NIJ FY25 Research and Evaluation on Forensic Science Systems
Closed Posted
- Opportunity number
- O-NIJ-2025-172599
- Agency
-
National Institute of Justice
Office of Justice Programs, Department of Justice
- Applications due
- Award size
- Up to $2,000,000
Opportunity facts
- Assistance listings
- Funding instrument
- Cooperative Agreement
- Category
-
- Science and Technology and other Research and Development
- Eligible applicants
-
- Independent School Districts
- Small Businesses
- Higher Education Inst. (Public)
- State Governments
- For Profit Organizations
- Tribal Organizations (Not Federally Recognized)
- County Governments
- 501(c)(3) Nonprofits
- Public or Indian Housing Auth.
- Other
- Higher Education Inst. (Private)
- Special District Governments
- City/Township Governments
- Tribal Governments (Federally Recognized)
- Non-501(c)(3) Nonprofits
- Points of contact
-
- OJP Response Center ojp.responsecenter@usdoj.gov (800) 851-3420
- Full announcement
Opportunity details come from Grants.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The National Institute of Justice (NIJ), under the Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs, is seeking rigorous applied research and evaluative studies on forensic science systems through cooperative agreements. Applicants must submit proposals addressing one of three priority areas: the impact of forensic science on criminal justice outcomes (such as improving investigative clearance rates, reducing crime lab backlogs, and increasing law enforcement effectiveness); evaluations of new and innovative forensic science methods and their effects on courtroom admissibility and evidentiary reliability; or workforce development in the forensic science field. The federal government will evaluate applications based on criteria outlined in the notice of funding opportunity, including eligibility and responsiveness reviews alongside merit, programmatic, and budget assessments. A pre-application webinar will be held on May 14, 2026, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET, with preregistration required. The deadline for proposal submission is June 2, 2026, and applicants must submit questions at least 24 hours prior to the webinar to NIJ.NOFO.Support@ojp.usdoj.gov.
Award amounts under the National Institute of Justice Research, Evaluation, and Development Project Grants program typically range from approximately $25,000 to $2.1 million, with project periods generally spanning one to three years. Research and evaluation activities will be conducted at recipient facilities and research sites, frequently in partnership with state and local criminal justice agencies across diverse geographic regions. Eligible applicants include independent school districts, small businesses, higher education institutions, state and tribal governments, county and city governments, nonprofits, housing authorities, and other organizational types. All successful applicants must retain records for three years following final expenditure report submission and comply with uniform administrative requirements outlined in 2 CFR 200.
Synopsis
2 versions
Update #2 · Latest ·
May 7, 2026: NIJ has modified this notice of funding opportunity to add pre-application webinar details. The webinar details are as below: Pre-Application Webinar: A webinar on this NOFO will be held on May 14, 2026, at 2 p.m. - 3 p.m. ET. Preregistration is required for all participants. Register for the webinar. Submit any questions in advance to NIJ.NOFO.Support@ojp.usdoj.gov 24 hours prior to the webinar. Submit questions with the subject "Questions for NIJ FY25 Research and Evaluation on Forensic Science Systems Webinar." - This NOFO seeks proposals for rigorous applied research and evaluative studies on the forensic science system. The field of forensic science is changing, particularly as technological advancements improve the criminal justice system's ability to use forensic evidence more effectively and efficiently. Research is needed to better understand the impact of forensic science on the criminal justice system and law enforcement operations. With this NOFO, NIJ requests applications in three topic areas: • The impact of forensic science on the criminal justice system and law enforcement operations, such as improving investigative clearance rates, increasing law enforcement effectiveness, and reducing crime lab backlogs. • Evaluations of the implementation of new and innovative forensic science methods and their impact on strengthening courtroom admissibility and evidentiary reliability. • Developing the forensic science workforce.
Update #1 ·
This NOFO seeks proposals for rigorous applied research and evaluative studies on the forensic science system. The field of forensic science is changing, particularly as technological advancements improve the criminal justice system's ability to use forensic evidence more effectively and efficiently. Research is needed to better understand the impact of forensic science on the criminal justice system and law enforcement operations. With this NOFO, NIJ requests applications in three topic areas: • The impact of forensic science on the criminal justice system and law enforcement operations, such as improving investigative clearance rates, increasing law enforcement effectiveness, and reducing crime lab backlogs. • Evaluations of the implementation of new and innovative forensic science methods and their impact on strengthening courtroom admissibility and evidentiary reliability. • Developing the forensic science workforce.
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