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 research into the optimal use of advanced video technology 

for crime control and prevention. This program furthers the Department’s mission by sponsoring research 

to provide objective, independent, evidence-based knowledge and tools to meet the challenges of crime 

and justice, particularly at the state and local levels.

Optimizing the Use of Video Technology to Improve Criminal Justice Outcomes

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. 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 project.

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

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

Deadline

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

24.) All applications are due by 11:59 p.m. eastern time on April 28, 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 ST-Research@ojp.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–2014–3723

Release Date: February 6, 2014

SL001080
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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 ....................................................................................................................22

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

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

Provide Feedback to OJP .....................................................................................................27

Application Checklist .............................................................................................................29
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Optimizing the Use of Video Technology to 

Improve Criminal Justice Outcomes 

(CFDA No. 16.560)

Overview

With this solicitation, NIJ seeks proposals from research organizations partnered with state, 

local, or tribal criminal justice agencies for funding for research to identify, implement, and 

evaluate those applications of video cameras and advanced video analysis software that 

provide optimum crime control and prevention outcomes. NIJ is most interested in receiving 

proposals involving the integration of video technology into policing strategies, most particularly 

those involving quantitative data analysis methods. NIJ will also consider proposals dealing with 

criminal courts and correctional environments. 

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

(sections 201 and 202); the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (sections 231-233); and 28 U.S.C. 

530C.

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 28, 

2014. See “How to Apply” on page 24 for details.

Eligibility

Refer to the title page for eligibility under this program.

Program-Specific Information

Background

NIJ’s Science and Technology (S&T) program sponsors research, development, test, and 

evaluation efforts to improve the safety and effectiveness of the tools and technologies used by 

criminal justice agencies. Although federal agencies are part of its constituency, NIJ’s primary 

focus is on the needs of state and local agencies. 

Video cameras have become so prevalent for public safety, crime control and prevention, 

security, and monitoring applications that it is difficult to envision a future without video 

surveillance technology embedded throughout both public and private environments. Video 

passively recorded can be played back later to provide forensic information of great value, 

capturing incidents of criminal activity or generating leads to identify suspects, witnesses, or 

persons of interest that can accelerate criminal investigations. Video streams can also be 
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actively monitored where personnel watch activity in real-time on video screens and make 

decisions to respond or act based on what is observed. Media reports indicate that video 

systems can have a dramatic and positive impact in reducing both violent incidents and 

operating costs at correctional institutions and improve the quality of subsequent prosecution of 

violent offenses.1

A pair of reports published in 2011 on the use of video for crime control and prevention 

examined the use of video technology by law enforcement in Baltimore, MD, Chicago, IL, and 

Washington, DC, and the outcomes as a result of different policies and practices.2,3 Video 

systems, especially when paired with active monitoring, were calculated to have a positive 

impact on crime that yielded monetized benefits to society that outweighed the costs of 

installation and use of the technology. Differences in deployed systems, practices, and policies 

among the jurisdictions examined demonstrated however that a variety of outcomes may result 

depending on how video technology is utilized. As video technology continues to mature and 

diffuse into the marketplace, large-scale networks will become more affordable and more 

sophisticated tools will become available to public safety and criminal justice agencies to 

consider as a part of their overall operational strategies.4

 

Understanding the true impact of video systems to prevent and reduce crime requires a 

complex perspective that encompasses technology, human factors, criminal justice practice and 

policy, relevant case law, public acceptance, and other possible dimensions. If active monitoring 

is to be used to detect suspicious activity in public spaces, how is a video system to be 

implemented as a part of an overall policing strategy in a way that leads to the best possible 

outcomes within the legal contexts for use of such technology by law enforcement? In a series 

of cases dealing with the Fourth Amendment, the Supreme Court of the United States has 

considered the character of the neighborhood to be one factor in finding “reasonable suspicion”

 1 William Jackson, “A picture worth 200 guards: Jail installs HD video, violence drops 90 percent,” GCN, 

January 11, 2013, http://gcn.com/articles/2013/01/11/jail-installs-hd-video-violence-drops-90-

percent.aspx. The Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office installed a high definition video system in the 

Oklahoma County Detention Center in 2009 and has since seen a reduction in violent incidents drop to 

about 30 incidents a month rather than 300 in a population of about 2,900 detainees. Reports indicate 

that the facility has been able avoid $10 million a year in costs for hiring new detention officers and that 

prosecutors are able to present better quality evidence in court.

