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 to develop knowledge about the effects of personnel, programs, and activities 

on school safety in the United States. Funds are available to local education agencies (LEAs), public charter 

schools that are recognized as an LEA and State educational agencies (SEAs). Applicants are expected to 

enter into an agreement to partner with highly qualified researchers and research organizations to test whether 

an intervention (e.g., additional personnel (such as school resource officers or mental health service providers), 

programs, policies, or activities) help us understand what works in making schools safer. One example of a 

permissible intervention under this solicitation would be schools hiring school resource officers or mental health 

service providers. The underlying purpose of this solicitation must be to contribute significantly to the base of 

knowledge about specific activities that improve school safety in a sustainable and cost-effective manner. This 

program furthers the Department’s mission by supporting research to provide objective, independent 

knowledge and tools to meet the challenges of crime and justice, particularly at the State and local levels. The 

Department of Justice is committed to ensuring that school safety practices provide fair, beneficial, and 

developmentally appropriate services for youth, and in no way contribute to a school-to-prison pipeline.

Developing Knowledge About What Works to Make Schools Safe

Eligibility

Eligible applicants are limited to local education agencies (LEAs), public charter schools that are recognized as 

an LEA, and State education agencies (SEAs). Eligible applicants must identify a highly skilled research 

partner and local participating schools. Proposals must demonstrate the researcher capabilities and the local 

schools’ willingness to participate in the study. Research partners can be institutions of higher education 

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

for-profit organizations), and public entities such as State education agencies or State criminal justice agencies

that have experience in conducting research and evaluation.

While the applicant must be an LEA, public charter school that is recognized as an LEA, or an SEA, NIJ 

welcomes applications that involve multiple entities (such as multiple school districts, schools, and research 

partners). However, one eligible LEA or SEA must be the applicant. Other partners must be subrecipients who 

agree to assist the applicant in carrying out various aspects of the proposed 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 23.) All 

applications are due by 11:59 p.m. eastern time on July 10, 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 NIJschoolsafety@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-2014-3878

Release date: April 16, 2014

SL001122
NIJ-2014-3878 2

Contents

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

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

Eligibility ....................................................................................................................................4

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

Performance Measures...........................................................................................................10

What an Application Should Include .......................................................................................11

Information to Complete the Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424) .........................11

Project Abstract...................................................................................................................11

Program Narrative...............................................................................................................12

Budget Detail Worksheet and Budget Narrative .................................................................15

Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable) ......................................................................16

Tribal Authorizing Resolution (if applicable)........................................................................16

Applicant Disclosure of High Risk Status ............................................................................17

Additional Attachments .......................................................................................................17

Accounting System and Financial Capability Questionnaire (if applicable) ........................19

Selection Criteria.....................................................................................................................19

Review Process ......................................................................................................................21

Additional Requirements.........................................................................................................21

How to Apply...........................................................................................................................23

Provide Feedback to OJP .......................................................................................................26

Application Checklist...............................................................................................................27
NIJ-2014-3878 3

Developing Knowledge About What Works to 

Make Schools Safe

(CFDA No. 16.560)

Overview

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) introduced the Comprehensive School Safety Initiative in 

response to the Department of Justice Appropriations Act, 2014, which provides funds to NIJ to 

undertake school safety research. The purpose of the Comprehensive School Safety Initiative is 

to learn more about how personnel, programs, and activities contribute to school safety. This

broad-based initiative involves several component parts, including providing local schools with 

personnel or safety equipment to enhance safety and perceptions of safety; bringing together 

researchers and practitioners to better understand the predictors of and best responses to 

school violence; assessing technologies and strategies for increasing school safety without 

creating adverse unintended consequences; enhancing national school safety data collection 

mechanisms; and implementing research programs in local schools to test various approaches 

to enhancing school safety. The Department of Justice is committed to ensuring that school 

safety practices provide fair, beneficial, and developmentally appropriate services for youth, and 

in no way contribute to a school-to-prison pipeline.

