Grant information Below
#276345542f6.Dj
 Thermal
legal cases
Military Applications
iR contraband detection
Night
vision Goggles U.S. army data
AN/PVS-7 NV Goggles
The ultimate in night vision headmounted gear, The pvs7 utilizes
american Generation 3 technology, The system is current issue in the United States
military. The platform offers the highest resolution in a feather light package.
Click here for
complete specifications on the system.
This system notmally sells for $3500+, Our law
enforcement pricing is $2230
Please e-mail the Hot Spring Sheriff's Dept., or
Red Oak Police Dept., if you require
references on our night vision products from our law enforcement agency clients.
department verification
required upon request
Click here for the main night vision equipment index
 ®
THERMAL INFRARED
IMAGERS
Sierra Pacific
Innovations offers a wide selection of thermal infrared imaging systems suitable for law
enforcement application, Please CONTACT US.
We will work
hard to locate a suitable discounted thermal infrared imaging system that will fit within your departments budget.
 Law Enforcement grant information courtesy of LETA
#27632f6.Dj
Disclaimer: The following
documents are to be utilized as a "HELPFUL GUIDE" for Law Enforcement Officials
who are
interested in writing "Grant Proposals" to obtain specialized or high technology
surveillance equipment for their
respective departments. These documents, some of which are the work products of L.E.T.A.,
are meant only to serve
as attachments or "go byes" as to technical terms, the latest in technology, and
specifications. These documents
should not be construed as endorsements for or against any particular brand of equipment
or manufacturer. In no way
are these documents the final word on obtaining grant finding. However, in these days of
shrinking budgets, the
questionable uses of Asset Seizure funds, and a lack of understanding re: grant
procedures, I HOPE YOU FIND
THEM USEFUL.
FIRST: Get on their mailing list at:
Bureau of Justice Assistance
633 Indiana Avenue NW.
Washington D.C. 20531
Fax: 202-514~5956
By getting on the mailing list you will get the latest grant
information and become aware of what I call the "WINDOWS OF OPPORTUNITY". These
are windows in time for you to submit your grant requests. Only the Dept. of Justice
controls these windows, and I have yet to receive an understandable answer as to how they
are "opened". It seems as though they are controlled by the total amount of
funds available, and by the number of grant requests received. In other words they may be
opened once, or several times a year, depending on the money available and the number of
requests submitted. What you should remember is that the Federal fiscal year ends each
September 30 and begins on October 1st.
BE READY: Have a sample grant request ready to shove through
the window when it opens, and have it ready throughout the year. My answer to this was
always to have a lengthy, detailed, and upgraded "BOILER PLATE" grant request at
the ready in my computer. That way when I got the word that a time window was opening, I
was ready. All I had to do was to adapt the request to the latest set of requirements
i.e.: the language of the day, required by DOJ.
BE AWARE: Some grants require, "a share of costs"
or other "strings are attached". Some administrators I interviewed, declined to
apply for grants just for that reason, they thought there were too many restrictions i.e.:
controls put on them by the agency giving the grant. My experience has been just the
OPPOSITE. There are no "GRANT POLICE" out there and the granting agency depends
on the integrity of the receiving agency to use the property properly. Actually the only
restriction I am aware of is that the ownership of the property reverts back to the
granting agency, if not used properly or other conditions of the grant are not met. For
example: The DEA has DCE/SP (Domestic Cannabis Eradication and Suppression Program) grants
available each year. DEA has, and still is, purchasing thermal imagers for State and Local
Law Enforcement. The only restriction is that "if the system is not utilized
properly" then ownership reverts to DEA. (Contact your local DEA DCE/SP coordinator
for details.)
BE PERSISTENT: Some agencies I know of contact the
"Granting Agency" on a regular basis to find out the status of their grant
request. We all know the squeaky wheel gets the grease, so don't just "submit it and
forget it". Other agencies have identified the
one or two pro-police legislators from their State and enlisted their aid. A granting
agency will often pay immediate attention to legislative or congressional inquiry's, as
they know "their" agency budget depends on legislative approval, as well.
