Notices regarding the solicitation “Research on Law Enforcement 

Responses to Sex Trafficking of Minors, Fiscal Year 2020”

March 27, 2020: Many of our solicitations encourage research partnerships and require 

applicants to include a strong letter of support, signed by an appropriate decision-making 

authority from each proposed partnering entity.

NIJ continues to strongly encourage prospective applicants to submit executed agreements 

necessary to carrying out the work proposed with applications if they can be obtained, but with 

an understanding of the circumstances surrounding the pandemic, NIJ will accept applications 

without them.

Applicants selected for award will be required to submit completed agreements by January 1, 

2021. Funds will be withheld until such agreements have been received.

March 25, 2020: The application deadline was changed to May 26, 2020.

The original solicitation document begins on the next page.
U.S. Department of Justice OMB No. 1121-0329 

Office of Justice Programs Approval Expires 11/30/2020 

National Institute of Justice 

Research on Law Enforcement Responses to Sex Trafficking of 

Minors, Fiscal Year 2020 

FY 2020 Competitive Research Grant Solicitation 

CFDA No. 16.560

Grants.gov Solicitation Number: NIJ-2020-18257

Solicitation Release Date: March 24, 2020 

Application Deadline: 11:59 p.m. eastern time on May 26, 2020

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

Justice (NIJ) is seeking applications for funding for research projects to establish the degree to 

which law enforcement practices for preventing and responding to the sex trafficking of minors 

have changed since the adoption of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act 

(TVPA) of 2000. 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. 

This solicitation incorporates the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide by reference. The OJP 

Grant Application Resource Guide provides guidance to applicants prepare and submit 

applications for funding to OJP. If this solicitation expressly modifies any provision in the OJP 

Grant Application Resource Guide, the applicant is to follow the guidelines in this solicitation as 

to that provision. 

Eligibility (Who may apply) 

This funding opportunity is only open to accredited research universities. To be eligible, the 

institution must be fully accredited by one of the regional institutional accreditation agencies 

recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education. Institutions of higher education (including tribal 

institutions of higher education) are eligible to apply. Foreign colleges and universities are not 

eligible to apply.

Foreign governments, foreign organizations, and foreign colleges and universities are not 

eligible to apply. Federal agencies are eligible to apply. (Any award made to a federal agency 

will be made as an inter-agency reimbursable agreement.) 

All recipients and subrecipients (including any for-profit organization) must forgo any profit or 

management fee. 
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NIJ-2020-18257

NIJ will consider applications under which two-or-more entities would carry out the federal 

award; however, only one entity may be the applicant. Any others must be proposed as 

subrecipients (subgrantees). The applicant must be the entity that would have primary 

responsibility for carrying out the award, including administering the funding and managing the 

entire project. For additional information on subawards, see the OJP Grant Application 

Resource Guide. 

Under this solicitation, any particular applicant entity may submit more than one application, as 

long as each application proposes a different project in response to the solicitation. Also, an 

entity may be proposed as a subrecipient (“subgrantee”) in more than one application.

Contact Information 

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

Hotline at 1-800-518-4726 or 1-606-545-5035 (international), at 

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html, or at support@grants.gov. The Grants.gov 

Support Hotline operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except on federal holidays. 

An applicant that experiences unforeseen Grants.gov technical issues beyond its control that 

prevent it from submitting its application by the deadline must email the NIJ contact identified 

below within 24 hours after the application deadline to request approval to submit its 

application after the deadline. Additional information on reporting technical issues appears 

under “Experiencing Unforeseen Grants.gov Technical Issues” in the “How To Apply 

(Grants.gov)” section in the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide.

For assistance with any other requirements of this solicitation, contact the National Criminal 

Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) Response Center: toll-free at 1-800-851-3420; via TTY at 

301-240-6310 (hearing impaired only); email grants@ncjrs.gov; fax to 301-240-5830; or web

chat at https://webcontact.ncjrs.gov/ncjchat/chat.jsp. The NCJRS Response Center hours of

operation are 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. eastern time, Monday through Friday, and 10:00 a.m. to

8:00 p.m. eastern time on the solicitation close date. General information on applying for NIJ

awards can be found at https://nij.ojp.gov/funding. Answers to frequently asked questions that

may assist applicants are posted at https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/frequently-asked-questions-aboutapplying-grants-and-cooperative-agreements.

Deadline Details 

Applicants must register with Grants.gov at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html

prior to submitting an application. All applications are due by 11:59 p.m. eastern time on 

May 26, 2020. 

To be considered timely, an application must be submitted by the application deadline using 

Grants.gov, and the applicant must have received a validation message from Grants.gov that 

indicates successful and timely submission. OJP urges applicants to submit applications at least 

72 hours prior to the application due date, to allow time for the applicant to receive validation 

messages or rejection notifications from Grants.gov, and to correct in a timely fashion any 

problems that may have caused a rejection notification. 

