OJJDP FY 18 Juvenile Reentry Research and Evaluation Program | OJJDP 2018 13708

Opportunity Information: Apply for OJJDP 2018 13708

The OJJDP FY 18 Juvenile Reentry Research and Evaluation Program is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), designed to build stronger evidence about what works in juvenile reentry. The central goal is to fund methodologically rigorous research and evaluation projects that can produce practical, usable findings for government-funded juvenile reentry efforts. OJJDP signals a clear preference for high-quality experimental designs, ideally a randomized controlled demonstration field experiment, meaning applicants are encouraged to test interventions in real-world settings using strong comparison methods so outcomes can be attributed to the program with confidence.

The research focus is broad but firmly anchored in the reentry process for youth returning from confinement or justice system involvement back into the community. Priority topics include better screening and assessment approaches (for identifying risks, needs, and strengths); behavioral management strategies within facilities or programs; improvements in organizational or institutional capacity, structure, and implementation; and cross-system services and coordination, such as how juvenile justice agencies work with behavioral health, child welfare, education, workforce, and community organizations. OJJDP also highlights the importance of post-release services and supervision practices, including how supervision is delivered and how it affects outcomes like compliance, recidivism, school reengagement, and stability. Another emphasized area is family engagement and support, reflecting the reality that family systems often play a major role in whether a young person can sustain progress after release.

Within this overall scope, OJJDP expresses particular interest in studies targeting specific high-need and high-risk populations and contexts. These include juveniles with co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders, gang-involved youth, and older juveniles or young adults reentering communities that are experiencing elevated levels of violence and crime. The intent is to learn which strategies are effective for youth facing multiple, overlapping challenges and to generate evidence that is directly relevant to jurisdictions under pressure to improve public safety while supporting rehabilitation.

Key administrative details frame how the program is structured. The funding opportunity number is OJJDP 2018 13708, and it is tied to CFDA 16.812 under the Law, Justice, and Legal Services activity category. The opportunity was created on March 29, 2018, with an original application closing date of May 31, 2018. OJJDP anticipated making about four awards, with a maximum award amount (ceiling) of $1,000,000 per award. As a grant instrument, the funding supports projects that can include evaluation activities, data collection and analysis, and demonstration components that test promising reentry models in the field.

Eligibility is intentionally expansive to encourage strong partnerships and a mix of applied and academic expertise. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other entities as clarified in the opportunity’s additional eligibility information. This wide eligibility scope reflects the reality that rigorous reentry research often requires collaborations between justice agencies, service providers, and research organizations that can manage complex evaluation designs and administrative requirements.

Overall, the program is aimed at moving juvenile reentry policy and practice toward evidence-based decisions by funding studies that are both scientifically credible and operationally relevant. The emphasis on rigorous evaluation, real-world demonstration, and special focus on youth with complex needs and high-risk community contexts signals that OJJDP is looking for projects that can produce clear lessons for jurisdictions seeking to improve reentry outcomes and reduce continued justice involvement.

• The Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "OJJDP FY 18 Juvenile Reentry Research and Evaluation Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.812.
• This funding opportunity was created on Mar 29, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 31, 2018. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 4 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for OJJDP 2018 13708

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