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

Approval Expires 07/31/2016

Office of Justice Programs

National Institute of Justice

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

(NIJ) is seeking applications for funding for 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.

Research and Development in Forensic Science for Criminal Justice Purposes

Eligibility

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

with, States (including territories), units of local government (including federally recognized Indian 

tribal governments as determined by the Secretary of the Interior), nonprofit and for-profit 

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

(including tribal institutions of higher education), and certain qualified individuals. For-profit 

organizations must agree to forgo any profit or management fee. NIJ may also enter into interagency 

agreements with Federal entities in appropriate cases. Foreign governments, foreign organizations, 

and foreign institutions of higher education are not eligible to apply.

NIJ welcomes applications that involve two or more entities, however, one eligible entity must be the 

applicant and the other(s) must be proposed as subrecipient(s). The applicant must be the entity 

with primary responsibility for conducting and leading the research.

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

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

Deadline

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

page 25.) All applications are due by 11:59 p.m. eastern time on April 21, 2014. (See “Deadlines: 

Registration and Application,” page 3.)

All applicants are encouraged to read this Important Notice: Applying for Grants in Grants.gov.

Contact Information

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

Hotline at 800-518-4726 or 606-545-5035, or via e-mail to support@grants.gov. The Grants.gov

Support Hotline hours of operation are 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except federal holidays. 

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

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

within 24 hours after the application deadline and request approval to submit their application.

For assistance with any other requirements of this solicitation, contact forensic.research@usdoj.gov.

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 announcement: NIJ-2014-3744

Release date: February 14, 2014

SL001082
2 NIJ–2014-3744

Contents

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

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

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

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

Performance Measures.........................................................................................................12

What an Application Should Include......................................................................................13

Information to Complete the Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424).........................13

Project Abstract.................................................................................................................13

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

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

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

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

Additional Attachments......................................................................................................19

Accounting System and Financial Capability Questionnaire (if applicable) ........................21

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

Review Process ....................................................................................................................23

Additional Requirements .......................................................................................................23

How to Apply.........................................................................................................................25

Provide Feedback to OJP .....................................................................................................28

Application Checklist .............................................................................................................30
3 NIJ–2014-3744

Research and Development in Forensic Science 

for Criminal Justice Purposes

(CFDA No. 16.560)

Overview

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

projects that will: (1) increase the body of knowledge to guide and inform forensic science policy 

and practice or (2) result in the production of useful materials, devices, systems, or methods 

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.

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

(sections 201 and 202); Homeland Security Act (sections 231-233); 28 U.S.C. 530C; 

Department of Justice Appropriations Act, 2014.

Deadlines: Registration and Application

Applicants must register with Grants.gov prior to submitting an application. OJP encourages

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

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

deadline to apply for funding under this announcement is 11:59 p.m. eastern time on April 21,

2014. See “How to Apply” on page 25 for details.

Eligibility

Refer to the title page for eligibility under this program.

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.1

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

theoretical explanation of natural phenomena.2

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

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

 1 The definition of “forensic” is taken from Webster’s II New Riverside University Dictionary. 2 The definition of “science” is taken from Webster’s II New Riverside University Dictionary.
4 NIJ–2014-3744

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

activities with broad applications in mind.3 (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.4 (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.5 (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.)

Proposals are expected to identify the forensic science discipline(s) intended to benefit from the 

project. The forensic science discipline(s) should be listed in the key words on the title 

page. Some of the forensic science disciplines are listed below (where available, links have also 

been provided to sites containing additional information). 

• DNA and forensic biology (www.dna.gov, www.cstl.nist.gov/strbase, www.swgdam.org). 

• Forensic crime scene analysis (www.swgstain.org). 

• Forensic anthropology and forensic odontology (www.swganth.org). 

• Controlled substances (www.swgdrug.org). 

• Fire debris analysis and arson scene investigations (www.ncfs.ucf.edu/twgfex). 

• Firearms and toolmark identification (www.swggun.org). 

• Latent print (www.swgfast.org).

• Shoeprint/tire tread examination (www.swgtread.org). 

• Questioned documents (www.swgdoc.org). 

• Trace evidence (www.swgmat.org). 

• Forensic toxicology (www.swgtox.org). 

