Notice regarding the solicitation “Research and Development in 

Forensic Science for Criminal Justice Purposes”

April 19, 2018: 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. 

April 13, 2018: Grants.gov will be offline for scheduled maintenance from 12:01 a.m. eastern 

time on April 21 through 6:00 a.m. eastern time on April 23, 2018. 

April 3, 2018: The program narrative page limit, as listed under item 3. Program Narrative in 

Section D. Application and Submission Information, was revised from 18 double-spaced pages 

to 18 single-spaced pages. 

March 29, 2018: Information regarding “New Investigator Opportunities” has been revised from: 

New Investigator/Early Career Opportunity 

NIJ is interested in supporting researchers who are early in their careers and new to NIJ’s 

research grant portfolios, specifically non-tenured assistant professors, or equivalent full-time 

staff scientist positions in a research institution, who propose research as outlined in this 

solicitation. Applications that include a principal investigator (PI) who meets the criteria may, in 

appropriate circumstances, be given special consideration in award decisions. 

At the time of application submission, the proposed PI must: 

 Hold a non-tenured assistant professor appointment at an accredited institution of higher

education in the United States or an equivalent full-time staff scientist position at a

research institution.

 Have completed their terminal degree or post-graduate clinical training within the ten

(10) years prior to September 30, 2018.

 Never have received prior NIJ funding as a PI on a research project with the exception of

Graduate Research Fellows or Data Resources Program grantees.
Note that NIJ’s grant awards are made to the applicant institution and do not transfer with the 

proposed PI to other institutions; the institution that applies for the award should be the 

institution that will manage the award for the duration of the project period. The applicant should 

identify that this is a New Investigator/Early Career proposal on the title page of their 

application.

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

performance measures that demonstrate the results of the work completed.

To:

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. 

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, 2014 — an initial 

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

equivalent full-time staff scientist position in a research institution; hold such a full-time 

appointment at the time of application submission; and must never have received NIJ 

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

grant. (Typically, the appropriate faculty rank is that of “Assistant Professor,” although some 

institutions may use a different title to designate junior faculty status.)

 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.”

March 29, 2018: Item 9.c. titled “Disclosure of Process Related to Executive Compensation” 

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

Information was removed.

March 15, 2018: Grants.gov will be offline from Saturday, April 21, 2018 at 12:01 AM eastern 

time through Monday, April 23, 2018 at 6:00 AM eastern time. The application deadline has 
been revised from Monday, April 23, 2018 at 11:59 PM eastern time to Tuesday, April 24, 2018, 

11:59 PM eastern time.

March 12, 2018: Links directing to "Overview of Legal Requirements Generally Applicable to 

OJP Grants and Cooperative Agreements - FY 2017 Awards" have been updated to the FY 

2018 link throughout this funding opportunity document.

March 12, 2018: The operational requirements referenced in this solicitation have been

updated. The updated operational requirements are available at 

https://nij.gov/topics/forensics/pages/forensic-operational-requirements.aspx.

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, ensure public safety, prevent and control crime, and 

ensure fair and impartial administration of justice.

Research and Development in Forensic Science 

for Criminal Justice Purposes 

Applications Due: April 24, 2018

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-2018-13600

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 2018 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 

24, 2018.

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-2018-13600

February 21, 2018
3

NIJ-2018-13600

Contents

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

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

Program-Specific Information ................................................................................................. 4

Goals, Objectives, Deliverables, and Expected Scholarly Products ........................................ 6

New Investigator Opportunities..............................................................................................10

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

Type of Award .......................................................................................................................12

Financial Management and System of Internal Controls........................................................13

Budget Information ................................................................................................................14

Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement.................................................................................15

Pre-agreement Costs (also known as Pre-award Costs) .......................................................15

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

Prior Approval, Planning, and Reporting of Conference/Meeting/Training Costs ...................16

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

C. Eligibility Information.............................................................................................................17

D. Application and Submission Information ...............................................................................17

What an Application Should Include ......................................................................................17

How to Apply .........................................................................................................................36

E. Application Review Information.............................................................................................41

Review Criteria ......................................................................................................................41

Review Process.....................................................................................................................43

F. Federal Award Administration Information ............................................................................45

Federal Award Notices ..........................................................................................................45

Administrative, National Policy, and Other Legal Requirements ............................................45

General Information About Post-Federal Award Reporting Requirements .............................46

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s) ...................................................................................47

H. Other Information..................................................................................................................47

Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552 and 5 U.S.C. 552a) ....................47

Provide Feedback to OJP......................................................................................................47

Application Checklist .............................................................................................................49
4

NIJ-2018-13600

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; research and development in 

broader scientific fields applicable to forensic science; and 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. The operational needs discussed at NIJ’s FY 2016 Forensic Science TWG meeting 

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.

