FAQ Listing

Yes. In this case, a “resubmit response” statement should be included with the proposal narrative. This statement should include the title and submission date of the earlier application, and describe any changes made to the proposal in response to prior peer review comments.

Yes. The applicant institution must submit a copy of the student’s graduate academic transcript, which should document current progress toward the doctoral degree. Complete undergraduate transcripts must also be submitted. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable.

The statement of support should be written and signed by the doctoral student's dissertation committee chair. If the student doesn’t yet have a committee, a faculty advisor, department chair, departmental director of graduate studies or individual with similar responsibilities may write the letter.

The statement should:

• Describe the current status of the proposed work.
• Outline any pending milestones, academic or otherwise, toward completion of the degree.
• Acknowledge availability to assist the student in complying with Human Subjects Protection and Privacy requirements (if applicable).
• Describe the committee chair’s role in monitoring the project and verify that the committee chair will review and approve all performance reports prior to submission to NIJ.

The proposal narrative is a research proposal that should include a title page, resubmit response (if applicable), a table of contents, the main proposal body, and any necessary appendices.

The main body of the proposal narrative is the heart of the research proposal. It should address:

• Statement of the problem and research questions.
• Project design and implementation.
• Capabilities and competencies of the student, advisor, and academic environment.

The proposal narrative is expected to be the intellectual product of the student. While the involvement of the graduate advisor and others is encouraged in the development of research ideas and in the revision of manuscripts, the student should be the primary author of the research proposal.

If an applicant is resubmitting a proposal previously presented to NIJ but not funded, the proposal narrative should contain a resubmit response of 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.

There are no line spacing, font, or formatting requirements other than the page limit specified in the notice of funding opportunity.

The proposal narrative appendices should include:

• Bibliography/references.
• Any tables/charts/graphs, questionnaires, or maps pertaining to the proposed project that are supplemental to, but not essential to, a basic understanding of the main body of the narrative.
• Project timeline and expected milestones.

See the current year’s notice of funding opportunity for specific requirements.

Critical application elements that must be submitted as separate documents under their own heading in JustGrants include:

• Verification of current enrollment
• Undergraduate and graduate transcripts
• Statement of support
• Biosketches, curriculum vitae, or resumes

Other documents that should be attached to the application with descriptive filenames include:

• Personal statement
• List of individuals in the application
• Current and pending (other) support
• Research and Evaluation Independence and Integrity Statement (see OJP Grant Application Resource Guide)
• Human Subjects Protection form.  Read about NIJ’s human subjects protections requirements.
• Privacy Certificate. Read NIJ’s privacy certificate guidance.
• Request to Use Incentives or Stipends (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. Read NIJ’s research subjects incentives policy.
• Data Management, Sharing, and Archiving Plan (DMSAP). Read NIJ’s data archiving guidance.
• Letters of support (if applicable). Letters of cooperation/support or administrative agreements from organizations collaborating in the project, such as law enforcement and correctional agencies (if applicable).
   

During the open funding opportunity period, please contact the OJP Response Center: toll-free at 1-800-851-3420; via TTY at 301-240-6310 (hearing impaired only); email [email protected]; or fax to 301-240-5830.

For technical assistance with submitting the SF-424 in Grants.gov, call the Grants.gov Customer Support Hot Line at 800-518-4726.

For technical assistance with submitting the full application in JustGrants, contact the JustGrants Service Desk at 833-872-5175 or [email protected].

The GRF program supports the development of young scientists engaged in research relevant to NIJ's criminal justice mission. The intent is to give these students the financial support to allow them to devote their full attention to completion of their dissertation research. GRF fellowships include: a student fellow salary; an allowance for tuition, fees, and administrative costs; and an allowance for research expenses. Up to three years of support may be requested.

In past years, the funding opportunity has typically posted in January and been open for at least 90 days. Potential applicants can register for updates at https://nij.ojp.gov/subscribe to be notified when the notice of funding opportunity is released.