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NIJ Grants Program Checklists provide a method for ensuring that the projects NIJ is considering for funding do not have any unique characteristics that would create the potential for significant environmental impacts. The NIJ Grants Program Checklist summarizes the typical resource concerns that are often associated with projects submitted to NIJ for funding by applicants and subrecipients. Each resource area is listed separately, with the significance criteria for that resource also shown for reference.
NEPA requires that prior to funding, authorizing, or implementing an action, federal agencies must consider the effects the proposed action may have on the environment, and the related social and economic effects. Under this legislation, Agencies are required to address each project, taking into account all consequences as well as the effect of cumulative impacts on the environment. Because NIJ must make a decision as to whether to fund your project, NEPA applies.
No. However, you are strongly encouraged to do so if the actions within your project are not Categorical Exclusions (CATEXs), especially if your project has required NEPA compliance documentation in the past or if it falls under any of the programs or project types that are within the scope of the Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA). See the NIJ CATEX page and the PEA page for more information.
Applicants are encouraged to submit their NIJ Grants Program Checklist with their project application package. If your project requires a NIJ Grants Program Checklist and you do not submit one with your application, the NIJ NEPA Coordinator or the Grant Manager assigned, will contact the POC listed on your application with a request to complete the checklist. Note, if the checklist is submitted later, it may hold up access to funds.
The POC listed on the application or a representative with knowledge of the project and approved by the POC.
The POC listed on the application or a representative with knowledge of the project and approved by the POC.
Depending on the work being outsourced, subcontractors/subrecipients must submit a NIJ Programmatic Cover Sheet and the NIJ Grants Program Checklist. This applies to any entity identified in the Budget Detail Worksheet that will be receiving funds through a sub-award or procurement contract. Ultimately, the completeness and accuracy of the subcontractor/subrecipient checklists is the responsibility of the prime.
If you believe that a question is not relevant to your particular project, respond “N/A” where appropriate. If you choose to respond “N/A” you are required to give an explanation in the comments section as to why the question is non-applicable to facilitate review of your response by the NIJ NEPA Team.
Special conditions are removed when the NIJ Grant Manager receives the final approved NIJ Grants Program Checklist, along with all necessary documentation required to comply with the DOJ Procedures for implementing NEPA found at 28 CFR Part 61 (Appendix D). This documentation is provided to the Grant Manager after it has been approved by the NIJ NEPA Coordinator. Once the Grant Manager and NIJ NEPA Coordinator have verified that the applicant has submitted all necessary documents and NEPA compliance is complete, then a Grant Adjustment Notice (GAN) will be issued removing the NEPA condition.
Yes, NIJ Grants Program Checklist are needed for each new award, not for each year of a multiple year award. If the project and activities have changed from the original application, then a new checklist may be required.
Project funds will be withheld until the NEPA requirement has been completed in full.
No, separate checklists are required for different projects/application numbers, even if they are being done by the same entity
NEPA is a federal law that applies to decisions NIJ makes about whether or not to fund a project. Therefore, the NIJ NEPA Coordinator makes the final decision on the appropriate level of NEPA compliance for your project and the determination of whether compliance with the requirements of NEPA has been achieved.
NIJ’s NEPA Coordinator and/or Grant Manager will be available to support the NEPA compliance process for your project.
With few exceptions, applications must be submitted to NIJ online through Grants.gov. Paper copies are not accepted.
Grants.gov. NIJ strongly encourages potential applicants to begin the application process as soon as possible, especially if you are a first-time user. Instructions for applying using Grants.gov are available at Get Registered on Grants.gov. For assistance with the electronic application process, call Grants.gov technical support at 1-800-518-4726.
OJP Grants Management System (GMS). When indicated in the solicitation, applications must be submitted through the online GMS. We suggest that you begin the process early, especially if this is the first time you have used the system. Each application requires a separate GMS registration. To learn how to begin the online application process, go to OJP's GMS Training and Technical Assistance. For additional information, please call the GMS Help Desk at 1-888-549-9901.
The registration process can take 1 to 3 weeks depending on your organization. Many factors contribute to this timeframe. See Get Registered on Grants.gov for details and instructions. Grants Management System. About 3 to 5 days, but you should begin the application process as soon as possible, especially if you are a first-time user. For assistance with the electronic application process, call the GMS toll-free hotline at 1-888-549-9901. The hotline is available from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. eastern time, Monday through Friday.
On the OJP Grants Management System, go to "OJP Application Process." This site links users directly to GMS and the GMS Application Procedures Handbook, which gives step-by-step instructions. Click on the solicitation that interests you. Then select "Logon directly to the Grants Management System (GMS)" to apply for grant funding. If you have not previously used GMS, click on "New User? Register Here" and follow the onscreen instructions to register. After you register, select the name of the solicitation you are responding to.
