Research and Evaluation on the Administration of Justice, FY 2019 | NIJ 2019 15645

Opportunity Information: Apply for NIJ 2019 15645

The Department of Justice's National Institute of Justice (NIJ) funding opportunity titled "Research and Evaluation on the Administration of Justice, FY 2019" (Funding Opportunity Number NIJ 2019 15645) is a discretionary grant program intended to support investigator-initiated, interdisciplinary research and evaluation projects that can strengthen how the justice system operates in practice. The opportunity sits at the intersection of law, justice, legal services, and science and technology-focused research and development, and it is tied to CFDA number 16.560. The central aim is to generate rigorous, actionable evidence that can inform policy, improve decision-making, and increase fairness and accuracy in key points of the criminal justice process.

The solicitation focuses on three specific topic areas. First, it invites research on eyewitness evidence, a long-standing and high-impact issue given the role of witness memory, identification procedures, and investigative practices in determining whether cases move forward and how juries interpret identification evidence. Projects in this area would typically examine the reliability of eyewitness identifications, the effectiveness of different lineup or photo array procedures, factors that influence memory and recall, and how courts and law enforcement can reduce error and strengthen evidentiary value.

Second, NIJ seeks studies of police deflection strategies, which generally refer to approaches where police redirect individuals away from arrest and deeper system involvement and toward services or alternative interventions, often in contexts such as substance use, mental health crises, or low-level offenses. Research in this space commonly evaluates how deflection models are implemented, which populations they reach, what outcomes they produce (for individuals and communities), and what operational or legal factors help or hinder success. Emphasis is often placed on evaluating real-world programs, identifying best practices, and clarifying the conditions under which deflection improves public safety and health outcomes while reducing unnecessary justice system contact.

Third, the opportunity calls for research related to forensic science testimony, reflecting ongoing concerns about how forensic evidence is presented in court and how jurors, judges, and attorneys interpret expert claims. Work in this area may explore the clarity and accuracy of testimony, communication of uncertainty and error rates, the potential for overstated conclusions, and how courtroom practices, expert qualifications, and cross-examination shape the way forensic evidence influences verdicts. The goal is to improve the quality and integrity of forensic evidence as it is translated from the lab to the courtroom, thereby supporting more reliable adjudication.

In terms of who can apply, NIJ made the competition broadly open to a wide range of entities and individuals, including state, county, city or township, and special district governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education in those categories); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); small businesses; and individuals. This broad eligibility signals NIJ's interest in tapping expertise from academia, practitioners, research firms, community-based organizations, and cross-sector partnerships.

The solicitation was created on February 5, 2019, with an original application closing date of April 19, 2019. NIJ anticipated making about five awards under this opportunity, with an award ceiling of up to $2,500,000 per award. Overall, the program is designed to fund substantial, high-quality research and evaluation efforts that can produce findings useful to law enforcement agencies, courts, policymakers, and other stakeholders working to improve the administration of justice, particularly in the areas of eyewitness identification, diversion/deflection practices, and the use and interpretation of forensic science in courtroom testimony.

• 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 "Research and Evaluation on the Administration of Justice, FY 2019" 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 Feb 05, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 19, 2019. (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 $2,500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 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, Nonprofits that do not have 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, Small businesses.

Apply for NIJ 2019 15645

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