Follow Specific Guidance
Be sure to follow any specific guidance provided by NIJ regarding the format and content of your progress reports. Respond to any special reporting requirements specified in the award terms and conditions, as well as any award specific reporting requirements.
The Research Performance Progress Report (pdf, 26 pages) (RPPR) has adopted a uniform format for reporting performance progress on federally funded research projects. All organizations or individuals receiving funds from NIJ for research, development, and evaluation projects must submit their semi-annual progress reports using the format outlined below based on the following categories of the RPPR:
What are the major goals of the project?
List the major goals of the project as stated in the approved application or as approved by the agency. If the application lists milestones/target dates for important activities or phases of the project, identify these dates, and show actual completion dates or the percentage of completion. Generally, the goals will not change from one reporting period to the next. However, if the awarding agency-approved changes to the goals during the reporting period, list the revised goals and objectives. Also explain any significant changes in approach or methods from the agency approved application or plan.
What was accomplished under these goals?
For this reporting period, describe: 1) major activities; 2) specific objectives; 3) significant results, including major findings, developments, or conclusions (both positive and negative); and 4) key outcomes or other achievements. Include a discussion of stated goals not met. As the project progresses, the emphasis in reporting in this section should shift from reporting activities to reporting accomplishments.
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
If the research is not intended to provide training and professional development opportunities or there is nothing significant to report during this reporting period, state "Nothing to Report."
Describe opportunities for training and professional development provided to anyone who worked on the project or anyone who was involved in the activities supported by the project. "Training" activities are those in which individuals with advanced professional skills and experience assist others in attaining greater proficiency. Training activities may include, for example, courses, or one-on-one work with a mentor. "Professional development" activities result in increased knowledge or skill in one's area of expertise and may include workshops, conferences, seminars, study groups, and individual study. Include participation in conferences, workshops, and seminars not listed under major activities.
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
If there is nothing significant to report during this reporting period, state "Nothing to Report."
Describe how the results have been disseminated to communities of interest. Include any outreach activities that have been undertaken to reach members of communities who are not usually aware of these research activities, for the purpose of enhancing public understanding and increasing interest in learning and careers in the sciences, technology, and the humanities.
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
If there are no changes to the agency-approved application or plan for this effort, state "No Change."
Describe briefly, what you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals and objectives.
Publications, conference papers, and presentations
Report only the publication resulting from the work under this award. There is no restriction on the number. However, agencies are interested in only those publications that most reflect the work under this award in the following categories:
Journal publications
List peer-reviewed articles or papers appearing in scientific, technical, or professional journals. Include any peer-reviewed publication in the periodically published proceedings of a scientific society, a conference, or the like. A publication in the proceedings of a one-time conference, not part of a series, should be reported under "Books or other non-periodical, one-time publications." Identify for each publication: Author(s); title; journal; volume: year; page numbers; status of publication (published; accepted, awaiting publication; submitted, under review; other); acknowledgement of federal support (yes/no).
Books or other non-periodical, one-time publications
Report any book, monograph, dissertation, abstract, or the like published as or in a separate publication, rather than a periodical or series. Include any significant publication in the proceedings of a one-time conference or in the report of a one-time study, commission, or the like. Identify for each one-time publication: author(s); title; editor; title of collection, if applicable; bibliographic information; year; type of publication (book, thesis or dissertation, other); status of publication (published; accepted, awaiting publication; submitted, under review; other); acknowledgement of federal support (yes/no).
Other publications, conference papers, and presentations.
Identify any other publications, conference papers, and/or presentations not reported above. Specify the status of the publication as noted above.
Website(s) or other Internet site(s)
List the URL for any Internet site(s) that disseminates the results of the research activities. A short description of each site should be provided. It is not necessary to include the publications already specified above in this section.
Technologies or techniques
Identify technologies or techniques that have resulted from the research activities. Describe the technologies or techniques and how they are being shared.