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

authority provided by a full-year appropriations act for FY 2018. 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 2018.

Program-Specific Information

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

development forensic science projects. For the purposes of this solicitation, the following 

definitions apply:

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

 

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.
5

NIJ-2018-13600

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, 

moving the state-of-the-art forward, and otherwise resolving identified issues that will ultimately 

result in improved ability to enforce the law, ensure public safety, prevent and control 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).

 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/forensicscience/bloodstain-pattern-analysis-subcommittee).

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

 

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-2018-13600

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

https://www.nist.gov/topics/forensic-science/fire-and-explosion-investigation-subcommittee, 

https://www.nist.gov/topics/forensic-science/fire-debris-and-explosives-subcommittee).

 Firearms and toolmark identification (https://www.nist.gov/topics/forensic-science/firearmsand-toolmarks-subcommittee).

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

 Shoeprint/tire tread examination (http://www.swgtread.org, 

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 (www.swgtox.org, https://www.nist.gov/topics/forensicscience/toxicology-subcommittee).

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

https://www.nist.gov/topics/forensic-science/crime-scenedeath-investigation-scientific-areacommittee, https://www.nist.gov/topics/forensic-science/medicolegal-death-investigationsubcommittee).

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.

Goals, Objectives, Deliverables, and Expected Scholarly Products

NIJ’s Research and Development in Forensic Science for Criminal Justice Purposes program is 

intended to meet the following goals and objectives. 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 towards specific forensic 

science needs and challenges which, if resolved, will facilitate the criminal justice community to 

enforce the law, ensure public safety, prevent and control 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, earlier stage research projects are not required

to result in immediate solutions. However, they 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 
7

NIJ-2018-13600

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

Research Council of the National Academies to review research recommendations put forth 

by the committee. To achieve 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 also may 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 

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 the forensic 
8

NIJ-2018-13600

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 to overcome scene hazards and prevent 

evidence contamination, the development of nondestructive or minimally destructive 

methods for evidentiary sample identification and/or collection, and 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.

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.
9

NIJ-2018-13600

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.

Priority Areas of Research Opportunities

NIJ is interested in funding innovative research that align 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 interagency 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 

 

7 https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/whitehouse.gov/files/ostp/fy2019-administration-research-development-budgetpriorities.pdf.
10

NIJ-2018-13600

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. 

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, 2014 — an initial 

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

equivalent full-time staff scientist position in a research institution; hold such a full-time 

appointment at the time of application submission; and must never have received NIJ 

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

grant. (Typically, the appropriate faculty rank is that of “Assistant Professor,” although some 

institutions may use a different title to designate junior faculty status.)

 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.
11

NIJ-2018-13600 

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.”

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 to 

view the specific reporting requirements for this grant program. 

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. 

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 agencyapproved modifications to the scope.

2. Quality of the research as demonstrated 

by the scholarly products that result in whole 

or in part from work funded under the NIJ 

award, such as published, peer-reviewed, 

scientific journal articles, and/or (as 

appropriate for the funded project) law 

review journal articles, book chapter(s) or 

book(s) in the academic press, technological 

prototypes, patented inventions, or similar 

scientific products.

3. Quality of management as measured by 

such factors as whether significant project 

milestones were achieved, reporting and 

other deadlines were met, and costs 

remained within approved limits.

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.
12

NIJ-2018-13600 

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 fiscal year 2017, NIJ 

provided approximately $26 million in awards 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 projects requiring multiple 

years to complete has exceeded $1 million in previous years. In FY 2017, the average forensic 

science research and development award was approximately $233,000 per year. The average 

project period was two years, and awards will normally not exceed a three-year period of 

performance. 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 2018 for awards under this solicitation nor to fit within a three-year period of 

performance. 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. 

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, 2019. 

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 of funds for research, development, and evaluation awards, 

this information will assist NIJ in considering whether partial funding of applications would be 

productive. (If, in FY 2018, 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 most awards under this solicitation in the form of a grant. See 

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

Administration Information, 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 OJP grants. As stated in the Eligibility 
13

NIJ-2018-13600 

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. 

Financial Management and System of Internal Controls 

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

entities8) must, as described in the Part 200 Uniform Requirements9 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. 

 

8 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.

9 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. 
14

NIJ-2018-13600 

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://ojpfgm.webfirst.com/. (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. 

Budget Information 

What will not be funded: 

 Proposals 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.) 
15

NIJ-2018-13600 

 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. 

 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. 

This solicitation does not require a match. However, if a successful application proposes a 

voluntary match amount, and OJP approves the budget, the total match amount incorporated 

into the approved budget becomes mandatory and subject to audit. 

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

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

performance of the federal award. 
16

NIJ-2018-13600 

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 

agency with a Certified SES Performance Appraisal System for that year.10 The 2018 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/18Tables/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 

 

10 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. 
17

NIJ-2018-13600 

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 athttps://ojp.gov/funding/index.htm. 

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. 
18

NIJ-2018-13600 

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 

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

recipients should enter the Employer Identification Number (EIN) in box 8c 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 their applications 

(e.g., articles of incorporation, 501(c)(3) status documentation, organizational letterhead 

etc.) 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. 
19

NIJ-2018-13600 

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 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.

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.11

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).

11 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.
20

NIJ-2018-13600 

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 NIJ-assigned 

application number of the previous application, and (2) a brief summary of revisions 

to the application, including responses to previous feedback received from NIJ. 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 

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, 
21

NIJ-2018-13600 

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 previously noted on page 4. Applicants should describe the research 

methodology in detail and demonstrate the validity and usefulness of the data 

they will collect. Applicants should consider the rigor and soundness of the 

methodology and analytical and technical approaches for the proposed research 

and address the feasibility of the proposed project and potential challenges or 

problems in carrying out the activities. 

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

interpreted as well as any resource-sharing 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 # of Samples Source Service Previous Service

Known controls 500 Buccal Targeted sequencing STR base genotyping

Forensic samples 500 Buccal Targeted sequencing STR base genotyping
22

NIJ-2018-13600 

Sample 

Set

Target # of 

Samples Source Subsample Set Service

Crania 300 Modern Donated

Collection

300 individuals of known Hispanic 

Ancestry; 150 Male, 150 Female

Morphometric sex

estimation

Pelvis 300 Modern Donated

Collection

300 individuals of known Hispanic 

Ancestry; 150 Male, 150 Female

Morphometric sex

estimation

Subject Description Target # of 

Samples Collection Site

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

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

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. 

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. 
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NIJ-2018-13600 

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. 

o As applicable, also include the following information as part of the Project 

Design and Implementation: 

 Preliminary Studies for New Applications: For new applications, 

include information on preliminary studies. 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. 

o Describe planned scholarly products (See Goals, Objectives, 

Deliverables, and Expected Scholarly Products above, 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 produce or make available to broader 

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

readily accessible and useful to them. 

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

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

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

effort and the federal funds under this award, highlighting any previous 
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NIJ-2018-13600 

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, 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., 
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NIJ-2018-13600 

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 or resumes 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 “Curriculum Vitae or 

Resumes of Senior/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) 

 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 
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NIJ-2018-13600 

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 

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.”

 Resource sharing plan(s). NIJ considers the sharing of unique research 

resources developed through NIJ-sponsored research an important means to 
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NIJ-2018-13600 

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 “Resource Sharing 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. 

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 noncompetitive 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. 
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NIJ-2018-13600 

 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 organization 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 proposal 

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. 

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. 
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NIJ-2018-13600 

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. 

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 
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NIJ-2018-13600 

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. 

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 
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NIJ-2018-13600 

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 $150,000) 

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, $150,000 -- 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 $150,000 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 $150,000) must have written justification 

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 $150,000 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: 
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NIJ-2018-13600

(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 additional eligibility requirements please see 

Part 200 Uniform Requirements, as set out at https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/textidx?node=se2.1.200_1414&rgn=div8.

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 

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. 
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NIJ-2018-13600

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 

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 

athttps://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”).
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NIJ-2018-13600 

9. Additional Attachments

a. Applicant Disclosure of Pending Applications12

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). 

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)

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. 

 

12 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-2018-13600 

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.”

b. 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: 

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 
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NIJ-2018-13600 

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

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 
37

NIJ-2018-13600

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.