An applicant must use the Add Attachment button to attach a file to its application. Do not click 

the paperclip icon to attach files. This action will not attach the files to the application. After 
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NIJ-2020-18257

adding an attachment, select the View Attachment button to confirm you attached the correct 

file. To remove the file, select the Delete Attachment button.

OJP encourages all applicants to read this Important Notice: Applying for Grants in Grants.gov.

For additional information, see the “How to Apply (Grants.gov)” section in the OJP Grant 

Application Resource Guide.
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NIJ-2020-18257

Contents

A. Program Description 5

Overview 5

Project-Specific Information 5

Goals, Objectives, Deliverables, and Expected Scholarly Products 7

B. Federal Award Information 9

Type of Award 10

Financial Management and System of Internal Controls 10

Budget Information 10

Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement 11

Pre-agreement Costs (also known as Pre-award Costs) 11

Limitation on Use of Award Funds for Employee Compensation; Waiver 11

Prior Approval, Planning, and Reporting of Conference/Meeting/Training Costs 11

Costs Associated with Language Assistance (if applicable) 11

C. Eligibility Information 11

D. Application and Submission Information 11

What an Application Should Include 11

How To Apply (Grants.gov) 17

E. Application Review Information 17

Review Criteria 17

Review Process 19

F. Federal Award Administration Information 20

Federal Award Notices 20

Administrative, National Policy, and Other Legal Requirements 20

Information Technology (IT) Security Clauses 20

General Information about Post-Federal Award Reporting Requirements 20

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s) 21

H. Other Information 21

Freedom of Information and Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552 and 5 U.S.C. 552a) 21

Provide Feedback to OJP 21

Application Checklist 22
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NIJ-2020-18257

Research on Law Enforcement Responses to 

Sex Trafficking of Minors, Fiscal Year 2020

CFDA No. 16.560

A. Program Description

Overview

With this solicitation, NIJ aims to better understand how law enforcement practice with regard to 

preventing and responding to the sex trafficking of minors has evolved since passage of the

Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000. NIJ is specifically interested 

in understanding how widely law enforcement agencies have adopted practices that are based 

on the perspective that the minor is a victim as opposed to a delinquent, and the challenges that 

agencies have faced in adopting such practices. Applications that do not propose to address 

these two topical areas will not be considered.

Applications proposing research involving partnerships with criminal justice or other agencies 

must include a strong letter of support signed by an appropriate decision-making authority from 

each proposed, partnering agency. A letter of support must include the partnering agency’s 

acknowledgement that the awardee will archive de-identified data provided through this project 

in the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data (NACJD) at the conclusion of the award (please 

see Goals, Objectives, Deliverables, and Expected Scholarly Products section below). If 

selected for an award, applicants will be expected to have a formal agreement in place with 

partnering agencies by January 1, 2021. That agreement must include provisions to meet the 

data archiving requirements of the award. In rare circumstances, for example, where law 

prohibits the archiving of agency data, NIJ may agree to a successful applicant creating and 

archiving an appropriate synthetic dataset. Those circumstances will be rare, decided by NIJ on 

a case-by-case basis, and will require extensive documentation and justification for exceptions 

to be made.

Statutory Authority: Title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 

(sections 201 and 202).

Project-Specific Information

Definitions and Scope: For the purposes of this solicitation, sex trafficking of minors is defined 

as the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a minor for the purpose 

of a commercial sex act.

1

Research Issues and Questions

There is a growing consensus among policymakers, criminal justice professionals, and 

practitioners who work with exploited children that effective law enforcement responses to child 

sex trafficking need to change. In the past, law enforcement agencies treated minors caught up 

in sex trafficking as delinquents, failed to distinguish them from adults involved in prostitution, or 

overlooked the problem of child exploitation. New approaches emphasize targeting the 

 

1 See 22 U.S.C. § 7102 for additional information.
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NIJ-2020-18257

exploiters who sell and buy sex from minors, and treating exploited minors as victims. While 

much discussion and training has occurred around these issues, it is unclear to what extent and 

in what ways law enforcement practices have changed.

With this solicitation, NIJ is seeking applications for research that will assess the ways and

degree to which law enforcement practices have transitioned from a predominately delinquent 

perspective to a more victim-focused approach. The study will also determine what barriers law 

enforcement agencies have faced while implementing practices consistent with this new 

paradigm, if such a change occurred. Applications that do not propose to address these two 

topical areas will not be considered.

NIJ is open to a wide range of methodological approaches, and will prioritize applications that 

propose the most rigorous research methods appropriate to addressing the objectives of this 

solicitation. NIJ expects applicants to describe how their proposed research design, as well as 

their study findings, will be situated within the context of relevant existing research findings.

