NIJ FY22 Research and Evaluation on Violent Crime and Firearm Violence in the Community | O NIJ 2022 171248

Opportunity Information: Apply for O NIJ 2022 171248

The NIJ FY22 Research and Evaluation on Violent Crime and Firearm Violence in the Community grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number O-NIJ-2022-171248) is a discretionary Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs solicitation administered by the National Institute of Justice. Its main purpose is to fund rigorous research and evaluation that builds practical, evidence-based knowledge about intentional, interpersonal, community-based violence, with a clear emphasis on firearm violence. The broader framing of the solicitation aligns with DOJ priorities around civil rights and racial equity, access to justice, support for victims and justice-involved individuals, strengthening community safety, responding to evolving threats, and improving trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve. In other words, NIJ is looking for work that not only explains what is happening with community violence, but also produces credible evidence about what actually helps prevent or reduce it.

NIJ is seeking two general types of proposals. First, research projects that advance understanding of community violence, including firearm violence, such as studies that clarify drivers of violence, risk and protective factors, how violence spreads through networks or places, or how local conditions shape violent outcomes. Second, evaluation projects that test the effectiveness of community violence intervention and prevention approaches, including programs, policies, legislation, and practices that target firearm violence. The solicitation explicitly ties this investment to the DOJ Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime, signaling that NIJ wants findings that can inform a broader national strategy and deliver usable knowledge and tools for practitioners and policymakers.

A major operational requirement involves partnerships and data. Applications that involve collaboration with criminal justice agencies or other agencies are expected to include strong letters of support signed by an appropriate decision-making authority at each partnering agency. These letters are not meant to be generic; they should confirm the partner understands the project and, importantly, that 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. Applicants and partners are encouraged to review NACJD policies and protections ahead of time so there are no surprises about data handling, privacy, or documentation expectations. If an award is made, the recipient is expected to have a formal written agreement in place with partnering agencies by January 1, 2023, and that agreement must include specific language ensuring the project will meet the required NACJD data archiving obligations.

The solicitation also clarifies how applications should be structured when multiple agencies are involved. Only one entity may apply as the official applicant; any other participating organizations that will use federal funds to carry out the project must be included as subrecipients rather than co-applicants. This is especially relevant for multi-partner evaluations that involve city agencies, police departments, service providers, and researchers sharing responsibilities under one umbrella award.

Eligibility is broad across government, education, nonprofit, and private sectors, reflecting NIJ’s interest in both academic research capacity and practice-based evaluation. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; 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 (other than small businesses); small businesses; and other eligible entities. Federal agencies may also apply, but any award to a federal agency would be made through an inter-agency reimbursable agreement. Foreign governments, foreign organizations, and foreign colleges and universities are not eligible to apply.

There is a specific law enforcement certification condition tied to Executive Order 13929, Safe Policing for Safe Communities. For FY 2022 DOJ discretionary grant funding, state, local, and university or college law enforcement agencies must be certified by an approved independent credentialing body or must have started the certification process to be eligible. To qualify for certification, an agency must meet two mandatory requirements: its use-of-force policies must comply with applicable federal, state, and local laws, and its policies must prohibit chokeholds except where deadly force is legally allowed. This requirement also applies when a law enforcement agency is receiving DOJ discretionary funding through a subaward, meaning it can affect project partnerships and budgeting even when the law enforcement agency is not the primary applicant. The solicitation points applicants to the DOJ COPS Office website for detailed standards, implementation guidance, and the list of designated credentialing bodies.

From a funding and administrative standpoint, the grant uses the “Grant” funding instrument type and falls under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity category (CFDA 16.560). The listed award ceiling is up to $5,000,000. The original closing date for applications was May 20, 2022, and the solicitation was created on April 4, 2022. Finally, the solicitation emphasizes a cost principle that applies to all recipients and subrecipients, including for-profit organizations: no profit or management fee is allowed under this award, meaning project budgets must be structured strictly around allowable costs to conduct the proposed research or evaluation work.

• The National Institute of Justice in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NIJ FY22 Research and Evaluation on Violent Crime and Firearm Violence in the Community" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.560.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2022-04-04.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-05-20. (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 $5,000,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), 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.

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