Inventions, patent applications, and/or licenses
Identify inventions, patent applications with date, and/or licenses that have resulted from the research. Submission of this information as part of an interim research performance progress report is not a substitute for any other invention reporting required under the terms and conditions of an award.
Other products
Identify any other significant products that were developed under this project. Describe the product and how it is being shared. Examples of other products are:
- Databases;
- Physical collections;
- Audio or video products;
- Software or NetWare;
- Models;
- Educational aids or curricula;
- Instruments or equipment;
- Data & Research Material (e.g., cell lines, DNA probes, animal models); and
- Other.
Agencies need to know who has worked on the project to gauge and report performance in promoting partnerships and collaborations.
What individuals have worked on the project?
Provide the following information for: (1) principal investigator(s)/project director(s) (PIs/PDs); and (2) each person who has worked at least one person month per year on the project during the reporting period, regardless of the source of compensation (a person month equals approximately 160 hours of effort).
- Provide the name and identify the role the person played in the project. Indicate the nearest whole person month (Calendar, Academic, Summer) that the individual worked on the project. Show the most senior role in which the person has worked on the project for any significant length of time. For example, if an undergraduate student graduates, enters graduate school, and continues to work on the project, show that person as a graduate student, preferably explaining the change in involvement.
- Describe how this person contributed to the project and with what funding support. If information is unchanged from a previous submission, provide the name only and indicate “no change”.
- Identify whether this person is collaborating internationally. Specifically is the person collaborating with an individual located in a foreign country and whether the person had traveled to the foreign country as part of that collaboration and duration of stay. The foreign country(ies) should be identified.
Example:
| Name: | Mary Smith |
| Project Role: | Graduate Student |
| Nearest person month worked: | 5 |
| Contribution to Project: | Ms. Smith has performed work in the area of combined error-control and constrained coding. |
| Funding Support: | The Ford Foundation (Complete only if the funding support is provided from other than this award.) |
| Collaborated with individual in foreign country: | Yes |
| Country(ies) of foreign collaborator: | China |
| Travelled to foreign country: | Yes |
| If traveled to foreign country(ies), duration of stay: | 5 months |
What other organizations have been involved as partners?
If there is nothing significant to report during this reporting period, state “Nothing to Report.”
Describe partner organizations – academic institutions, other nonprofits, industrial or commercial firms, state or local governments, schools or school systems, or other organizations (foreign or domestic) – that have been involved with the project. Partner organizations may provide financial or in-kind support, supply facilities or equipment, collaborate in the research, exchange personnel, or otherwise contribute.
Provide the following information for each partnership:
- Organization Name:
- Location of Organization: (if foreign location list country)
- Partner’s contribution to the project (identify one or more)
- Financial support;
- In-kind support (e.g., partner makes software, computers, equipment, etc., available to project staff);
- Facilities (e.g., project staff use the partner’s facilities for project activities);
- Collaborative research (e.g., partner’s staff work with project staff on the project); and
- Personnel exchanges (e.g., project staff and/or partner’s staff use each other’s facilities, work at each other’s site).
- More detail on partner and contribution (foreign or domestic).
Have other collaborators or contacts been involved?
If there is nothing significant to report during this reporting period, state “Nothing to Report.”
Some significant collaborators or contacts within the recipient’s organization may not be covered by “What people have worked on the project?” Likewise, some significant collaborators or contacts outside the recipient’s organization may not be covered under “What other organizations have been involved as partners?” For example, describe any significant:
- collaborations with others within the recipient’s organization; especially interdepartmental or interdisciplinary collaborations;
- collaborations or contact with others outside the organization; and
- collaborations or contacts with others outside the United States or with an international organization.
- country(ies) of collaborations or contacts.
It is likely that many recipients will have no other collaborators or contacts to report.
What is the impact on the development of the principal discipline(s) of the project? If there is nothing significant to report during this reporting period, state "Nothing to Report."
