Research Grants

• The NIJ, headquartered at the Justice Department in Washington, D.C., awards grants for research and evaluation of criminal justice systems and issues. The focus of the grants varies from year to year based on available funding and NIJ's priorities. Past grants have been awarded to research international organized crime, human trafficking, criminal justice systems and crime prevention. Eligible applicants include state and local governments, nonprofit organizations and institutions of higher education.
  
  

Research Fellowships

• The institute funds two research fellowships: the Graduate Research Fellowship and the W.E.B. DuBois Fellowship . The Graduate Research Fellowship supports dissertation research by doctoral students in areas related to criminal justice. NIJ awards fellowships of up to $25,000 under this program. A student's university must apply for the fellowship. The DuBois Fellowship program brings scholars to the NIJ in Washington to conduct research on juvenile and adult criminal justice systems. Applicants to become DuBois fellows must have a doctoral or law degree, as well as experience in criminal justice research.
  
  

Forensic Science Grants

• Scientific advances have led to a growing reliance on DNA analysis and other scientific techniques to solve crimes and even exonerate wrongfully convicted defendants. Recognizing the value of forensic science to criminal justice systems, NIJ awards grants to law enforcement agencies and medical examiner offices to enhance forensic laboratory equipment and reduce backlogs of scientific evidence. Forensic grants offered by NIJ include the Forensic DNA Backlog Reduction Program and the Paul Coverdell Forensic Sciences Improvement Grant Program.
  
  

Considerations

• Applicants for NIJ grants should register on the federal government's grants website, Grants.gov. Follow all NIJ guidelines for applications and proposals. A research grant proposal, for example, should include an abstract, a table of contents and a main body that details the proposed project, research questions and methodology. The proposal also should include a budget narrative and budget worksheet.