Grants.gov and Grants Management System. You will need a Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number to register. Your application will not be considered complete until you provide a valid DUNS number.
EXCEPTION: Individuals who would personally receive a grant or cooperative agreement from the Federal Government apart from any business or nonprofit organization that they may operate are not required to obtain a DUNS number. If this exception applies, enter any nine digits into the space provided.
You can receive a DUNS number at no cost by calling the dedicated toll-free DUNS number request line at 1-866-705-5711. If you have questions, contact OJP's Office of the Chief Financial Officer's Customer Service Center at 1-800-458-0786.
No. You can submit a collaborative proposal but it must be a single application and the award would be made to a single agency, which would have to establish means to fund the collaborating agencies.
Yes. However, the person in your organization who has signing authority to accept Federal grant funds is your organization's Authorized Representative (also referred to as the Signing Authority). This person must be empowered to receive funds on behalf of the organization and must be legally authorized to enter into agreements on the organization's behalf. If you are not the Authorized Representative, you must enter information about that person when you register.
No. The start date is the date you estimate that work on the proposed project will begin. Thus, your start date should be at least 6 months after the closing date of the solicitation to allow for NIJ's decision- and award-making processes.
See the specific solicitation to which you are applying for any file type limitations.
Grants.gov. The number of files you can upload to Grants.gov varies depending on the application package.
Grants Management System. GMS now allows you to upload any number of files. Please reference the specific solicitation for details on what must be included in your uploaded files.
Research that involves collecting or analyzing information obtained from an individual person whose responses about themselves are the object of the study is considered human subject research. Some examples of human subject research, common to NIJ-funded research, include when participants complete questionnaires about themselves; they participate in interviews designed to collect information about themselves; their behavior is observed; and their opinions of their activities are studied. The use of identifiable data about individuals and studies that involve human tissues and DNA for research purposes may also qualify.
The regulations at 28 CFR 46.102 (d) define research as "a systematic investigation, including research development, testing and evaluation, designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge."
Human subject is defined in section 46.102(f) as "a living individual about whom an investigator (whether professional or student) conducting research obtains (1) Data through intervention or interaction with the individual, or (2) Identifiable private information."
Intervention includes both physical procedures by which data are gathered and manipulations of the subject or the subject's environment that are performed for research purposes. Interaction includes communication or interpersonal contact between investigator and subject. Private information includes information about behavior that occurs in a context in which an individual can reasonably expect that no observation or recording is taking place, and information which has been provided for specific purposes by an individual and which the individual can reasonably expect will not be made public (for example, a medical record). Private information must be individually identifiable (i.e., the identity of the subject is or may readily be ascertained by the investigator or associated with the information) in order for obtaining the information to constitute research involving human subjects.”
You are required to complete the Privacy Certificate and Protection of Human Subjects Assurance Identification/IRB Certification/Declaration of Exemption form and include them with your grant application. When completing the Privacy Certificate, following the insertion of your project description you will need to state "No data identifiable to a private person will be collected." You may also insert "Not applicable since this study is not collecting any individually identifiable data" in the subsequent boxes. Do not leave form sections blank or insert Not Applicable without providing a reason.
Both forms must have the appropriate signatures and date.
No. However, you are strongly encouraged to do so. If your project does not involve human subjects or the collection of identifiable data and these forms are completed correctly and attached to the grant application to be funded, funds can be made available at the time the award is made. If the forms are not included, the award is likely to have funds withheld until the forms are received.
Before funds can be disbursed, a proper Privacy Certificate must be submitted with the signatures of the principal and co-principal investigators and an authorized institutional representative. Documentation that the study is exempt from the human subject protection requirements under 28 CFR 46.101(b)(1-4) by an Institutional Review Board (IRB) or that the study has been or will be reviewed and approved by an IRB with a current valid Federalwide assurance must also be submitted.
The IRB review and submission of the Privacy Certificate may occur after the grant has been awarded, but no funds will be released for research activities involving the human subject component of the study until NIJ's Human Subjects Protection Officer receives the required documentation listed above and the special conditions placed on the award to protect human subjects are removed. Funds can be released for activities unrelated to the direct involvement of human subjects. Failure to provide IRB and privacy documentation in a timely fashion may cause significant delay in the start-up of a funded research award.
They are removed when NIJ's Human Subjects Protection Officer has received the required documentation and approved a grant adjustment notice lifting the conditions. Grantees should contact their NIJ grant manager for assistance. It should be noted that the researcher cannot and should not begin human subjects research or the collection of identifiable data based on their institution's IRB approval alone. The special withholding conditions must be removed for research involving human subjects and/or the collection of identifiable data to begin.