NIJ expects that the proposed research will be both rooted in and advance the body of research 

on law enforcement responses to the sex trafficking of minors (e.g., National Juvenile 

Prostitution Study (2005),

2 Understanding and Improving Law Enforcement Responses to 

Human Trafficking (2008),

3 The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in New York City: A 

Population Assessment and Participatory Project Evaluation (2008)4).

New Investigator/Early Career Opportunity

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

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

staff scientist positions in a research institution, who propose research on topics relevant to

NIJ’s Office of Research, Evaluation and Technology (ORET). To that end, NIJ may, in 

appropriate circumstances, give special consideration in award decisions to applications 

proposing such researchers as principal investigators (PIs). To qualify, the proposed PI must at 

the time of application submission:

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

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

research institution; and

 Have completed a terminal degree or post-graduate clinical training within the ten (10) 

years prior to September 30, 2020, and

 Have never previously received NIJ funding as a PI on a research project with the 

exception of Graduate Research Fellows or Data Resources Program grantees.

If seeking to be considered for the New Investigator/Early Career Opportunity, the applicant 

should identify that they are submitting a New Investigator/Early Career proposal on the title 

page of the application.

 

2 http://www.unh.edu/ccrc/national_juvenile_prostitution.html.

3 https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/225202.pdf.

4 https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/225082.pdf.
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NIJ-2020-18257

Goals, Objectives, Deliverables, and Expected Scholarly Products

The goal of this solicitation is to contribute to the building of a comprehensive and extensive 

understanding of law enforcement practices to prevent and respond to the sex trafficking of 

minors. The research should aim to fill gaps in the existing research literature. Additionally, the 

research should aim to provide an empirical basis upon which to formulate and implement 

policies and programs to improve law enforcement responses to the sex trafficking of minors in 

the United States.

Final Research Report. Any recipient of an award under this solicitation will be expected to 

submit a final research report. Additional information on the final research report requirement for 

the solicitation is posted on the Research, Development, and Evaluation Grant Award 

Requirements The Final Research Report will undergo review for public archive on the National 

Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS).

Required Data Sets and Associated Files and Documentation. Any recipient of an award under 

this solicitation will be expected to submit to the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data 

(NACJD) all data sets that result in whole or in part from the work funded by the award, along 

with associated files and any documentation necessary 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. For more information, see Program Narrative in Section D. Application and 

Submission Information.

In addition to these deliverables (and the required reports and data on performance measures 

described in Section F. Federal Award Administration Information), NIJ expects scholarly 

products to result from each award under this solicitation, taking the form of one or more 

published, peer-reviewed, scientific journal articles, and/or (if appropriate) law review journal 

articles, book chapter(s) or book(s) in the academic press, technological prototypes, patented 

inventions, or similar scientific products.

NIJ expects that there will be an equal effort to make the research findings accessible to 

practitioner and policymaker audiences through articles in trade publications, the development 

of training manuals, policy briefs, conferences, webinars, and articles for newspapers or 

magazines.

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

performance measures that demonstrate the results of the work completed.

Performance Measures

OJP will require each successful applicant to submit regular performance data that demonstrate 

the results of the work carried out under the award (see “General Information about PostFederal Award Reporting Requirements” in Section F. Federal Award Administration 

Information).

Applicants should visit OJP’s performance measurement page at www.ojp.gov/performance for 

an overview of performance measurement activities at OJP.

The application should demonstrate the applicant’s understanding of the performance data 

reporting requirements for this grant program and detail how the applicant will gather the 

required data should it receive funding.
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NIJ-2020-18257

Please note that applicants are not required to submit performance data with the application. 

Performance measures information is included as an alert that successful applicants will be 

required to submit performance data as part of the reporting requirements under an award.

Objective Performance Measure(s) Data Recipient Provides

Conduct research in 

social and behavioral 

sciences having clear 

implications for 

criminal justice policy 

and practice in the 

United States.

1. Relevance to the needs of the field as 

measured by whether the project’s 

substantive scope did not deviate from the 

funded project or any subsequent agencyapproved modifications to the scope.

2. Quality of the research as demonstrated by 

the scholarly products that result in whole or 

in part from work funded under the NIJ 

award, such as published, peer-reviewed, 

scientific journal articles, and/or (as 

appropriate for the funded project) law 

review journal articles, book chapter(s) or 

book(s) in the academic press, 

technological prototypes, patented 

inventions, or similar scientific products.

3. Quality of management as measured by 

such factors as whether significant project 

milestones were achieved, reporting and 

other deadlines were met, and costs 

remained within approved limits.

1. Quarterly financial 

reports, semi-annual and 

final progress reports, 

and products of the work 

performed under the NIJ 

award (including, at 

minimum, a final 

research report).

If applicable, an annual 

audit report.

2. List of citation(s) to all 

scholarly products that 

resulted in whole or in 

part from work funded 

under the NIJ award.

