NIJ FY25 Research and Evaluation on Forensic Science Systems NOFO

Serena Roche: Good afternoon. Thank you for joining us today. As you may already know, the National Institute of Justice is a component of the Office of Justice Programs. Today's webinar, NIJ fiscal year 2025 Research and Evaluation on Forensic Science Systems Notice of Funding Opportunity, is presented by Dr. Marie Garcia, Director of the Office of Criminal Justice Systems at NIJ.

Dr. Danielle Crimmins, social science research analyst at NIJ, and Mr. Eric Martin, senior social science analyst at NIJ. They will discuss the NOFO and answer any questions about the application process. Before getting started, we would like to go through a few housekeeping items. Please note that today's webinar will be recorded. If you're using a computer and need to adjust your audio setting, at the bottom of your screen, click on the down arrow unmute button to adjust as needed.

If you're still having an issue, within this icon, you can request that WebEx call your phone directly. You can submit your questions at any time, which will be answered at the end during a Q&A session. To submit your questions, at the bottom right of your screen, click the three dots and select Q&A. Be sure to send your questions to all panelists.

Closed captioning is available. The closed caption button will be visible in the bottom left corner. Thank you again for joining us. Now let's turn things over to Marie.

Marie Garcia: Thank you, Serena. Good afternoon and thank you for joining us today for our webinar on the FY25 Research and Evaluation on Forensic Science Systems Notice of Funding Opportunity. My name is Marie Garcia, and I'm the director of the Office of Criminal Justice Systems here at NIJ. NIJ is the research, development and evaluation agency of the US Department of Justice.

Here at NIJ, we are dedicated to improving knowledge and understanding of crime and criminal justice issues. Forensic science plays an indispensable role in preventing and solving crime. This notice of funding opportunity seeks to advance understanding of the impact of forensic science on the criminal justice system, evaluate and assess the admissibility of new and innovative forensic science methods and research to assist in the development of the forensic science workforce.

The NOFO brings together forensic science and research and evaluation expertise here at NIJ to address gaps in the literature and inform both criminal justice and forensic science stakeholders. Thank you for your interest in this Notice of Funding Opportunity. We look forward to reviewing your applications. At this time, I'm going to turn the webinar over to Danielle Crimmins and Eric Martin, who will provide additional information about this opportunity.

Danielle Crimmins: Thank you, Marie, and good afternoon and welcome, everyone. Thank you for attending. We are excited to see so much interest in this funding opportunity. Before getting started, I wanted to first highlight two important dates on this slide. The first closing date for this Notice of Funding Opportunity for the SF-424 is June 2nd. The final closing date in JustGrants for the entire application is June 9th.

We will discuss this in more detail during the presentation but wanted to highlight those important dates to start. For today's webinar, we will be providing information on the NOFO overview, goals and objectives and any specific information on the topic areas of interest. Then I will hand the presentation over to my colleague Eric, who will discuss the application submission and review process, as well as relevant resources.

Finally, we will end the webinar with time for questions. Thank you to everyone who submitted questions ahead of the webinar. Where applicable, we've addressed these questions throughout the presentation by adding information to the slides. Any other questions we received prior to the webinar, we will read and answer before we start the live Q&A. Please add your questions to the chat box throughout the presentation, and we will answer at the end. As a reminder, NIJ is unable to answer questions regarding the merit, which includes the scope of proposed topics of individual applications.

With this notice of funding opportunity, NIJ seeks proposals for rigorous applied research and evaluative studies on the forensic science system. The field of forensic science is changing, particularly as technological advancements improve the criminal justice system's ability to use forensic science more effectively and efficiently. Research is needed to better understand the impact of forensic science on the criminal justice system.

With this NOFO, NIJ requests applications in three topic areas. First, the impact of forensic science on the criminal justice system, such as improving investigative clearance rates, increasing law enforcement effectiveness and reducing crime lab backlogs. Second, evaluations on the implementation of new and innovative forensic science methods and their impact on strengthening courtroom admissibility and evidentiary reliability.

And finally, on developing the forensic science workforce. 

