O-BJS-2025-172531: BJS FY25 Survey of Public Defenders (SPD)
Closed
This grant is closed. Who won this program's grants before is below, and similar open grants are at the end of the page. It is in our archive of Bureau of Justice Statistics notices from 2026.
Bureau of Justice Statistics offered grants of up to $1.0 million to nonprofits, colleges and universities, state and local governments, small businesses and businesses. It expected to make one award worth $1.0 million in total. Applications closed on March 2, 2026.
From the official notice on Grants.gov, last changed January 21, 2026. Checked November 7, 2026.
- Award ceiling$1.0 million
- Total funding$1.0 million
- Expected awards1
- Cost sharingNot required
- Funding typeCooperative Agreement
Key dates
| Posted | January 21, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Deadline | March 2, 2026 |
Who can apply
This opportunity was open to nonprofits, colleges and universities, state and local governments, small businesses and businesses.
All 7 applicant types the notice lists
- Independent school districts
- Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
- 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
Is this a realistic fit?
- Past Special Data Collections and Statistical Studies awards averaged $1.0 million; this notice allows up to $1.0 million per award.
- Most of the program's money (68% over five years) went to nonprofits.
- No cost sharing or match is required.
What the grant funds
The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) FY 2025 Survey of Public Defenders (SPD) is a new data collection to capture questions about the provision of public defense, including demographics, caseloads, clients, and access to resources, directly from attorneys. BJS’s history studying public defense dates back to 1986, and has periodically updated and modernized its knowledge of public defense field. In 1986 BJS looked more generally at criminal defense with the Criminal Defense System Study, and targeted studies at public defense with the National Survey of Indigent Defense Systems (NSIDS) as a probability sample in 1999 and a census in 2013. In response to lessons learned from the 1999 NSIDS, BJS also conducted the Census of Public Defender Offices (CPDO) in 2007, focusing on publicly-funded defender offices. Each of BJS’s prior collections examined public defense at the office level. After consideration of the results of these efforts, BJS determined that some questions about the provision of public defense. In 2021, the SPD survey instrument and sample design were created and pilot tested. In response to sampling challenges arising from an incomplete current frame of public defender offices, in 2025 BJS ran a new CPDO. The purpose of FY2025SPD solicitation is to use the 2025 CPDO and to implement lessons learned and recommendations from the pilot study into the full national collection of the SPD.
Who has won Special Data Collections and Statistical Studies grants before
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Special Data Collections and Statistical Studies (16.734) awarded $37.2 million across 36 grant awards, an average of $1.0 million per award.
| Recipient | State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research Triangle Institute | North Carolina | 16 | $19.6 million |
| Abt Global LLC | Maryland | 4 | $8.8 million |
| National Opinion Research Center | Illinois | 4 | $5.8 million |
| Abt Global LLC | Massachusetts | 2 | $3.4 million |
| Justice Information Resource Network Inc. | District of Columbia | 2 | $2.4 million |
Applying now
This notice no longer takes applications. Agencies often post the same opportunity again under a new number, so check the program's notices on Grants.gov and the similar open grants below.
The notice on Grants.gov keeps its full text and attachments, which is useful for planning a resubmission.
Questions people ask
Is O-BJS-2025-172531 still open?
No. It closed on March 2, 2026.
Who can apply for BJS FY25 Survey of Public Defenders (SPD)?
Bureau of Justice Statistics accepted applications from nonprofits, colleges and universities, state and local governments, small businesses and businesses.
What is the deadline for BJS FY25 Survey of Public Defenders (SPD)?
Closed March 2, 2026. Applications are no longer accepted; the program's newer notices are on this page when there are any.
How much funding is available?
Awards of up to $1.0 million each. About $1.0 million in total for one award.
Who has won Special Data Collections and Statistical Studies grants before?
The largest recipients over five fiscal years were Research Triangle Institute, Abt Global LLC, National Opinion Research Center. The program made 36 awards worth $37.2 million in that time.