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

Office of Justice Programs 

National Institute of Justice 

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

Justice (NIJ) is pleased to announce that it is seeking applications for funding for research on 

sentencing and community corrections polices and practices that promote effective and costefficient community-based alternatives to jail and prison without jeopardizing public safety. 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. 

Solicitation: 

Research on Sentencing and CommunityBased Alternatives to Incarceration 

Eligibility 

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

agreements with, States (including territories), local governments (including federallyrecognized Indian tribal governments as determined by the Secretary of the Interior and 

published in the Federal Register), nonprofit and profit organizations (including tribal nonprofit 

and profit organizations), institutions of higher education (including tribal institutions of higher 

education), and certain qualified individuals. Foreign governments, foreign organizations, and 

foreign institutions of higher education are not eligible to apply. 

Deadline 

Registration with OJP’s Grants Management System is required prior to application submission. 

(See “How to Apply,” page 6.) 

All applications are due by 11:45 p.m. eastern time on June 1, 2010. 

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

Contact Information 

For technical assistance with submitting the application, contact the Grants Management System 

Support Hotline at 1–888–549–9901, option 3 or via e-mail to GMSHelpDesk@usdoj.gov. 

Note: The GMS Support Hotline hours of operation are Monday–Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 

midnight eastern time, except for Federal holidays. 

For assistance with any other requirement of this solicitation, contact Dr. Linda Truitt, Senior 

Social Science Analyst, at 202–353–9081 or by e-mail to Linda.Truitt@usdoj.gov. 

SL# 000890 
CONTENTS 

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

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

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

Specific Information .......................................................................................................... 3 

Performance Measures ..................................................................................................... 6 

How to Apply..................................................................................................................... 6 

What an Application Must Include..................................................................................... 8 

Standard Form 424 ............................................................................................... 8 

Program Narrative ................................................................................................. 8 

Budget Detail Worksheet and Budget Narrative ................................................. 10 

Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable) ...................................................... 11 

Tribal Authorizing Resolution (if applicable)........................................................ 11 

Other Standard Forms ........................................................................................ 11 

Selection Criteria............................................................................................................. 12 

Review Process .............................................................................................................. 13 

Additional Requirements................................................................................................. 14 

Application Checklist....................................................................................................... 16 

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Research on Sentencing and Community-Based 

Alternatives to Incarceration 

CFDA No. 16.560 

Overview 

Incapacitation is an important public safety policy, but it is not a complete strategy. Given the 

social and financial costs of incarceration, NIJ is interested in supporting research and 

evaluation efforts that will advance the development of effective and cost-efficient alternatives to 

jail and prison for convicted adult offenders that do not jeopardize public safety. 

NIJ maintains research portfolios that span criminal courts, community corrections, and science 

and technology interests. These are developed in consultation with research, practice, and 

policy experts, such as multidisciplinary working groups. This research solicitation represents an 

opportunity to integrate approaches from a variety of disciplines to inform sentencing and 

community corrections policies and practices. 

Authorizing Legislation: Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (sections 201 

and 202). 

Deadlines: Registration and Application 

Registration is required prior to submission. The deadline to register in GMS is 11:45 p.m. 

eastern time on June 1, 2010 and the deadline for applying for funding under this 

announcement is 11:45 p.m. eastern time on June 1, 2010. Please see the “How to Apply” 

section, page 6, for more details. 

Eligibility 

Please refer to the title page for eligibility information under this program. 

Specific Information—Research on Sentencing and 

Community-Based Alternatives to Incarceration 

NIJ is interested in research that examines the effectiveness and cost-efficiency of alternatives 

to jail and prison for convicted adult offenders that do not jeopardize public safety. Priority 

research questions include: 

•	 What sentencing and community corrections policies and practices promote effective 

and cost-efficient alternatives to incarceration for alcohol and other drug involved 

offenders, including those with mental health (i.e., comorbid) issues? 