Applications for research and evaluation on topics outside of the three priority areas will not be considered responsive to this NOFO. With this funding opportunity, NIJ is not providing funding for training and technical assistance or programmatic support. For funding opportunities in these areas, we encourage individuals to visit BJA’s current funding opportunities. For research and evaluation that falls outside of these categories but are still applicable to NIJ, we ask that you review NIJ’s current funding opportunities on our webpage. This information is also discussed on page eight of the NOFO. 

The goal of this solicitation is to better understand the impact of forensic science on the criminal justice system. The three objectives of this NOFO include: 

• Objective one: to promote and support rigorous research and evaluation on the impact of forensic science on the criminal justice system.
• Objective two: to promote and support rigorous research and evaluation on the implementation of new and innovative policies and practices. 
• And Objective three: to promote and support rigorous research and evaluation on developing the forensic science workforce. 

This information is discussed on page 11 of the notice of funding opportunity.

I want to discuss some information that's pertinent to evaluation research. If proposing evaluation research, be sure to review the requirements discussed on page nine and ten of the funding opportunity. 

Specifically, if proposing evaluation research, applications should propose the most rigorous evaluation design appropriate for the research questions to be addressed, include an implementation evaluation component to ensure that implementation fidelity metrics are collected and analyzed, and three, propose research methodologies that enable interim feedback on implementation fidelity to enable program providers to make ongoing improvements to the program delivery.

Additionally, if you're proposing evaluation research, applicants must include a cost benefit and cost effectiveness analysis.

Now I'm going to provide additional information on the three topic areas for this funding opportunity. 

Topic area one: the impact of forensic science on the criminal justice system. NIJ has a robust history of seeding innovation through funding forensic science R&D to improve practices. As a result of NIJ’s previous work and driving R&D, the field has a strong grasp of what forensic techniques are appropriate for particular types of evidence, including the relative weight given to a particular type of evidence, and the procedural limitations.

What is less clear, however, is the impact of given methods on the criminal justice system as a whole and the impact on law enforcement effectiveness. To address this gap, NIJ invites proposals that address a range of questions regarding the impact of forensic science on the criminal justice system. Proposals of particular interest include the relative rate and frequency of various forensic techniques and identifying suspects,

the role of forensic evidence in successful prosecutions, the cost benefit analysis of various forensic techniques, or the implementation of new methods and/or workflow processes and/or methods and workflows to enhance or inform investigations and contribute to case clearance. This information can be found on page eight of the NOFO.

Topic area two: evaluations of the implementation of new and innovative forensic science methods.

Innovation and forensic science methods have the potential to change analytical practices. At times, however, these innovative policies and practices are not universally accepted in all states. 

NIJ invites proposals to evaluate policy and practice implications of novel forensic science techniques or emerging investigative technology advancements. Proposals that examine the factors which inform courtroom admissibility and evidentiary reliability of emerging forensic techniques and strategies are of particular interest, and more information on this can be found on page eight and nine of the NOFO.

Topic area three: Developing the forensic science workforce.

In 2019, the comprehensive needs assessment of forensic laboratories and medical examiners and coroner offices highlighted several needs for the forensic science community, including but not limited to, (1): improving forensic laboratories personnel pipelines through hiring and training, with an emphasis on areas of critical shortages, and (2): programing to bridge the knowledge gap between academic learning and practical skills for graduates from academic programs which are feeding forensic laboratories, and three: workforce sustainability and retention.

NIJ invites proposals for research that supports the evaluation of the current and future forensic science research and practitioner workforce. Proposals which focus on the following areas are of particular interest: staffing and resource needs, the use and efficiency of forensic science training and certificate certification or licensure programs, best practices for recruitment and retention, the forensic science workforce pipeline, and strategies and programs to address workforce sustainability and retention.

More information on this can be found on page nine of the NOFO. Now, I will turn the presentation over to my colleague Eric to discuss the submission and review process.

Eric Martin: Thanks, Danielle. Great information. While Danielle talked a lot about the programmatic subject of the NOFO and what NIJ is particularly interested in, I'm going to review with you all the mechanics and the requirements for submitting that application.

So, to begin with, before applying, this is critical: Every entity must register with Sam.gov and obtain a unique entity identifier. You must have an active Sam.gov registration status at all times. For applicants who have applied before, you may have obtained your unique entity identifier and have already registered for Sam.gov, but we recommend that you check early to make sure that that status is active. And you need to renew your registration in Sam.gov every 12 months.

