Award Information
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2022, $58,101)
The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Research Assistantship Program (RAP) is designed
to support research on crime, violence, and other criminal justice-related topics. It also
helps attract highly qualified students to accredited universities that support graduate study
leading to research-based doctoral degrees. NIJ invests in doctoral education by supporting
universities that sponsor students who demonstrate the potential to complete successfully
degree programs in disciplines relevant to the mission of NIJ.
Under the RAP, NIJ provides financial support to participating universities for certain costs
associated with research assistants enrolled in degree programs who then work at NIJ and
participate in NIJ’s research activities. Research activities performed by NIJ research
assistants include (among other things) summarizing, revising, or making use of complex,
technical, or specialized literature; extracting and compiling a range of data from written
sources, from individuals (questionnaires/interviews), and from one or several given
databases; assisting in research design strategies (e.g., developing and modifying program
of research proposals, procedures, or tools/instruments); processing and summarizing data
using scientific or statistical techniques; assisting in data interpretation and analyses;
formatting, storing, and filing data to generate reports/papers; conceptualizing and drafting
publications; drafting and presenting presentations at conferences (where funding permits
and the university approves); recording and compiling information related to research
programs; reporting on status of research activities; and assisting with coordination of
research activities.
Research assistants are full-time graduate students nominated by their universities and
approved by NIJ, who agree to work at NIJ on preapproved research activities over the
academic year (approximately 9.5 months), typically commencing at the start of an
academic year. When funding and University policy permits and with NIJ permission,
students may work up to 40 hours per week during the academic year school breaks (fall,
winter, spring), and up to 40 hours per week during the summer.
In general, for a full-time graduate research assistant, NIJ provides funds to the
participating university to pay research assistant salary and fringe benefits of health
insurance and tuition remission, all in accordance with the University’s standard practice
for similarly situated graduate research assistants whose work is performed at the
University. NIJ determines the number and type of research assistants it will support (if
any), and the duration of each research assistant position, based on the availability of funds
and various other factors. In general, NIJ makes its decision in the spring prior to the
beginning of an academic year.
Similar Awards
- Strengthening Understanding of Peer Programs to Optimize Resources & Training (SUPPORT): Identifying critical elements of police peer support across career stages
- Learning from an Implementation and Outcome Evaluation of the Colorado Threat Assessment and Management Protocol
- Intergenerational Legal System Involvement Among Juvenile Justice-Involved Females and Their Offspring: Opportunities for Prevention