Through this solicitation, NIJ will provide funding to successful applicants that are local 

education agencies, public charter schools that are recognized as local education agencies, and 

State education agencies for school-safety-focused personnel, programs, activities, and 

evaluations. The applicant is expected to enter into agreements with a highly qualified research 

partner to identify, test, and evaluate interventions and approaches that are intended to 

enhance school safety. (For example, school districts may determine that schools in their 

districts need school resource officers. This solicitation would fund the school resource officers, 

provided that a highly qualified research organization will evaluate their effectiveness in 

reducing school violence.) In partnership with the applicant, the research partner is expected to 

engage in independent research and evaluation activities to rigorously examine various facets 

of specific, locally implemented, school safety interventions, including their effectiveness, 

efficacy, sustainability, unintended consequences, and cost/benefit. The researcher/applicant 

partnership should be based on a formal agreement that demonstrates value placed upon open 

communication and the sharing of information and ideas. The goal of the partnership should be 

objective, high-quality research and evaluation activities with emphasis on fidelity to research 

designs. Ultimately, through this solicitation, NIJ hopes to build the state of knowledge about 

issues involving school safety.

Authorizing Legislation: Department of Justice Appropriations Act, 2014 (Public Law 113-76).

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 July 10, 

2014. See “How to Apply” on page 23 for details.
NIJ-2014-3878 4

Eligibility

Refer to the title page for eligibility under this program.

Program-Specific Information

Background

NIJ will provide funding to LEAs, public charter schools recognized as LEAs, or State education 

agencies (SEAs) interested in testing initiatives that enhance school safety. The initiatives may 

include programs, policies, or practices (such as the hiring of law enforcement personnel and 

mental health providers) that may have the potential to enhance school safety. To qualify, 

applicants will need to recruit schools to participate in the research project. Applicants must also 

partner with a researcher or research organization that has considerable experience conducting 

research and evaluation. The research organizations can be institutions of higher education and 

nonprofit or for-profit organizations, or public entities (such as State education agencies or State 

criminal justice agencies that have experience in conducting research and evaluation).

Applicants and their research partners have considerable discretion in determining the kinds of

research and safety initiatives to test based on the most meaningful initiatives in their particular 

jurisdictions. However, NIJ is particularly interested in the impact on school safety of mental 

health services, public safety and preparedness (such as the use of school resource officers), 

and school climate and culture programs. The applicant, in concert with the local participating 

schools, must reach agreement about the type of intervention they will seek. For example, if the 

applicant determines that mental health service providers would serve their community’s school 

safety needs best, the applicant and research partner can determine the best way from a 

research perspective to ascertain whether the intervention (i.e., mental health service providers)

makes a difference. The important thing to remember is that for any proposal selected and 

funded, there must be a viable strategy to collect strong evidence to assess the intervention’s 

effectiveness, efficacy, sustainability, generalizability, or cost/benefit in terms of school safety 

outcomes and unintended consequences. Also, in terms of school safety specifically, the 

applicant and researcher will determine the appropriate outcomes for their particular study. The 

outcomes may range from a reduction of more common occurrences (such as bullying, fighting,

and aggressive behavior) to reduction or elimination of more serious and less frequent incidents

(such as assault and violent crime).

The definition or understanding of school safety is another broad consideration the applicant

and researcher must take into account. School safety is an elusive concept. For example, does 

it refer to visible signs of protection, such as school resource officers, locks on doors, or 

restricted access to the building? On the other hand, does school safety exist when there are 

feelings of safety on the part of students and teachers, less bullying or a decrease in fights or 

aggressive behavior or when mental health service providers are made available to students, 

faculty, staff, and administrators? 

The research on school safety is extensive and on going. But, one may ask, has the research 

helped us understand what a safe school is and what actions need to be taken to ensure a safe 

school? Although there is no commonly accepted school safety “model,” there is general 

agreement on some of the principal components or elements that may enhance school safety. 