•	 What technological applications and protocols for assessment or monitoring support 

effective and cost-efficient alternatives to incarceration? 

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Other research questions that focus on sentencing and community corrections may be 

proposed and questions may be addressed in combination. All questions must be clearly stated 

and justified, and tied to a corresponding plan of analysis. 

If an evaluation is proposed, a logic model must be included to illustrate the inputs, activities, 

outputs, short- and long-term outcomes, and external factors. If an impact or cost-efficiency 

analysis is proposed, justify the comparison proposed, and detail equivalent information 

available for both program and comparison targets. The target population must include adult 

offenders in State, local, or Federal jurisdictions who are convicted on criminal charges and may 

be sentenced to jail or prison. 

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

available for two or more awards made through this solicitation. All NIJ awards are subject to 

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

that may be imposed by law. NIJ expects to make two or more awards, depending on funds 

available, the number of high-quality applications, and other pertinent factors. NIJ funding for an 

individual research project rarely exceeds $500,000 annually, though total funding for projects 

requiring multiple years to complete has exceeded $1 million in some cases. If feasible, NIJ 

recommends that applicants divide the proposed work into discrete phases, with each phase 

resulting in the delivery of a measurable deliverable. Applicants should try to structure the 

phases so that the funding required in any fiscal year will not exceed $500,000. Although NIJ 

cannot guarantee that subsequent phases, stages, or tasks will be funded, this approach will 

enable NIJ to fund the proposed work incrementally, depending on, among other things, the 

quality of the deliverable at the end of each phase, strategic priorities, and the availability of 

funds. However, applicants should not divide their work if it is not feasible to do so without 

impairing the technical and programmatic soundness of their approach. Note: Deliverables (e.g., 

a final report) will be required at the end of each phase to enable NIJ to assess the progress of 

the work and assist NIJ in making reasoned determinations as to the suitability of funding the 

next phase of the work. 

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

additional funding, ordinarily will not exceed 3 years. 

A grant made by NIJ under this solicitation may account for up to 100 percent of the total cost of 

the project. See "Cofunding" under "What an Application Must Include." 

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

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

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

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

Propensity Score Matching and Regression Discontinuity Design to address selection bias in 

evaluating outcomes and impacts. 

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

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

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

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

evaluation, assessments of program processes should include objective measurements and 

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

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

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

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Proposed evaluation research designs with multiple units of analysis and multiple 

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

are necessary to effectively address issues of generalizability and representativeness of 

findings. 

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

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

evaluation research. 

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

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

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

What will not be funded: 

1. Provision of training or direct service. 

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

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

demonstration, evaluation, or analysis.). 

3. Work that will be funded under another specific solicitation. 

4. Projects that duplicate research already supported by NIJ or other agencies, such as 

NIJ’s Multisite Adult Drug Court Evaluation (information on NIJ awards is available at 

www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/awards/welcome.htm). 

5. Surveys that provide a compilation of opinions and/or practices regarding sentencing 

and community corrections policy. 

6. Expert meetings and other tasks conducted for the purpose of developing research 

proposals. 

7. Research and development of tools or technologies (i.e., efforts such as those involving 

laboratory-based or engineering tasks or activities). 

Budget Information 

Limitation on Use of Award Funds for Employee Compensation; Waiver: With respect to 

any award of more than $250,000 made under this solicitation, Federal funds may not be used 

pay total cash compensation (salary plus bonuses) to any employee of the award recipient at a 

rate that exceeds 110% of the maximum annual salary payable to a member of the Federal 

Government’s Senior Executive Service (SES) at an agency with a Certified SES Performance 

Appraisal System for that year. (The 2010 salary table for SES employees is available at 

http://www.opm.gov/oca/10tables/indexSES.asp.) Note: A recipient may compensate an 

employee at a higher 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 limitation on compensation rates allowable under an award may be waived on an individual 

basis at the discretion of the Director of the National Institute of Justice. An applicant that 

wishes to request a waiver must include a detailed justification in the budget narrative of its 

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

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

budget. 

