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An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

Mission and Guiding Principles

NIJ — the research, development and evaluation agency of the U.S. Department of Justice — is dedicated to improving knowledge and understanding of crime and justice issues through science. NIJ fosters and disseminates knowledge and tools derived from objective and rigorous scientific research to inform efforts to promote safety and advance justice.

NIJ's pursuit of this mission is guided by the following principles:

  • Research can make a difference in individual lives, in the safety of communities and in creating a more effective and fair justice system.
  • Government-funded research must adhere to processes of fair and open competition guided by rigorous peer review.
  • NIJ's research agenda must respond to the real world needs of victims, communities and criminal justice professionals.
  • NIJ must encourage and support innovative and rigorous research methods that can provide answers to basic research questions as well as practical, applied solutions to crime.
  • Partnerships with other agencies and organizations, public and private, are essential to NIJ's success.

Learn about the strategic framework we use to accomplish our mission

Date Published: February 21, 2024