Applicants who do not have an active Sam.gov status will not be able to complete step one of the application process in grants.gov To remind you from what Danielle said, that deadline is June 2nd. There are two deadlines for this NOFO that are important. So, to begin with, before you can even start on step one with the Grants.gov application process, you need to ensure you have an active Sam.gov registration. Also, be sure that your organization's points of contact are current in Sam.gov. Sometimes entities may have personnel leave or change positions. You need to ensure that the electronic business point of contact or Ebiz POC is current because the Ebiz POC will receive important notices and time sensitive actions that may arise. Next slide, please. Okay.

So, you've established your Sam.gov current registration. Now is time to meet that Grants.gov application date.

As we said, applications are submitted to DOJ electronically through a two-step process. You will be required to register and add users and information into different systems. Step one you will need to submit the application for federal assistance, also known as the SF- 424 in Grants.gov. Then, once that is complete, in step two you'll submit your full application to JustGrants, which is the DOJ's Grants Management System.

Note that we recommend completing each step at least 48 hours before the deadline, and not waiting to the deadline to submit your materials. This will ensure you'll have time to address any unexpected errors, troubleshoot, or if you identify corrections that need to be made, you will have time to address those. Just a reminder, the Grants.gov deadline is earlier than the JustGrants deadline.

And again, to repeat those as Danielle said at the beginning, June 2nd for Grants.gov, final application into JustGrants, June 9th. Next slide please. 

So going over the Grants.gov process, a few important points. Be sure everyone you plan to have work on your funding application can access and take actions in Grants.gov. Do this in advance of the application to be sure you're ready to submit when the time comes.

Grants.gov will only allow entities with an active Sam.gov registration status to submit SF-424 application for federal assistance. So even if you have access, make sure you understand when that access will expire. Because we don't want it to expire right before the deadline. And then you have another step to complete. One common question about the SF-424 is, do I need a firm budget amount to submit this form?

The answer is no. You can provide an estimate on this form and then update your funding request in JustGrants with your completed budget. Once submitted, the SF-424 helps to pre-populate standard information in your JustGrants application. One other note about the SF-424. The individual listed in section 8F of this form is automatically identified as the application submitter in JustGrants.

Be sure that the person is checking their email and is prepared to complete the application in JustGrants during step two. Just like we said with Sam.gov, you may have had a personnel change. You need to make sure that your contacts are current and understand their responsibilities. If this is your entity's first DOJ application, your Sam.gov Ebiz POC will also need to monitor their email and prepare to take actions to onboard your entity into JustGrants as you move to step two. You can find out more information about the SF-424 in the links provided with the file. Next slide please.

Now we've met the Grants.gov deadline of June 2nd, and now we're on to submitting the JustGrants application. Your JustGrants application will align with the requirements described in the NOFO. Generally, (for) applications contained in most of these sections, the standard applicant information and access grants is pre-populated with data from the SF-424. You'll need to review and make edits as needed to the information in JustGrants.

You do not need to go back and make changes to your SF-424 in Grants.gov. Just be sure that the information in JustGrants is accurate and complete. The proposal abstract is a brief summary of your proposed project that is publicly available if the project is awarded. So make sure that you do not contain any information, like potential PII,

personally identifiable information, that you do not want released. The proposal narrative provides much more detailed information about your proposed project, including the problem and/or need it will address, the goals and objectives, the project design and your organization's ability to implement the project. Your budget should align with the proposal narrative and clearly explain how each cost will support the project.

Costs should be reasonable and necessary for the proposed project. Since allowable costs will vary by DOJ program, you should look to the NOFO for more details about allowable and unallowable costs. For some DOJ programs, MOUs or letters of intent are required. Generally, these should reflect partnerships and show agreements to support your project through commitment of staff time, services and other project needs.

Now, make sure to read the NOFO carefully for all the required information specific to this opportunity. You will also need to address multiple disclosures and assurances in your application. These questions guide applicants through programmatic, financial and legal topics to ensure applicants understand what's required of them. Read those carefully and seek clarification when needed. Next slide please. 

So, you've met the deadlines and submitted an application.