3. If applicable, each data 

set that resulted in whole 

or in part from work 

funded under the NIJ 

award.

Evaluation Research

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

research), the application is expected to propose the most rigorous evaluation design 

appropriate for the research questions to be addressed. If the primary purpose of the evaluation 

is to determine the effectiveness or impact of an intervention (e.g., program, practice, or policy), 

the most rigorous evaluation designs may include random selection and assignment of 

participants (or other appropriate units of analysis) to experimental and control conditions. In 

cases where randomization is not feasible, applicants should propose a strong quasiexperimental design that can address the risk of selection bias.

Applications that include evaluation research should consider the feasibility of including 

cost/benefit analysis. In cases where evaluations find that interventions have produced the 

intended benefit, cost/benefit analysis provides valuable and practical information for 

practitioners and policymakers that aids decision making.

Evaluation research projects may also address a wide range of research questions beyond 

those focused on the effectiveness or impact of an intervention. Different research designs may 

be more appropriate for different research questions and at different stages of program 

development. The intervention strategies, setting, other contextual factors, and resources 
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NIJ-2020-18257

should be taken into account when selecting an evaluation design. In all cases, applications are 

expected to propose the most rigorous evaluation design appropriate for the research questions 

to be addressed.

Applicants are encouraged to review evidence rating criteria at 

https://www.crimesolutions.gov/about_starttofinish.aspx for further information on high-quality 

evaluation design elements.

B. Federal Award Information

Maximum number of awards NIJ expects to make: To be determined by the 

merit of applications

submitted to this solicitation 

and advanced to peer 

review, and available 

funding.

Estimated maximum dollar amount for each award: To be determined by the 

funding requested in

awarded applications, and 

available funding.

Total amount anticipated to be awarded under solicitation: $1 million

Period of performance start date: January 1, 2021

Period of performance duration: To be determined by the 

period of performance of 

awarded applications. 

Successful applicants will be 

expected to complete the 

work proposed within a fiveyear period of performance.

To allow time for (among other things) any necessary post-award review and financial clearance 

by OJP of the proposed budget and for any associated responses or other action(s) that may be 

required of the recipient, applicants should propose an award start date of January 1, 2021.

If the applicant is proposing a project that reasonably could be conducted in discrete phases, 

with each phase resulting in completion of one or more significant, defined milestones, then NIJ 

strongly recommends that the applicant structure the application — specifically including the 

narrative, expected scholarly products, timelines/milestones, and budget detail worksheet and 

budget narrative — to clearly define each phase. (This is particularly the case if the applicant 

proposes a project that will exceed — in cost or the length of the period of performance — the 

amount or length of time anticipated for an individual award (or awards) under this solicitation.) 

Given limitations on the availability to NIJ of funds for awards for research, development, and 

evaluation, this information will assist NIJ in considering whether partial funding of applications 

would be productive. (If, in FY 2020, NIJ elects to fund only certain phases of a proposed 

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

vary from those described above.)
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NIJ-2020-18257

NIJ may, in certain cases, provide additional funding in future years to awards made under this 

solicitation, through continuation awards. OJP will consider, among other factors, OJP’s 

strategic priorities, a recipient’s overall management of the award, and progress of awardfunded work, when making continuation-award decisions.

NIJ may elect to fund applications submitted under this FY 2020 solicitation in future fiscal 

years, dependent on, among other considerations, the merit of the applications and on the 

availability of appropriations.

All awards are subject to the availability of appropriated funds and to any modifications or 

additional requirements that may be imposed by law.

Type of Award

NIJ expects to make awards under this solicitation as grants or cooperative agreements. See 

the “Administrative, National Policy, and Other Legal Requirements” section of the OJP Grant 

Application Resource Guide for additional information. Any funds provided to another federal 

agency will be made as an inter-agency reimbursable agreement.

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

DOJ regulations on confidentiality and protection of human subjects. See “Requirements related 

to Research” under “Overview of Legal Requirements Generally Applicable to OJP Grants and 

Cooperative Agreements – FY 2020 Awards” in the OJP Funding Resource Center.

Financial Management and System of Internal Controls

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

entities) must, as described in the Part 200 Uniform Requirements5 as set out at 2 C.F.R. 

200.303, comply with standards for financial and program management. See OJP Grant 

Application Resource Guide for additional information.

Budget Information

What will not be funded:

 Applications primarily to purchase equipment, materials, or supplies. (A budget may 

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

demonstration, evaluation, or analysis.)

 Applications that are not responsive to this specific solicitation.

 Training in support of programs or direct services unrelated to or associated with the 

proposed research project.

 

5 The "Part 200 Uniform Requirements” means the DOJ regulation at 2 C.F.R Part 2800, which adopts (with certain 

modifications) the provisions of 2 C.F.R. Part 200.
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NIJ-2020-18257

Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement

See “Cofunding” paragraph under item 4 (“Budget Information and Associated Documentation”) 

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

Information.