It is important that the grantee (both the office of sponsored research/office of grants and contracts and the researcher) abides by the standard and special conditions that are required by NIJ. The standard and special conditions can be found in all award packages and accessed electronically in the Grant Management System (GMS). NIJ grant monitors will be available to review these conditions immediately after the award is made.
You can search for commercial IRBs that review research on the Web. While NIJ does not endorse or recommend the use of any particular commercial IRBs, NIJ does accept the findings of commercial IRBs that review studies for compliance with the DOJ human subjects protection and confidentiality regulations.
Yes. It is suggested that NIJ-funded researchers provide links to the DOJ regulations in their IRB applications. Review these regulations on our website. Awardees should be aware that the DOJ regulations for human subjects protection at 28 CFR Part 46 are different from the Revised Common Rule, that went into effect 1/21/19. NIJ can only accept IRB determinations based on 28 CFR Part 46.
A: If you believe your project is exempt from the human subjects protection requirements as described in 28 CFR 46.101(b) (1-4) and if your institution has a current FWA, you must apply to your own institution’s IRB or a commercial IRB for an exemption. If you are granted an exemption from IRB review, you must still comply with the notification requirements in 28 CFR Part 22.27. NIJ must review and approve all consent-related documentation under 28 CFR Part 22 even if your research has received an exemption under 28 CFR Part 46.
If you believe your project is exempt from the human subjects protection requirements as described in 28 CFR 46.101(b) (1-4) and if your institution has a current FWA, you must apply to your own institution’s IRB or a commercial IRB for an exemption. If you are granted an exemption from IRB review, you must still comply with the notification requirements in 28 CFR Part 22.27. NIJ must review and approve all consent-related documentation under 28 CFR Part 22 even if your research has received an exemption under 28 CFR Part 46.
No. However, you are strongly encouraged to do so. A letter submitted on institution letterhead that addresses the relevant items from the form signed by the IRB chairperson and including the FWA number will also be acceptable. Studies deemed exempt by an IRB require an IRB exemption letter.
: Yes, all research sponsored or conducted by NIJ must meet these requirements.
A: No. NIJ does not issue or accept Certificates of Confidentiality issued by National Institutes of Health or HHS. Grantees must submit a Privacy Certificate, which is reviewed and approved by the funding agency. Under the DOJ confidentiality statute (34 USC 10231(a)), this makes the identifiable data collected immune from any legal action. Neither the Privacy Certificate nor the informed consent documentation should contain language about Certificates of Confidentiality. The Privacy Certificate and consent forms should accurately describe that the identifiable data collected is immune from legal process because the researcher submitted a Privacy Certificate; it was approved by NIJ and is, therefore, covered by DOJ statute.
A: No. NIJ has a Human Subjects Protection Officer who reviews IRB approvals from awardees to ensure that the IRB has reviewed the study protocol in compliance with the DOJ human subjects protection regulations (28 CFR Part 46), the informed consent documentation in compliance with the DOJ regulations at 28 CFR 46.116 and the notification requirements in the DOJ confidentiality regulation (28 CFR Part 22). The NIJ Human Subjects Protection Officer will accept the findings of the awardee’s IRB provided the findings comply with the DOJ regulations cited above.
A: Researchers need to follow the general requirements for informed consent found at 28 CFR 46.116. For instance, subjects need to be informed that study participation is voluntary and that identifiable data collected with NIJ funds can only be used for research and statistical purposes, and no other purpose without the subject’s consent. They should also be informed that the study is funded by NIJ. If the award has a data archiving special condition, the subjects should also be told that the de-identified study data will be archived at the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data (NACJD). Other notification requirements can be found in 28 CFR Part 22.27.
Current or past abuse is not reportable, unless a separate consent to allow reporting is obtained from the research subject; this is in addition to a consent to participate in the research study. Please contact your grant manager and/or the NIJ Human Subjects Protection Officer if you have any further questions regarding this issue.
DOJ anticipates completing the process of amending the Department’s own regulation 28 CFR Part 46 at some time in the future in order to be consistent with the changes made for other agencies in the Revised Common Rule. However, until such time DOJ signs on, IRBs reviewing NIJ- or OJP-funded research must use and cite 28 CFR Part 46. Of particular note, in the Revised Common Rule there are changes made to the exemption categories, which will not apply and cannot be accepted for NIJ- or OJP-funded research. Please contact your grant manager and/or the NIJ Human Subjects Protection Officer if you have any further questions regarding this issue.
Every year, NIJ awards funding for research, development, evaluation, testing and training and technical assistance projects across the spectrum of criminal justice.
