NIJ FY24 Research and Evaluation on 911, Alternative Hotlines, and Alternative Responder Models

State, special district, county, city, township or other units of local governments; public controlled, state controlled and private institutions of higher education; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments); Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized); Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education; Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education; For-profit organizations other than small businesses and small businesses.

NIJ seeks research and evaluation proposals on the ability of 911 and alternative, three-digit service numbers (e.g., 311, 211, 988) to assess public service and safety needs and respond to them safely, efficiently, effectively, and equitably. This includes research to assess the use of new methods and technologies to support effective and equitable responses to public calls for service, such as research on the training and operating procedures of call takers and dispatchers to ensure accurate and unbiased coding, priority assessment, and dispatch decisions; and evaluations of the public’s knowledge and use of alternative three-digit service numbers and the degree to which they are receiving and adequately addressing the types of calls they are intended to divert from 911. This solicitation also invites proposals to evaluate the effectiveness of models that employ non-sworn first responders in partnership with, or as an alternative to, police response or enforcement. In addition, NIJ invites proposals that evaluate alternative traffic enforcement models, including changes in policies about what types of traffic violations sworn officers enforce and new measures to employ non-sworn personnel for response or enforcement of traffic violations.

 Up to $2,500,000

NIJ is interested in supporting researchers who are early in their careers and new to NIJ’s research grant portfolios, specifically non-tenured assistant professors, or equivalent full-time staff scientist positions in a research institution, who propose research on topics relevant to NIJ. If seeking to be considered for the New Investigator/Early Career Opportunity, the applicant should identify that it is submitting a New Investigator/Early Career proposal on the title page of the application.

NIJ will give special consideration in award decisions to proposals for which a   Minority Serving Institution (MSI) is the lead applicant.

• Research to assess the use of new methods and technologies to support effective and equitable responses to public calls for service, such as research on the training and operating procedures of call takers and dispatchers to ensure accurate and unbiased coding, priority assessment, and dispatch decisions.
• Evaluations of the public’s knowledge and use of alternative three-digit service numbers and the degree to which they are receiving and adequately addressing the types of calls they are intended to divert from 911. 
• Evaluations of the effectiveness of models that employ non-sworn first responders in partnership with, or as an alternative to, police response or enforcement.
• Evaluations of alternative traffic enforcement models, including but not limited to how these models may shift enforcement responsibilities for some traffic violations to non-sworn officers or other departments (e.g., the Department of Transportation).

The following application elements must be included in the application to meet the basic minimum requirements to advance to peer review and receive consideration for funding:

1. SF-424 and SF-LLL (in Grants.gov).
2. A proposal narrative (in JustGrants).
3. A budget web-based form (this form includes the budget details and the budget narrative describing and justifying costs).
4. Financial Management and System of Internal Controls Questionnaire, including applicant disclosure of high-risk status.
5. Curriculum Vitae/Resumes for key personnel. For purposes of this solicitation, “key personnel” means the principal investigator, and any and all co-principal investigators.

Start early! To apply, you must first register with the System for Award Management (SAM). Registration and renewal can take up to 10 business days to complete. Register with SAM.gov.

After registering with SAM, you must submit two forms the SF-424 and SF-LLL in Grants.gov by the Grants.gov deadline 11:59pm eastern time on April 30, 2024. Submit the SF-424 and SF-LLL as early as possible, but no later than 48 hours before the Grants.gov deadline.

Finally, after submitting both forms, you must then submit the full application, including attachments, in JustGrants by the JustGrants deadline 8:59pm eastern time on May 14, 2024.

Where applicable, NIJ seeks proposals that:

• Propose an inclusive research design.
• Address issues of race, ethnicity, gender, and other potential disparities in data sources, research methods, and outcomes.
• Propose a multi-disciplinary research team.
• Ensure rigorous measurement of implementation fidelity.
• Allocate ample resources for translation and dissemination of research findings. 

A successful proposal must do the following:

• Center the need for the proposed research within the existing body of knowledge.
• Present a rigorous and feasible project design that is appropriate to address the question(s) of interest.
• Demonstrate that the proposed team has the capabilities and competencies to carry out the project.
• Describe how the research will address one or more U.S. safety and justice challenges, including a discussion of how relevant stakeholders can make the resulting knowledge products actionable.
• Present a budget that demonstrably supports the work proposed in the application.

See examples of successful applications and other useful information.