Please see the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for information on the following:

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

 Limitation on Use of Award Funds for Employee Compensation; Waiver

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

 Costs Associated with Language Assistance (if applicable)

C. Eligibility Information

For eligibility information, see title page.

For information on cost sharing or match requirements, see “What an Application Should 

Include” in Section D. Application and Submission Information.

D. Application and Submission Information

This solicitation expressly modifies the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide by not 

incorporating the “Disclosure of Process Related to Executive Compensation” provisions in the 

“Application Attachments” section of the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide.

What an Application Should Include

The following application elements MUST be included in the application submission for an 

application to meet the basic minimum requirements (BMR) to advance to peer review and 

receive consideration for funding: Program Narrative, Budget Detail Worksheet (including 

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.)

See the “Application Elements and Formatting Instructions” section of the OJP Grant Application 

Resource Guide for information on what happens to an application that does not contain all the 

specified elements, or that is nonresponsive to the scope of the solicitation.

1. Application for Federal Assistance (Standard Form (SF)-424)

The SF-424 is a required standard form used as a cover sheet for submission of preapplications, applications, and related information. See the OJP Grant Application Resource 

Guide for additional information on completing the SF-424.
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NIJ-2020-18257

Intergovernmental Review: This solicitation ("funding opportunity") is not subject to 

Executive Order 12372. (In completing the SF-424, an applicant is to answer question 19 by 

selecting the response that the “Program is not covered by E.O. 12372.”)

2. Project Abstract

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

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

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

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

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

project in no more than 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 Times New Roman font with 1-inch 

margins.

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

program narrative.

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

content) available on the NIJ webpage.

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 

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

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

6

 

6 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.
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NIJ-2020-18257

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 and the principal investigator.

b. Resubmit Response (if applicable) (not counted against the 30-page program narrative 

limit)

If an applicant is resubmitting an application presented previously to NIJ, but not funded, 

the applicant should indicate this. A statement should be provided, no more than two 

pages, addressing: (1) the title, submission date, and NIJ-assigned application number 

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

including responses to previous feedback received from NIJ.

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: 

 Statement of the Problem and Research Questions. The statement of the problem 

should address the need for research in this area. Applicants should discuss current 

gaps in data, research, and knowledge, including those for particular justice sectors, 

for certain populations, and to answer questions relevant to current policy and 

practice needs and public interests. As part of this discussion, applicants should 

present a review of previous literature and discuss previous research related to these 

problems.

This section should also identify the proposed research questions and discuss the 

purpose, goals, and objectives of the proposed project.

 Project Design and Implementation. Applicants should provide a detailed description 

of the strategies to implement this research project and address the research 

questions. Design elements should follow directly from the research project’s goals 

and objectives and address the program-specific information noted on page 5. 

Applicants should describe the research methodology in detail and demonstrate the 

validity and usefulness of the data they will collect. Applicants should consider the 

rigor and soundness of the methodology and analytical and technical approaches for 

the proposed research and address the feasibility of the proposed project and 

potential challenges or problems in carrying out the activities.

 Potential Impact. Applicants should describe the potential impact of the research and 

how it may inform or improve criminal or juvenile justice-related policy, practice, or 

theory in the United States.
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NIJ-2020-18257

The discussion of impact should include a discussion of the deliverables, including 

planned scholarly products indicated in the project-specific information on page 7

and a plan for dissemination to appropriate audiences. Applicants should identify 

plans to produce or make available to broader interested practitioners and policy 

makers in a form that is designed to be readily accessible and useful to them.

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

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

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

and the federal funds under this award, highlighting any previous experience 

implementing projects of similar scope, design, and magnitude. Applicants should 

address:

o Experience and capacity to work with the proposed data sources in the conduct 

of similar research efforts.

o Experience and capacity to design and implement rigorous research and data 

analysis projects.

o Experience producing and disseminating meaningful deliverables.

Applicants should also outline the management plan and organization that connects to 

the goals and objectives of the project.

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 resume of the principal investigator and any and all co-principal 

investigators. In addition, curriculum vitae, resume, or biographical sketches of all 

other individuals (regardless of “investigator” status) who will be significantly involved 

in substantive aspects of the proposed project (including, for example, individuals 

such as statisticians used to conduct proposed data analysis).