You may be wondering what happens next. We will first confirm that your application meets the basic minimum requirements described in the NOFO. And I'm going to be talking more on that on the next slide because that's very important. For applications that miss these requirements, or in other words, do not meet the basic minimum requirements, you will receive a notice that your application has been eliminated and will not proceed to the next round of review.

OJP staff then assess applications based on factors such as geographic diversity, past performance and whether applications are likely to meet the funding opportunities, goals and objectives. This is uniform across OJP, and items like geographic diversity may be more pertinent to other OJP components depending on the NOFO. We then evaluate the fiscal integrity of the applicant, examine proposed costs and determine whether the budget and budget narrative – that's where you describe and justify the budget line items – accurately explain the project's costs and whether those costs are allowable and reasonable.

Finally, OJP reviews potential risks presented by the applicant prior to making an award. This pre-award risk assessment takes into account a variety of factors, including the applicant's financial capability and past performance. During the review process, OJP may contact you to clarify program or budget details. Applicants are often eager to learn how their application is progressing through the application process.

Unfortunately, DOJ staff, including user support and the OJP Response Center, cannot share any information with you until final awards have been made public. Next slide please. 

You can visit the OJP Grant Awards website to see all OJP Awards made by year, program and even locality. This site is updated as awards are made. Also, you can look at NIJ.gov to see award specifically made by NJ.

And it's organized in the same fashion. If your application is selected for award, specific JustGrants users for your organization will be notified by email. And they will also see the award in their JustGrants account. If you see a notice of an award, you must take specific steps in JustGrants to accept or decline the award.

DOJ award acceptance checklist on the JustGrants resources website can walk you through these steps. Next slide please.

So as I said, I want to take some time to review the BMR process and the peer review and award selection process, specific to NIJ and this NOFO in more detail. This aligns with the information you just heard that is describes the entire OJP process. But this is just more specific information to this NOFO.

So as we said earlier, once the JustGrants applications come in, those will be assessed for your basic minimum requirements. This is outlined in the NOFO. But they are, (1): an SF-424, which was generated through the Grants.gov system; (2), a project narrative; (3) budget and associated budget narrative justification; and finally, (4) CVS or resumes of all key personnel.

These include all investigators, prime and co-PI, regardless of whether they are the main or from a sub awardee, and project directors. Now, this is the information that needs to be obtained just to make some kind of assessment on the application. This is not all the application should include, but this is the information it has to include to go forward in the review process. During the initial review, along with assessment for basic minimum requirements, NIJ staff will also assess the application for responsiveness. As stated in the NOFO, applications have to align with one of the three topic areas that Danielle discussed earlier. If it does not align with those three topic areas, that may prohibit it getting further review. For those applications deemed responsive and those that meet basic minimum requirements, they will go on to an external peer review, and then peer reviewers will score the application components, based on the criteria outlined in the NOFO.

And they'll also provide comments, based on the strengths and weaknesses for each component. These are very informative to NIJ science staff as determinations are made and recommendations are finalized on each application. NIJ staff will then review high scoring proposals that have merit. And through a series of discussions and review, and also an assessment on if the application aligns with administrative priorities, recommendations for funding will be made to the NIJ director. All funding decisions are made at the discretion of the NIJ director. NIJ science staff and their leadership team recommend applications for funding. But the NIJ director or acting director has sole discretion on those decisions. Next slide please.

Here is some helpful resources for you. And again, these slides will be made available so you can keep that for your information. Here is the OJP Response Center, the JustGrants and Grants.gov support teams as well, if any need arises to contact any of them. Next slide please.

Similarly, here are some helpful resources and links that may help you not only prepare applications, but also help you administer your award if selected for funding. This is good information to have, especially the DOJ grants financial guide. Next slide.

That is all I have. And I am going to turn it back to Danielle.

Marie Garcia: To start the Q&A portion of the webinar, please do remember to add your questions to the Q&A box, which many of you have already done. So, before we get started with your questions, I'll take a few minutes to answer some of the questions that we received prior to the start of today's webinar. Importantly, what is the funding amount available for this opportunity?

It is $2 million, and the number of proposals that we will fund will be based on the number of applications that we receive, their merit and the funding that we do have available, which, as I mentioned, is $2 million. 

