NIJ FY24 Evaluation on Desistance | O NIJ 2024 171971

Opportunity Information: Apply for O NIJ 2024 171971

The NIJ FY24 Evaluation on Desistance grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number O-NIJ-2024-171971; CFDA 16.560) is a discretionary research and development grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice. The core goal is to fund rigorous evaluations of interventions that are designed to support desistance from crime, meaning the process by which people reduce and ultimately stop offending. NIJ is looking for strong, evidence-focused studies that can clarify which strategies actually help people move away from criminal behavior, why those strategies work (or do not), and how the desistance process can be measured more effectively and credibly.

A central feature of this solicitation is its emphasis on evaluation quality and innovation. NIJ is not simply asking for program descriptions or implementation narratives; it is asking for research that can stand up to scrutiny and produce findings that practitioners and policymakers can rely on. That includes carefully designed impact evaluations of desistance-focused interventions, as well as work that advances measurement, such as developing or testing new ways to capture desistance as a process rather than only a single end point. In practical terms, this could involve examining outcomes beyond rearrest or reconviction alone, considering how changes unfold over time, and testing measures that reflect social, behavioral, and structural changes associated with sustained desistance.

The opportunity is framed within DOJ and OJP priorities that stress civil rights and equity, access to justice, support for crime victims and justice-involved individuals, community safety, and public trust. Applicants should expect that proposals will be viewed through that lens, including how an evaluation accounts for fairness, disparate impacts, and the lived experiences of people affected by the justice system. Projects that can credibly speak to how interventions work across different populations and contexts, and whether benefits are shared equitably, will generally align well with the stated intent of the solicitation.

Funding is sizable and competitive. The award ceiling is $2,000,000, and NIJ expects to make about three awards under this announcement. The original closing date was April 30, 2024, and the solicitation was created on February 6, 2024. Because only a small number of awards are anticipated, proposals typically need to be highly targeted, methodologically strong, and realistic in scope, with clear plans for data access, research partnerships, and execution.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of organizations that can carry out high-quality evaluation 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 tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other entities. This broad eligibility reflects NIJ's interest in supporting rigorous evaluations across varied settings, including local government agencies and community-based systems where desistance-focused interventions are often delivered.

In short, this NIJ solicitation is designed to build the evidence base on what helps people desist from crime and how desistance should be measured. It supports DOJ's broader public safety mission while explicitly tying the work to equity, justice access, and trust-building goals, and it offers up to $2 million per award for a small number of strong, research-driven evaluation projects.

• 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 Evaluation on Desistance" 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 2024-02-06.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-04-30. (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 3 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, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.

Apply for O NIJ 2024 171971

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