2 Nancy G. La Vigne, Samantha S. Lowry, Joshua A. Markman, and Allison M. Dwyer, Evaluating the Use 

of Public Surveillance Cameras for Crime Control and Prevention, report by the Urban Institute submitted 

under 2007-CK-WX-K006 to the COPS Office, September 2011, 

http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/412403-Evaluating-the-Use-of-Public-Surveillance-Cameras-forCrime-Control-and-Prevention.pdf. 3 Nancy G. La Vigne, Samantha S. Lowry, Allison M. Dwyer, and Joshua A. Markman, Using Public 

Surveillance Systems for Crime Control and Prevention: A Practical Guide for Law Enforcement and Their 

Municipal Partners, report by the Urban Institute submitted under 2007-CK-WX-K006 to the COPS Office, 

September 2011, http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/412402-Using-Public-Surveillance-Systems-forCrime-Control-and-Prevention-A-Practical-Guide.pdf. 4 William Jackson, “Force multiplier: PSIM leverages video surveillance networks in Baltimore,” GCN, 

August 23, 2013, http://gcn.com/articles/2013/08/23/baltimore-psim.aspx. The CitiWatch system in 

Baltimore is a public-private partnership that integrates over 600 cameras and can incorporate non-city 

data sources, including some owned by private organizations. CitiWatch can access to other cameras 

from the Maryland State Highway Administration, the Baltimore City Department of Transportation, the 

Maryland Transit Administration, and other government agencies operating in the city.
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to stop someone.5 In Illinois v. Wardlow, the Court concluded that the type of human activity 

observed in that case—unprovoked flight—in a location considered “high crime” constituted a 

sufficient basis to conclude reasonable suspicion.6 In United States v. Jones, another case 

dealing with the Fourth Amendment as it pertained to the use of a global positioning system 

(GPS) in a criminal investigation, the Court offered some thinking about the dynamic nature of 

the expectation of privacy and how technology may affect those expectations by the public.7

The Court noted that they had not deviated from the understanding that mere visual observation 

does not constitute a search8 and that relatively short-term monitoring of a person’s movements 

on public streets accords with expectations of privacy that our society has recognized as 

reasonable.9

This stimulates a number of questions surrounding the use of video as a tool to detect 

suspicious activity in public spaces. What constitutes suspicious activity in an area considered 

high-crime versus another area considered generally safe? What about the case of a 

jurisdiction-wide (e.g., citywide, countywide, statewide, etc.) video network that spans both highcrime areas and areas considered generally safe? A variety of courts have levied different 

definitions of ‘high crime’, which has revealed similar but site-specific descriptions based on the 

crimes occurring locally.10 No universal definition of high-crime exists, although it is worth 

considering whether video could provide a means to quantitatively compare the human activity 

in multiple areas considered high crime from numerous cities based on differing definitions. 

What sort of video metrology tools would need to exist to do that, and would this be of value to 

the criminal justice community and the public?

While active monitoring has been shown to be efficacious under the right circumstances, further 

examination of the decision-making process by human monitors regarding how activity in video 

is evaluated and how the resulting information propagates though the criminal justice enterprise 

would help better isolate specific aspects of the process that are most beneficial. Automated 

software tools developed in recent years may help public safety agencies, law enforcement, 

correctional institutions, and court security personnel leverage investments in video networks to 

augment their capabilities to help officers detect emerging incidents.11 Basic research into visual 

awareness shows that human response to visual stimuli and categorization of objects and 

scenery involve complex cognitive mechanisms related to attention, perception, and memory.12

Furthermore, sustained attention on a cognitively demanding task for several hours leads to 

 5 Andrew Guthrie Ferguson and Damien Bernache, “The ‘High-Crime Area’ Question: Requiring Verifiable 

and Quantifiable Evidence for Fourth Amendment Reasonable Suspicion Analysis,” American University 

Law Review, 57 (August 2008): 1587. 6 Illinois v. Wardlow (Wardlow III), 528 U.S. 119 (2000). 7 United States v. Jones, No. 10-1259, slip op. at 10, 565 U.S. ___ (2012) (Alito, J., concurring). 8 United States v. Jones, No. 10-1259, slip op. at 11, 565 U.S. ___ (2012). 9 United States v. Jones, No. 10-1259, slip op. at 13, 565 U.S. ___ (2012) (Alito, J., concurring). 10 United States v. Baskin, 401 F.3d 788, 791, 793 (7th Cir. 2005); State v. Biehl, No. 22054, 2004 WL 

2806340, at 5 (Ohio Ct. App. Dec. 8, 2004); Cunningham v. State, 884 So. 2d 1121, 1122 (Fla. Dist. Ct. 

