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

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the NIJ FY24 W.E.B. Du Bois Program of Research grant?

This is a discretionary federal grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Justice's National Institute of Justice (NIJ). It supports investigator-initiated research aimed at understanding and reducing racial and ethnic disparities across the U.S. justice system.

What is the main purpose of this program?

The program is designed to build rigorous, practical evidence about where disparities occur, why they occur, and what strategies, policies, or reforms can reduce unequal outcomes while maintaining public safety and fairness.

What does "investigator-initiated research" mean in this context?

It means applicants propose their own research questions, approaches, and study designs, as long as the proposed work aligns with the solicitation's goals related to racial and ethnic disparities in the justice system.

What kinds of disparities is the program focused on?

The solicitation focuses on racial and ethnic disparities that may emerge at many decision points across the administration of justice in the United States.

How is the opportunity structured?

The solicitation is organized around two broad research categories: (1) studies of public policy interventions intended to reduce disparities at any point in the justice process, and (2) studies that advance knowledge and/or practice and policy about intersections of race, ethnicity, crime, and justice in the United States.

What is the first research category about?

The first category supports studies that examine how observed racial and ethnic disparities might be reduced through public policy interventions at any point during the administration of justice. The emphasis is on generating evidence about what can be done to reduce disparities, such as testing reforms, evaluating policy changes, and identifying mechanisms that drive unequal outcomes.

What decision points in the justice system are examples of where interventions could be studied?

The solicitation lists many possible areas, including 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.

Is the program only interested in documenting disparities?

No. While understanding and measuring disparities is important, the first research category explicitly emphasizes producing evidence about strategies that can reduce disparities, including evaluating reforms and identifying specific mechanisms driving unequal outcomes.

What is the second research category about?

The second category supports studies that advance knowledge and/or practice and policy regarding the intersections of race, ethnicity, crime, and justice within the United States. This category 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.

Do projects in the second category need to evaluate a specific policy intervention?

Not necessarily. The solicitation notes that 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.

What types of research methods are encouraged?

The solicitation invites proposals grounded in sound research design. It highlights the value of appropriate methods for causal inference or rigorous evaluation where feasible, and using high-quality data such as administrative data, survey data, qualitative data, or mixed-method approaches.

What makes a proposal likely to be competitive, based on the description provided?

Based on the information provided, competitive proposals typically align research questions with policy-relevant decision points, use rigorous methods (including causal inference or strong evaluation designs where feasible), leverage high-quality data, and produce findings that can translate into actionable guidance for agencies and policymakers.

What is the CFDA number for this solicitation?

The solicitation is issued under CFDA 16.560.

What funding activity category supports this opportunity?

It is supported as a grant within the Science and Technology and other Research and Development funding activity category.

What is the maximum award amount?

The total possible funding per award can be up to $2,000,000 (the award ceiling).

How many awards does NIJ anticipate making?

NIJ anticipated making about 7 awards under this competition.

When was the funding opportunity created?

The funding opportunity was created on March 7, 2024.

What was the application closing date?

The original application closing date was May 16, 2024.

Is this a formula grant or a competitive grant?

This is a discretionary program, meaning proposals are competitively reviewed and awards are based on the merits of the proposed research and its potential contribution to the field.

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; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status; individuals; for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other entities.

Are units of local government encouraged to apply?

Yes. The solicitation 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.

Can for-profit organizations apply?

Yes. The eligibility list includes for-profit organizations other than small businesses as well as small businesses.

Can individuals apply?

Yes. Individuals are included in the eligibility list.

Can tribal governments or tribal organizations apply?

Yes. Federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other tribal organizations are listed as eligible applicants.

What kinds of organizations are included under nonprofit eligibility?

The eligibility list includes nonprofit organizations both with and without 501(c)(3) status.

What kinds of projects is this grant intended to support in practical terms?

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.

What outcomes is the program trying to influence?

The solicitation emphasizes moving the justice system toward more equitable processes and outcomes while improving understanding of the complex relationships among race, ethnicity, crime, and justice in the United States.

Does the program emphasize real-world usefulness of findings?

Yes. The solicitation highlights producing evidence that can guide real-world justice policy and practice and translate into actionable guidance for agencies and policymakers.

Does the grant focus only on one part of the justice system?

No. The solicitation is framed around the idea that disparities can emerge at many decision points across the justice system, from law enforcement encounters through courts, corrections, and reentry.