# Research and Evaluation for the Testing and Interpretation of Physical Evidence in Publicly Funded Forensic Laboratories, Fiscal Year 2021

Source: https://welltoldgrants.com/grants/o-nij-2021-95002-research-and-evaluation-for-the-testing-and-interpretation/  
Official notice: https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/333078

> National Institute of Justice offered grants of up to $1.5 million to nonprofits, colleges and universities, state and local governments, tribes, small businesses and businesses. It expected to make about 5 awards worth $1.5 million in total. Applications closed on June 3, 2021.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Opportunity number | O-NIJ-2021-95002 |
| Agency | National Institute of Justice |
| Status | Forecast |
| Deadline | June 3, 2021 |
| Award ceiling | $1.5 million |
| Award floor | not stated |
| Expected awards | 5 |
| Total funding | $1.5 million |
| Cost sharing | not required |
| Assistance Listings | 16.560 |

## Who can apply

- State governments
- County governments
- City or township governments
- Special district governments
- Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
- Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
- 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 (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)

For purposes of this solicitation, the term "State" means any State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virginia Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Foreign governments, foreign organizations, and foreign colleges and universities are not eligible to apply. Federal agencies are eligible to apply. (Any award made to a federal agency will be made as an inter-agency reimbursable agreement.) Applicants must be, or be partnered with, publicly funded forensic science laboratories that are currently accredited by an independent accrediting or certifying forensic science organization. Publicly funded forensic science laboratories include state, regional, county, municipal, and tribal agencies. To advance Executive Order 13929 Safe Policing for Safe Communities, as of October 28, 2020, the Attorney General determined that all state, local, and university or college law enforcement agencies must be certified by an approved independent credentialing body or have started the certification process to be allocated FY 2021 DOJ discretionary grant funding, as either a recipient or a subrecipient. For detailed information on this new certification requirement, please visit https://cops.usdoj.gov/SafePolicingEO. All recipients and subrecipients (including any for-profit organization) must forgo any profit or management fee.

## What the grant funds

The Department of Justice is committed to advancing work that promotes civil rights, increases access to justice, supports crime victims, protects the public from crime and evolving threats, and builds trust between law enforcement and the community. The purpose of the CFDA 16.560 (the National Institute of Justice Research, Evaluation, and Development Projects Grants program) is to foster research to develop new knowledge and tools to address the challenges of crime and justice in the United States. With this solicitation, NIJ seeks proposals for rigorous research and evaluation projects that will: Identify and inform the forensic community of best practices through the evaluation of existing laboratory protocols. Have a direct and immediate impact on laboratory efficiency and assist in making laboratory policy decisions. The intent of this program is to direct the findings of the research and evaluation toward the identification of the most efficient, accurate, reliable, and cost-effective methods for the identification, analysis, and interpretation of physical evidence for criminal justice purposes. Projects should address the challenges and needs of the forensic science community, including but not limited to, the operational needs discussed at the 2020 TWG meeting, which may be found on NIJ.ojp.gov. NIJ’s Forensic Science Technology Working Group (TWG) assists in identifying and prioritizing operational needs and requirements of the field, which are intended to facilitate proposal development. Additional research needs of the forensic science community can be found at the Organization of Scientific Area Committees website.

## Questions people ask

### Is O-NIJ-2021-95002 still open?

No. It closed on June 3, 2021. A newer notice is open: O-NIJ-2026-172806, closes November 30, 2026 (23 days left).

### Who can apply for Research and Evaluation for the Testing and Interpretation of Physical Evidence in Publicly Funded Forensic Laboratories, Fiscal Year 2021?

National Institute of Justice accepted applications from nonprofits, colleges and universities, state and local governments, tribes, small businesses and businesses. The notice adds further conditions, so read its eligibility section.

### What is the deadline for Research and Evaluation for the Testing and Interpretation of Physical Evidence in Publicly Funded Forensic Laboratories, Fiscal Year 2021?

Closed June 3, 2021. 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 $1.5 million each. About $1.5 million in total across about 5 awards.

### Who has won National Institute of Justice Research, Evaluation, and Development Project Grants grants before?

The largest recipients over five fiscal years were Research Triangle Institute, The Cna Corporation, National Opinion Research Center. The program made 383 awards worth $228 million in that time.