App. 2004); State v. Donnell, 239 N.W.2d 575, 578 (Iowa 1976); People v. Davis, 815 N.E.2d 92, 98-99 

(Ill. Ct. App. 2004); United States v. Rogers, No. Crim. 10-10313, 2005 WL 478001, at 1 (D. Mass. Mar. 1, 

2005). These court cases are discussed in the law review article by Ferguson and Bernache. 11 Ming-Ching Chang, Weina Ge, Nils Krahnstoever, Ting Yu, Ser Nam Lim, and Xiaoming Liu, Advanced 

Behavior Recognition in Crowded Environments, final report for award 2009-SQ-B9-K013 submitted to 

the National Institute of Justice, January 2013, https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/240575.pdf. 12 Marvin M. Chun and Jeremy M. Wolfe, “Visual Attention,” in Blackwell Handbook of Sensation and 

Perception, ed. E. Bruce Goldstein (Oxford, UK; Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2005).
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mental fatigue, manifesting as deteriorated performance, distracted attention, and other overt 

signals.13 This reinforces the notion that manual real-time monitoring of numerous, 

simultaneous video feeds by human beings for extended periods of time may not likely be the 

optimum implementation of video technology for public safety applications.

The use of computational analytical systems that can process the visual information encoded in 

video signals suggests a role for advanced technology to help law enforcement and correctional 

agents to detect emerging incidents. The National Institute of Justice has funded a number of 

projects over the last several years to explore computational analytical capabilities for video 

systems that could have an impact in both the law enforcement and criminal justice correctional 

domains.14,15,16,17 NIJ has also funded projects to explore the impact of closed-circuit television 

(CCTV) systems on crime.18 For example, the impact of video technology on crime deterrence 

and enforcement outcomes in Newark, NJ varied depending on practical aspects such as usage 

context and coupling proactive CCTV monitoring with directed patrol units.19 Future research 

could address a number of key questions, such as: Are video systems in use today optimally 

configured to visually capture human activity for further analysis?20, 21 How is human activity 

 13 There is a research community examining these issues at a fundamental level. For example, see Léon 

G. Faber, Natasha M. Maurits, and Monicque M. Lorist, “Mental Fatigue Affects Visual Selective 

Attention,” PLoS One 7, no. 10 (2012): e47803; Maarten A.S. Boksem, Theo F. Meijman, and Monicque 

M. Lorist, “Effects of mental fatigue on attention: An ERP study,” Cognitive Brain Research 25 (2005): 

107–116.

14 NIJ has funded several awards to GE Global Research to conduct research in this area, such as Highquality 3-D Facial Images from Surveillance Video, 2005-IJ-CX-K060; Active 3-D Face Capture, 2006-IJCX-K045; Site-Adaptive Face Recognition at a Distance, 2007-DE-BX-K191; Automated Detection and 

Prevention of Disorderly and Criminal Activities, 2007-RG-CX-K015; Advanced Behavior Recognition in 

Crowded Environments, Phase I, 2009-SQ-B9-K013; Advanced Behavior Recognition in Crowded 

Environments, Phase II, 2011-IJ-CX-K004.

15 University of Houston, Learning Models for Predictive Behavioral Intent and Activity Analysis in Wide 

Area Video Surveillance, 2009-MU-MU-K004.

16 Univeristy of Southern California, Janus - Multi Source Event Collection System for Effective 

Surveillance of Criminal Activity, 2011-IJ-CX-K054.

17 ManTech Corporation, Sensors, Surveillance, and Biometric Technologies Center of Excellence, 2010-

IJ-CX-K024. The NLECTC Sensors, Surveillance, and Biometrics Center of Excellence is performing 

third-party testing and evaluation of the basic functionality of the GE system delivered under award 2009-

SQ-B9-K013.

18 Temple University, Can video surveillance reduce crime? Quantifying the size and geographic extent of 

CCTV’s impact, 2009-IJ-CX-0012.

