Opportunity Information: Apply for O NIJ 2021 97002
The Department of Justice, through the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), offered this Fiscal Year 2021 discretionary grant opportunity to fund rigorous scientific research aimed at identifying best practices that can reduce trauma experienced by children involved in child pornography investigations. The central focus is not only on understanding harm, but on producing evidence-based guidance for how investigative and justice-system processes can be handled in ways that minimize additional psychological distress for child victims. The solicitation is framed within DOJ priorities that include advancing civil rights, increasing access to justice, supporting crime victims, protecting the public from evolving threats, and strengthening trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve.
The competition (Funding Opportunity Number O-NIJ-2021-97002) is structured as a research and development grant under CFDA 16.560. NIJ limited eligibility primarily to accredited research universities and other higher-education institutions, including public/state-controlled and private institutions, with additional eligibility details referenced in the full announcement. The funding cap for a single award was $1,500,000, and NIJ anticipated making one award. The solicitation was posted April 26, 2021, with an application deadline of June 3, 2021.
A key feature of this opportunity is its emphasis on applied, real-world research that may require partnerships with criminal justice agencies or other relevant organizations (for example, law enforcement units, prosecutors, child advocacy centers, or victim service providers). For proposals that rely on such partnerships, NIJ required strong letters of support from each partnering agency, signed by an appropriate decision-making authority. These letters were not meant to be generic endorsements; they needed to confirm the agency's commitment to participate and, importantly, to acknowledge the project’s data-sharing and archiving obligations.
The solicitation places heavy weight on data stewardship and long-term research value. Any de-identified data produced, obtained, or provided through the project must be archived by the grant recipient with the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data (NACJD) at the conclusion of the award. Applicants and partners were encouraged to review NACJD policies and protections in advance so that data management, confidentiality safeguards, and compliance expectations could be built into the project design from the start. If an award was made, the grantee would be expected to have a formal written agreement with partnering agencies in place by January 1, 2022, and that agreement had to include a provision specifically ensuring that the NACJD data archiving requirement would be met.
Finally, the solicitation clarifies how project teams should be organized for funding purposes. Even when multiple agencies collaborate and federal funds support work across partners, only one entity may apply as the official applicant organization. Any additional participating organizations that will receive and spend award funds must be included as subrecipients rather than co-applicants. This structure is intended to keep program accountability clear, ensure a single entity is responsible for compliance, and still allow complex multi-agency research collaborations to operate under one coordinated award.Apply for O NIJ 2021 97002
- The Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Research to Reduce Trauma for Child Pornography Victims, Fiscal Year 2021" 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 Apr 26, 2021.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 03, 2021. (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 $1,500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is this grant opportunity about?
This Fiscal Year 2021 discretionary grant opportunity from the Department of Justice (DOJ), through the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), supports rigorous scientific research to identify best practices that reduce trauma experienced by children involved in child pornography investigations. The intent is to produce evidence-based guidance on how investigative and justice-system processes can be conducted in ways that minimize additional psychological distress for child victims.
Which agency is offering the funding?
The funding is offered by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) through the National Institute of Justice (NIJ).
What is the Funding Opportunity Number?
The Funding Opportunity Number is O-NIJ-2021-97002.
What type of grant is this?
The opportunity is structured as a research and development discretionary grant.
What is the CFDA number for this solicitation?
The solicitation is under CFDA 16.560.
What are the main goals or outcomes NIJ is seeking?
NIJ is seeking applied, real-world research that goes beyond documenting harm and instead generates evidence-based guidance for investigative and justice-system practices that reduce additional trauma for child victims during child pornography investigations.
How does this solicitation align with DOJ priorities?
The solicitation is framed within DOJ priorities that include advancing civil rights, increasing access to justice, supporting crime victims, protecting the public from evolving threats, and strengthening trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is limited primarily to accredited research universities and other higher-education institutions, including public/state-controlled and private institutions. Additional eligibility details are referenced in the full announcement.
How much funding is available per award?
The funding cap for a single award was $1,500,000.
How many awards did NIJ anticipate making?
NIJ anticipated making one award.
When was the solicitation posted?
The solicitation was posted on April 26, 2021.
What was the application deadline?
The application deadline was June 3, 2021.
Does NIJ expect proposals to involve partnerships?
Yes. The opportunity emphasizes applied, real-world research that may require partnerships with criminal justice agencies or other relevant organizations, such as law enforcement units, prosecutors, child advocacy centers, or victim service providers.
Are letters of support required from partners?
If a proposal relies on partnerships, NIJ required strong letters of support from each partnering agency, signed by an appropriate decision-making authority.
What should partner letters of support include?
The letters were not meant to be generic endorsements. They needed to confirm the agency's commitment to participate and acknowledge the project’s data-sharing and archiving obligations.
What are the data archiving requirements?
Any de-identified data produced, obtained, or provided through the project must be archived by the grant recipient with the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data (NACJD) at the conclusion of the award.
What kinds of data are covered by the archiving requirement?
The requirement applies to de-identified data produced, obtained, or provided through the project.
When must the data be archived with NACJD?
The data must be archived with NACJD at the conclusion of the award.
Why does NIJ emphasize data stewardship for this grant?
The solicitation places heavy weight on data stewardship and long-term research value, with an expectation that de-identified project data will be preserved through archiving with NACJD.
What should applicants do about NACJD policies before proposing a project?
Applicants and partners were encouraged to review NACJD policies and protections in advance so that data management, confidentiality safeguards, and compliance expectations could be built into the project design from the start.
Is a written agreement with partnering agencies required if an award is made?
Yes. If an award was made, the grantee would be expected to have a formal written agreement with partnering agencies in place by January 1, 2022.
What must the written agreement with partners include?
The agreement had to include a provision specifically ensuring that the NACJD data archiving requirement would be met.
Can multiple organizations apply together as co-applicants?
No. Only one entity may apply as the official applicant organization, even when multiple agencies collaborate and federal funds support work across partners.
How should additional participating organizations be included if they will receive grant funds?
Any additional participating organizations that will receive and spend award funds must be included as subrecipients rather than co-applicants.
Why does NIJ require a single official applicant?
This structure is intended to keep program accountability clear, ensure a single entity is responsible for compliance, and still allow complex multi-agency research collaborations to operate under one coordinated award.
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