• Medicolegal death investigations, including forensic pathology (www.swgmdi.org).

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

Character Classification (Schedule C). 

4 Ibid. 5 Ibid.
5 NIJ–2014-3744

NIJ will also accept proposals that include an examination of human factors as they relate to 

one of the forensic science disciplines listed above. Such proposals must relate directly to the 

forensic examiner and/or the identification, testing, collection, and interpretation of physical 

evidence.

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 

these goals. 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 the “Amount and Length of 

Awards” section on page 8).

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

reliability, and measurement validity of forensic science disciplines. Applicants may refer 

to “Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward, National 

Research Council of the National Academies, The National Academies Press, February 

2009”6 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:

 6 www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/228091.pdf
6 NIJ–2014-3744

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 mechanical properties of 

materials (fracture mechanics) for the purpose of physical match analysis of 

evidence; 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 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, priority consideration in award decisions will be given to projects 

that 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 
7 NIJ–2014-3744

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 for forensic science methods for analysis and 

interpretation. Examples include streamlined, portable, high-throughput, more 

informative, more sensitive, less susceptible to inhibition, and other novel methods 

for analysis of physical evidence for criminal justice purposes. 

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

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

association. This may include development of databases (comprehensive, 

searchable, easily accessible, secure databases for use in determining the statistical 

strength of analytical results obtained from evidence found at crime scenes) and/or 

analyses that provide quantitative measures and statistical evaluation of forensic 

evidence. 

In addition to required data sets, a draft and final summary overview of research results, interim 

and final progress and financial reports,7 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 

Workshop(s). Examples of previous evaluations and workshops can be found through the 

link: www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/topics/forensics/welcome.htm. 

NIJ strongly 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: www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/topics/forensics/welcome.htm. 

 7 See “Additional Requirements” section of this solicitation, below, for additional information.
8 NIJ–2014-3744

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-principal 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 purposes of this solicitation, one of the two sets of 

criteria below must be satisfied:

• The investigator must have received, no earlier than April 1, 2010, 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 investigators must 

meet the definition of “new investigator” in order for the application to be considered as one from 

a “new investigator.” 

Amount and Length of Awards

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 2013, NIJ 

provided over $14 million in grants 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 
9 NIJ–2014-3744

complete has exceeded $1 million in some cases. In FY 2013, the average forensic science 

research and development award was approximately $181,025 per year, and the average 

project period was 2 years. 

In order to allow time for, among other things, any necessary post-award review, modification, 

and clearance by OJP of the proposed budget, applicants should propose an award start date of 

January 1, 2015. 

If the applicant is proposing a program or 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 set out each phase. Given limitations on the availability to NIJ 

of funds for research, development, and evaluation awards, this information will assist NIJ in 

considering whether partial funding of proposals that would not receive full funding would be 

productive. If NIJ elects to fund only certain phases of a proposed project in FY 2014, the 

expected scholarly products from the partial-funding award may, in some cases, vary from those 

described above.

NIJ may, in certain cases, provide supplemental funding in future years to awards under its 

research, development, and evaluation solicitations. Important considerations in decisions 

regarding supplemental funding include, among other factors, the availability of funding, 

strategic priorities, NIJ’s assessment of the quality of the management of the award (for 

example, timeliness and quality of progress reports), and NIJ’s assessment of the progress of 

the work funded under the award.

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

funding supplement or a no-cost extension, ordinarily will not exceed three years.

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 anticipates that any award under this solicitation will be made in the form of a grant. (Any 

funds provided to another federal agency will be handled in a different manner.)

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

Department of Justice regulations on confidentiality and human subjects’ protection. See “Other 

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

Budget Information

What will not be funded:

• 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 
10 NIJ–2014-3744

that OJP may issue specific equipment disposition instructions in appropriate 

circumstances.)

• 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.

• Provision of training or direct service.

• 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.8 Applicants proposing projects in the areas of digital evidence or digital forensics 

may consider submitting applications to the planned FY 2014 NIJ solicitation entitled,

New Approaches to Digital Evidence Processing and Storage.

• 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 that focus primarily on nonhuman animal DNA or nonhuman animal biological 

components. 

• Proposals involving the use of canines. 