CREATE A CHECKLIST: Including but not limited to the
following:
1. Boilerplate requests already in your computer.
2. Identify available funds.
3. File quickly and professionally on departmental forms.
4. File often and to several sources.
5. Have all supervisors i.e.: Sheriff's, Chiefs, etc. on line and provided with a copy of
you’re request so that they can answer any questions in your absence.
6. Assure the granting agency that you will train and certify each operator of the
equipment.
7. Assign yourself "call up dates" to check the status of your request after it
is submitted.
8. Find out who the human contact is at the granting agency and talk to that person
frequently, if only to keep your request at the top of the stack.
9. Be patient and professional. If asked for additional documents, submit them in a timely
manner.
10. Make sure your package is one to be proud of. I have seen bound requests, with
attachments, photos, data sheets, case
law, and training certificates, all included.
You get the idea, as I could go on, but just remember one
thing. IT IS THEIR JOB TO GIVE YOU THE MONEY. Congress and the various State legislatures
have seen to that. IT IS YOUR JOB TO DO IT RIGHT. The grant process may seem like a maze
but once accomplished, there is no satisfaction like having the check in your hand, READY
TO BUY YOUR OWN THERMAL IMAGER.
#276328Dj
Solicitation for Law Enforcement
Please verify if these
programs are still effective !
Technology Development, Implementation and Evaluation
Solicitation
Purpose
This solicitation seeks proposals for the development, testing, evaluation,
adoption and implementation of new and innovative technologies and techniques to support
and enhance law enforcement, courts, and/or corrections operations, particularly at the
State and local level, and with an eye toward successfully developing new commercial
products for their near-term use. Proposals submitted under this solicitation should
describe projects which will assist criminal justice agencies in their efforts to
identify, select, develop, modernize, and make purchasing decisions regarding new
technology applications. There are four major project category areas, which may contain
overlaps, to guide the formulation of proposals. Proposals may address one or more of
these category areas: 1) General Technology Thrust Areas for Law Enforcement, Courts and
Corrections. 2) Special Law Enforcement, Courts and Corrections Technology Development and
Demonstration Projects. 3) Behavioral and Organizational Impact of Technological Advances.
4) Creative Technology Solutions to Law Enforcement, Courts, and Corrections Problems.
There is an intentional overlap between Category 1) and Category 2) to ensure the
technology and key application needs of Law Enforcement, Courts, and Corrections are
addressed. Proposals can address one or more of the areas addressed in the solicitation.
This solicitation seeks proposals representing either projects carried out by a single
organization or partnerships between the public and private sectors; for example, between
a police department and a company with technological expertise, or a consortium which
includes a police department and one or more companies or academic institutions.
Partnership groups are encouraged to include as an active member a recognized law
enforcement, courts or corrections agency. Proposals are expected to describe efforts to
move technologies in support of law enforcement, courts, and/or corrections operations
beyond the current state-of-the-art. Proposals should focus on the research, development,
testing, evaluation, adoption, and implementation phases of new technologies, or the use
or modification of existing technologies in new or innovative ways. Technological
innovations will enable localities to enhance operations in law enforcement, courts,
and/or corrections systems, address crime and disorder, and enhance public safety. An
additional focus of this solicitation is an examination of the organizational and
behavioral consequences of technology adoption and implementation in law enforcement,
courts, and/or corrections operations. Proposals dealing with organizational and
behavioral issues should explore the dynamics and examine the impact of the adoption and
implementation of new technologies or the modification of existing technologies in law
enforcement, courts, and/or corrections settings. This solicitation is not intended to
fund the purchase of existing systems, but rather it is intended to support the
development of new technologies or the innovative adaptation of existing technologies to
deal effectively with law enforcement, courts, and/or corrections problems.
Background
The United States Department of Justice has the
responsibility of implementing the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994
(the "Crime Act"), Pub. L. No 103-322, 108 Stat. 1796, (1994), codified as
amended, 42 U.S.C. paragraph 13701 et. seq. The Fiscal Year 1996 Omnibus Appropriations
Act, Pub. L. No. 104-134, ___Stat. ___, (1996), which amends the Crime Act, provides that
one percent of funds authorized to be appropriated under the Crime Act in fiscal years
1996 through 1998 are to be reserved for Government efforts to assist State and local
agencies to identify, select, develop, modernize, and assist in making purchasing
decisions of new technologies for use by law enforcement, courts, and correction agencies.