 To assist OJP in assessing actual or apparent conflicts of interest (including such 

conflicts on the part of prospective reviewers of the application, a complete list of the 

individuals named or otherwise identified anywhere in the application (including in 

the budget or in any other attachment) who will or may work (or advise or consult) on 

the proposed research, development, or evaluation project. This applies to all such 

individuals, including, for example, individuals who are or would be employees of the 

applicant or employees of any proposed subrecipient entity, any individuals who 

themselves may be a subrecipient, and individuals who may (or will) work without 

compensation (such as advisory board members). This appendix to the program 

narrative is to include, for each listed individual: name, title, employer, any other 

potentially-pertinent organizational affiliation(s), and the individual's proposed roles 

and responsibilities in carrying out the proposed project. If the application identifies 
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any specific entities or organizations (other than the applicant) that will or may work 

(or advise or consult) on the proposed project, without also naming any associated 

individuals, the name of each such organization also should be included on this list.

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

available on the NIJ webpage to prepare this list.

If the application (including the budget) identifies any proposed non-competitive 

agreements that are or may be considered procurement "contracts" (rather than 

subawards) for purposes of federal grants administrative requirements the applicant 

also must list the entities with which the applicant proposes to contract. Applicants 

should provide this list as a separate sheet entitled "Proposed non-competitive 

procurement contracts."

For information on distinctions — for purposes of federal grants administrative 

requirements — between subawards and procurement contracts under awards, see 

“Budget Information and Associated Documentation,” below.

 Proposed project timeline and expected milestones.

 Human Subjects Protection paperwork (documentation and forms related to 

Institutional Review Board [IRB] review). See https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/humansubjects-and-privacy-protection. Note: Final IRB approval is not required at the time 

an application is submitted.

 Privacy Certificate (for further guidance go to 

https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/confidentiality-and-privacy-protections and 

https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/model-privacy-certificate).

 List of any previous and current NIJ awards to the applicant and investigator(s), 

including the NIJ-assigned award numbers and a brief description of any scholarly 

products that resulted in whole or in part from work funded under the NIJ award(s). 

(See “Goals, Objectives, Deliverables, and Expected Scholarly Products” under 

“Program-Specific Information,” above, for definition of “scholarly products.”) 

 List of other agencies, organizations, or funding sources to which this application has 

been submitted (if applicable).

 Applicants proposing to use incentives or stipends payments as part of their research 

project design, must submit an incentive or stipend approval request, as a separate 

document, according to the requirements set forth at 

https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/participant-support-costs-and-incentives-social-scienceresearch.

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

special award conditions, that data sets resulting in whole or in part from projects 

funded under this solicitation be submitted for archiving with the NACJD. See

https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/data-archiving-plans-nij-funding-applicants.
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Applications should include as an appendix a brief plan — labeled “Data Archiving 

Plan” — to comply with data archiving requirements. The plan should provide brief 

details about proposed data management and archiving, including submission to NIJ 

(through NACJD) of all files and documentation necessary to allow for future 

efforts by others to reproduce the project’s findings and/or to extend the scientific 

value of the data set through secondary analysis. Pertinent files and documentation 

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

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

programming code necessary to reproduce all constructed measures and the original 

data analysis, description of necessary de-identification procedures, and (when 

required) a copy of the privacy certificate and informed consent protocols.

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

associated with meeting archiving requirements.

Note that recipients are strongly encouraged to submit required data sets at least 90 

days before the end of the period of performance.

 Letters of cooperation/support or administrative agreements from organizations 

collaborating in the project, such as law enforcement and correctional agencies (if 

applicable).

Please see the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for information on the following:

4. Budget Information and Associated Documentation in the “Budget Preparation and 

Submission Information” section.

The following paragraph (on “Cofunding”) expressly modifies the “Cost Sharing or Matching 

Requirement” provisions in the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide. The applicant is to 

follow the guidance in the following paragraph instead of the guidance stated under the 

“Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement” heading in the OJP Grant Application Resource 

Guide.

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.

5. Indirect Cost Rate Agreement

6. Tribal Authorizing Resolution (if applicable)

7. Financial Management and System of Internal Controls Questionnaire (including 

applicant disclosure of high-risk status)

8. Disclosure of Lobbying Activities

9. Applicant Disclosure of Pending Applications
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10. Applicant Disclosure and Justification – DOJ High-Risk Grantees

7

(if applicable)

11. Research and Evaluation Independence and Integrity

How To Apply (Grants.gov)

Applicants must register in and submit applications through Grants.gov, a primary source to find 

federal funding opportunities and apply for funding. Find information on how to apply in 

response to this solicitation in the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide.

Registration and Submission Steps

Applicants will need the following identifying information when searching for the funding 

opportunity on Grants.gov.

 Assistance Listing 16.560, National Institute of Justice Research, Evaluation, and 

Development Project Grants.

 Funding Opportunity Number NIJ-2020-18257.

For information on each registration and submission step, see the OJP Grant Application 

Resource Guide.

E. Application Review Information

Review Criteria

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

the following review criteria.

Statement of the Problem and Research Questions (Understanding of the problem, research 

questions, and their importance) – 10%

1. Demonstrated understanding of the problem.

2. Demonstrated importance of research questions, goals and objectives, including 

alignment with the aims of the solicitation.

