FY25 Research and Evaluation on School Safety
Can you apply?
This grant is for researchers, research institutions, and organizations seeking to conduct rigorous research and evaluation on school safety topics. Eligible applicants typically include institutions of higher education, nonprofit research organizations, state and local government agencies, and faith-based organizations with research capacity. The program supports evidence-based research that examines school safety interventions, threat assessment programs, emergency preparedness measures, and related topics. Applicants must have the organizational capacity to conduct scientific research and evaluation, including access to methodology expertise and institutional resources. The research must contribute to the National Institute of Justice's mission of understanding and addressing crime and violence in schools.
This grant is for researchers, research institutions, and organizations seeking to conduct rigorous research and evaluation on school safety topics. Eligible applicants typically include institutions of higher education, nonprofit research organizations, state and local government agencies, and faith-based organizations with research capacity. The program supports evidence-based research that examines school safety interventions, threat assessment programs, emergency preparedness measures, and related topics. Applicants must have the organizational capacity to conduct scientific research and evaluation, including access to methodology expertise and institutional resources. The research must contribute to the National Institute of Justice's mission of understanding and addressing crime and violence in schools.
Program description
This funding opportunity seeks to fund rigorous and innovative research and evaluation projects to fill knowledge gaps in two topical areas: 1) research on malleable factors that affect school violence in K-12 schools; and 2) evaluations of the impact and effectiveness of school safety approaches implemented for purposes authorized under the STOP School Violence Act. This NOFO is released by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) in partnership with the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA).
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
- 501(c)(3) Public Charity
- City / Municipal Government
- Colleges (all higher ed)
- County Government
- Nonprofits
- Private University
- Public Authority
- Public K-12 School
- Public University
- Researcher (independent)
- Small Business (SBA-defined)
- Special District
- State Government
- Tribal Nation
- Tribal Organization
Details
This grant is for researchers, research institutions, and organizations seeking to conduct rigorous research and evaluation on school safety topics. Eligible applicants typically include institutions of higher education, nonprofit research organizations, state and local government agencies, and faith-based organizations with research capacity. The program supports evidence-based research that examines school safety interventions, threat assessment programs, emergency preparedness measures, and related topics. Applicants must have the organizational capacity to conduct scientific research and evaluation, including access to methodology expertise and institutional resources. The research must contribute to the National Institute of Justice's mission of understanding and addressing crime and violence in schools.
How to apply
Application links
Required documents
- Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424)
- Project narrative describing research objectives, methodology, timeline, and significance (typically 25-30 pages)
- Detailed project budget and budget narrative justifying all costs
- Organizational capacity documentation (resumes of key personnel, institutional research infrastructure, prior NIJ awards if applicable)
- Letters of support/commitment from partner organizations and institutions
- Data access and Human Subjects Protections documentation (IRB approval letter or exemption determination)
- Evaluation plan with metrics and data collection procedures
- Literature review or background section
- Biographical sketches of key personnel involved in the research
Program contact
- 👤 National Institute of Justice
- 📧 OJP.ResponseCenter@usdoj.gov
- 📞 202-616-5314
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 16.560 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$18,393,640
-
$10,561,120
-
$9,800,000
-
$6,998,958
-
$5,997,434
-
$5,691,859
-
$4,581,851
-
$4,501,620
-
$4,500,000
-
$4,000,000
Top States by Funding
- NC 9 awards $38.0M
- VA 13 awards $27.9M
- PA 3 awards $12.5M
- IL 9 awards $11.7M
- CA 6 awards $11.5M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 16.560). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $57,808,937 | |
| 2025 | $3,183,371 |
FAQ
Who is eligible to apply for this NIJ school safety research grant?
Eligible applicants include institutions of higher education, nonprofit research organizations, state and local government agencies, tribal organizations, and faith-based organizations with demonstrated research capacity. For-profit entities may be eligible in limited circumstances.
What is the deadline and how much time do I have to apply?
The application deadline is June 3, 2026, with applications opening May 1, 2026. This provides approximately one month for submission after the solicitation opens.
What types of research activities are supported?
The grant supports research and evaluation studies on school safety topics, including threat assessment, emergency preparedness, violence prevention interventions, school climate research, and evaluation of existing school safety programs and policies.
How competitive are these grants and what is the typical funding range?
NIJ research grants are highly competitive. Typical awards for school safety research range from $50,000 to $350,000 depending on project scope and complexity. Strong applications include rigorous methodology and clear pathways to impact.
What are the key deadlines I need to know beyond the application deadline?
Organizations must create federal accounts and register in the appropriate grant portal (typically SAM.gov and Grants.gov) well before the June 3 deadline. Many agencies recommend submitting applications at least 24-48 hours early to avoid technical difficulties.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Build your research team early: Partner with institutions that have complementary expertise in methodology, criminology, education, and psychology. NIJ values multi-disciplinary teams with strong methodological capabilities.
- Ground your proposal in existing research: Conduct a thorough literature review and clearly position your research as filling a specific gap in the evidence base on school safety. Demonstrate familiarity with prior NIJ-funded school safety research.
- Emphasize rigorous methodology: NIJ prioritizes scientifically rigorous designs. Include details about your data collection methods, sample size calculations, and plan for managing validity threats. Pre-registration of hypotheses strengthens applications.
- Develop a clear evaluation plan with measurable outcomes: Specify what school safety outcomes you will measure, how you will measure them, and how results will inform policy or practice. Include both quantitative and qualitative indicators where appropriate.
- Address dissemination and impact upfront: Explain how you will make findings accessible to school administrators, law enforcement, and policymakers. Include plans for peer-reviewed publications, practitioner briefs, and engagement with stakeholder communities.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Common reasons NIJ research applications are rejected include: weak or insufficiently novel research questions that don't advance the field, lack of rigorous methodology (e.g., quasi-experimental designs without clear justification, inadequate control groups), and failure to demonstrate institutional research capacity and past success. Applications are also frequently denied when the research plan is unclear, timeline is unrealistic for the proposed scope, or the budget is poorly justified and doesn't align with the work proposed.
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