19 Rutgers University, Detection of Crime, Resource Deployment, and Predictors of Success: A Proposed 

Multi-Level Analysis of CCTV in Newark, NJ, 2010-IJ-CX-0026.

20 Jerry Ratcliffe, Video Surveillance of Public Places, Problem-Oriented Guides for Police, Response 

Guide No. 4, submitted under 2003-CK-WX-0087 to the COPS Office, originally published February 2006, 

updated August 2011, http://www.popcenter.org/Responses/pdfs/videosurveillance.pdf. In the discussion 

of where cameras should be located on page 27, the following concerns are raised: “If caution is not 

exercised, it’s possible cameras can be placed in locations that more reflect the vagaries of local politics 

and public misconceptions about fear of crime rather than actual crime hot spots. If schemes are 

orchestrated and primarily directed by local authorities, there is a risk police can be excluded from the 

crucial design stage, including the placement of cameras. If the system’s measure of effectiveness is to 

reduce crime, then camera locations that are not primarily driven by the crime distribution are unlikely to 

demonstrate any significant crime reduction benefits.” 

21 The Scientific Working Group on Imaging Technology (SWGIT) and the Facial Identification Scientific 

Working Group (FISWG) have developed guidance documents on different aspects of imaging 
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measured and quantified? Would emerging software analytics improve criminal justice 

outcomes? What are the unique challenges associated with processing video data from a 

distributed video network? If video analytics are to be used in a policing strategy to detect 

suspicious activity, how are such systems to be implemented in a way that comports with 

existing policies, practices, law, and expectations of privacy? 

Finally, it is important to emphasize that analytical tools are there to assist the practitioner to 

make decisions and that the right balance between using automated systems and manual 

monitoring in real-world, operational environments should be considered. How could video 

analytic algorithms be tuned to enhance active monitoring? Such a hybrid approach may yield 

the best outcomes as analytical tools may relieve the potential cognitive strain that active 

monitoring may induce and allow the practitioner to focus attention on important details rather 

than all the details. Determining the ultimate impact of this technology on criminal justice 

outcomes will also help clarify what the expected return on investment of this technology is and 

what sort of metrics are most appropriate to measure that. The previous research on the three 

metropolitan police jurisdictions of Baltimore, Chicago, and Washington, DC examined this,22

but additional refinement of the cost-benefit analysis would be instructive with more guided 

research and evaluation design.

Goals, Objectives, Deliverables, and Expected Scholarly Products

Overall, prior research on the impact of video cameras on crime has been on in situ systems, 

which may or may not have been consciously placed to support a particular policing strategy. 

Studying the impact of a “system in the wild” on crime may not provide the most complete 

picture of the potential of this complex technology in reducing and controlling crime.

The goal of this research is to provide a better understanding of that potential by making 

resources available to implement and evaluate the impact on crime control and prevention of a 

video camera system employing advanced video analytic software effectively integrated into an 

advanced policing strategy in actual operation with a law enforcement agency. Design and 

implementation of the video network should take into account selection and optimization of the 

viewsheds through discrete camera selection and placement, video data management 

strategies, and other relevant factors.23 Video analytic software of interest include technologies 

that can detect static items or dynamic events; such as objects, persons, or activities, that would 

be of operational use to law enforcement agencies. 

The successful applicant will propose innovative approaches that emphasize forward thinking 

and scientific methodologies regarding the design and implementation of law enforcement video 

networks and the impact on criminal justice outcomes through the use of rigorous analysis and 

quantifiable measures. Collaboration among criminal justice practitioners, technology 

researchers, and social scientists is encouraged to determine the best ways to test, evaluate, 

and integrate cameras and analytical tools into law enforcement and other criminal justice video 

systems, and to measure the impact and efficacy on outcomes. Researchers and practitioners 

 

technology and its use in the context of criminal justice practice, which can be found at their respective 

websites https://www.swgit.org and https://www.fiswg.org. 22 Nancy G. La Vigne et al., Evaluating the Use of Public Surveillance Cameras for Crime Control and 

Prevention. See Reference 2. 23 Jerry Ratcliffe, Video Surveillance of Public Places. See Reference 20.
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should be prepared to work together to ensure the technical approaches fit within the practical 

bounds of realistic criminal justice strategies. Ideally, the successful applicant should include 

executed agreements with participating law enforcement agencies with its proposal. At a 

minimum, applicants should include letters of intent from those agencies. 