3. 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.

 

7 A “DOJ High-Risk Grantee” is a recipient that has received a DOJ High-Risk designation based on a documented 

history of unsatisfactory performance, financial instability, management system or other internal control deficiencies, 

or noncompliance with award terms and conditions on prior awards, or that is otherwise not responsible.
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3. Awareness of potential pitfalls of proposed project design and feasibility of proposed 

actions to minimize and/or mitigate them.

4. Feasibility of completing the deliverables noted in the solicitation.

Potential Impact – 20%

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

justice in the United States, such as:

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

problem.

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

criminal/juvenile justice problem.

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

applicant organization and proposed project staff) – 20%

1. Qualifications and experience of proposed project staff (that is, the principal investigator, 

any and all co-principal investigators, and all other individuals (and organizations) 

identified in the application (regardless of “investigator” status) who will be significantly 

involved in substantive aspects of the proposed project).

2. Demonstrated ability of the applicant organization to implement the proposed strategies 

and manage the effort.

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

(including the applicant organization) and the scope and strategies of the proposed 

project.

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 strength 

and feasibility the proposed plan (if any) to produce or to make available to broader interested 

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

from the planned scholarly products of the project.

Budget

In addition, peer reviewers will consider and may comment on the following additional items in 

the context of scientific and technical merit.

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

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

3. Use of existing resources to conserve costs.

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

NIJ reviews the application to make sure that the information presented is reasonable, 

understandable, measurable, achievable, and consistent with the solicitation.

The following five paragraphs in this solicitation expressly modify the “Application Review 

Information” provisions in the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide. An applicant is to follow 

the guidance in these five paragraphs instead of the guidance stated under the “Application 

Review Information” heading in the Guide.

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

minimum requirements. For purposes of assessing whether an application meets basic 

minimum requirements and should proceed to further consideration, OJP screens applications 

for compliance with those requirements. Although specific requirements may vary, the following 

are common requirements applicable to all solicitations for funding under OJP programs:

 The application must be submitted by an eligible type of applicant.

 The application must request funding within programmatic funding constraints (if 

applicable).

 The application must be responsive to the scope of the solicitation.

 The application must include all items necessary to meet the basic minimum 

requirements.

 The application, if submitted by an applicant that is a DOJ High-Risk Grantee,

8 or is 

designated “high-risk” by a federal grant-making agency outside of DOJ, must not have 

been determined by the Director to pose a substantial risk of program implementation 

failure, based on 1) the applicant’s lack of sufficient progress in addressing required 

corrective actions necessary for removal of the DOJ High-Risk Grantee (or non-DOJ 

high-risk) designation, 2) the nature and severity of the issues leading to or 

accompanying the DOJ High-Risk Grantee (or non-DOJ high-risk) designation, and/or 3) 

the applicant’s expected ability to manage grant funds and achieve grant goals and 

objectives.

For a list of the application elements that MUST be included in the application submission in 

order for an application to meet the basic minimum requirements, see “What an Application 

Should Include” under Section D. Application and Submission Information.

Peer review panels will evaluate, score, and rate applications that meet basic minimum 

requirements. NIJ may use internal peer reviewers, external peer reviewers, or a combination, 

to assess applications on technical merit using the solicitation’s review criteria. An internal 

reviewer is a current DOJ employee who is well-versed or has expertise in the subject matter of 

this solicitation. An external peer reviewer is an expert in the subject matter of a given 

solicitation who is not a current DOJ employee. Peer reviewers’ ratings and any resulting 

recommendations are advisory only, but are considered carefully.

 

8 See “Applicant Disclosure and Justification – DOJ High-Risk Grantees” under “What an Application Should Include,” 

above, for a definition of “DOJ High-Risk Grantee.”
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Other important considerations for NIJ include geographic diversity, strategic priorities, available 

funding, the planned scholarly products, and the extent to which the Budget Detail Worksheet 

and Budget Narrative accurately explain project costs that are reasonable, necessary, and 

otherwise allowable under federal law and applicable federal cost principles.

Pursuant to the Part 200 Uniform Requirements, before award decisions are made, OJP also 

reviews information related to the degree of risk posed by the applicant. Among other things to 

help assess whether an applicant that has one or more prior federal awards has a satisfactory 

record with respect to performance, integrity, and business ethics, OJP checks whether the 

applicant is listed in SAM as excluded from receiving a federal award.

In addition, if OJP anticipates that an award will exceed $250,000 in federal funds, OJP also 

must review and consider any information above the applicant that appears in the non-public 

segment of the integrity and performance system accessible through SAM (currently, the 

Federal Awardee Performance Integrity Information System, FAPIIS).