The components broadly include such things as appropriately trained school resource and other 
NIJ-2014-3878 5

law enforcement officers with well-defined roles and responsibilities, mental health service 

providers, and elements of school climate and culture. More specifically, the components 

include the development and implementation of school discipline policies that are fair, 

nondiscriminatory (based on such things as students’ disability, race, national origin, sex, 

gender identity, sexual orientation, religion or language proficiency), provide for graduated 

sanctions, and avoid unnecessary suspensions, expulsions, truancy, drop-outs, probation 

violations, and referrals to the justice system; use of science-based prevention programs that 

address school climate and employ youth-centered conflict resolution strategies (such as peermediation and restorative justice); comprehensive and continuous training of staff on issues, 

including the identification of students who have been exposed to violence or who may pose a 

risk to others or themselves; a strategy based upon the proactive analysis of accurate and 

timely data; the input of students and staff in the design of policies and programs; the ability to 

implement developmentally appropriate interventions, and the linkage or connection of students 

to responsible adults. In addition, most models for school safety emphasize that school safety is 

connected to and influenced by a host of factors that occur not only in schools but in the home 

and community as well. Therefore, the most effective approaches to school safety will involve 

the efforts of individuals, families, and groups both inside and outside of school.

To help potential applicants and researchers think about potential research questions, the 

following are broad questions related to different school safety elements. Keep in mind these 

are illustrative only. They are designed as broad parameters around which applicants and 

researchers can develop measurable questions:

1) What types of behavioral health, mental health, and wellness-related interventions 

and implementation models, and developmentally appropriate approaches, including 

the procurement of different types, roles and responsibilities of mental health 

professionals, are most effective and efficient in producing school safety outcomes?

2) What security and preparedness interventions and implementation models, including 

the procurement of different types, roles and responsibilities of personnel (law 

enforcement working in schools, other security personnel as well as teachers and 

administrators):

a. are most effective and efficient in producing school safety outcomes?

b. contribute to an unwanted school-to-prison-pipeline, the inappropriate use of 

exclusionary discipline practices, or discrimination against students?

3) What climate and culture interventions and implementation models are most effective 

and efficient in producing school safety outcomes?

The proposed research strategy should make use of robust methods for process, 

implementation, and outcome evaluations. Applicants should employ the most rigorous 

methods appropriate for the proposed research questions. They should consider 

conducting studies through the implementation of randomized controlled trials or other rigorous 

evaluation methods. Other research methods may include, for example, multi-level, multimethod data collection and analysis, natural experiments, demonstration field experiments, 

longitudinal studies, and secondary data analysis that complements larger-scale research 

based on original data collection. The evaluations should address both appropriate school 

safety outcomes, such as aggressive behavior and injuries, as well as the potential unintended 
NIJ-2014-3878 6

consequences, such as increases in suspensions, referrals to the criminal justice system, 

truancy, probation violations and drop out rates.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to focus their efforts on a limited range of 

interventions so they can develop the most robust research designs possible given the

funding available to develop evidence regarding the effectiveness and cost/benefit. 

Research studies may include such things as obstacles to effective implementation; 

examination of costs and benefits to varying implementation strategies; comparisons of popular 

training methods; evaluations of commonly implemented and under-evaluated programs; 

examination and validation of various school safety assessment instruments; examination of 

unintended consequences of interventions; variations in roles and responsibilities of different 

types of personnel; and assessment and development of potential technology solutions to 

address school safety issues. 

Applicants and their research partners may propose to work with any combination of 

elementary, middle, or high schools or may choose to focus solely on a single type of school or 

range of grades. Applicants should consider carefully the schools and grades on which they will 

focus based on the research questions they propose to address.

Finally, research under this solicitation should be completed in phases. Thus, successful 

applicants should be able to identify and report to NIJ any scientifically founded results any time 

during the life of the grant and no later than at the conclusion of each year of the research. For 

example, the first year may be a formative one in that the successful applicant and researcher 

partner examine in detail the available tools for the successful implementation of the 

intervention. At the end of the first year, the successful applicant and research partner might 

report that they need more data and why, and request that local schools begin collecting those 

data. At the end of Year 1 or sooner, the partnership may develop an agreed-upon logic model 

that can provide the roadmap for future research. The phased approach is designed to take 

seriously the planning and implementation phases of the project. In addition, it offers an 

opportunity to report and highlight early findings of the research.

Applicants should:

• Propose to dedicate between 1/4 and 1/3 of funding directly to research partners to 

develop and carry out a rigorous program of evaluation. The remaining 2/3 to 3/4 of 

funding should go toward the personnel, programs, and activities provided to schools to 

serve as interventions for purposes of evaluation.

• Propose to incorporate any local school safety assessments and plans as they develop

proposed programs and initiatives.

