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
- Gold Standard Science Statement
- 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).