Implementation (Quality and technical merit)—40%

1. Awareness of the state of current research.

2. Soundness of methods and analytic and technical approach.

3. Feasibility of proposed project and awareness of pitfalls.

4. Innovation and creativity (when appropriate).

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

applicants)—15%

1. Qualifications and experience of proposed staff.

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

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

and resources are used.

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

Budget—5%

NOTE: The budget should be complete, cost effective, and allowable (e.g., reasonable, 

allocable, and necessary for project activities.) Budget narratives should generally demonstrate 

how applicants will maximize cost effectiveness of grant expenditures. Budget narratives 

should demonstrate cost effectiveness in relation to potential alternatives and the goals of the 

project.

1

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.

Impact/Outcomes and Evaluation (Relevance to policy and practice)—25% 

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

2. Potential for significant advances in the field.

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

in the United States and improving public safety, security, and quality of life.

4. Affordability and cost-effectiveness of proposed products, when applicable (e.g., 

purchase price and maintenance costs for a new technology or cost of training to use the 

technology).

Relevance of the project for policy and practice in the United States

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

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

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

collaborate with practitioners and policymakers. The application may include letters showing 

 1 Generally speaking, a reasonable cost is a cost that, in its nature or amount, does not exceed that which would be 

incurred by a prudent person under the circumstances prevailing at the time the decision was made to incur the 

costs.
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support from practitioners, but they carry less weight than clear evidence of the applicant’s 

understanding of how policymakers and practitioners can best use and benefit from the 

proposed work. While a partnership may affect State or local activities, it should also have 

broader implications for other communities nationwide.

Dissemination Strategy—5%

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

including researchers, practitioners, and policymakers. 

2. Suggestions for print and electronic products that NIJ should consider developing for 

practitioners and policymakers.

3. If applicable, a clear strategy leading to the adoption into practice of any instrumentation, 

equipment or software. 

Review Process

OJP is committed to ensuring a fair and open process for awarding grants. 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. NIJ may use either internal peer reviewers, external peer reviewers, or 

a combination, to review the applications under this solicitation. 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. Applications that meet basic minimum requirements will be evaluated, 

scored, and rated by a peer review panel. Peer reviewers’ ratings and any resulting 

recommendations are advisory only. In addition to peer review ratings, considerations for award 

recommendations and decisions may include, but are not limited to, underserved populations, 

geographic diversity, strategic priorities, past performance, and available funding.

The Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO), in consultation with NIJ, reviews applications 

for potential discretionary awards to evaluate the fiscal integrity and financial capability of 

applicants, examines proposed costs to determine if the Budget Detail Worksheet and Budget 

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

necessary, and allowable under applicable federal cost principles and agency regulations. 

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

may consider factors including, but not limited to, underserved populations, geographic 

diversity, strategic priorities, past performance, and available funding when making awards.

Additional Requirements

Applicants selected for awards must agree to comply with additional legal requirements upon 

acceptance of an award. OJP encourages applicants to review the information pertaining to 

these additional requirements prior to submitting an application. Additional information for each 

requirement can be found at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/funding/other_requirements.htm. 
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• Civil Rights Compliance

• Civil Rights Compliance Specific to State Administering Agencies

• Faith-Based and Other Community Organizations

• Confidentiality

• Research and the Protection of Human Subjects

• Anti-Lobbying Act

• Financial and Government Audit Requirements

• National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

• DOJ Information Technology Standards (if applicable) 

• Single Point of Contact Review

• Non-Supplanting of State or Local Funds

• Criminal Penalty for False Statements

• Compliance with Office of Justice Programs Financial Guide

• Suspension or Termination of Funding

• Nonprofit Organizations

• For-profit Organizations

• Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA)

• Rights in Intellectual Property 

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

• Awards in Excess of $5,000,000 – Federal Taxes Certification Requirement

• Policy and Guidance for Conference Approval, Planning, and Reporting

• OJP Training Guiding Principles for Grantees and Subgrantees

If a proposal is funded, the award recipient will be required to submit several reports and other 

materials, including: 
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Final substantive report: The final report should be a comprehensive overview of the project 

and should include a detailed description of the project design, data, and methods; a full 

presentation of scientific findings, placed in the context of existing literature; a thorough 

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

United States; etc. It must contain an abstract of no more than 600 words and an executive 

summary of 2,500 to 4,000 words. 