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

uniqueness of the service being provided, 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 that is to be done. 

Performance Measures 

To assist in fulfilling the Department’s responsibilities under the Government Performance and 

Results Act (GPRA), P.L. 103–62, applicants who receive funding under this solicitation must 

provide data that measure the results of their work. Performance measures for this solicitation 

are as follows: 

Objective Performance Measure(s) Data Grantee Provides 

Develop and analyze 

information and data 

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 grantee’s 

substantive scope did not deviate from 

the funded proposal or any subsequent 

agency modifications to the scope. 

2. Quality of the research as assessed by 

peer reviewers. 

3. Quality of management as measured 

by whether significant interim project 

milestones were achieved, final 

deadlines were met, and costs 

remained within approved limits. 

4. If applicable, number of NIJ final grant 

reports, NIJ research documents, and 

grantee research documents 

published. 

1. A final report providing a 

comprehensive overview of the 

project and a detailed description of 

the project design, data, and 

methods; a full presentation of 

scientific findings; and a thorough 

discussion of the implications of the 

project findings for criminal justice 

practice and policy in the United 

States. 

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

progress report. 

3. If applicable, each data set that was 

collected, acquired, or modified in 

conjunction with the project. 

4. If applicable, citation to 

report(s)/document(s). 

How to Apply 

Applications will be submitted through OJP’s Grants Management System (GMS). GMS is a 

Web-based, data-driven computer application that provides cradle to grave support for the 

application, award and management of grants at OJP. Applicants should begin the process 

immediately to meet the GMS registration deadline, especially if this is the first time they have 

used the system. Complete instructions on how to register and submit an application in GMS 

can be found at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/gmscbt/. If you experience technical difficulties at any point 

during this process, please e-mail GMSHelpDesk@usdoj.gov, or call 1–888–549–9901 (option 

3), Monday–Friday from 6:00 a.m. to midnight eastern time, except for Federal holidays. OJP 

highly recommends starting the registration process as early as possible to prevent delays in 

the application submission by the specified deadline. 

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All applicants are required to complete the following steps. 

1. Acquire a DUNS Number. A DUNS number is required to submit an application in 

GMS. The Office of Management and Budget requires that all businesses and nonprofit 

applicants for Federal funds include a DUNS (Data Universal Numbering System) 

number in their application for a new award or renewal of an existing award. A DUNS 

number is a unique nine-digit sequence recognized as the universal standard for 

identifying and keeping track of 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. 

Obtain a DUNS number by calling 1–866–705–5711 or by applying online at 

www.dunandbradstreet.com. Individuals are exempt from this requirement. 

2. Acquire or Renew Registration with the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) 

Database. CCR registration is required to receive funding. OJP requires that all 

applicants (other than individuals) for Federal financial assistance maintain current 

registrations in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) database. The CCR database 

is the repository for standard information about Federal financial assistance applicants, 

recipients, and subrecipients. Organizations that have previously submitted applications 

via Grants.gov are already registered with CCR, as it is a requirement for Grants.gov 

registration. Please note, however, that applicants must update or renew their CCR 

registration at least once per year to maintain an active status. Information about CCR 

registration procedures can be accessed at www.ccr.gov. 

3. Acquire a GMS Username and Password. If you are a new user, please create a GMS 

profile by selecting the first time user link under the sign-in box of the GMS home page. 

For more information on how to register in GMS, go to www.ojp.usdoj.gov/gmscbt/. 

4. Search for the Funding Opportunity on GMS. After you log in to GMS or complete 

your GMS profile for your username and password, go to the Funding Opportunities link 

on the left hand side of the page. Please select “National Institute of Justice” and then 

“NIJ FY 10 ORE Research on Sentencing and Community-Based Alternatives to 

Incarceration.” 

