The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), National Institute of Justice (NIJ) seeks applications for funding basic or applied research and development in forensic science for criminal justice purposes.
Donor Name: National Institute of Justice (NIJ)
State: All States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 04/19/2023
Size of the Grant: $12,000,000
Grant Duration: 60 months
Details:
OJP is committed to advancing work that promotes civil rights and racial equity, increases access to justice, supports crime victims and individuals impacted by the justice system, strengthens community safety and protects the public from crime and evolving threats, and builds trust between law enforcement and the community.
With this solicitation, NIJ seeks proposals for rigorous basic or applied research and development projects. An NIJ forensic science research and development grant supports a discrete, specified, circumscribed project that will:
- Increase the body of knowledge to guide and inform forensic science policy and practice; or
- Lead to the production of useful material(s), device(s), system(s), or method(s) that have the potential for forensic application.
The intent of this program is to direct the findings of basic scientific research; foster research and development in broader scientific fields applicable to forensic science; and support ongoing forensic science research toward the development of highly-discriminating, accurate, reliable, cost-effective, and rapid methods for the identification, analysis, and interpretation of forensic evidence for criminal justice purposes.
Applicants are encouraged to propose multidisciplinary research teams to build on the complementary strengths of different methods and areas of subject matter expertise. NIJ also seeks proposals that include consideration and measurement of issues of diversity, discrimination, and bias across age, gender and gender identity, race, ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation, as applicable.
Program Goals
Proposals should address at least one of the goals specified below. Proposed projects that address more than one goal should be separated into discrete phases that clearly identify the goal to be addressed by each phase. Proposed projects should include goals that speak to specific forensic science needs and challenges which, if resolved, will aid the criminal justice community to enforce the law, enhance public safety, prevent and reduce crime, and ensure fair and impartial administration of justice. Although some late-stage applied research and development projects may be able to propose tangible or direct solutions, early-stage research projects are not required to result in immediate solutions; however, these early-stage research projects should clearly explain how the proposed objectives, once achieved, will produce knowledge that contributes to eventual solutions.
- Foundational/Basic Research Goal: Improve the understanding of the accuracy, reliability, and measurement validity of forensic science disciplines. Applicants may refer to Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward by the National Research Council of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to review historical material relevant to this goal.
- Applied Research Goal: Increase knowledge or understanding necessary to guide criminal justice policy and practice related to the forensic sciences.
- Development Goal: Produce novel and useful materials, devices, systems, or methods that have the potential for forensic application for criminal justice purposes. For development projects, proposals should demonstrate potential for increased quality of result and/or decreased time/cost for forensic analyses as compared to current standard practices.
Priority Areas
Research and Development Priority Opportunities:
NIJ is interested in funding innovative research that aligns with administration R&D priorities. Proposals that advance the following administrative priorities may be given special consideration in award decisions. If submitting a research proposal that contributes to one of the following national priorities, the applicant should state this on the title page of the proposal.
- Catalyze Research and Innovation in Critical and Emerging Technologies: NIJ supports technologies that power the industries of the future, to include industries which support the forensic sciences that may: (1) increase the body of knowledge to guide and inform forensic science policy and practice; or (2) lead to the production of useful material(s), device(s), system(s), or method(s) that have the potential for forensic application.
- STEM Education and Engagement: NIJ supports the improvement of technical training of future forensic scientists through science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) training through hands-on laboratory and research experience. NIJ encourages applicants to include the employment of students in their research proposals. Furthermore, NIJ supports building capacity at institutions that serve high proportions of underrepresented or underserved groups. Applications submitted under this priority consideration area should include in their management plans how students will be recruited; what laboratory/research activities they will perform; what training/education they will receive through the research; how the project promotes diversity, inclusion, equity, and accessibility in STEM; and how their post-graduation/project activities will be tracked and reported to NIJ.
Funding Information
- Total Funding Amount: $12,000,000
- Maximum Amount: $12,000,000
- Period of Performance Duration (Months): 60
Eligibility Criteria
- Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
- Private institutions of higher education
- Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
- Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
- For profit organizations other than small businesses
- Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
- Individuals
- County governments
- City or township governments
- Independent school districts
- Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
- Special district governments
- Small businesses
- State governments
- Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