We received a question about R2 institutions and whether they can compete for research funding here at NIJ and absolutely, yes. It's critical to ensure that your institution has an office, for example, an Office of Sponsored Research or another administrative office that is able to submit a proposal on your behalf and is able to manage a federal grant. Please be sure to review the eligibility criteria on page six of the opportunity. The designation of an institution as an R2 is not important as long as you are able to apply. 

Another question we received is, what are the areas of interest regarding growing the forensic science workforce, and what techniques and legal implications are of interest? So as detailed by Dr. Crimmins, this opportunity has three topic areas. And within each topic area, we've included areas of particular interest. While we cannot provide specific feedback on your ideas, we encourage you to carefully review each section to determine if your idea would fall into one of our topic areas.

And as a reminder, proposals must include a research and evaluation component as well as a cost analysis as previously discussed. If you're interested in forensic R&D, you are encouraged to review NIJ’s FY 25 opportunity, research and development of innovations in forensic science for criminal justice purposes. You can find the link to this opportunity on our funding page at NIJ.gov.

Another question we received was about the specific target audiences for this funding opportunity. And as mentioned, please review the eligibility criteria section on page six to ensure that you're able to submit an application to NIJ. Now, regarding target audiences, proposed research should be applicable to criminal justice and forensic science stakeholders and the communities they serve, policymakers and practitioners.

Another question we received was about areas outside the scope of the funding opportunity. In the NOFO, we do include as a brief section on what will not be awarded. Danielle did provide some of that information. But again, if you don't think that your proposal fits within our opportunity, we encourage you to visit our funding page to see all of the other funding opportunities that are available and still open.

And you may also review the other opportunities within OJP. And you can find our – I don't have that specific website memorized – but if you put in OJP.gov, you should be able to find what you need.

Another question: what are key points reviewers look for in a successful application? Merit review criteria can be found on page 28, and it details the areas peer reviewers evaluate for technical merit and the weight of each component. For example, project design and implementation is worth 40% of the total score of an application. So please do review this because it gives you insight into exactly how our process is structured.

Okay. Question about how this year's application requirements differ from previous funding cycles. It's been, there have been some changes. The merit criteria changed for this NOFO and for others. So again, please carefully review this section on page 28. And we encourage you to read the opportunity in its entirety to understand what is required. And as I mentioned, please be sure to include a research and evaluation component and the cost effectiveness component.

And another question we received, are interdisciplinary and mixed methods proposals welcome. Absolutely. NIJ funds a diverse number of applications and proposals across different disciplines. Qualitative quantitative. So, we welcome any and all types of methods. And it's important to ensure that the method is actually appropriate to answer the questions that you pose. 

And another question about NIJ’s priorities.

Our priorities can be found on page ten of the NOFO. And they include directly supporting law enforcement operations, including immigration law enforcement operations, combating violent crime, supporting services to American citizens, protecting American children, and supporting American victims of trafficking and sexual assault. 

And the last question that I'll answer before we get to the Q&A, what are the new GSS (gold standard science) requirements?

More information about this can be found on page ten of the NOFO, and it includes links to relevant information, including the executive order, the White House Office of Science and Technology policy memorandum, and the department's Gold Standard Science webpage. We encourage you to review these resources thoroughly, and you should also include in your application a clear statement of commitment to complying with the principles and tenets of the gold standard of science executive order. Now, in the chat we're going to link our page to the gold standard of science that was just released today, as well as an FAQ page. So you can find this information in the chat. So now I will move on to our Q&A. And some of these have already been answered. So, I am going to move on to just a few.

But there's a couple of questions in here about bio sketches and what the format should look like. In the NOFO, we designate a CV or a resume is required. Now, you can submit a bio sketch in addition to the CV or resume, but a bio sketch on its own would not meet the requirement standards.

So please be sure to submit a CV or resume and a bio sketch if you choose. And a question for Danielle. Are multiple areas of research in the same field allowed for one application?

Danielle Crimmins: Can you repeat the question one more time? Sorry. 

Marie Garcia: Yes. Are multiple areas of research in the same field allow for one application? 

Danielle Crimmins: Yes. I believe Marie noted that there needs to be a research and evaluation component that addresses your research questions. If you make the case in your application for including multiple disciplines that would be within scope.

Marie Garcia: Okay. We have another question about whether this NOFO is the same as the NOFO that is numbered 172603. 