Applicants should address the cost to upgrade or install a public safety video system and to 

experiment with different physical configurations of the camera network. Proposals should also 

include video system design criteria and demonstrate an overall understanding of how cameras 

should be positioned to maximize the viewsheds to capture human activity in public spaces. The 

proposed use of video analytical software is encouraged to compare against approaches such 

as manual monitoring. Proposed technical approaches should address how to measure the 

ability to capture incident activity from video, convert incident activity information into useable 

intelligence for law enforcement, measure the impact on crime, and measure the ease of 

integration into an overall policing strategy.

Costs associated with installing and operating a video system may be nontrivial, so applicants 

are encouraged to explore supplemental sources of funding such as cost sharing that could be 

appropriately combined with NIJ’s investment of federal funds. For example, it is reported that 

Baltimore spent an estimated $8.1M (in 2009 dollars) on its video system, with initial start-up 

costs alone of just under $5.5M distributed over several areas of the city over a number of 

years. The system acquired entailed over 500 cameras fed into a centralized control room that 

can support live monitoring 24 hours a day. A smaller system with fewer cameras brings the 

estimate down but costs could still be significant. 

In addition to the questions presented in the Background section above, some questions that 

applicants should also consider when developing proposals include the following: What are the 

various camera network configurations and use models that can be effectively integrated into a 

policing strategy? What are the most appropriate metrics to use to demonstrate efficacy of a 

video system integrated into criminal justice practice? What is the overall (holistic) efficacy of

each configuration and use model? Which network configurations and use models lead to the 

biggest impact on public safety, crime control and prevention, and why? What is the overall cost 

(lifecycle cost) and return on investment of this technology?

Applicants should prepare to structure their project in phases to include critical design reviews 

that will involve NIJ staff. For example, a review may occur prior to implementing the video 

network to ensure that the hardware and software acquisition decisions are in line with the goals 

and objectives of the project before major purchasing decisions are made. Another review may 

occur after adequate data have been collected to assess the initial performance of the system 

and research design.

Applicants interested in submitting proposals for research optimizing the use of video 

technology in courts or correctional environments may also apply. While necessarily differing 

from those dealing with the integration of video technology into policing strategies, such 

proposals are also expected to reflect innovative approaches that emphasize forward thinking 

and scientific methodologies regarding the design and implementation of video technology and 

its evaluation through the use of rigorous analysis and quantifiable measures. 

NIJ anticipates that this research will involve minimal, if any, technology development, other 

than that involved in integrating software and cameras. 
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Deliverables and Expected Scholarly Products

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

and final progress and financial reports,24 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. 

Amount and Length of Awards

NIJ anticipates that up to a total of $2 million may become available for one award under this 

solicitation. From the total amount, NIJ anticipates that it will make one award for a project 

period of 12 to 18 months.

The preceding funding and time constraints notwithstanding, applications should be 

crafted to reflect the funding and time that is necessary to achieve the goals and 

objectives of this solicitation based on the applicant’s proposed technical approach.

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 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. (This is particularly the case if the applicant 

proposes a project that will exceed – in cost or length of project period – the amount or length 

anticipated for an individual award (or awards) under this solicitation.) 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 

 24 See “Additional Requirements” section of this solicitation, below, for additional information.
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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 cooperative 

agreement, which is a particular type of grant used if NIJ expects to have ongoing substantial 

involvement in award activities.

As discussed later in the solicitation, important rules (including limitations) apply to any 

conference/meeting/training costs under cooperative agreements.

Evaluation Research

If an application includes an evaluation research component (or consists entirely of evaluation 

research), the application is expected to propose the use of random selection and assignment 

of participants to experimental and control conditions, if feasible. Applications that include 

evaluation research but do not propose the use of randomization should explain clearly why 

randomization is not feasible, and should propose a strong quasi-experimental design that can 

address the risk of selection bias.

Also, applications that include evaluation research are expected to consider seriously the 

incorporation of cost/benefit analysis. NIJ views cost/benefit analysis as an effective way to 

communicate and disseminate findings from evaluation research and best serve our criminal 

justice constituents.

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.)
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• Proposals that are not responsive to this specific solicitation.

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. 25 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 

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

services where appropriate.

 25 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.
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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.