5. Select the Apply Online Button Associated with the Solicitation Title. The search 

results from step 4 will display the solicitation title along with the Registration and 

Application Deadlines for this funding opportunity. Please select the Apply Online button 

in the Action Column to create an application in the system. 

6. Submit an Application Addressing All of the Requirements Outlined in this 

Solicitation by Following the Directions in GMS. Once submitted, GMS will display a 

confirmation screen stating your submission was successful. Important: You are urged 

to submit your application at least 72 hours prior to the due date of the application. 

Note: OJP’s Grants Management System (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." 

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Experiencing Unforeseen GMS Technical Issues 

If you experience unforeseen GMS technical issues beyond your control which prevent you from 

submitting your application by the deadline, you must contact the NIJ staff member listed on the 

title page within 24 hours after the deadline and request approval to submit your application. 

At that time, NIJ staff will require you to e-mail the complete grant application, your DUNS 

number, and provide a GMS Help Desk tracking number(s). After the program office reviews all 

of the information submitted, and contacts the GMS Helpdesk to validate the technical issues 

you reported, OJP will contact you to either approve or deny your request to submit a late 

application. If the technical issues you reported cannot be validated, your application will be 

rejected as untimely. 

To ensure a fair competition for limited discretionary funds, the following conditions are not valid 

reasons to permit late submissions: (1) failure to begin the registration process in sufficient time; 

(2) failure to follow GMS instructions on how to register and apply as posted on its Web site; (3) 

failure to follow all of the instructions in the OJP solicitation; and (4) technical issues 

experienced with the applicant’s computer or information technology (IT) environment. 

Notifications regarding known technical problems with GMS are posted on the OJP funding Web 

page, www.ojp.usdoj.gov/funding/solicitations.htm. 

What an Application Must Include 

OJP strongly recommends use of appropriately descriptive file names (e.g., “Program 

Narrative,” “Budget Detail Worksheet and Budget Narrative,” “Timelines,” “Memoranda of 

Understanding,” “Resumes”) for all required attachments. Where resumes are required, OJP 

recommends that all resumes be included in a single file. 

Standard Form 424 

Please see www07.grants.gov/assets/SF424Instructions.pdf for instructions on how to 

complete your SF424. When selecting "type of applicant," if the applicant is a for-profit 

entity, please select "For-Profit Organization" or "Small Business" (as applicable) in the 

Type of Applicant 1 data field. For-profit applicants also may select additional applicable 

categories (e.g., "Private Institution of Higher Education"). 

Program Narrative 

Program Narrative Guidelines: 

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

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

applicant’s name and complete contact information (i.e., name, address, 

telephone number, and e-mail address). 

b. Project Abstract (not counted against the 30-page program narrative limit). 

The 400 to 600-word abstract should state the problem under investigation 

(including research goals and objectives) and the anticipated relevance of the 

project to criminal justice public policy, practice, or theory. It should describe the 

proposed method and/or research design, including data to be used in 

addressing research questions, data collection procedures and instrumentation, 

access to data, and other methods or procedures of the proposed study. It 

should also describe procedures for data analysis and all expected products, 

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including interim and final reports, instrumentation, and devices. If applicable, it 

should describe the subjects who will be involved in the proposed project, 

including the number of participants; participants’ age, gender, and race/ethnicity; 

and other pertinent characteristics, such as methods used to gain access to 

subjects. 

c. Resubmit Response (if applicable). If an applicant is resubmitting a proposal 

that was presented previously to NIJ, but not funded, the applicant must indicate 

this. A two-page document addressing the previous consensus review must be 

provided that covers the following: (1) the title, submission date, and NIJassigned application number of the previous proposal, and (2) a brief summary of 

responses to the peer review and/or revisions to the proposal. This document 

should be inserted after the abstract. This document will not be counted against 

the 30-page program narrative limit. 

d. Table of Contents and Figures (not counted against the 30-page program 

narrative limit). 

e. Main body. The main body of the Program Narrative should describe the project 

in depth and include the following sections: 

•	 Purpose, goals, and objectives. 

•	 Review of relevant literature. 

•	 Detailed description of research design and methods to include: 

research questions, hypotheses, description of sample, analysis plan, 

etc. 

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

below). 

•	 Implications for criminal justice policy and practice in the United 

States. 

•	 Management plan and organization. 

• Dissemination strategy. 

The program narrative section of your application must not exceed 30 doublespaced pages in 12-point font with 1-inch margins. Abstract, table of contents, 

charts, figures, appendices, and government forms do not count toward the 30-

page limit for the narrative section. 

f. Appendices (not counted against program narrative page limit) include: 

• Bibliography/references (required). 

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

pertaining to the proposed study (required). 

•	 Curriculum vitae, resumes or biographical sketches of all key 

personnel (required). 

•	 Project timeline and research calendar with expected milestones 

(required). 

•	 Human Subjects Protection Paperwork including Institutional Review 

Board (IRB) documentation and forms (see 

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

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•	 Privacy Certificate (for further guidance go to 

http://www.ojp.gov/nij/funding/humansubjects/privacy-certificateguidance.htm). 

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

investigator(s) (required). 

•	 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 you 

have submitted this proposal (if applicable). 

•	 Other materials required by the solicitation (required). 

•	 Data Archiving Strategy (see descriptive paragraph below). 

Data Archiving Strategy: NIJ requires that each data set resulting from funded 

research be submitted as a grant product or deliverable for archiving with the National 

Archive of Criminal Justice Data. (Data sets are to be submitted 90 days before the end 

of the project period.) Applications for NIJ research grants must include a brief (one- or 

two-page) data archiving strategy. For purposes of research replication and extension, 

the inclusion of only the final data set often prevents other researchers from replicating 

or extending the study because there are no original data, intermediate data, or 

documentation detailing how the data changed throughout the project. This data 

archiving strategy therefore must briefly describe the— 

•	 Anticipated manipulations of original, intermediate, and final data sets (as 

applicable). 

•	 Methods of documentation of such manipulations. 

•	 Preparation of original, intermediate, and final data sets for archive submission. 

The data archiving strategy should be submitted as an appendix to the application and 

will not count toward the 30-page limit. Please label this appendix “Data Archiving 

Strategy.” 

Budget Detail Worksheet and Budget Narrative 

a. Budget Detail Worksheet & Summary (required) 

A sample Budget Detail Worksheet can be found at 

www.ojp.gov/funding/forms/budget_detail.pdf. If the budget is submitted in a different 

format, the budget categories listed in the sample budget worksheet must be 

included. 

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

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

b. Budget Narrative (required) 

The Budget Narrative should thoroughly and clearly describe every category of 

expense listed in the Budget Detail Worksheet. The narrative should be 

mathematically sound and correspond with the information and figures provided in 

the Budget Detail Worksheet. The narrative should explain how all costs were 

estimated and calculated and how they are relevant to the completion of the 

proposed project. The narrative may include tables for clarification purposes and can 

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be provided in a Microsoft Office Word document. As with the Budget Detail 

Worksheet, the Budget Narrative must be broken down by year. 

Cofunding: A grant made by NIJ under this solicitation may account for up to 100 

percent of the total cost of the project. You must indicate whether you believe it is 

feasible for you to contribute cash, facilities, or services as non-Federal support for the 

project. Your application should identify generally any such contributions that you expect 

to make and your proposed budget should indicate in detail which items, if any, will be 

supported with non-Federal contributions. 

Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable) 

Applicants that do not have a federally negotiated indirect cost rate and wish to establish 

one can submit a proposal to their “cognizant” Federal agency. Generally, the cognizant 

Federal agency is the agency that provides the preponderance of direct Federal funding. 

