Research and Evaluation on Policing, Fiscal Year 2020 | NIJ 2020 17297

Opportunity Information: Apply for NIJ 2020 17297

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ), part of the U.S. Department of Justice, offered the Research and Evaluation on Policing, Fiscal Year 2020 grant (Funding Opportunity Number NIJ 2020 17297) to support rigorous, investigator-initiated research focused on real-world policing challenges in the United States. The central emphasis of the opportunity is on randomized controlled trial (RCT) studies, meaning applicants are expected to propose evaluations that use random assignment in order to credibly test whether a policing strategy, program, practice, or intervention actually causes measurable improvements in outcomes. NIJ frames the purpose as building objective, independent, evidence-based knowledge and practical tools that can help agencies and communities address policing challenges, with particular relevance for state, local, and tribal contexts. The solicitation also aligns itself with Department of Justice priorities to reduce crime and to protect and support law enforcement.

A key requirement is that proposed projects must directly connect to NIJ's Policing Strategic Research Plan, 2017-2022. Applicants are not only expected to design a strong study; they must explicitly name the strategic priority and the relevant objective or objectives from that plan that their proposal addresses, and they must place that information on the title page of the program narrative. In practice, this means NIJ is looking for studies that are not isolated research ideas but are clearly positioned within a broader federal research agenda for policing, with outcomes that can inform policy and operational decisions.

The award is structured as a discretionary grant under CFDA 16.560, within the funding activity categories of Law, Justice and Legal Services and Science and Technology and other Research and Development. The maximum award amount (award ceiling) is listed as $3,000,000, and NIJ anticipated making about 4 awards under this solicitation. The opportunity was created on January 23, 2020, with an original application deadline of April 13, 2020.

Eligibility is broad and designed to allow both research institutions and practitioner partners to apply. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; nonprofit organizations (including both 501(c)(3) nonprofits and nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status, as specified); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and other entities as allowed under the additional eligibility guidance referenced in the solicitation. This wide eligibility scope reflects the program's intent to support evaluations that can be embedded in operational policing environments and carried out by researchers with the capacity to implement high-quality RCT designs, often in partnership with law enforcement agencies and community stakeholders.

Overall, the grant opportunity is best understood as a targeted research investment in high-credibility policing evaluation, prioritizing studies that can produce clear, defensible evidence about what works, under what conditions, and with what trade-offs. By insisting on alignment with the 2017-2022 Policing Strategic Research Plan and by emphasizing randomized controlled trials, NIJ signals that it is seeking studies that move beyond descriptive analysis toward causal conclusions that agencies can use when deciding whether to adopt, scale, modify, or discontinue specific policing approaches.

• The Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice in the law, justice and legal services, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Research and Evaluation on Policing, Fiscal Year 2020" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.560.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jan 23, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 13, 2020. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $3,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 4 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for NIJ 2020 17297

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