NIJ FY24 W.E.B. Du Bois Program of Research on Reducing Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Justice System | O NIJ 2024 172018

Opportunity Information: Apply for O NIJ 2024 172018

The NIJ FY24 W.E.B. Du Bois Program of Research on Reducing Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Justice System is a discretionary federal grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Justice's National Institute of Justice (NIJ) that supports investigator-initiated research aimed at understanding and reducing racial and ethnic disparities across the U.S. justice system. The program is framed around the idea that disparities can emerge at many decision points in the administration of justice, and that rigorous research can help identify practical strategies, policies, and reforms that reduce unequal outcomes while maintaining public safety and fairness. The solicitation invites proposals that are grounded in sound research design and that can contribute useful evidence to guide real-world justice policy and practice.

The opportunity is organized around two broad research categories. The first category focuses on studies that examine how observed racial and ethnic disparities might be reduced through public policy interventions at any point during the administration of justice. This can include interventions and policy changes in areas such as policing and law enforcement encounters, stops and searches, arrests and charging decisions, pretrial release and detention, bail practices, diversion programs, legal representation, plea bargaining, sentencing, probation and parole, incarceration conditions and programming, and reentry and supervision. The emphasis is not only on documenting disparities, but on generating evidence about what can be done to reduce them, including testing reforms, evaluating policy changes, and identifying specific mechanisms that drive unequal outcomes.

The second category supports studies that advance knowledge and practice, policy, or both regarding the intersections of race, ethnicity, crime, and justice within the United States. This category is broader and can include foundational or applied research that clarifies how race and ethnicity interact with crime patterns, system decision-making, community conditions, victimization, reporting behaviors, enforcement priorities, and institutional structures. Projects under this category might explore how disparities arise and persist, how they vary by place and population, and how justice system processes shape experiences and outcomes for different racial and ethnic groups. The goal is to strengthen the knowledge base in a way that can inform policy debates and improve justice system decision-making, even when the research is not tied to a single discrete intervention.

This solicitation is issued under CFDA 16.560 and is supported as a grant within the Science and Technology and other Research and Development funding activity category. The total possible funding per award can be up to $2,000,000 (award ceiling), and NIJ anticipated making about 7 awards under this competition. The original application closing date was May 16, 2024, and the funding opportunity was created on March 7, 2024. Because it is a discretionary program, proposals are competitively reviewed, and awards are based on the merits of the proposed research and its potential contribution to the field.

Eligibility is broad and includes a wide range of applicant types that commonly conduct or support justice research. Eligible applicants include 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; nonprofit organizations both with and without 501(c)(3) status; individuals; for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other entities. The solicitation also explicitly notes units of local government, signaling that local agencies and jurisdictions are encouraged to apply, either independently or in partnership with researchers and other organizations.

In practical terms, the grant is intended for research teams that can credibly analyze where disparities occur, explain why they occur, and test or evaluate approaches that could reduce them. Strong proposals typically align research questions with policy-relevant decision points, use appropriate methods for causal inference or rigorous evaluation where feasible, leverage high-quality data (administrative, survey, qualitative, or mixed-method), and produce findings that can translate into actionable guidance for agencies and policymakers. The overall purpose of the Du Bois Program in this solicitation is to build evidence that helps the justice system move toward more equitable processes and outcomes, while improving understanding of the complex relationships among race, ethnicity, crime, and justice in the United States.

• The National Institute of Justice in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NIJ FY24 W.E.B. Du Bois Program of Research on Reducing Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Justice System" 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 2024-03-07.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-05-16. (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 $2,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 7 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, 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, Individuals, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.

Apply for O NIJ 2024 172018

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