NIJ FY18 Programs and Services for Victims of Crime: Phased Evaluation Research | NIJ 2018 14060

Opportunity Information: Apply for NIJ 2018 14060

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ), within the U.S. Department of Justice, released a discretionary grant opportunity titled "NIJ FY18 Programs and Services for Victims of Crime: Phased Evaluation Research" (Funding Opportunity Number NIJ 2018 14060; CFDA 16.560). The central purpose of the solicitation is to build the groundwork for rigorous, high-quality evaluation research focused on specific services provided to victims of crime. Rather than funding a full-scale evaluation immediately, NIJ is funding a planning phase designed to prepare projects to conduct strong, credible evaluations in a later stage.

The research focus is on real-world victim service interventions, specifically calling out areas such as housing-related supports, legal assistance, and technology-based services. In practice, this can include programs that stabilize victims through emergency or transitional housing, services that help victims navigate protective orders or other legal remedies, and tools that use technology to improve access, safety planning, communication, case management, or service delivery. NIJ is looking for planning work that is directly tied to evaluating these kinds of services in a way that can produce defensible evidence about what works, for whom, and under what conditions.

This solicitation supports a planning period of performance that cannot exceed 24 months. That emphasis signals that the expected deliverable is a well-developed evaluation plan and the necessary partnerships, data arrangements, measures, and implementation groundwork required for a later, more resource-intensive evaluation phase. Typical planning-phase activities for opportunities like this often include refining the program theory or logic model, documenting how services are delivered across sites, confirming that an evaluation is feasible and ethical, developing outcome measures relevant to victim safety and well-being, negotiating data sharing agreements, testing instruments or data collection procedures, and establishing protocols to protect privacy and confidentiality given the sensitivity of victim information.

Funding details indicate a maximum award amount (ceiling) of $3,000,000, with NIJ expecting to make about 6 awards. The opportunity was created on March 5, 2018, and the original closing date for applications was May 4, 2018. The activity categories attached to the opportunity reflect NIJ's role at the intersection of justice-focused programming and research and development, specifically "Law, Justice and Legal Services" and "Science and Technology and other Research and Development."

Eligibility is broad and includes state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations (other than institutions of higher education); individuals; and for-profit organizations other than small businesses. This wide eligibility suggests NIJ is open to applications led by research organizations, universities, government agencies, service providers, or partnerships among these groups, as long as the proposal can support a rigorous evaluation planning effort for victim services.

Overall, the opportunity is best understood as NIJ investing in the early, critical work needed to set up credible evaluations of victim service programs. The planning emphasis reflects a recognition that strong evaluations require careful design, dependable access to data, clear outcome definitions, and close coordination with service providers before any full evaluation can responsibly begin.

• The Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice in the law, justice and legal services, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NIJ FY18 Programs and Services for Victims of Crime: Phased Evaluation Research" 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 Mar 05, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 04, 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 $3,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 6 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district 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, Private institutions of higher education, Individuals, For profit organizations other than small businesses.

Apply for NIJ 2018 14060

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