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Research

NIJ Director La Vigne Addresses the American Society of Evidence-Based Policing

Portrait of NIJ Director Nancy La Vigne, Ph.D.
NIJ Director Nancy La Vigne, Ph.D.

Thank you, Renee [Mitchell, ASEBP Executive Board Member]. And thanks to American University for hosting us – and of course all the conference sponsors. I am so pleased to be able to join you all today. This is a special opportunity to reach an important audience of applied policing researchers.

Now, I have never professed to be a policing expert. But policing research has found...

Replication Studies are Vital to Science We Can Count On

Science is a cornerstone of the justice system, and reliability is a cornerstone of science. Justice tools we take for granted today, such as crime mapping software, DNA identification of suspects, and automated fingerprint systems, are products of well-tested science. Extraordinary tools are now ordinary features of our justice system because the science has persuaded the courts and law enforcement that those tools, in the...

National Institute of Justice’s Strategic Research Plans

Thank you Kevin [Chair Kevin Bowling] for the introduction, and Tracy [Tracy Trautman, BJA] for your continued support of the Global Justice Information Sharing Initiative.

Many of you are familiar with the National Institute of Justice, and our role as the research, development, and evaluation agency of the U.S. Department of Justice. NIJ provides objective and independent knowledge and tools to inform the decision-making of...

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...

Post-Award Requirements for Research, Development, and Evaluation Grants

This page is meant as a guide for applicants and award recipients to what is required of NIJ award recipients after an award is made. Award recipients should consult their specific award conditions for additional information. For questions about how these requirements pertain to your specific award, contact your NIJ grant manager.

Standard Forms

All award recipients must submit quarterly financial reports. See the DOJ...

NIJ’s Law Enforcement Advancing Data and Science Scholars Program for Academics

New scholars selected!

Meet the 2024 class of scholars.

NIJ typically accepts applications for new scholars in the spring.

The Law Enforcement Advancing Data and Science (LEADS) Academics program offers a unique opportunity for early-career academics to engage with other NIJ LEADS Scholars, all of whom are mid-career police officers, civilians, and fellow academics dedicated to advancing the police profession through science.

Rare Incidents Data Collection Methods to Advance Research on Mass Violence

Thank you and welcome. It is most gratifying for us at NIJ to host, interact with, and learn from our expert research partners. 

We appreciate that you’ve come from all over the country to convene with us here in San Antonio, Texas—the home of “The Alamo.” 

The Importance of Mass Violence Research 

I am David Muhlhausen, the Director of the National Institute of Justice. As...

Children Exposed to Violence

June 2010

Panelists will discuss the results of the recent Office of Juvenile Justice and ​Delinquency Prevention's National Survey on Children's Exposure to Violence and findings from a seven-year follow-up study, funded by NIJ, on home visitation in New York. The survey's findings included startling figures: More than 60 percent of the children interv​iewed were exposed to violence, crime and abuse within the past year, and more than 1 in 10 were injured in an assault.

The Evaluation of NIJ by the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences: NIJ's Response

June 2011

The National Academies conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the National Institute of Justice. This panel provides an overview of the evaluation and NIJ's response to it. NIJ has accepted many of the recommendations in the NRC report, and you will learn what the agency is doing to implement them. A few of the recommendations were challenging and created considerable debate within NIJ. Plans to address these thorny issues also are discussed.

Sexual Assault: Obtaining DNA From Evidence Collected up to a Week Later

June 2009

Technological advances have made it possible to detect male DNA in evidentiary samples collected several days after a sexual act has taken place. Panelists will present the research that has led to these findings, followed by a discussion of the potential impact of this work from the perspectives of the sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) and the crime laboratory communities.

Fighting the Opioid Crisis

Convening Police Leaders and Researchers to Learn Promising Practices and to Inform Research Agenda

Director Muhlhausen's prepared remarks at the NIJ-hosted Opioid Research Summit.

NIJ Director David B. Muhlhausen at the podium

NIJ Director Muhlhausen

Good morning and welcome to Washington, DC. It’s a privilege to host you here today at the National Institute of Justice. I’m particularly honored to have the Attorney General and the Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General with us...

Innovative Approaches to Addressing Violent Crime

Prepared remarks by NIJ Director David B. Muhlhausen given at CNA Executive Session "Innovative Approaches to Addressing Violent Crime."

Good morning, and thank you for having me here. On behalf of the National Institute of Justice, I’d like to congratulate CNA on the celebration of its 75th anniversary of service. It’s an honor to be here. I’m glad to have the opportunity to share some...

Director’s Corner: Spotlight on NIJ Research at International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference

Next week, law enforcement leadership from around the world will attend the annual conference of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), in Philadelphia. On Saturday, October 21, NIJ will host our 4th annual Saturday Session around the theme “What Works and What Matters in Policing.”

The session will include three panels bringing together law enforcement and academic experts to discuss officer safety, technology...

Director’s Corner: Pushing the Edge on Evidence-Based Policing - Reflections on Research for the Real World

“Most of what we do has never been tested,” pointed out Dr. Angela Hawken, before going on to explain how her organization, BetaGov, is working to change that through hundreds of rapid-implementation randomized controlled trials (RCTs). BetaGov is an innovation hub out of New York University that supports public sector practitioners conducting evaluations of their programs. Dr. Hawken has a deep research background and is...

Director’s Corner: Advancing Evidence-Based Policing

This year NIJ celebrates its fiftieth anniversary. This anniversary has been an opportunity to reflect on how far we’ve come. Fifty years ago, 911, hot spot policing, and license plate reader technology didn’t exist. We should be proud of how far we’ve come.

The concept of evidence-based practice has been on the rise over the past decade, but there is still a dramatic need for...

Researcher-Practitioner Partnerships

Thank you, and good morning. My name is Howard Spivak and I am the Principal Deputy Director of the National Institute of Justice, NIJ.

For those of you who aren’t familiar, NIJ is the research, development, and evaluation agency of the U.S. Department of Justice. We use science to inform and advance criminal justice policies and practices across the country. To do this, we provide...

Research on Returning Offender Programs and Promising Practices

It’s a rare event to have so many influential parts of the government convened in one room, and I’m honored to have the opportunity to address you today.

My name is David Muhlhausen and I am the director of the National Institute of Justice, which is the research, development, and evaluation arm of the Department of Justice.

I’ve also been recently appointed by the Attorney...

Homicide in the United States

June 2009

The 2009 NIJ Conference kicked off with a blue-ribbon panel of leaders with expertise in urban issues as they relate to homicide. These experts will discuss promising approaches that have resulted in reduced violence and community empowerment.

Backlogs and Their Impact on the Criminal Justice System

June 2010

Evidence backlogs have been known to be an issue in crime laboratories. A recent study published by NIJ has shown that backlogs of untested evidence are also an issue in law enforcement evidence storage. This panel will discuss the issues and present preliminary findings from a study of the Los Angeles Police Department's and Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's experience with clearing out a large backlog of unanalyzed rape kits.

Alternative Sentencing Policies for Drug Offenders

June 2009

The panel presentations from the 2009 NIJ Conference are based on an NIJ-sponsored evaluation of the effectiveness of Kansas Senate Bill 123, which mandates community-based drug abuse treatment for drug possession by nonviolent offenders in lieu of prison. 

A View From the Street: Police Leaders Share Their Perspectives on Urgent Policy and Research Issues

June 2010

Sponsored by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and its Research Advisory Committee (RAC), this panel unites law enforcement leaders from across the country to discuss their policy and research concerns. Charles Wellford, IACP RAC co-chair and University of Maryland professor, will facilitate the panel. Presenters will discuss urgent policing issues that merit ongoing research, law enforcement and academic research partnerships, and how research can and does affect agency policy and operations.

Are CEDs Safe and Effective?

June 2010

Thousands of law enforcement agencies throughout the United States have adopted conducted energy devices (CEDs) as a safe method to subdue individuals, but are these devices really safe? What policies should agencies adopt to ensure the proper use of this technology? This NIJ Conference Panel discusses the physiological effects of electrical current in the human body caused by CEDs, as well as how this technology can reduce injuries to officers and suspects when appropriate policies and training are followed.