Grants / Department of Justice / National Institute of Justice

NIJ FY 2026 Research and Evaluation on Violent Crime: Gangs and Organized Criminal Groups (Domestic and Transnational)

Open Closes November 30, 2026 (30 days left) Opportunity O-NIJ-2026-172806

• Award ceiling$3.0 million
• Award floornot stated
• Expected awards5
• Total funding$3.0 million
• Cost sharingNot required
• Funding typeGrant

Key dates

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Who can apply

This opportunity is open to nonprofits, colleges and universities, state and local governments, tribes, small businesses and businesses.

• 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)
• 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

More grants for nonprofits, colleges and universities, state and local governments, tribes, small businesses, businesses.

Is this a realistic fit?

• No cost sharing or match is required.

What the grant funds

This is a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for NIJ FY 2026 Research and Evaluation on Violent Crime: Gangs and Organized Criminal Groups (Domestic and Transnational). This opportunity supports research and evaluation proposals on gang and organized criminal group-related violent crime, including domestic and transnational. Projects funded through this NOFO will study topics that inform law enforcement strategies and operations to effectuate EO 14157, “Designating Cartels And Other Organizations As Foreign Terrorist Organizations And Specially Designated Global Terrorist;” Chapter 4 of the 2026 National Drug Control Strategy, “Global Campaign Against Transnational Criminal Threats;” and other related threats, including those posed by firearm, human, and other trafficking-related violence. NIJ seeks rigorous evaluations of new or existing strategies intended to reduce violent crime associated with gangs and organized criminal groups or networks and are led by or collaborate with law enforcement agencies. Evaluations should consider how individual, group, organizational, situational, or other relevant contextual factors interact with the strategies being studied. NIJ encourages evaluation designs such as randomized controlled trials (when feasible), mixed methods research, quasi-experimental designs, matched comparisons, and other appropriate methodologies. Process evaluations should be incorporated to support interpretation of program implementation and outcomes. Outcome evaluations must focus on violent crime measures such as murder, aggravated assault, and robbery along with relevant intermediate and process outcomes. Multi-site and cross-jurisdictional evaluations are encouraged.

Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development.

How to apply

1. Read the full notice and attachments on Grants.gov and the agency's announcement. The notice is the official source for deadlines and requirements.
2. Make sure your organization has an active SAM.gov registration and Unique Entity ID; registration can take several weeks.
3. Register on Grants.gov and submit through Workspace before the deadline and time given in the notice. Our application guide walks through each step.

Questions go to National Institute of Justice, OJP.ResponseCenter@usdoj.gov, 202-616-5314.

Open the official notice