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).
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NIJ-2018-13600 

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. 

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. 
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NIJ-2018-13600 

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. 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). An 

applicant must be registered in SAM to successfully register in Grants.gov. Each applicant 

must update or renew its SAM registration at least annually to maintain an active status. 

SAM registration and renewal can take as long as 10 business days to complete (2 more 

weeks to acquire an EIN). 

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. 

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. 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 

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-2018-13600.

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 
40

NIJ-2018-13600 

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. p.m. eastern time on April 24, 2018. 

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 

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. 
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NIJ-2018-13600 

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 or area of criminal justice. 

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. 

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; for example, by firm theoretical basis, reasonable preliminary data 

(depending on the mechanism), the track record of the principal investigator and any coprincipal 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. 
42

NIJ-2018-13600 

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. 

Potential Impact – 20% 

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

justice in the United States, such as: 

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

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

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

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

forensic science field(s) related to criminal justice? 

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

criminal/juvenile justice 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? 

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. 
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NIJ-2018-13600 

3. Use of existing resources to conserve costs. 

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

5. Proposed plan (if any) to produce or to make available to broader interested audiences, 

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

the planned scholarly products of the project. 

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 

criminal/juvenile justice 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 

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 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 internal peer reviewers, external 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 
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NIJ-2018-13600 

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 $150,000 in federal funds, OJP also must review and 

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

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

Performance and Integrity Information System; "FAPIIS"). 

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. 

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. The NIJ Director may also take into consideration whether 

the principal investigator is new to their career and new to NIJ’s research grant portfolios, and 

meets the criteria outlined on page 10 of this solicitation. 
45

NIJ-2018-13600 

F. Federal Award Administration Information 

Federal Award Notices 

Award notifications will be made by September 30, 2018. 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 

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 

2018. 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. 
46

NIJ-2018-13600 

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 interagency 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, 

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. 

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 segment of the Program-Specific Information section of this solicitation, as 

well as the Performance Measures section. In addition to the deliverables and expected 

scholarly products described in Section A. Program Description, 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 

reporting. Successful applicants will be required to access OJP’s performance measurement 

page at www.ojp.gov/performance to view the specific reporting requirements for this grant 

program. 
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NIJ-2018-13600 

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s) 

For questions directed to the Federal Awarding Agency, see NCJRS contact information on 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-2018-13600 

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

resume to ojppeerreview@l-secb.com. (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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NIJ-2018-13600 

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 38) 

_____ Acquire or renew registration with SAM (see page 39) 

To Register with Grants.gov: 

_____ Acquire AOR and Grants.gov username/password (see page 39) 

_____ Acquire AOR confirmation from the E-Biz POC (see page 39) 

To Find Funding Opportunity:

_____ Search for the funding opportunity on Grants.gov (see page 39) 

_____ Access Funding Opportunity and Application Package (see page 39) 

_____ Sign up for Grants.gov email notifications (optional) (see page 37) 

_____ 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 16) 

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 40) 

If no Grants.gov receipt, and validation or error notifications are received: 

_____ Please refer to the section: Experiencing Unforeseen Grants.gov Technical Issues 

(see page 40) 

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. 

Scope Requirement: 

_____ The federal amount requested is within the allowable limit(s). 

Eligibility Requirement: See cover page. 

What an Application Should Include: 

_____ Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424) (see page 18) 

_____ Project Abstract (see page 18) 

_____ Program Narrative (critical element) (see page 19) 

_____ Appendices (see page 25) 

_____ Bibliography/references 
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NIJ-2018-13600 

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

to the proposed study that supplement those in the narrative 

_____ Curriculum vitae or resumes of the principal investigator, and any and all coprincipal 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) 

_____ Progress report publication list 

_____ Multiple PI leadership plan 

_____ Consortium/contractual arrangements 

_____ Letters of support 

_____ Resource sharing 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 28) 

_____ Budget Narrative (critical element) (see page 29) 

_____ Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable) (see page 31) 

_____ Tribal Authorizing Resolution (if applicable) (see page 32) 

_____ Financial Management and System of Internal Controls Questionnaire (see page 32) 

_____ Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL) (see page 33) 

_____ Additional Attachments 

_____ Applicant Disclosure of Pending Applications (see page 34) 

_____ Research and Evaluation Independence and Integrity (see page 35) 

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

(see page 16) 

_____ NIJ Programmatic Coversheet and Checklist (see solicitation cover page)