Describe how findings, results, techniques that were developed or extended, or other products from the project made an impact or are likely to make an impact on the base of knowledge, theory, and research and/or pedagogical methods in the principal disciplinary field(s) of the project. Summarize using language that an intelligent lay audience can understand (Scientific American style). How the field or discipline is defined is not as important as covering the impact the work has had on knowledge and technique. Make the best distinction possible, for example, by using a "field" or "discipline," if appropriate, that corresponds with a single academic department (e.g., physics rather than nuclear physics).
What is the impact on other disciplines?
If there is nothing significant to report during this reporting period, state "Nothing to Report." Describe how the findings, results, or techniques that were developed or improved, or other products from the project made an impact or are likely to make an impact on other disciplines.
What is the impact on the development of human resources?
If there is nothing significant to report during this reporting period, state "Nothing to Report." Describe how the project made an impact or is likely to make an impact on human resource development in the sciences, engineering, and technology. For example how has the project:
- provided opportunities for research and teaching in the relevant fields;
- improved the performance, skills, or attitudes of members of underrepresented groups that will improve their access to or retention in research, teaching, or other related professions;
- developed and disseminated new educational materials or provided scholarships; or
- provided exposure to the sciences and technology for practitioners, teachers, young people, or other members of the public?
What is the impact on physical, institutional, and information resources that form infrastructure?
If there is nothing significant to report during this reporting period, state "Nothing to Report." Describe ways, if any, in which the project made an impact, or is likely to make an impact, on
- physical, institutional, and information resources that form infrastructure, including:
- physical resources such as facilities, laboratories, or instruments;
- institutional resources (such as establishment or sustenance of societies or
- organizations); or
- information resources, electronic means for accessing such resources, or for scientific communication, etc.
What is the impact on technology transfer?
If there is nothing significant to report during this reporting period, state "Nothing to Report." Describe ways in which the project made an impact, or is likely to make an impact, on commercial technology or public use, including:
- transfer of results to entities in government or industry;
- instances in which the research has led to the initiation of a start-up company; or
- adoption of new practices.
What is the impact on society beyond the sciences and technology?
If there is nothing significant to report during this reporting period, state "Nothing to Report." Describe how results from the project made an impact, or are likely to make an impact, beyond the bounds of the sciences, engineering, and the academic world on areas such as:
- improving public knowledge, attitudes, skills, and abilities;
- changing behavior, practices, decision-making, policies (including regulatory policies), or
- social actions; or
- improving social, economic, civic, or environmental conditions.
What dollar amount of the award's budget is being spent in foreign country(ies)?
Describe what percentage of the award's budget is being spent in foreign country(ies). If more that one foreign country, identify the distribution among the foreign countries.
Changes in approach and reasons for change
Describe any changes in approach during the reporting period and reasons for these changes. Remember that significant changes in objectives and scope require prior approval of the agency.
Actual or anticipated problems or delays and actions or plans to resolve them
Describe problems or delays encountered during the reporting period and actions or plans to resolve them.
Changes that have a significant impact on expenditures
Describe changes during the reporting period that may have a significant impact on expenditures, for example, delays in hiring staff or favorable developments that enable meeting objectives at less cost than anticipated.
Significant changes in use or care of human subjects, vertebrate animals, and/or biohazards
Describe significant deviations, unexpected outcomes, or changes in approved protocols for the use or care of human subjects, vertebrate animals, and/or biohazards during the reporting period. If required, were these changes approved by the applicable institution committee and reported to the agency? Also, specify the applicable Institutional Review Board/Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee approval dates.
Change of primary performance site location from that originally proposed Identify any change to the primary performance site location identified in the proposal, as originally submitted.
Respond to any special reporting requirements specified in the award terms and conditions, as well as any award specific reporting requirements.
For forensic science awardees only. The Office of Investigative and Forensic Sciences requires this category in the RPPR be included in semi-annual and final progress reports.
Please only describe any major purchases and any budget modification GAMs that were submitted. You do not have to complete "RESEARCH & RELATED BUDGET - SECTION A & B" beginning on page 12.