• Take into account that, if proposals include the hiring of law enforcement officers, the 

unit of local government (i.e., the governmental unit that will employ the officers hired as 

part of the applicant’s implementation of a school safety initiative under the proposed 

project) must achieve a net gain in the number of law enforcement officers who perform 

non-administrative public safety service.

• Coordinate with law enforcement, juvenile justice, and school mental health 

professionals when appropriate.
NIJ-2014-3878 7

• If funded, expect to contribute materials and content to a common school safety website.

• Submit along with their applications an administrative agreement or, at a minimum, a 

letter of support from their research partners and other entities with which they will 

collaborate, including other school districts, mental health service providers, law 

enforcement organizations, and municipal government partners. If an award is made, 

funds will be withheld until a formal agreement between the applicant and the primary 

research partner is in place. This agreement must provide detail on the roles and 

responsibilities of each party, and ensure that the independence and objectivity of the 

research partner is maintained. 

Goals, Objectives, Deliverables, and Expected Scholarly Products

The goal of the Comprehensive School Safety Initiative is to fund research that improves the 

knowledge and understanding of specific activities that can improve school safety in a 

sustainable and cost-effective manner without creating adverse unintended consequences. This 

knowledge will be used by NIJ to inform the development of a comprehensive school safety 

model. The objective of this solicitation is to determine the effect of personnel, programs, and 

activities on school safety as determined through high-quality, broad-based research projects 

that facilitate advances in basic scientific knowledge and methods as they relate to

comprehensive school safety issues and programs.

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

and final progress and financial reports,

1 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 Award

NIJ anticipates that up to a total of $47 million may become available for awards under this 

solicitation. It is anticipated that each award will range from $500,000 to $5 million in total cost. 

 1 See “Additional Requirements” section of this solicitation, below, for additional information.
NIJ-2014-3878 8

From the total amount, NIJ anticipates that it will make multiple awards for up to a 36-month 

project period.

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 set out each phase clearly. Given limitations on the availability to NIJ of 

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

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

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

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

described above.)

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

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

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

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

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

the work funded under the award.

Applicants should be aware that the total period of an award, under this solicitation, 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 

incorporation of cost/benefit analysis. NIJ views cost/benefit analysis as an effective way to 
NIJ-2014-3878 9

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, personnel, materials, supplies, training, 

programs or services not directly associated with the research framework or design.

• 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.2 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 NIJ 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 

 2 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.
NIJ-2014-3878 10

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.

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 

social and 

behavioral 

sciences 

having clear 

implications 

for school 

safety 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.

1.Quarterly financial reports, 

semi-annual and final progress 

reports, annual substantive 

summary reports detailing the 

progress made to date, 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.
NIJ-2014-3878 11

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 their application; and, should a 

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

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

conditions.

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

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

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

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

Narrative, Budget Detail Worksheet, Budget Narrative, and resumes/curriculum vitae of key 

personnel. For purposes of this solicitation, “key personnel” means the principal investigator and 

any and all co-principal investigators. 

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

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

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

applicants include resumes in a single file.

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

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

Management System (GMS) take information from the applicant’s profile to populate the 

fields on this form. When selecting "type of applicant," if the applicant is a for-profit entity, 

select "For-Profit Organization" or "Small Business" (as applicable).

2. Project Abstract

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Written for a general public audience.

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

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

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

program narrative. 
NIJ-2014-3878 12

Project abstracts should follow the detailed template (including the detailed instructions as to 

content) available at www.nij.gov/funding/documents/nij-project-abstract-template.pdf.

3. Program Narrative

The program narrative section of the application should not exceed 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.3

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:

 3 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-2014-3878 13

• Statement of the Problem.

• 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 above “Goals, Objectives, Deliverables, 

and Expected Scholarly Products” for a discussion of expected scholarly 

products.) 

• Implications for school safety policy and practice in the United States.

• Management plan and organization with special attention paid to pilot site 

management as a component of the overall management plan.

• 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 program narrative limit) include:

• Bibliography/references.

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

pertaining to the proposed project that are supplemental to such items 

included in the main body of the narrative.

• 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-2014-3878 14

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

those affiliated with the applicant organization or any proposed subrecipient 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

this listing.

