Tribal-Researcher Capacity Building Grants Solicitation, FY 2019 | NIJ 2019 15203

Opportunity Information: Apply for NIJ 2019 15203

The Tribal-Researcher Capacity Building Grants Solicitation, FY 2019 (NIJ 2019 15203) is a National Institute of Justice (NIJ), U.S. Department of Justice discretionary grant opportunity designed to help launch new, collaborative criminal justice research efforts with federally recognized tribes and tribally based organizations. The program focuses specifically on small planning grants, meaning the main purpose is not to fully fund a large multi-year study right away, but to provide early-stage support so teams can build a solid, competitive proposal for a new and innovative research project. A central requirement is that the work reflects a new partnership between a tribe (or tribally based organization) and a researcher or research team, emphasizing relationship-building, shared project development, and groundwork that can lead to a larger research effort.

The solicitation highlights a set of priority research areas that reflect major justice and public safety concerns in Indian country and Alaska. One key topic is how concurrent criminal jurisdiction affects the administration of justice, which can include the real-world consequences of overlapping tribal, federal, and state authority on investigations, prosecution, case processing, and outcomes. Another strong emphasis is on the criminal justice response to alcohol and other drug use and abuse, including methamphetamine, heroin, opioids such as fentanyl, diverted pharmaceuticals, and synthetic drugs and analogues. Beyond substance use, NIJ signals interest in crime prevention and intervention strategies, patterns and drivers of criminal offending, and practical improvements that strengthen investigations and prosecutions.

Several focus areas relate to systems capacity and specialized services. NIJ is interested in the provision, role, and impact of forensic science services, explicitly including medico-legal death investigation, which can involve topics like access to qualified forensic resources, turnaround times, investigative quality, and how forensic capacity influences case outcomes. The solicitation also elevates research addressing murdered, missing, and trafficked women and girls, as well as broader violent crime reduction and efforts aimed at responding to and reducing victimization. Together, these topics point to a desire for research that is not only descriptive, but also problem-solving and oriented toward practical improvements in safety and justice.

Strengthening tribal justice systems is another major theme. Examples offered include evaluating tribal healing to wellness courts, tribal-state collaborations, collaborations involving wellness courts, technology-based court systems that improve court operations and outcomes, and tribal reentry programs. This part of the solicitation signals interest in both program evaluation and operational research, including how courts and justice partners coordinate services, use data and technology, and support long-term outcomes such as reduced recidivism and improved community wellbeing. In addition, NIJ expresses interest in developing and testing tools and technologies that can improve criminal justice policy and practice, citing examples such as unmanned aircraft systems, body-worn cameras, drug-detecting technology, location-based technology, digital devices or applications, and technology-based services for victims.

From an eligibility standpoint, the opportunity is broadly open to a wide range of applicants, including federally recognized tribal governments, state and local governments, public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (both with and without 501(c)(3) status), individuals, and for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), along with other entities as clarified in the solicitation’s eligibility text. The funding instrument is a grant under CFDA 16.560, categorized under science and technology and other research and development, aligning it with NIJ’s mission to support rigorous research and evaluation that can inform policy and practice.

Key logistical details for FY 2019 include a creation date of March 14, 2019, an original closing date of May 13, 2019, and an award ceiling of $100,000 per award. NIJ anticipated making around five awards. Overall, the program is best understood as seed funding for partnership formation and proposal development: it supports tribes and researchers in designing strong, community-relevant, ethically grounded, and feasible research plans that respond to pressing criminal justice issues affecting tribal communities, with the expectation that these planning efforts will mature into larger, well-developed research projects.

• The Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Tribal-Researcher Capacity Building Grants Solicitation, FY 2019" 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 14, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 13, 2019. (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 $100,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: 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), 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, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for NIJ 2019 15203

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