NIJ FY22 Research and Evaluation of Services for Victims of Crime | O NIJ 2022 171206

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the NIJ FY22 Research and Evaluation of Services for Victims of Crime opportunity?

This is a discretionary grant program from the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), developed in collaboration with the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC). It funds rigorous research and evaluation intended to strengthen victim services and produce credible evidence, actionable findings, and practical guidance for policy and practice.

What is the funding opportunity number and CFDA number?

The Funding Opportunity Number is O-NIJ-2022-171206, and the CFDA number is 16.560.

What is the main goal of this solicitation?

The core expectation is that applicants propose strong, methodologically sound studies that can generate credible evidence and practical guidance to improve victim services, inform resource decisions, and guide future investments.

How does this opportunity align with Department of Justice priorities?

The solicitation is designed to align with broader DOJ priorities, including advancing civil rights and racial equity, improving access to justice, supporting people harmed by crime and those impacted by the justice system, strengthening community safety, and increasing trust between law enforcement and communities.

What kinds of projects are eligible under this opportunity?

Projects must fit clearly within one of three topic areas described in the solicitation: (1) evaluation of victim service programs, (2) research on supporting victims of community violence, or (3) research on the financial costs of crime victimization.

What are the three topic areas applicants must choose from?

The three topic areas are: (1) evaluating programs that provide services for victims of crime, (2) research on supporting victims of community violence, and (3) research on the financial costs of crime victimization.

What does NIJ mean by evaluating programs that provide services for victims of crime?

This topic area typically involves assessing whether victim service interventions work, for whom they work, and under what conditions. Outcomes can include safety, wellbeing, stability, and access to supports.

What does the community violence topic area emphasize?

This area emphasizes the needs and service responses for people harmed by violence in community settings and the systems that interact with them.

What does the financial costs of victimization topic area cover?

This area supports research that documents and analyzes the economic burden of victimization. It can include direct and indirect costs to victims, families, communities, service systems, and institutions.

Are purely descriptive studies encouraged?

No. NIJ is looking for proposals that are not just descriptive, but analytically strong and capable of producing evidence that can improve services and inform decisions.

How important are partnerships for this solicitation?

Partnerships are heavily emphasized because many studies require real-world data and cooperation from agencies. The solicitation expects clear documentation of partner commitment when collaboration is part of the proposed work.

What documentation is expected from partnering agencies?

If the proposed research involves collaboration with criminal justice agencies or other organizations, the application is expected to include a strong letter of support from each partnering agency, signed by an appropriate decision-making authority.

What must partner letters of support specifically acknowledge?

Letters must explicitly acknowledge that any de-identified data generated from, provided to, or obtained through the project will be archived with the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data (NACJD) at the end of the award.

What is NACJD and what role does it play in this grant?

NACJD is the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data. A key requirement in this solicitation is that de-identified data associated with the project be archived with NACJD at the end of the award, and partner letters must acknowledge this archiving requirement.

Why should applicants and partners review NACJD policies in advance?

The solicitation encourages early review so there are no surprises later about data handling, confidentiality, and archiving expectations.

Is there a deadline for formal agreements with partners after an award is made?

Yes. If an award is made, recipients are expected to have a formal agreement in place with partnering agencies by January 1, 2023.

What must be included in the formal agreement with partnering agencies?

The agreement must include provisions that ensure the project can meet the required data archiving obligations.

Can multiple organizations submit as co-applicants?

No. Only one entity can submit as the applicant.

How should other participating organizations be included if they will use federal funds?

Any other participating organizations that will use federal funds to conduct parts of the work must be included as subrecipients rather than co-applicants.

Why does it matter whether an organization is a subrecipient versus a co-applicant?

The solicitation highlights this structure as important for budgeting, compliance, and clear assignment of responsibility for performance and reporting.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is broad across public, nonprofit, academic, and private-sector entities in the United States. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city governments; special districts; independent school districts; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (including small businesses); and other eligible entities.

Can federal agencies apply?

Yes. Federal agencies may apply; however, if funded, the award would be issued as an inter-agency reimbursable agreement.

Are foreign organizations or foreign universities eligible?

No. Foreign governments, foreign organizations, and foreign colleges and universities are not eligible to apply.

How does the solicitation define "state" for eligibility purposes?

For this funding, the term "state" includes U.S. states and certain U.S. territories and jurisdictions: the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands.

What is the DOJ-wide condition related to Executive Order 13929 (Safe Policing for Safe Communities)?

To be eligible for FY 2022 DOJ discretionary funding, state, local, and university or college law enforcement agencies must either be certified by an approved independent credentialing body or have begun the certification process.

What use-of-force policy conditions are tied to the Executive Order 13929 requirement?

To qualify, an agency must meet mandatory conditions related to use-of-force policies, including compliance with applicable laws and a prohibition on chokeholds except where deadly force is legally authorized.

Does the Executive Order 13929 condition apply to subawards?

Yes. The requirement applies not only to direct recipients but also to law enforcement agencies receiving funds through subawards.

What should applicants do if their project involves law enforcement partners?

Applicants should plan early to confirm the certification status (or certification process status) of any state, local, or university/college law enforcement agencies involved, to avoid eligibility or implementation problems.

What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?

The posted award ceiling is $3,000,000.

When was the opportunity created and when did it close?

The opportunity was created on March 18, 2022. The original closing date for applications was May 6, 2022.

Are recipients allowed to include profit or management fees in their budgets?

No. The solicitation states that all recipients and subrecipients, including for-profit organizations, must forgo any profit or management fee. Federal funds are intended to directly support the proposed research and evaluation work rather than generate profit.

Does the no-profit/no-management-fee rule apply to subrecipients as well?

Yes. The solicitation explicitly applies this requirement to both recipients and subrecipients, including for-profit organizations.

What types of outcomes might be examined in victim service program evaluations?

The solicitation notes outcomes related to safety, wellbeing, stability, and access to supports as examples of outcomes that may be relevant when evaluating victim service interventions.