This can be determined by reviewing an organization’s schedule of Federal financial 

assistance. If DOJ is your cognizant Federal agency, obtain information needed to 

submit an indirect cost rate proposal at 

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/financialguide/part3/part3chap17.htm. 

Tribal Authorizing Resolution 

If an application is being submitted by either (1) a tribe or tribal organization, or (2) by a 

third party proposing to provide direct services or assistance to residents on tribal lands, 

then a current authorizing resolution of the governing body of the tribal entity or other 

enactment of the tribal council or comparable governing body authorizing the inclusion of 

the tribe or tribal organization and its residents must be included with the application. In 

those instances when an organization or consortium of tribes proposes to apply for a 

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

resolution from all tribes that will be included as a part of the services/assistance 

provided under the grant. 

Other Standard Forms 

Additional forms that may be required are available on OJP’s funding page at 

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/funding/forms.htm. Please note in particular the following 

forms. 

1. Certifications Regarding Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension and Other 

Responsibility Matters; and Drug-Free Workplace Requirements (required of all 

applicants as part of the GMS application process) 

2. Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (required for any applicant that expends any 

funds for lobbying activities) 

3. Accounting System and Financial Capability Questionnaire (required for any 

applicant that is a nongovernmental entity and that has not received any award 

from OJP within the past 3 years) 

4. Standard Assurances (required of all applicants as part of the GMS application 

process) 

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Note: Attachments to the application should be included in one of the following four 

categories: 1) Program Narrative; 2) Budget Detail Worksheet and Budget Narrative; 

3) Appendices; and 4) Other Requirements. 

Selection Criteria 

Statement of the Problem (Understanding of the problem and its importance)—15% 

Project/Program Design and Implementation (Quality and technical merit)—30% 

1. Awareness of the state of current research or technology. 

2. Soundness of methodology and analytic and technical approach. 

3. Feasibility of proposed project and awareness of pitfalls. 

4. Innovation and creativity (when appropriate). 

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

applicants)—20% 

1. Qualifications and experience of proposed staff. 

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

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

and resources are used. 

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

Budget—15% 

1. Total cost of the project relative to the perceived benefit. 

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

3. Use of existing resources to conserve costs. 

Impact/Outcomes and Evaluation—15% 

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

2. Potential for significant advances in the field. 

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

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

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

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

technology). 

5. Perceived potential for commercialization and/or implementation of a new technology 

(when applicable). 

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

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

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

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

collaborate with practitioners and policymakers. You may include letters showing support 

from practitioners, but they carry less weight than clear evidence that you understand why 

policymakers and practitioners would benefit from your work and how they would use it. 

While a partnership may affect State or local activities, it should also have broader 

implications for others across the country. 

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Dissemination Strategy—5% 

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

including researchers, practitioners, and policymakers. 

2. Suggestions for print and electronic products NIJ might develop for practitioners and 

policymakers. 

Research Independence and Integrity 

Regardless of a proposal’s rating under the criteria outlined above, in order to receive funds, the 

applicant’s proposal must demonstrate research independence, including appropriate 

safeguards to ensure research objectivity and integrity. 

Considerations in evaluating research independence and integrity will include, but may not be 

limited to, the adequacy of the applicant’s efforts to identify factors that could affect the 

objectivity/integrity of the proposed staff and/or the organization in carrying out the research, 

development, or evaluation activity; and the adequacy of the applicant’s existing or proposed 

remedies to control any such factors. 

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 basic minimum program or legislative 

requirements as stated in the solicitation (including, but not limited to, requirements as to 

timeliness, proper format, and responsiveness to the scope of the solicitation). 

Peer reviewers will be reviewing the applications submitted under this solicitation that meet 

basic minimum requirements. NIJ may use either internal peer reviewers, external peer 

reviewers, or a combination to review the applications under this solicitation. An external peer 

reviewer is an expert in the field of the subject matter of a given solicitation who is NOT a 

current U.S. Department of Justice employee. An internal reviewer is a current U.S. Department 

of Justice employee who is well-versed or has expertise in the subject matter of this solicitation. 