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

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

reviews will be forwarded to the principal investigator with suggestions for revisions. The author 

must then submit the revised final report, abstract, and executive summary by the end date of 

the grant. The abstract, executive summary, and final report must be submitted in electronic 

format.

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

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

Office of Management and Budget Circular A–133. Future awards and fund drawdowns may be 

withheld if reports are delinquent. Semi-annual progress reports will be submitted in the 

Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) format (www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/rppr/).

Data sets: NIJ requires submission of all data sets (original, intermediate, and final) produced 

or collected for the funded project, and any artifact associated with the project data. Included 

with the final sets of data should be the plan outlined in the Data Archiving Plan section of the 

proposal.

How to Apply 

Applicants must submit applications through Grants.gov. Applicants must first register with 

Grants.gov in order to submit an application through Grants.gov, a “one-stop storefront” to find 

federal funding opportunities and apply for funding. Find complete instructions on how to 

register and submit an application at www.Grants.gov. Applicants that experience technical 

difficulties during this process should call the Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline at 800-518-

4726 or 606–545–5035, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except federal holidays. 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 and a user password. OJP 

encourages applicants to register several weeks before the application submission deadline. 

In addition, OJP urges applicants to submit applications 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.

Note: NIJ encourages all prospective applicants to sign up for Grants.gov email notifications 

regarding this solicitation. If this solicitation is cancelled or modified, individuals who sign up 

with Grants.gov for email updates will be notified.

All applicants are required to complete the following steps: 

1. Acquire a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number. In general, the Office 

of Management and Budget requires that all applicants (other than individuals) for 

federal funds include a DUNS number in their applications for a new award or a 
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supplement to an existing award. A DUNS number is a unique nine-digit sequence 

recognized as the universal standard for identifying and differentiating entities receiving 

federal funds. The identifier is used for tracking purposes and to validate address and 

point of contact information for federal assistance applicants, recipients, and 

subrecipients. The DUNS number will be used throughout the grant life cycle. Obtaining 

a DUNS number is a free, 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 registration with the System for Award Management (SAM). SAM replaces 

the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) database as the repository for standard 

information about federal financial assistance applicants, recipients, and subrecipients. 

OJP requires all applicants (other than individuals) for federal financial assistance to 

maintain current registrations in the SAM database. Applicants must be registered in 

SAM to successfully register in Grants.gov. (Previously, organizations that had 

submitted applications via Grants.gov were registered with CCR, as it was a requirement 

for Grants.gov registration. SAM registration replaces CCR as a pre-requisite for 

Grants.gov registration.) Applicants must update or renew their SAM registration 

annually to maintain an active status. 

Applicants that were previously registered in the CCR database must, at a minimum:

• Create a SAM account;

• Log in to SAM and migrate permissions to the SAM account (all the entity 

registrations and records should already have been migrated).

Applicants that were not previously registered in the CCR database must register in 

SAM prior to registering in Grants.gov. Information about SAM registration procedures 

can be accessed at www.sam.gov.

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. The applicant organization’s DUNS number must be used to 

complete this step. For more information about the registration process, go to 

www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp.

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 applicant organization’s AOR. 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, titled 

“National Institute of Justice Research, Evaluation and Development Project Grants,” 

and the funding opportunity number is NIJ-2013-3469. 

6. Complete the Disclosure of Lobbying Activities. All applicants must complete this 

information. Applicants that expend any funds for lobbying activities must provide the 

detailed information requested on the form, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL). 
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Applicants that do not expend any funds for lobbying activities should enter “N/A” in the 

required highlighted fields. 

7. Submit an 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 an e-mail validation message from Grants.gov. The message 

will state whether the application has been received and validated, or rejected due to 

errors, with an explanation. Important: OJP urges applicants to submit applications at 

least 72 hours prior of 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.

Note: Grants.gov only permits the use of specific characters in names of attachment 

files. Valid file names may only include the following characters: A-Z, a-z, 0-9, underscore 

(_), hyphen (-), space, and period. Grants.gov will forward the application to OJP’s Grants 

Management System (GMS). 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.”