• 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 

 8 www.nij.gov/topics/forensics/evidence/digital/welcome.htm
11 NIJ–2014-3744

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.

Limitation on Use of Award Funds for Employee Compensation; Waiver

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

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

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

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

agency with a Certified SES Performance Appraisal System for that year. 9 The 2014 salary 

table for SES employees is available at www.opm.gov/salary-tables. Note: A recipient may 

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

limitation is paid with non-federal funds. (Any such additional compensation will not be 

considered matching funds where match requirements apply.)

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

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

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

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

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

budget.

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

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

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

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

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

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

OJP strongly encourages applicants that propose to use award funds for any conference-, 

meeting-, or training-related activity to review carefully – before submitting an application – the 

OJP policy and guidance on “conference” approval, planning, and reporting available 

at www.ojp.gov/funding/confcost.htm. OJP policy and guidance (1) encourage minimization of 

conference, meeting, and training costs; (2) require prior written approval (which may affect

project timelines) of most such costs for cooperative agreement recipients and of some such 

costs for grant recipients; and (3) set cost limits, including 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 

 9 This limitation on use of award funds does not apply to the non-profit organizations specifically named at Appendix 

C to 2 C.F.R. Part 230.
12 NIJ–2014-3744

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 of the OJP "Other 

Requirements for OJP Applications" Web page 

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

Match Information

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

Performance Measures

To assist the Department with fulfilling its responsibilities under the Government Performance 

and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA), Public Law 103-62, and the GPRA Modernization Act of 2010, 

Public Law 111–352, applicants that receive funding under this solicitation must provide data 

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

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

that OJP can calculate values for the “Performance Measures” column. (Submission of 

performance measures data is not required for the application.) Performance measures for this 

solicitation are as follows:

Objective Performance Measure(s) Data Grantee 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 proposal 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 

(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 a draft and 

final summary overview 

of the work performed 

under the NIJ award.

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 

that resulted in whole 

or in part from work 

funded under the NIJ 

award.

4. If applicable, a 

description of all 

technologies fielded as 

a result (in whole or in 

part) of work funded 

under the NIJ award.
13 NIJ–2014-3744

What an Application Should Include

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

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

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

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

conditions.

Moreover, applicants should anticipate that applications determined to be nonresponsive to the 

scope of the solicitation, or that do not include the application elements that NIJ has designated 

to be critical, will neither proceed to peer review nor receive further consideration. Under this 

solicitation, NIJ has designated the following application elements as critical: Program Narrative, 

Budget Detail Worksheet, 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. 

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

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

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

applicants include resumes in a single file.

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

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

2. Project Abstract

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

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

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

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

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

project in 250-400 words. Project abstracts should be—

• Written for a general public audience.

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

• Single-spaced, using a standard 12-point font (Times New Roman) with 1-inch margins.

As a separate attachment, the project abstract will not count against the 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.
14 NIJ–2014-3744

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 9 pages should be dedicated to 

the description of the project/program 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.10

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 

organization and the principal investigator.

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

narrative limit).

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

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

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

revisions to the proposal, including responses to previous feedback received 

from NIJ.

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: 

 10 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 clearly set out each phase. (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.
15 NIJ–2014-3744

• Statement of the Problem.

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

minimum of 9 pages of the main body of the narrative).

• Potential Impact.

• Capabilities/Competencies.

Within these sections, the narrative should address:

• Purpose, goals, and objectives.

• Review of relevant literature.

• Detailed description of research design and methods, such as research 

questions, hypotheses, description of sample (sample types, sample 

collection methods, rationale for sample size, etc.), and analysis plan.

• Planned Scholarly Products (See “Goals, Objectives, Deliverables, and 

Expected Scholarly Products” under “Program-Specific Information,” 

above, for a discussion of expected scholarly products.) 

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

• Management plan and organization.

• Plan for Dissemination to Broader Audiences (if applicable to the 

proposed project). Applicants should identify plans (if any) to produce or 

to make available to broader interested audiences – such as criminal 

justice practitioners or policymakers – summary information from the 

planned scholarly products of the proposed project (such as summaries 

of articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals), in a form designed to be 

readily accessible and useful to those audiences. (Such dissemination 

might include, for example, trade press articles and webinars.)