Eligible applications will be evaluated, scored, and rated by a peer review panel. Peer 

reviewers’ ratings and any resulting recommendations are advisory only. In addition to peer 

review ratings, considerations for award recommendations and decisions may include, but are 

not limited to, underserved populations, geographic diversity, strategic priorities, past 

performance, and available funding. 

The Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO), in consultation with NIJ, conducts a financial 

review of applications for potential discretionary awards and cooperative agreements to 

evaluate the fiscal integrity and financial capability of applicants; examines proposed costs to 

determine if the budget 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 

also may give consideration to factors including, but not limited to, underserved populations, 

geographic diversity, strategic priorities, past performance, and available funding when making 

awards. 

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Additional Requirements 

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

acceptance of an award. We strongly encourage you to review the information pertaining to 

these additional requirements prior to submitting your application. Additional information for 

each can be found at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/funding/other_requirements.htm. 

• Civil Rights Compliance 

• Faith-Based and Other Community Organizations 

• Confidentiality and Human Subjects Protection (if applicable) 

• Anti-Lobbying Act 

• Financial and Government Audit Requirements 

• National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (if applicable) 

• DOJ Information Technology Standards (if applicable) 

• Single Point of Contact Review 

• Nonsupplanting of State or Local Funds 

• Criminal Penalty for False Statements 

• Compliance with Office of Justice Programs Financial Guide 

• Suspension or Termination of Funding 

• Nonprofit Organizations 

• For-Profit Organizations 

• Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) 

• Rights in Intellectual Property 

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

• Awards in excess of $5,000,000 – Federal taxes certification requirement 

If your proposal is funded, you will be required to submit several reports and other materials, 

including: 

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

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

presentation of scientific findings; a thorough discussion of the implications of the project 

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findings for criminal justice practice and policy in the United States; etc. It must contain an 

abstract of no more than 600 words and an executive summary of 2,500 to 4,000 words. 

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

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

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

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

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

and electronic formats. 

For program evaluation studies, the final report should include a section on measuring program 

performance. This section should outline the measures used to evaluate program effectiveness, 

modifications made to those measures as a result of the evaluation, and recommendations 

regarding these and other potential performance measures for similar programs. (This 

information will be particularly valuable to NIJ and other Federal program agencies in 

implementing performance measures for federally funded criminal justice programs.) 

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

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

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

withheld if reports are delinquent. 

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

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

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

the proposal. 

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Application Checklist

Research on Sentencing and Community-Based Alternatives to 

Incarceration 

The application checklist has been created to aid you in developing your application. 

Eligibility 

_____ Tribal authorizing resolution (if applicable) 

Application Components: 

_____ Program Narrative (see pages 8–9 and “Selection Criteria,” pages 12–13) 

_____ Appendices to the Program Narrative 

_____ Bibliography/References (required) 

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

pertaining to the proposed study (required) 

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

(required) 

_____ Project timeline and research calendar with expected milestones 

(required) 

_____ Human Subjects Protection Paperwork 

_____ Privacy Certificate 

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

investigators (required) 

_____ Letters of cooperation/support or administrative agreements from 

organizations collaborating in the project (if applicable) 

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

have submitted this proposal (if applicable) 

_____ Data Archiving Strategy 

_____ Budget Narrative 

_____ Budget Detail Worksheet 

_____ Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable) 

Program Narrative/Abstract Format: 

_____ Double-spaced 

_____ 12-point standard font 

_____ 1” standard margins 

_____ Narrative is 30 pages or less 

Other Requirements: 

_____ Standard Form 424 

_____ DUNS number 

_____ Other standard forms as applicable (see page 11), including 

_____ Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (if applicable)
 

_____ Accounting System and Financial Capability Questionnaire (if applicable)
 

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