NIJ FY18 Research and Evaluation on Trafficking in Persons | NIJ 2018 14053

Opportunity Information: Apply for NIJ 2018 14053

The NIJ FY18 Research and Evaluation on Trafficking in Persons grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number NIJ 2018 14053) is a discretionary federal research grant offered by the U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice (NIJ). It is designed to fund rigorous research and evaluation projects that help close key knowledge gaps about trafficking in persons and, importantly, produce findings that can be used to improve criminal justice policy and practice in the United States. In practical terms, NIJ is looking for studies that do more than describe the problem in general terms; they should generate evidence that agencies, policymakers, and practitioners can use to strengthen prevention, investigation, prosecution, victim service responses, and overall system effectiveness.

A central theme of this solicitation is continuity with NIJ's existing body of work. NIJ notes it has supported human trafficking research for more than a decade and is especially interested in proposals that build directly on earlier NIJ investments rather than starting from scratch. Applicants are expected to review prior NIJ-funded research and incorporate it into a strong literature review, showing how the proposed project complements what is already known and why it is needed now. NIJ points applicants to its human trafficking research portfolio summary at www.nij.gov/nij/topics/crime/human-trafficking/welcome.htm, signaling that familiarity with those studies is not optional but part of what makes an application competitive.

The solicitation highlights the kinds of topics NIJ has been supporting and where further work may be valuable. NIJ describes its current portfolio as covering major areas such as the scope and prevalence of trafficking, how trafficking is perpetrated, which criminal justice responses are effective (and what barriers or challenges limit those responses), the lived experiences of victimization and how victim needs can be better met, and strategies to reduce demand for trafficking victims. While these themes reflect substantial prior investment, they also define the landscape where new research questions can be sharpened, replicated, extended to new settings, or evaluated with improved data and methods. Strong proposals under this program typically connect a specific research question to one or more of these practice-relevant domains, identify the gap in the evidence, and explain how the study will produce actionable insights for U.S. criminal justice stakeholders.

From an administrative and funding standpoint, this opportunity is categorized under law, justice, and legal services as well as science and technology and other research and development, and it is listed under CFDA 16.560. NIJ anticipated making about four awards, with an award ceiling of up to $1,500,000 per grant, indicating support for multi-year, multi-site, or methodologically intensive work, including evaluations that can credibly assess outcomes. The funding instrument type is a grant, and the opportunity was created on March 23, 2018, with an original application closing date of May 22, 2018.

Eligibility is broad and reflects NIJ's interest in drawing from multiple disciplines and sectors capable of conducting high-quality research. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education in that category); individuals; for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. This broad eligibility makes it possible for universities, research firms, community-based organizations, governmental research units, and cross-sector partnerships to apply, which is often important in trafficking research where access to data, survivor-centered approaches, and operational knowledge may be distributed across different types of institutions.

Overall, the NIJ FY18 Research and Evaluation on Trafficking in Persons solicitation is aimed at strengthening the evidence base on human trafficking through applied research and evaluation that is clearly tied to criminal justice decision-making in the U.S. The emphasis on leveraging NIJ's existing trafficking research portfolio signals a preference for proposals that demonstrate command of the current evidence, identify a precise and meaningful gap, and propose a feasible, methodologically sound plan to generate findings that can improve real-world responses to trafficking.

• The Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice in the law, justice and legal services, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NIJ FY18 Research and Evaluation on Trafficking in Persons" 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 Mar 23, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 22, 2018. (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 $1,500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 4 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), 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, Individuals, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses.

Apply for NIJ 2018 14053

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: