NIJ FY18 Research and Evaluation on Decision-making | NIJ 2018 14065

Opportunity Information: Apply for NIJ 2018 14065

The NIJ FY18 Research and Evaluation on Decision-making grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number NIJ 2018 14065) is a discretionary Department of Justice program administered by the National Institute of Justice. It supports research and evaluation projects focused on how individual law enforcement officers make decisions during encounters with the public, and what personal or professional attribute patterns appear to be linked with better or worse outcomes. The central aim is not simply to look at single factors in isolation, but to identify combinations of officer-specific attributes that, together, tend to shape decision-making and subsequent actions in real-world encounters.

A major emphasis of the opportunity is distinguishing between attribute combinations associated with successful encounter outcomes and those associated with unsuccessful outcomes. In practice, this means applicants are expected to study how multiple characteristics interact and align in ways that increase the likelihood of outcomes generally viewed as positive (for example, safer resolutions, appropriate use of authority, effective communication, reduced escalation, improved compliance, fewer injuries, fewer complaints, or higher perceived legitimacy), as well as outcomes considered negative (such as unnecessary escalation, avoidable force, injuries, preventable conflict, complaints, or other adverse results). The solicitation is framed to encourage rigorous work that can clarify which patterns matter most, rather than relying on broad assumptions about what drives officer behavior.

The opportunity also highlights that decision-making and outcomes may depend heavily on the type of encounter, and NIJ is explicitly interested in that variability. Proposals are expected to examine how the relationship between officer attribute combinations and outcomes changes across different encounter contexts. In other words, an attribute set that appears beneficial in one scenario may be less important, or even counterproductive, in another. This could involve comparing encounters such as traffic stops, domestic disturbances, mental health or crisis calls, street stops, calls for service with known high risk, community policing interactions, or other categories relevant to the applicant's research design. NIJ is looking for work that can explain how context modifies the importance of specific attributes and how the same officer characteristics may lead to different results depending on situational demands.

Funding is provided through a grant mechanism under the Law, Justice and Legal Services activity category and is listed under CFDA 16.560. The maximum award amount (award ceiling) is $2,000,000, and NIJ anticipated making about four awards. The opportunity was created on March 8, 2018, with an original closing date of May 7, 2018, indicating it was a competitive, time-bound federal research solicitation intended to generate a small portfolio of substantial projects rather than many small ones.

Eligibility is broad and includes 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; nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3), excluding higher education in those categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and even individuals. This wide eligibility signals NIJ's intent to attract proposals from academic researchers, research firms, practitioner partners, nonprofits, and multidisciplinary teams that can access data, field settings, and methodological expertise needed to study officer decision-making in a credible and policy-relevant way.

Overall, the solicitation is designed to build actionable evidence about how officer-level attributes combine to influence decisions and public encounter outcomes, and how those relationships shift by encounter type. The practical value NIJ is aiming for is clearer guidance for law enforcement agencies and the broader justice community about which officer characteristics and attribute profiles are linked to safer, more effective, and more publicly acceptable outcomes, as well as which profiles may pose greater risk in certain contexts, thereby informing training, supervision, recruitment, assignment, and intervention strategies grounded in research rather than intuition.

• The Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NIJ FY18 Research and Evaluation on Decision-making" 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 08, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 07, 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 $2,000,000.00 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 14065

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