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Law Enforcement Advancing Data and Science (LEADS) Scholars Program

Public Criminology: Charting the Course from Evidence to Action

Celebrating 10 Years of NIJ’s Law Enforcement Advancing Data and Science (LEADS) Scholars Program - 2024 NIJ Research Conference

September 2024

In 2014, NIJ established the Law Enforcement Advancing Data and Science (LEADS) Scholars Program to support research-minded, mid-career sworn law enforcement officers working to integrate research into agency policy and practice. The LEADS Scholars Program helps participants develop independent research and provides support to identify current evidence on priority issues.

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NIJ LEADS

15PNIJ-23-GK-04221-NIJB
Open
Funding First Awarded
2023
$1,000,000

Driving Down Gun Violence (Part One)

May 2023
Series
Justice Today Podcast

Three LEADS Scholars serving in different law enforcement agencies and positions discuss their experiences with identifying and implementing evidence-based interventions to reduce gun violence. NIJ Senior Advisor Dr. Tamara Herold hosts this conversation with guests Police Chief Cecilia Ashe (Milford Delaware Police Department), Chief of Staff Lieutenant Matthew Barter (Manchester, NH Police Department), and Analytical Services Manager Mr. Jason Schiess (Durham, NC Police Department). 

NIJ FY23 Support for the Law Enforcement Advancing Data and Science Scholars Program

Closing Date
Grants.gov Deadline
Application JustGrants Deadline
With this solicitation, NIJ seeks proposals to support the Law Enforcement Advancing Data and Science (LEADS) Scholars Program, an ongoing NIJ program designed to increase the in-house research capabilities of law enforcement agencies by building data and research skills of individuals employed by and engaged with these agencies. The LEADS Scholars Program advances evidence-based policing by supporting the development of research-minded law enforcement professionals and...

NIJ's Law Enforcement Advancing Data and Science Scholars Program for Civilians

New scholars selected!

Meet the 2024 class of scholars.

NIJ typically accepts applications for new scholars in the spring.

For civilian government professionals working with law enforcement, the Law Enforcement Advancing Data and Science (LEADS) Scholars program offers a unique opportunity to partner with other LEADS Scholars in an effort to use evidence-based strategies and locally-tailored research to advance their agency’s mission. 

The LEADS...

Director's Message: Advancing the Police Profession Through Science

Recent events across the country have made calls for criminal justice reform commonplace, and law enforcement in particular has been called upon to increase standards of performance and advance the field as a profession. At the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), we are committed to supporting law enforcement in their efforts to advance policing, and we strongly believe that science can play a pivotal role...

LEADS Scholar Spotlight - Optimal Investigator Caseloads

October 2018
Series
Law Enforcement Advancing Data and Science Program Spotlight
Daniel Stewart, a captain in the Oklahoma City Police Department and Class of 2016 Scholar of NIJ’s Law Enforcement Advancing Data and Science (LEADS) Program, discusses research he has conducted on investigator caseloads as commander of a property crimes unit with his police department. He also speaks about the impact of the LEADS program and network on his research and professional career.

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LEADS Scholar Spotlight - American Society of Evidence-Based Policing

October 2018
Series
Law Enforcement Advancing Data and Science Program Spotlight
Joshua Young, a retired corporal of the Ventura Police Department in California and Class of 2015 Scholar of NIJ’s Law Enforcement Advancing Data and Science (LEADS) Program, discusses the American Society of Evidence-Based Policing, which encourages the use of data and research to inform policing. He also talks about a randomized control trial he conducted on body-worn cameras and the support he has received from the LEADS program.

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