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

• Bibliography/references.

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

pertaining to the proposed project that are supplemental to such items 

included in the main body of the narrative. (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.)

• Supporting data—This should include any preliminary data to support the 

investigator’s ability to perform the work and/or proof of principle for the 

proposed research/technology. 
16 NIJ–2014-3744

• Curriculum vitae or resumes of the principal investigator and any and all coprincipal investigators. 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 proposal (including, for 

example, individuals such as statisticians serving as consultants to conduct

proposed data analysis).

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

• List (to the extent known) of all proposed project staff members, including 

those affiliated with the applicant organization or any proposed subrecipient 

organization(s), any proposed consultant(s) and contractors (whether 

individuals or organizations), and any proposed members of an advisory 

board for the project (if applicable). The list should include, for each individual 

and organization: name, title (if applicable), employer or other organizational

affiliation, and roles and responsibilities proposed for the project. Applicants 

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

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

this listing.

• Proposed project timeline and expected milestones.

• Human Subjects Protection paperwork (documentation and forms related to 

Institutional Review Board (IRB) review). 

(See www.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 www.nij.gov/funding/humansubjects/pages/confidentiality.aspx).

• List of any previous and current NIJ awards to 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.”)

• Letters of cooperation/support or administrative agreements from 

organizations collaborating in the project, or letters of intent to establish 

agreements (if applicable).

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

proposal has been submitted (if applicable).

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

special award conditions, including a partial withholding of award funds) that 

data sets resulting in whole or in part from projects funded under this 

solicitation be submitted for archiving with the National Archive of Criminal 

Justice Data (NACJD) or to other appropriate public databases such as 

databases hosted by the National Center for Biotechnology Information 
17 NIJ–2014-3744

(NCBI), forensically relevant population databases such as US Y-STR and 

EMPOP, or other potentially relevant databases listed at Nature Publishing 

Group’s open access online publication Scientific Data. (For a detailed 

discussion of the information NIJ expects to find in a data archiving plan, 

see www.nij.gov/funding/data-resources-program/applying/Pages/dataarchiving-strategies.aspx.)

If the project will produce data sets, then applications should include as an 

appendix a brief plan – labeled “Data Archiving Plan” – to comply with data 

archiving requirements. The plan should provide brief details about proposed 

data management and archiving, including submission 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 typically would 

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

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

programming code necessary to reproduce all constructed measures and the 

original data analysis, description of necessary de-identification procedures, 

and (when required) a copy of the privacy certificate and informed consent 

protocols. 

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

associated with meeting archiving requirements. 

Note that required data sets are to be submitted 90 days before the end of 

the project period. 

4. Budget Detail Worksheet and Budget Narrative

a. Budget Detail Worksheet 

A sample Budget Detail Worksheet can be found 

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

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

worksheet. (Work associated with satisfying data archiving requirements should be 

reflected.) Please note: NIJ expects applicants to provide a thorough narrative to each 

section of the Budget Detail Worksheet, as described under “Budget Narrative,” below.

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

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

b. Budget Narrative

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

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

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

activities).

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

effectiveness of grant expenditures. Budget narratives should generally describe cost 

effectiveness in relation to potential alternatives and the goals of the project. For 
18 NIJ–2014-3744

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

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

used to reduce costs, without compromising quality.

The narrative should be mathematically sound and correspond with the information and 

figures provided in the Budget Detail Worksheet. The narrative should explain how the 

applicant estimated and calculated all costs, and how they are relevant to the completion 

of the proposed project. The narrative may include tables for clarification purposes but 

need not be in a spreadsheet format. As with the Budget Detail Worksheet, the Budget 

Narrative should be broken down by year.

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.

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. Non-Competitive Procurement Contracts In Excess of Simplified Acquisition 

Threshold

If an applicant proposes to make one or more non-competitive procurements of products 

or services, where the non-competitive procurement will exceed the simplified 

acquisition threshold (also known as the small purchase threshold), which is currently 

set at $100,000, the application should address the considerations outlined in the OJP 

Financial Guide.

5. Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable)

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

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

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

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

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

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

For assistance with identifying your cognizant agency, please contact the OJP Office of the 

Chief Financial Officer (OCFO) Customer Service Center at 1-800-458-0786 or 

at ask.ocfo@usdoj.gov. If DOJ is the cognizant federal agency, applicants may obtain 

information needed to submit an indirect cost rate proposal 

at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/funding/pdfs/indirect_costs.pdf.

6. Tribal Authorizing Resolution (if applicable)

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

to residents on tribal lands should include in their applications a resolution, a letter, affidavit, 
19 NIJ–2014-3744

SAMPLE

or other documentation, as appropriate, that certifies that the applicant has the legal 

authority from the tribe(s) to implement the proposed project on tribal lands. In those 

instances when an organization or consortium of tribes applies for a grant on behalf of a 

tribe or multiple specific tribes, the application should include appropriate legal 

documentation, as described above, from all tribes that would receive services or assistance 

under the grant. A consortium of tribes for which existing consortium bylaws allow action 

without support from all tribes in the consortium (i.e., without an authorizing resolution or 

comparable legal documentation from each tribal governing body) may submit, instead, a 

copy of its consortium bylaws with the application.

7. Additional Attachments

a. Applicant disclosure of pending applications11

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

grants or subgrants (including cooperative agreements) that include requests for funding 

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

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

under this solicitation. The disclosure should include both direct applications for federal 

funding (e.g., applications to federal agencies) and indirect applications for such funding 

(e.g., applications to State agencies that will subaward federal funds).

OJP seeks this information to help avoid any inappropriate duplication of funding. 

Leveraging multiple funding sources in a complementary manner to implement 

comprehensive programs or projects is encouraged and is not seen as inappropriate 

duplication.

Applicants that have pending applications as described above are to provide the 

following information about pending applications submitted within the last 12 months:

• The federal or state funding agency.

• The solicitation name/project name.

• The point of contact information at the applicable funding agency.

 11 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.

Federal or 

State 

Funding 

Agency 

Solicitation 

Name/Project 

Name

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

Funding Agency

DOJ/COPS COPS Hiring 

Program

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

HHS/ 

Substance 

Abuse & 

Mental Health 

Services 

Administration

Drug Free 

Communities 

Mentoring Program/ 

North County Youth 

Mentoring Program

John Doe, 202/000-0000; john.doe@hhs.gov
20 NIJ–2014-3744

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

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

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

separate attachment page (e.g., “[Applicant Name on SF-424] does not have pending 

applications submitted within the last 12 months for federally funded grants or subgrants 

(including cooperative agreements) that include requests for funding to support the same 

project being proposed under this solicitation and will cover the identical cost items 

outlined in the budget narrative and worksheet in the application under this solicitation.”).

b. Research and Evaluation Independence and Integrity

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

merits, in order to receive funds, the applicant must demonstrate research/evaluation 

independence, including appropriate safeguards to ensure research/evaluation 

objectivity and integrity.

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

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

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

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

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

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

situations may include 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 colleague (potential apparent conflict). With regard to 

potential organizational conflicts of interest, as one example, generally an organization 

could not be given a grant to evaluate a project if that organization had itself 

provided substantial prior technical assistance to that project, as the organization in such 

an instance would appear to be evaluating the effectiveness of its own prior work. The 

key is whether a reasonable person understanding all of the facts would be able to have 

confidence that the results of any research or evaluation project are objective and 

reliable. Any outside personal or financial interest that casts doubt on that objectivity and 

reliability is a problem.

In the attachment dealing with research and evaluation independence and integrity, the 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Documentation that may be helpful in this regard could include organizational codes of 

ethics/conduct or policies regarding organizational, personal, and financial conflicts of 

interest.

For situations in which potential personal or organizational conflicts of interest exist, in 

the attachment, the applicant should identify the safeguards the applicant has or will put 

in place to eliminate, mitigate, or otherwise address those conflicts of interest.
21 NIJ–2014-3744

Considerations in assessing research and evaluation independence and integrity will 

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

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

organization in carrying out the research, development, or evaluation activity; and the 

adequacy of the applicant’s existing or proposed remedies to control any such factors.

8. Accounting System and Financial Capability Questionnaire (if applicable)

Any applicant (other than an individual) that is a non-governmental entity and that has not 

received any award from OJP within the past 3 years is to download, complete, and submit

this form.