• Proposed project timeline and expected milestones.

• Human Subjects Protection paperwork (documentation and forms related to 

Institutional Review Board (IRB) review). 

(See www.nij.gov/funding/humansubjects/Pages/welcome.aspx.) NOTE: 

Final IRB approval is not required at the time an application is submitted.

• Privacy Certificate (for further guidance go 

to www.nij.gov/funding/humansubjects/pages/confidentiality.aspx).

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

investigator(s), including the NIJ-assigned award numbers and a brief 

description of any scholarly products that resulted in whole or in part from 

work funded under the NIJ award(s). (See “Goals, Objectives, Deliverables, 

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

above, for definition of “scholarly products.”)

• Letters of cooperation and support or administrative agreements from 

organizations collaborating in the project, such as research partners, law 

enforcement, mental health service providers, local schools and school 

districts, and municipal government partners.

• 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 
NIJ-2014-3878 15

findings and/or to extend the scientific value of the data set through 

secondary analysis. Pertinent files and documentation typically would include, 

among other things, qualitative and quantitative data produced, 

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

programming code necessary to reproduce all constructed measures and the 

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

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

protocols. 

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

associated with meeting archiving requirements.

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

the project period. 

4. Budget Detail Worksheet and Budget Narrative

a. Budget Detail Worksheet 

A sample Budget Detail Worksheet can be found 

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

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

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

reflected.) Please note: NIJ expects applicants to provide, as part of its Budget Detail 

Worksheet, a thorough narrative to each section of the Worksheet, as described under 

“Budget Narrative,” below.

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

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

b. Budget Narrative

The budget narrative should describe thoroughly and clearly 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 generally should 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-2014-3878 16

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 participating in the research. 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-2014-3878 17

7. Applicant Disclosure of High Risk Status

Applicants are to disclose whether they are currently designated high risk by another federal 

grant making agency. This includes any status requiring additional oversight by the federal 

agency due to past programmatic or financial concerns. If an applicant is designated high 

risk by another federal grant making agency, you must email the following information 

to OJPComplianceReporting@usdoj.gov at the time of application submission:

• The federal agency that currently designated the applicant as high risk;

• Date the applicant was designated high risk;

• The high risk point of contact name, phone number, and email address, from that 

federal agency; and

• Reasons for the high risk status;

OJP seeks this information to ensure appropriate federal oversight of any grant award. 

Unlike the Excluded Parties List, this high risk information does not disqualify any 

organization from receiving an OJP award. However, additional grant oversight may be 

included, if necessary, in award documentation.

8. Additional Attachments

a. Applicant Disclosure of Pending Applications4

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.

 4 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.
NIJ-2014-3878 18

SAMPL

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

b. Research and Evaluation Independence and Integrity

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

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

independence, including appropriate safeguards to ensure research/evaluation

objectivity and integrity.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

reliability is a problem.

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-2014-3878 19

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.

9. 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.

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

1. Demonstrated understanding of the problem.

2. Demonstrated awareness of the state of current research. 

Project Design and Implementation (Quality and technical merit) – 50%

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

aim(s) of the proposed project.

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.
NIJ-2014-3878 20

4. Quality of the proposed outcome measures, including appropriate measures of school 

safety (e.g. injuries) and measures that could detect potential unintended consequences 

(e.g. suspensions, referrals to courts, drop out)

Potential Impact – 20% 

Potential for a significant scientific or technical advance(s) that will improve school safety in the 

United States, such as—

• Potential for significantly improved understanding of the stated school safety problem.

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

safety 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 involved 

significantly in substantive aspects of the proposal).

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

3. Demonstrated ability to conduct sophisticated research, often involving advanced 

statistical skills, and a history of innovative methods for examining a particular problem.

4. 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.

