NIJ FY25 Research and Evaluation on Corrections | O NIJ 2025 172600

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): NIJ FY25 Research and Evaluation on Corrections

1) What is the official name of this funding opportunity?

The opportunity is titled "NIJ FY25 Research and Evaluation on Corrections."

2) Who is offering this grant?

The grant is offered by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ).

3) What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?

The Funding Opportunity Number is O-NIJ-2025-172600.

4) What is the CFDA/Assistance Listing number?

The CFDA/Assistance Listing number is 16.560.

5) What is NIJ looking to fund under this solicitation?

NIJ is only seeking rigorous research and evaluation proposals in two specific areas: (1) management and development of the correctional workforce and (2) correctional officer safety.

6) Are proposals allowed on other corrections topics (for example, reentry, programming, facilities, or healthcare)?

No. Applications proposing research outside of the two specified topics will be treated as non-responsive and will not be considered under this notice of funding opportunity.

7) What does "non-responsive" mean in this solicitation?

"Non-responsive" means the application does not align with the allowable topics in the solicitation, and NIJ will not consider it for funding under this opportunity.

8) What are the two allowable topic areas, in plain terms?

The two allowable topics are: (1) projects focused on how correctional agencies manage, develop, and support their workforce and (2) projects focused on correctional officer safety.

9) Does NIJ expect a particular style of research approach?

Yes. NIJ emphasizes strong research design and real-world applicability, and signals interest in action-oriented research where correctional jurisdictions are active partners throughout the project (not just study sites).

10) What does NIJ mean by "action-oriented" research in this context?

Based on the solicitation summary, it means structuring the project so that correctional agencies help define the problem, participate in developing or selecting interventions or policy changes, support implementation, and then use evaluation findings to refine or revise practices.

11) How involved should a correctional agency or jurisdiction be in a proposed project?

NIJ is interested in proposals where jurisdictions are active partners throughout the project, including problem definition, intervention or policy development/selection, implementation support, and use of findings to improve operations.

12) Is phased implementation allowed (for example, pilots or staged rollouts)?

Yes. NIJ indicates that phased implementation may be appropriate when supported by the research questions and design, including staged rollouts, pilot testing followed by scaling, or sequential testing of program components.

13) Can an applicant submit more than one proposal?

Yes. Applicants may submit more than one proposal.

14) If submitting multiple proposals, can one proposal cover both allowable topics?

No. Each proposal must address only one of the two allowable topics.

15) Is there a special instruction about identifying the topic in the application?

Yes. The application must clearly identify which topic is being addressed on the title page of the proposal narrative.

16) Why does NIJ want the topic labeled on the title page?

The stated purpose is to help NIJ quickly confirm the application is responsive to the solicitation and route proposals for review.

17) What is the maximum award amount?

The award ceiling is $3,000,000.

18) Approximately how many awards does NIJ expect to make?

NIJ anticipates making about 4 awards under this opportunity.

19) What is the submission deadline?

The closing date for submissions is June 2, 2026.

20) What type of funding instrument is this?

The funding instrument is a grant.

21) What is the activity category for this opportunity?

The activity category is science and technology and other research and development, reflecting NIJ's emphasis on empirical and evaluation-focused work rather than service delivery.

22) Is this primarily a service delivery grant?

No. The description emphasizes empirical research and evaluation and positions the opportunity in research and development rather than service delivery.

23) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is broad and includes: 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 Native American tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations (including those other than small businesses); small businesses; and other eligible applicants as specified by NIJ.

24) Are local government entities eligible?

Yes. The eligibility list includes county and city or township governments and also references "Other Units of Local Government."

25) Are tribal governments and tribal organizations eligible?

Yes. Federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other tribal organizations are included in the eligible entity types.

26) Are colleges and universities eligible?

Yes. Both public/state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education are included as eligible applicants.

27) Are nonprofits eligible even if they do not have 501(c)(3) status?

Yes. The eligibility list includes nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education).

28) Are for-profit organizations and small businesses eligible?

Yes. The eligibility list includes for-profit organizations (including those other than small businesses) and small businesses.

29) Are correctional agencies required to be the lead applicant?

The provided information does not state that a correctional agency must be the lead applicant. It does emphasize strong partnerships with correctional jurisdictions and active agency involvement throughout the project.

30) What kinds of proposals are likely to be most competitive based on the description provided?

Competitive proposals will likely be those that are tightly aligned to one allowable topic, demonstrate meaningful correctional jurisdiction involvement, and present a rigorous plan to test, measure, and improve workforce management/development strategies or correctional officer safety practices in real-world settings.