Research and Evaluation on Technology-Facilitated Abuse for Criminal Justice Purposes, Fiscal Year 2020 | NIJ 2020 17309

Opportunity Information: Apply for NIJ 2020 17309

The Department of Justice's National Institute of Justice (NIJ) released this Fiscal Year 2020 grant opportunity to fund research and evaluation that strengthens the criminal justice response to technology-facilitated abuse. The solicitation is focused on building practical, evidence-based knowledge that helps agencies and practitioners better identify, prevent, investigate, prosecute, and ultimately reduce online and technology-enabled harms. NIJ frames the problem broadly and includes offenses such as sextortion, nonconsensual pornography (often called "revenge porn"), doxing, swatting, cyberstalking, and cyber-hate. The underlying expectation is that funded projects will be scientifically rigorous while still producing findings that can be directly used to improve programs, policies, training, and day-to-day practice across the justice system.

NIJ specifically invites proposals that answer four major research needs. One priority area is understanding risk and protective factors: what makes individuals more likely to be targeted, what buffers people from harm, and how offenders or enabling organizations become involved in these behaviors in the first place. Another area emphasizes measuring costs and consequences, including financial losses and broader personal, social, and institutional impacts, as well as how internet-enabled harassment may intersect with or escalate into other types of crime. NIJ is also looking for studies that test what works in real-world settings, such as the effectiveness of strategies for detection, prevention, investigation, and prosecution; this can include evaluating legislation, agency policies, investigative tools, and training approaches. A final emphasis is on documenting frequency and impacts, particularly how these crimes affect women and ethnic, religious, and racial minorities, reflecting concern about disproportionate targeting and harm to specific communities.

Administratively, this was a discretionary funding opportunity offered as a cooperative agreement, meaning NIJ typically expects an active partnership role with awardees during the project period (for example, through collaboration on project direction, milestones, or dissemination expectations). The opportunity number is NIJ 2020 17309 and it is associated with CFDA 16.560. The activity category is listed under law, justice and legal services as well as science and technology and other research and development, which signals that NIJ anticipated proposals that combine criminal justice application with solid research design and, where relevant, technical understanding of online platforms, digital evidence, and offender tactics.

Funding details indicate an anticipated maximum award (ceiling) of up to $2,000,000, with NIJ expecting to make about five awards. The solicitation was created on January 29, 2020, and the original closing date was April 8, 2020. Eligibility was broad and included state, county, and local governments; special district governments; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (excluding higher education institutions in those categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and other entities as clarified in the solicitation's additional eligibility text. Overall, the grant opportunity is aimed at producing actionable evidence that helps the justice system respond more effectively to a growing set of tech-driven abuse behaviors that can be difficult to detect, difficult to prosecute, and deeply harmful to victims and communities.

• 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 "Research and Evaluation on Technology-Facilitated Abuse for Criminal Justice Purposes, Fiscal Year 2020" 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 Jan 29, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 08, 2020. (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 $2,000,000.00 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, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for NIJ 2020 17309

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