The National Institute of Justice (NIJ), the research and development agency of the U.S.
Department of Justice (DOJ), is responsible under the Crime Act for providing funding for
technology development projects to enhance law enforcement, courts, and corrections
technologies; and the demonstration and evaluation of innovative approaches to the
development, application, and utilization of leading edge technologies. The Need for
Enhanced Law Enforcement, Courts, and Corrections Technologies There is a continuing need
to improve the foundations of our understanding of where and how technology can improve
the criminal justice system and what impact the introduction of new technologies into the
fight against crime has on both criminal justice agencies and the public they serve. For
example, a sizable gap exists in our ability to provide law enforcement with the best
policy and procedural advice on police pursuit as well as developing technological methods
to safely halt fleeing vehicles or individuals on foot. Much also remains to be known
about how to optimize the application of technology and how to change management
structures or operations in the face of new technology challenges and opportunities. This
solicitation is open to a wide variety of proposals in order to achieve a balanced mixture
of product development, implementation and evaluation projects. This solicitation focusses
on near-term (one to three years) development and implementation projects. A central goal
in the effort to prevent and reduce crime and violence in the United States is to provide
law enforcement, courts, and corrections officials with modern tools to increase their
options in dealing with the unpredictable situations which are a part of their daily
duties. Utilization of enhanced technologies can change the way the criminal justice
system is managed, and ultimately, how crime prevention and control is achieved in
communities throughout the country. Improved law enforcement, courts and corrections
technologies can: o enhance professionalism by giving criminal justice officials the
skills, technology, and motivation to act innovatively to solve law enforcement, courts
and corrections problems; o lead to restructuring of agencies and refinement of management
techniques to allow the fullest use of an agency's resources; o serve to increase the
effective flow of information from the sources inside and outside of the law enforcement,
courts, and correction agencies; and o enhance the ability of law enforcement, courts, and
correction agencies to be more effective and equitable in their service delivery.
Consistent with the letter and spirit of the Crime Act, research and development supported
under this solicitation therefore is intended to: (1) improve the variety of technology
options available to law enforcement, courts and corrections officials in their day-to-day
duties; (2) increase the ability of police to innovatively solve law enforcement problems;
(3) develop technologies which may serve as work force multipliers to allow the fullest
use of agency resources; (4) promote the effective flow and use of information both within
and outside an agency; and (5) improve the responsiveness of law enforcement, courts and
corrections officials to enhance the quality of life in the communities they serve. This
solicitation further seeks to assist police chiefs, sheriffs, judges, court
administrators, wardens and other law enforcement, courts and corrections officials in the
assessment of technology improvements they can utilize to better serve their communities.
Technology has already been identified as a potential work force multiplier for criminal
justice operations. The key is to identify and bring to law enforcement, courts, and
corrections agencies appropriate technologies that enhance their operational efforts. Such
technologies must be affordable, reliable and, moreover, effective in the prescribed
criminal justice function area. General Guidelines Proposals should describe research,
development, testing, evaluation, adoption, and implementation of new and innovative
equipment or systems to address law enforcement, courts, or corrections problems.