Selection 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 for award.

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

the following review criteria.

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

1. Demonstrated understanding of the problem that exists in an identified forensic science 

field/discipline or area of criminal justice. 

2. 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; e.g., by firm theoretical basis, reasonable 

preliminary data (depending on the mechanism), the track record of the principal 

investigator and any co-principal investigator(s), and an outstanding scientific and 

management plan).

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

actions to minimize and/or mitigate them.

Potential Impact – 20% 

Potential for a significant scientific or technical advance(s) that will improve criminal justice in 

the United States, such as—
22 NIJ–2014-3744

• Potential for significantly improved understanding of the stated criminal 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 

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 proposal).

2. Demonstrated ability of the applicant organization to manage the effort.

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

(including the applicant organization) and the scope 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. 

Budget

Peer reviewers will consider and may comment on the following additional items in the context 

of scientific and technical merit.

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

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

3. Use of existing resources to conserve costs.

4. Proposed budget aligns with proposed project activities.
23 NIJ–2014-3744

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 

justice practitioners or policymakers, summary information from the planned scholarly products 

of the project.

As discussed further under “Review Process,” below, award decisions will be made by the 

Director of NIJ, who may consider factors including, but not limited to, planned scholarly 

products, proposed budgets, past performance (including scholarly products) under prior NIJ 

and OJP awards.

Review Process

OJP is committed to ensuring a fair and open process for awarding grants. NIJ reviews the 

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

measurable, and achievable, as well as consistent with the solicitation.

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

minimum requirements (critical elements). NIJ may use internal peer reviewers, external peer 

reviewers, or a combination, to review the applications. 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. A peer review panel will evaluate, score, and rate applications that meet basic 

minimum requirements. Peer reviewers’ ratings and any resulting recommendations are 

advisory only, although their views are considered carefully. In addition to peer review ratings, 

considerations for award recommendations and decisions may include, but are not limited to, 

underserved populations, geographic diversity, strategic priorities, past performance, “new 

investigator” status, and available funding.

The Office of the Chief Financial Officer, in consultation with NIJ, reviews applications for 

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

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

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

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

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

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

diversity, strategic priorities, past performance, “new investigator” status, and available funding.

Additional Requirements

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

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

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

requirement can be found at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/funding/other_requirements.htm. 
24 NIJ–2014-3744

• Civil Rights Compliance

• Civil Rights Compliance Specific to State Administering Agencies

• Faith-Based and Other Community Organizations

• Confidentiality

• Research and the Protection of Human Subjects

• Anti-Lobbying Act

• Financial and Government Audit Requirements

• Reporting of Potential Fraud, Waste, and Abuse, and Similar Misconduct

• National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

• DOJ Information Technology Standards (if applicable) 

• Single Point of Contact Review

• Non-Supplanting of State or Local Funds

• Criminal Penalty for False Statements

• Compliance with Office of Justice Programs Financial Guide

• Suspension or Termination of Funding

• Non-profit Organizations

• For-profit Organizations

• Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA)

• Rights in Intellectual Property 

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

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

• Active SAM Registration 

• Policy and Guidance for Approval, Planning, and Reporting of Conferences (including 

Meetings and Trainings)

• OJP Training Guiding Principles for Grantees and Subgrantees
25 NIJ–2014-3744

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 expectation of scholarly products, successful applicants under this solicitation 

will be required to submit the following deliverables regarding the work funded by the NIJ award:

Semi-Annual and Final Progress Reports

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 award and 

fund draw-downs may be withheld if reports are delinquent.

Quarterly and Final Financial Reports; Audit Reports

Quarterly and final financial status reports are required. If applicable, an annual audit report in 

accordance with Office of Management and Budget requirements must be submitted. Future 

award and fund draw-downs may be withheld if reports are delinquent.

Draft and Final Summary Overview of the Work Conducted under the Award

The overview is expected to provide an overall summary of the work under, and results of, the 

project funded by NIJ under this solicitation. Among other things, the summary overview should 

address the purpose of the project, project subjects (if applicable), project design and methods, 

data analysis, project findings, and implications for criminal justice policy and practice in the 

United States. The overview should be suitable for dissemination to the general public; and 

contain no proprietary, confidential information or trade secrets.