Note: Duplicate Applications

If an applicant submits multiple versions of an application, NIJ will review the most recent 

version submitted. 

Experiencing Unforeseen Grants.gov Technical Issues

Applicants that experience unforeseen Grants.gov technical issues beyond their control that 

prevent them from submitting their application by the deadline must e-mail the NIJ contact 

identified in the Contact Information section on the title page within 24 hours after the 

application deadline and request approval to submit their application. The e-mail must 

describe the technical difficulties, and 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: NIJ does not automatically approve requests. After the 

program office reviews the submission, and contacts the Grants.gov or SAM Help Desks to 

validate the reported technical issues, OJP will inform the applicant whether the request to 

submit a late application has been approved or denied. If the technical issues reported cannot 

be validated, OJP will reject the application as untimely. 

The following conditions are not valid reasons to permit late submissions: (1) failure to register 

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

posted on its Web site, (3) failure to follow each instruction in the OJP solicitation, and (4) 

technical issues with the applicant’s computer or information technology environment, including 

firewalls.

Notifications regarding known technical problems with Grants.gov, if any, are posted at the top 

of the OJP funding Web page at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/funding/solicitations.htm.
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Provide Feedback to OJP on This Solicitation

To assist OJP in improving its application and award processes, we encourage applicants to 

provide feedback on this solicitation, the application submission process, and/or the application 

review/peer review process. Feedback may be provided to 

OJPSolicitationFeedback@usdoj.gov.

IMPORTANT: This email is for feedback and suggestions only. Replies are not sent from this 

mailbox. If you have specific questions on any program or technical aspect of the solicitation, 

you must directly contact the appropriate number or email listed on the front of this solicitation 

document. These contacts are provided to help ensure that you can directly reach an individual 

who can address your specific questions in a timely manner. 

If you are interested in being a reviewer for other OJP grant applications, please email your 

resume to ojppeerreview@lmbps.com. The OJP Solicitation Feedback email account will not

forward your resume. Note: Neither you nor anyone else from your organization can be a peer 

reviewer in a competition in which you or your organization have submitted an application.
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Application Checklist

Research and Evaluation on Children Exposed to Violence

This application checklist has been created to assist in developing an application.

Eligibility Requirement: In general, NIJ is authorized to make grants to, or enter into contracts 

or cooperative agreements with, States (including territories), units of local government 

(including federally recognized Indian tribal governments as determined by the Secretary of the 

Interior), nonprofit and for-profit organizations (including tribal nonprofit and profit organizations), 

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

qualified individuals. For-profit organizations must agree to forgo any profit or management fee. 

Foreign governments, foreign organizations, and foreign institutions of higher education are not 

eligible to apply.

What an Application Should Include: 

_____ Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424) (see page 12)

_____ Abstract (see page 13)

_____ Program Narrative (see page 14)

_____ Appendices to the Program Narrative (see page 14)

_____ Bibliography/references 

_____ Any tools/instruments, questionnaires, tables/charts/graphs, or maps 

pertaining to the proposed study 

_____ Curriculum vitae, resumes, or biographical sketches of key personnel 

_____ Project timeline and research calendar with expected milestones 

_____ Research independence and integrity 

_____ Human Subjects Protection Paperwork 

_____ Privacy Certificate 

_____ List of previous and current NIJ awards to applicant organization 

and investigators 

_____ Letters of cooperation/support or administrative agreements from 

organizations collaborating in the project (if applicable) 

_____ List of other agencies, organizations, or funding sources to which 

this proposal has been submitted (if applicable) 

_____ Data Archiving Plan

_____ Budget Detail Worksheet (see page 17)

_____ Budget Narrative (see page 17)

_____ Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL), if applicable” (see page 25)

_____ Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable) (see page 18)

_____ Tribal Authorizing Resolution (if applicable) (see page 18)

_____ Additional Attachments

_____ Disclosure of Pending Applications (see page 18)

_____ Research and Evaluation Independence and Integrity (see page 19)

_____ Other Standard Forms as applicable (see page 20), including:

_____ Accounting System and Financial Capability Questionnaire (if applicable)