Important note on FAPIIS: An applicant, at its option, may review and comment on any 

information about itself that currently appears in FAPIIS and was entered by a federal awarding 

agency. OJP will consider any such comments by the applicant, in addition to the other 

information in FAPIIS, in its assessment of the risk posed by the applicant.

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

take into account not only peer review ratings and NIJ recommendations, but also other factors 

as indicated in this section.

F. Federal Award Administration Information

Please see the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for information on the following:

 Federal Award Notices

 Administrative, National Policy, and Other Legal Requirements

If selected for funding, in addition to implementing the funded project consistent with the 

OJP-approved application, the recipient must comply with all award conditions, and all 

applicable requirements of federal statutes and regulations (including applicable 

requirements referred to in the assurances and certifications executed in connection with 

award acceptance). 

For additional information on these legal requirements, see the “Administrative, National 

Policy, and Other Legal Requirements” section in the OJP Grant Application Resource 

Guide.

 Information Technology (IT) Security Clauses

 General Information about Post-Federal Award Reporting Requirements

In addition to the deliverables described in Section A. Program Description, any recipient 

of an award under this solicitation will be required to submit certain reports and data.
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Required reports. Recipients typically must submit quarterly financial reports, semiannual progress reports, final financial and progress reports, and, if applicable, an 

annual audit report in accordance with the Part 200 Uniform Requirements or specific 

award conditions. Applicants should anticipate that progress reports will be required to 

follow the non-budgetary components of the Research Performance Progress Report 

(RPPR) template/format. General information on RPPRs may be found at 

www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/rppr/. Future awards and fund drawdowns may be withheld 

if reports are delinquent. (In appropriate cases, OJP may require additional reports.)

See the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for additional information on specific 

post-award reporting requirements, including performance measures data.

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s)

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

page 2.

For contact information for Grants.gov, see page 2.

H. Other Information

Please see the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for information on the following:

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

 Provide Feedback to OJP
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Application Checklist

Research on Law Enforcement Responses to Sex Trafficking of Minors, Fiscal Year 2020

This application checklist has been created as an aid in developing an application.

What an Applicant Should Do:

Prior to Registering in Grants.gov:

 Acquire a DUNS Number (see OJP Grant Application Resource Guide)

 Acquire or renew registration with SAM (see OJP Grant Application Resource Guide)

To Register with Grants.gov:

 Acquire AOR and Grants.gov username/password

(see OJP Grant Application Resource Guide)

 Acquire AOR confirmation from the E-Biz POC (see OJP Grant Application Resource Guide)

To Find Funding Opportunity:

 Search for the Funding Opportunity on Grants.gov (see page 17)

 Access Funding Opportunity and Application Package

(see OJP Grant Application Resource Guide)

 Sign up for Grants.gov email notifications (optional)

(see OJP Grant Application Resource Guide)

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

 Read OJP policy and guidance on conference approval, planning, and reporting available at

ojp.gov/financialguide/DOJ/PostawardRequirements/chapter3.10a.htm

(see OJP Grant Application Resource Guide)

After Application Submission, Receive Grants.gov Email Notifications That:

 (1) application has been received,

 (2) application has either been successfully validated or rejected with errors

(see OJP Grant Application Resource Guide)

If No Grants.gov Receipt, and Validation or Error Notifications are Received:

 Contact NIJ regarding technical difficulties

(see OJP Grant Application Resource Guide)

Overview of Post-Award Legal Requirements:

 Review the “Overview of Legal Requirements Generally Applicable to OJP Grants and 

Cooperative Agreements - FY 2020 Awards” in the OJP Funding Resource Center.

Scope Requirement:

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

Eligibility Requirement: See cover page.
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What an Application Should Include:

The following items are critical application elements required to pass basic minimum requirements 

review. An application that OJP determines does not include the application elements that must 

be included in the application submission in order for the application to meet the basic minimum 

requirements, will neither proceed to peer review, nor receive further consideration.

 Program Narrative (see page 12)

 Budget Detail Worksheet (including Budget Narrative)

(see OJP Grant Application Resource Guide)

 Resumes/curriculum vitae of key personnel (see page 14)

 Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424) (see OJP Grant Application 

Resource Guide)

 Project Abstract (see page 12)

 Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable) (see OJP Grant Application Resource Guide)

 Tribal Authorizing Resolution (if applicable) (see OJP Grant Application Resource Guide)

 Financial Management and System of Internal Controls Questionnaire

(see OJP Grant Application Resource Guide)

 Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL) (see OJP Grant Application Resource Guide)

 Applicant Disclosure of Pending Applications (see OJP Grant Application Resource Guide)

 Applicant Disclosure and Justification – DOJ High-Risk Grantees (if applicable)

(see OJP Grant Application Resource Guide)

 Research and Evaluation Independence and Integrity

(see OJP Grant Application Resource Guide)

Additional Attachments:

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

(see OJP Grant Application Resource Guide)