A draft summary overview no longer than 10 pages long (double-spaced) is to be submitted 90 

days prior to the end of the project period for NIJ review and comment.

Required Data Sets and Associated Files and Documentation

As discussed earlier, applicants should anticipate that NIJ will require any recipient of an award 

under this solicitation to submit to NACJD, or another more appropriate public database, all data 

sets that result in whole or in part from the work funded by NIJ, along with associated files and 

any 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. All data 

sets and necessary documentation are to be submitted 90 days prior to the end of the project 

period. For more information, see the “Program Narrative” section of “What an Application Must 

Include,” above.

How to Apply

Applicants must register in, and submit applications through Grants.gov, a “one-stop storefront” 

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

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

difficulties during this process should call the Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline at 800-518-
26 NIJ–2014-3744

4726 or 606–545–5035, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except federal holidays. Registering 

with Grants.gov is a one-time process; however, processing delays may occur, and it can 

take several weeks for first-time registrants to receive confirmation and a user password. OJP 

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

In addition, OJP urges applicants to submit applications 72 hours prior to the application due 

date to allow time to receive validation messages or rejection notifications from Grants.gov, and 

to correct in a timely fashion any problems that may have caused a rejection notification.

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

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

Grants.gov for updates will be notified.

Note on File Names and File Types: Grants.gov only permits the use of certain specific

characters in names of attachment files. Valid file names may include only the characters 

shown in the table below. Grants.gov is designed to reject any application that includes 

an attachment(s) with a file name that contains any characters not shown in the table 

below. Grants.gov is designed to forward successfully submitted applications to OJP’s 

Grants Management System (GMS).

Characters Special Characters

Upper case (A – Z) Parenthesis ( ) Curly braces { } Square brackets [ ]

Lower case (a – z) Ampersand (&) Tilde (~) Exclamation point (!)

Number 0 – 9 Comma ( , ) Semicolon ( ; ) Apostrophe ( ‘ )

Underscore ( __ ) At sign (@) Number sign (#) Dollar sign ($)

Hyphen ( - ) Percent sign (%) Plus sign (+) Equal sign (=)

Space When using the ampersand (&) in XML, applicants must use the “&” 

Period (.) 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: 

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

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

funds include a DUNS number in their applications for a new award or a supplement to an 

existing award. A DUNS number is a unique nine-digit sequence recognized as the 

universal standard for identifying and differentiating entities receiving federal funds. The 

identifier is used for tracking purposes and to validate address and point of contact 

information for federal assistance applicants, recipients, and subrecipients. The DUNS 

number will be used throughout the grant life cycle. Obtaining a DUNS number is a free, 

one-time activity. Call Dun and Bradstreet at 866–705–5711 to obtain a DUNS number or 

apply online at www.dnb.com. A DUNS number is usually received within 1-2 business days.

2. Acquire registration with the System for Award Management (SAM). SAM is the 

repository for standard information about federal financial assistance applicants, recipients, 

and subrecipients. OJP requires all applicants (other than individuals) for federal financial 
27 NIJ–2014-3744

assistance to maintain current registrations in the SAM database. Applicants must be 

registered in SAM to successfully register in Grants.gov. Applicants must update or renew 

their SAM registration annually to maintain an active status.

Applications cannot be successfully submitted in Grants.gov until Grants.gov receives the

SAM registration information. The information transfer from SAM to Grants.gov can take up 

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

step. For more information about the registration process, go 

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

4. Acquire confirmation for the AOR from the E-Business Point of Contact (E-Biz POC). 

The E-Biz POC at the applicant organization must log into Grants.gov to confirm the 

applicant organization’s AOR. Note that an organization can have more than one AOR.

5. Search for the funding opportunity on Grants.gov. Use the following identifying 

information when searching for the funding opportunity on Grants.gov. The Catalog of 

Federal Domestic Assistance number for this solicitation is 16.560, titled “National Institute 

of Justice Research, Evaluation, and Development Project Grants,” and the funding 

opportunity number is NIJ–2014-3744.

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

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

detailed information requested on the form Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL). 

Applicants that do not expend any funds for lobbying activities should enter “N/A” in the 

required highlighted fields. 

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 an e-mail validation message from Grants.gov. The message will state 

whether the application has been received and validated, or rejected due to errors, with an 

explanation. It is possible to first receive a message indicating that the application is 

received and then receive a rejection notice a few minutes or hours later. Submitting well 

ahead of the deadline provides time to correct the problem(s) that caused the 

rejection. Important: OJP urges applicants to submit applications 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.

Click here for further details on DUNS, SAM, and Grants.gov registration steps and 

timeframes.
28 NIJ–2014-3744

Note: Duplicate Applications

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

valid version submitted. 

Experiencing Unforeseen Grants.gov Technical Issues

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

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

identified in the Contact Information section on page 1 within 24 hours after the application 

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

technical difficulties, and include a timeline of the applicant’s submission efforts, the complete 

grant application, the applicant’s DUNS number, and any Grants.gov Help Desk or SAM 

tracking number(s). Note: NIJ does not automatically approve requests. After the program 

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

reported technical issues, OJP will inform the applicant whether the request to submit a late 

application has been approved or denied. If OJP determines that the applicant failed to follow all 

required procedures, which resulted in an untimely application submission, OJP will deny the 

applicant’s request to submit their application.

The following conditions are generally insufficient to justify late submissions:

• Failure to register in SAM or Grants.gov in sufficient time.

• 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, 

including firewalls.

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

of the OJP funding Web page at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/funding/solicitations.htm.

Provide Feedback to OJP

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

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

review/peer review process. Provide feedback to OJPSolicitationFeedback@usdoj.gov.

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

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

you must directly contact the appropriate number or e-mail listed on the front of this solicitation 

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

who can address your specific questions in a timely manner.

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

resume to ojppeerreview@lmbps.com. The OJP Solicitation Feedback email account will not
29 NIJ–2014-3744

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

reviewer in a competition in which you or your organization has submitted an application.
30 NIJ–2014-3744

Application Checklist

Research and Development in Forensic Science for Criminal Justice 

Purposes

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

What an Applicant Should Do:

Prior to Registering in Grants.gov:

_____ Acquire a DUNS Number (see page 26)

_____ Acquire or renew registration with SAM (see page 26)

To Register with Grants.gov: 

_____ Acquire AOR and Grants.gov username/password (see page 27)

_____ Acquire AOR confirmation from the E-Biz POC (see page 27)

To Find Funding Opportunity:

_____ Search for the funding opportunity on Grants.gov (see page 27)

_____ Download Funding Opportunity and Application Package (see page 27)

_____ Sign up for Grants.gov email notifications (optional) (see page 26)

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

General Requirements:

_____ Review “Other Requirements” webpage

What an Application Should Include: 

_____ Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424) (see page 13)

_____ Abstract (see page 13)

_____ Program Narrative (see page 14)

_____ Appendices (see page 15)

_____ Bibliography/references 

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

to the proposed study that supplement those in the narrative 

_____ Supporting Data—This should include any preliminary data to support the 

investigator’s ability to perform the work and/or proof of principle for the proposed 

research/technology

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

_____ Documentation of “new investigator” status, if applicable

_____ List (to the extent known) of all proposed project staff members

_____ Proposed project timeline and expected milestones

_____ Human Subjects Protection Paperwork 

_____ Privacy Certificate 

_____ List of any previous and current NIJ awards to applicant organization and 

investigator(s)

_____ Letters of cooperation/support or administrative agreements from organizations 

collaborating in the project, or letters of intent to establish agreements (if 

applicable)
31 NIJ–2014-3744

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

has been submitted (if applicable)

_____ Data archiving plan

_____ Budget Detail Worksheet (see page 17)

_____ Budget Narrative (see page 17)

_____ Employee Compensation Waiver request and justification (if applicable)

(see page 11)

_____ Read OJP policy and guidance on “conference” approval, planning, and reporting

available at www.ojp.gov/funding/confcost.htm (see page 11)

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

_____ Tribal Authorizing Resolution (if applicable) (see page 19)

_____ Additional Attachments 

_____ Applicant Disclosure of Pending Applications (see page 19)

_____ Research and Evaluation Independence and Integrity (see page 20)

_____ Accounting System and Financial Capability Questionnaire (if applicable) 

(see page 21)