In collaboration with the Office of Victims of Crime, the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) is seeking applications for its Research and Evaluation of Services for Victims of Crime to improve knowledge and practice related to crime victims and crime victim services, and to fill critical research gaps.

NIJ is seeking applications in three main areas under this solicitation:

• research and evaluation of State crime victim compensation programs;
• research on the impact of COVID-19 on the delivery of services to victims of crime;
• evaluation of programs that provide services for victims of crime.

Objectives

This solicitation has three objectives:

• Developing knowledge concerning the effectiveness of State crime victim compensation programs.
• Developing knowledge concerning the effectiveness of programs that deliver services to victims of crime.
• Developing knowledge concerning the ways in which services to crime victims were influenced by the major societal changes related to the COVID-19 pandemic and measures taken to prevent the spread of the disease.

Priority Areas

In FY 2021 and in addition to executing any program specific prioritization that may be applicable, OJP will give priority consideration to applications as follows:

• Applications that address specific challenges that rural communities face.
• Applications that demonstrate that the individuals who are intended to benefit from the requested grant reside in high-poverty areas or persistent-poverty counties.
• Applications that offer enhancements to public safety in economically distressed communities (Qualified Opportunity Zones).

Funding Information

• Estimated Total Program Funding: $4,000,000
• Award Ceiling: $4,000,000

Eligibility Criteria

• Eligible Applicants:
  • City or township governments, County governments, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Independent school districts, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), 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, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Public housing authorities/Indian housing  authorities, Small businesses, Special district governments, State governments, Other
• Other:
  • For purposes of this solicitation, the term “State” means any State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virginia Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
  • Foreign governments, foreign organizations, and foreign colleges and universities are not eligible to apply. Federal agencies are eligible to apply. (Any award made to a federal agency will be made as an inter-agency reimbursable agreement.)
  • To advance Executive Order 13929 Safe Policing for Safe Communities, the Attorney General determined that all state, local, and university or college law enforcement agencies must be certified by an approved independent credentialing body or have started the certification process to be eligible for FY 2021 DOJ discretionary grant funding.
  • To become certified, the law enforcement agency must meet two mandatory conditions:
    • the agency’s use of force policies adhere to all applicable federal, state, and local laws;
    • the agency’s use of force policies prohibit chokeholds except in situations where use of deadly force is allowed by law.
  • The certification requirement also applies to law enforcement agencies receiving DOJ discretionary grant funding through a sub award.

For more information, visit NIJ.