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.
NIJ-2014-3878 21

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

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

underserved populations, geographic diversity, strategic priorities, past performance, and 

available funding.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Additional Requirements

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

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

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

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

• 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
NIJ-2014-3878 22

• Anti-Lobbying Act

• Financial and Government Audit Requirements

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

• National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

• DOJ Information Technology Standards (if applicable) 

• Single Point of Contact Review

• Non-Supplanting of State or Local Funds

• Criminal Penalty for False Statements

• Compliance with Office of Justice Programs Financial Guide

• Suspension or Termination of Funding

• Non-profit Organizations

• For-profit Organizations

• Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA)

• Rights in Intellectual Property

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

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

• Active SAM Registration 

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

Meetings and Trainings)

• OJP Training Guiding Principles for Grantees and Subgrantees

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:
NIJ-2014-3878 23

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. More 

information on post-award reporting requirements and RPPRs may be found 

at www.nij.gov/funding/Pages/welcome.aspx. 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, NIJ requires recipients 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.

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-2014-3878 24

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

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

Grants.gov for updates will be notified.

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

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

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

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

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

Grants Management System (GMS).

Characters Special Characters

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

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

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

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

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

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

Period (.) format.

GMS does not accept executable file types as application attachments. These disallowed 

file types include, but are not limited to, the following extensions: “.com,” “.bat,” “.exe,” “.vbs,” 

“.cfg,” “.dat,” “.db,” “.dbf,” “.dll,” “.ini,” “.log,” “.ora,” “.sys,” and “.zip.” GMS may reject applications 

with files that use these extensions. It is important to allow time to change the type of file(s) if 

the application is rejected.

All applicants are required to complete the following steps:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

and subrecipients. OJP requires all applicants (other than individuals) for federal financial 

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.
NIJ-2014-3878 25

Information about SAM registration procedures can be accessed at www.sam.gov.

3. Acquire an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) and a Grants.gov 

username and password. Complete the AOR profile on Grants.gov and create a username 

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

step. For more information about the registration process, go 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

opportunity number is NIJ-2014-3798.

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

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

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

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

required highlighted fields. 

7. Submit a valid application consistent with this solicitation by following the directions 

in Grants.gov. Within 24–48 hours after submitting the electronic application, the applicant 

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

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

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

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

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

rejection. Important: OJP urges applicants to submit applications at least 72 hours prior to 

the application due date to allow time to receive validation messages or rejection 

notifications from Grants.gov, and to correct in a timely fashion any problems that may have 

caused a rejection notification.

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

timeframes.

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 
NIJ-2014-3878 26

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.

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.
NIJ-2014-3878 27

Application Checklist

Developing Knowledge About What Works to Make Schools Safe

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 24)

_____ Acquire or renew registration with SAM (see page 24)

To Register with Grants.gov: 

_____ Acquire AOR and Grants.gov username/password (see page 25)

_____ Acquire AOR confirmation from the E-Biz POC (see page 25)

To Find Funding Opportunity:

_____ Search for the funding opportunity on Grants.gov (see page 25)

_____ Download Funding Opportunity and Application Package (see page 25)

_____ Sign up for Grants.gov email notifications (optional) (see page 24)

_____ 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 11)

_____ Project Abstract (see page 11)

_____ Program Narrative (see page 12)

_____ Appendices

_____ Bibliography/references

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

to the proposed study (if applicable)

_____ Curriculum vitae/resumes of principal investigator and any and all co-principal 

investigators

_____ List of all project staff members, contractors, and advisory board members; their 

professional affiliation; and titles or roles and responsibilities proposed for the 

project

_____ Project timeline and research calendar with expected milestones

_____ Human Subjects Protection paperwork

_____ Privacy Certificate

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

investigators

_____ Letters of cooperation/support or administrative agreements from organizations 

collaborating in the project (if applicable)

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

has been submitted (if applicable)

_____ Data archiving plan

_____ Budget Detail Worksheet (see page 15)

_____ Budget Narrative (see page 15)
NIJ-2014-3878 28

_____ Employee Compensation Waiver request and justification (if applicable)

(see page 9)

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

available at www.ojp.gov/funding/confcost.htm (see page 9)

_____ Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL) (see page 25)

_____ Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable) (see page 16)

_____ Tribal Authorizing Resolution (if applicable) (see page 16)

_____ Applicant Disclosure of High Risk Status (see page 17)

_____ Additional Attachments

_____ Applicant Disclosure of Pending Applications (see page 17)

_____ Research and Evaluation Independence and Integrity (see page 18)

_____ Accounting System and Financial Capability Questionnaire (if applicable) 

(see page 19)