That particular notice of funding opportunity is research and evaluation on policing practices. So, these are different opportunities. There is not going to be a webinar for that particular NOFO. But again, if you want more information about it, please do review the NOFO in its entirety.

And if you have questions, please send them to the OJP Response Center. 

Okay. So let's see. The slides will be made available as Serena has mentioned in the chat. So if you have any specific questions about Grants.gov or the JustGrants process, please do review the slides. We have a question here about, can tables be single spaced? You are encouraged to follow the formatting guidelines in this solicitation.

For more information there, just ensure that all of the information that you include in there is legible. So we'll leave the spacing up to you. But again we do have a double spacing preference. That's listed in the NOFO. And for Danielle, is this program only meant for physical forensics or would digital forensic projects be eligible as well?

Danielle Crimmins: Digital forensics is definitely eligible as well. 

Marie Garcia: Great. Thank you. Okay. Does this grant require an MOU?

It does not. We do not require an MOU at submission of the application. However, if you're going to be collecting data from a law enforcement or another agency that requires it, then you will absolutely have to have one in place so that you can actually acquire the data for your project. So, it will depend on whether or not you will need it for your project.

Okay. Is there a template for the letter of support collaboration from a partner institution? There is not. We don't provide a template for this particular part of the application. But again, please feel free to use whatever you see, whatever you think is appropriate, which should be fine. Submitting one is important if your application and your project needs it.

So again, no template is required. Let's see.

We have a question. If you have multiple universities collaborating, do all need to have a Sam.gov registration or just a submitting university? It is the applicant of record that needs to have a Sam.gov registration number. So please make sure that the principal, the primary, that will manage the federal grant has the Sam.gov number.

And again, we had a couple of questions about the PowerPoints. They will be made available after the webinar today. And you can find all of our opportunities on our website. So thank you, Kyleigh, for providing the link. 

Okay. We have a question about the merit review criteria. The statement of the problem is weighted at 5%. Is that saying it needs to take up 5% of the amount, or that's how much it contributes to the total score? That is how much it contributes to the total score.

So again, please review the criteria to see where like how we're awaiting everything. But again the weights are based on the total score for your application. For Danielle, can a single university receive more than one grant under this NOFO? Yes. Yes. Okay. We have another question for you, Danielle. Will medical legal death investigations,

I just can't see the question anymore, be in scope for this for the solicitation?

Danielle Crimmins: Yes, as long as it fits with one of those three topic areas.

Marie Garcia: Okay. Okay, we have a question about the length of the award period and is there any flexibility, Danielle?

Danielle Crimmins: So I believe the award period is 36 months, which I will check right now. And we do understand that things happen once awards are made.

This will be a further conversation. But for budgeting purposes and timelines for the application, the award period is what is listed in the NOFO, and I will pull that up right now to confirm. 

Marie Garcia: Okay. Let's see. 

Danielle Crimmins: Yes, 36 months is correct, which is what should be included in the application. 

Marie Garcia: We have a question about an IRB is going to make the PI redact certain things.

How do I handle this for data archiving? What we would like you to do upfront is be very clear about what will and will not be archived. If your IRB has very specific requirements about this particular matter, then you need to say so upfront. I mean, of course we can work with you over the course of the project to make sure that you're uploading and archiving what you agree to.

But if there are certain parameters already in place, just put those in your application upfront so we know what we will or will not get at the end of the project period. It's not, we understand that, of course there's PII and very sensitive information. So we understand that there might be some restrictions there. But again, just be very thorough and open about what you can and won't be able to archive.

And then if there are any sensitivity issues toward the end of your project, we can also address those as well. But again, just be transparent about what that looks like and we can work with you. Let's see. Danielle, question for you. Can you propose a new training pipeline for topic area three, or is it just for evaluating current pipelines for forensic science workforce development?

Danielle Crimmins: So, this funding opportunity is for research and evaluation, not for training and technical assistance or programmatic support. 

Marie Garcia: Okay. Do you need IRB approval beforehand? No, you do not. If you have it, that's great. It will have to go through our human subjects protection teams review before the project can get on the ground.

But you do not. It is not a requirement. But again, if you have it secured already, please do submit it. But if you don't, that's completely fine. Okay. We have a question about the 30-page limit of the entire narrative. Is there a minimum for the project design section? And it is a great question. And no, there is not.

