The Director is appointed by the President to lead the National Institute of Justice and establish the agency's objectives and research investments, guided by the needs of the field and the priorities of the U.S. Department of Justice.
In January 2025, Jennifer Scherer, Ph.D., was named acting director. Dr. Scherer is a highly experienced researcher and evaluator with more than 20 years of experience successfully leading national and international research and evaluation projects in support of the U.S. Federal government, non-profits, for profits, and foreign government entities. Prior to being named as the acting director, Dr. Scherer served as the NIJ Principal Deputy Director.
See a list of past Directors since 1969 and their speeches, remarks, and messages.