Conduct research in the 

social and behavioral 

sciences 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 agency-approved 

modifications to the scope.

2. Quality of the research as demonstrated by 

the scholarly products that result in whole or in 

part from work funded under the NIJ award 

(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. 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 

set that resulted in whole 

or in part from work 

funded under the NIJ 

award.

4. Description of all 

technologies fielded as a 

result (in whole or in part) 

of work funded under the 

NIJ award.
NIJ–2014–2723

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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 affect negatively the review of the 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

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.

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 
NIJ–2014–2723

14

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

3. Program Narrative

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

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

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

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

count toward the 30-page limit.

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

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

The following sections should be included as part of the program narrative.26

Program Narrative Guidelines: 

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

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

opportunity number, and the name and complete contact information (that is,

address, telephone number, and e-mail address) for both the applicant 

organization and the principal investigator.

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

 26 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.
NIJ–2014–2723

15

• Project Design and Implementation.

• 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, 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 30-page narrative limit) include:

• Bibliography/references.

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

pertaining to the proposed project that are supplemental to such items 

included in the main body of the narrative.

• Curriculum vitae or 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).
NIJ–2014–2723

16

• 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, Objective, 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, such as law enforcement and 

correctional agencies (if applicable).

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

proposal has been submitted (if applicable).

• 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). (For a detailed discussion of the information NIJ 

expects to find in a data archiving plan, see www.nij.gov/funding/dataresources-program/applying/Pages/data-archiving-strategies.aspx.)

Applications should include as an appendix a brief plan – labeled “Data 

Archiving Plan” – to comply with data archiving requirements. The plan 

should provide brief details about proposed data management and archiving, 

including submission to NIJ (through NACJD) of all files and documentation

necessary to allow for future efforts by others to reproduce the project’s 

findings and/or to extend the scientific value of the data set through 
NIJ–2014–2723

17

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.)

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

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

b. Budget Narrative

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

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

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

activities).

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

effectiveness of grant expenditures. Budget narratives should generally describe cost 

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

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

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

used to reduce costs, without compromising quality.

The narrative should be sound mathematically, 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.
NIJ–2014–2723

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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 $150,000, 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, 

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.
NIJ–2014–2723

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SAMPLE

7. Additional Attachments

a. Applicant disclosure of pending applications27

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.

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 

 27 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
NIJ–2014–2723

20

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 also 

should 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.

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.
NIJ–2014–2723

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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

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

the following review criteria.

Project Design and Implementation (Quality and technical merit) – 60%

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

aim(s) of the proposed project.

2. Feasibility of proposed project.

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

actions to minimize and/or mitigate them.

Potential Impact – 20% 

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

the United States, such as—

• Potential for significantly improved understanding of the stated criminal justice problem.

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

justice problem.

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.

Budget

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

of scientific and technical merit.
NIJ–2014–2723

22

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 alignment with proposed project activities.

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

Peer reviewers may comment – in the context of scientific and technical merit – on the proposed 

plan (if any) to produce or to make available to broader interested audiences, such as 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. 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. In addition to peer review ratings, considerations for award recommendations and 

decisions may include, but are not limited to, underserved populations, geographic diversity, 

strategic priorities, past performance, and available funding.

The Office of the Chief Financial Officer, 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 NIJ, who may consider factors 

including, but not limited to, underserved populations, geographic diversity, strategic priorities, 

past performance, and available funding.
NIJ–2014–2723

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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. 

• 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
NIJ–2014–2723

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• 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

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.

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 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. 
NIJ–2014–2723

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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-

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 
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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 

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/web/grants/applicants.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. 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–2014-3723.

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

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

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

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 
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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.

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 generally are 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.
NIJ–2014–2723

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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

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.
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Application Checklist

Optimizing the Use of Video Technology to Improve Criminal Justice 

Outcomes

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 25)

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

To Register with Grants.gov: 

_____ Acquire AOR and Grants.gov username/password (see page 26)

_____ Acquire AOR confirmation from the E-Biz POC (see page 26)

To Find Funding Opportunity:

_____ Search for the funding opportunity on Grants.gov (see page 26)

_____ Download Funding Opportunity and Application Package (see page 26)

_____ Sign up for Grants.gov email notifications (optional) (see page 25)

_____ 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)

_____ 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)

_____ Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL) (see page 26)

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

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

_____ 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)