But again, it's really up to you to make sure that all of the merit criteria sections are covered. So your program implementation, your problem statement. So I would make sure that in those 30 pages you are describing every element that we require in the merit review criteria. And yeah, just make sure everything is covered. But no, there is not a minimum for any section in the application process.

We have a question about where to find information about the cost effectiveness statement. So in the NOFO there is a link to our NIJ web page that provides more information, not only about this section, but like the final deliverables and what's required at the end of the project. So you can find this on our NIJ web page.

And if we're able to link it, can we put up the link?

Danielle Crimmins: I can try. 

Marie Garcia: Okay. We will provide the link if we’re able to find it quickly. But again, it should be it should be hyperlinked in the NOFO.

What tips can you tell us about to put for the personal investigators CV resume? Generally, we need information about your education, your background, any awards/projects that you've received in the past that are specific to, you know, what you're applying for here at NIJ. We don't provide specific guidance. But again, this is just kind of an overall thought, but I'm sure that there's lots of different examples that you can follow on online.

but again, if you have any specific questions, you can send them to our response center. 

Danielle Crimmins: And that email is now in the chat. 

Marie Garcia: Okay. Is there a limit to the number of Co+Pis for this NOFO. 

Danielle Crimmins: There is not. 

Marie Garcia: Generally, we want the team for this project to be staffed appropriately.

So if it requires one Pi that's fine. If it requires multiple because you have different universities participating in the project, that's fine too. But as long as everyone's role is delineated and we have them identified, that's great.

We have a question about, what specifically should we focus on with the cost benefit analysis? We can't provide specific details about what you should focus on, but again, this is a required part of the application. So the cost benefit analysis, and I might be misspeaking, it might be effectiveness. I don't have the text right in front of me.

But there are details on the website that provide more information. But again, it needs to be appropriate for your project. So, make sure that whatever questions you're answering with that particular analysis is going to answer the questions for your project.

Danielle Crimmins: And just to jump on that, on page nine it discusses this. And for evaluation research, you must propose a cost benefit and cost effectiveness analysis, and more details are on page nine.

Marie Garcia: Right. Thank you. Is there a COI form that needs to be submitted? No, there is not. For the purposes of the application process, we don't require a COI form.

And the anticipated timeline on award decisions? Great question. We hope to make decisions in the next few months. But again, we have really no control. Once we make decisions, there's a lot of other steps that happen outside of NIJ to get the award made. So, I can't give you an exact timeline, but we hope to make decisions later this year, perhaps early fall.

And I don't see any more questions in the chat.

Oh, I see another one. 

Danielle Crimmins: I see one about the recording that will also be available after the webinar on the website. Of course we'll need to format it. So, I would check back in a couple of days. 

Marie Garcia: Yes. Again, this is an exciting opportunity for NIJ. Danielle and Eric have worked a lot on this portfolio, and it's one of our longstanding.

So we're really excited about providing research to the field, providing funding to the field for new research. And, we really hope that you all apply. That would be great. And again, if you have any questions about the webinar after today, anything that we didn't get to, please send them to the response center. I think something else came in.

Do you have a policy that you can link to about AI use in NIJ proposals?

Great question. I'm going to wait for Danielle to Google something for you.

Danielle Crimmins: I do not believe there is anything about that, that I can find in the NOFO. I would suggest sending that question forward after the webinar to the response center so that we can get back to you. 

Marie Garcia: Yeah, that would be great if you could send that to us. That would be wonderful.

Okay. Thank you, Kristen.

Okay. And no other questions. Danielle, any closing comments? 

Danielle Crimmins: Thank you all for attending. We are very excited to see such an interest in this funding opportunity. If we missed your question or if you have additional, please do reach out to that email in the chat. Hopefully, I don't know, maybe somebody could say yes, that they do see the links.

We provided links to the gold standard science pages, the email for further questions, also, the NIJ funding opportunity page for any other NOFOs that are available.

Marie Garcia: Serena, do we have any anything else for us before we end today?

Serena Roche: No. Just thank you everyone for attending today's webinar. And we appreciate you taking the time and hope you found the information presented here to be helpful. And we look forward to seeing you again. 

Marie Garcia: Great. Thank you so much.