Proposals describing innovative and resourceful use of existing technologies to address
law enforcement, courts, or corrections problems may also be considered. Applicants are
encouraged to consider and, to the extent possible, utilize matching funds and/or creative
cost sharing mechanisms to fully leverage the potential benefit from the proposed
technology development, implementation or evaluation project. Proposers are encouraged to
use the resources and expertise of the NIJ National Law Enforcement and Corrections
Technology Center (NLECTC) located in Rockville, Maryland, and the regional NLECTCs
located in Rome, New York; Charleston, South Carolina; Denver, Colorado; El Segundo,
California; and the Border Research and Technology Center (BRTC) located in San Diego,
California. Proposal writers should keep in mind that cost considerations of resulting
technology development products are a major concern for law enforcement, courts, and
corrections. Most criminal justice agencies around the Nation are quite small and under
funded. Most agencies have a very limited portion of their budgets available for
equipment, technology, supplies, or computer procurement. Costs associated with personnel
and related overtime; vehicle fuel and maintenance; and communications take up the vast
majority of the typical law enforcement, courts or corrections agency's budget. These and
related factors all influence the timeliness and the degree to which new technologies are
accepted by law enforcement, courts, and corrections administrators. Thus, a number of
considerations should be taken into account when determining the usefulness of a proposed
new technology development effort: o How important is the new technology to the overall
operation of the law enforcement, courts, and/or corrections agency? What will be its
impact on organizational structure and personnel requirements? o How much will the
technology cost to purchase, customize to fit local needs (if necessary), and maintain? o
How many units will be needed? o What are the hidden costs? For example, new computers may
require additional data input personnel. o What, if any, are the net savings in labor or
other costs? o Will the technology help law enforcement, courts, and/or corrections
officers to better serve the community? o What is the value-added service to the
community? o How much training is required to use and maintain the technology? o How will
the courts view the technology -- in terms of liability and interference with personal
freedom? What constitutional or other legal issues may arise from utilization of the
technology? Major Development, Implementation and Evaluation Categories There are four
major research and development categories for which grants, contracts, or other
transactions will be awarded in support of the law enforcement, courts and/or corrections
technology development project. All proposals should include a discussion on the value of
the concept proposed -- that is, how it will improve the capabilities of law enforcement,
courts and/or corrections agencies. These four major research and development categories
are: 1) General Technology Thrust Areas for Law Enforcement, Courts and Corrections. 2)
Special Law Enforcement, Courts and Corrections Technology Development and Demonstration
Projects. 3) Behavioral and Organizational Impacts of Technological Advances. 4) Creative
Technology Solutions to Law Enforcement, Courts, and Corrections Problems. For each
proposal submitted in response to the four major research and development categories, the
applicant (industry, academia, non-profit organizations, public agencies, and individuals)
is encouraged to develop projects that directly benefit, in the near-term, law
enforcement, courts, and/or corrections operations. Proposals that include active
partnerships and cost sharing mechanisms are encouraged. Applicants are expected to
understand and describe current law enforcement, courts and/or corrections practices where
the proposed technology could be applied. Applicants should also be cognizant of publicly
available information on technologies under development that may compete with their
proposed approach and distinguish, as far as practical from known information, their
unique differentiating features. Category 1: General Technology Thrust Areas for Law
Enforcement, Courts, and Corrections. The focus of this category is on the research,
development, test, and evaluation of technologies that address solutions to identified
current needs of law enforcement, courts and/or corrections operations. The needs are
based on input from surveys, studies, and councils provided to the National Institute of
Justice. The following focus areas have been identified as key to the identification,
selection, and development of new technologies for use by law enforcement, courts, and/or
corrections agencies. While these areas have been uniquely separated, there are many
instances of overlap of topics between all of the areas. There is also an intentional
overlap between Category 1) General Technology Thrust Areas for Law Enforcement, Courts
and Corrections, and Category 2) Special Law Enforcement, Courts and Corrections
Technology Development and Demonstration Projects. This overlap is to ensure the
technology and key application needs of Law Enforcement, Courts, and Corrections agencies
are addressed. (Note: proposals can address one or more of the areas addressed in the
solicitation.) Within the following focus areas, specific topics have been identified that
are judged to meet critical law enforcement needs. These topics are not considered to be
exclusive; the Government will entertain ideas in other areas. Focus Areas (a)
Less-Than-Lethal (LTL) Area. Technologies are sought that will provide new or
significantly improved options to conventional use-of-force methods sanctioned by law
enforcement or corrections agencies to counter violent behavior or effect a resisted
arrest. Scenarios where LTL technologies, devices, and/or techniques might be
appropriately employed include, but are not limited to: (1) confrontation with subjects
who assault officers or refuse to comply with lawful orders, and who may be armed with a
non-firearm weapon; (2) encounters with individuals on foot advancing toward or fleeing
from an officer when ordered to stop; (3) riots, civil disturbances, or crowd control; (4)
encounters with fleeing vehicles (vehicle stopping techniques); (5) arrestees, prisoners,
or individuals who become violent or uncooperative; and (6) barricaded individuals or
groups - with or without hostages. Safety of proposed devices from the effect produced to
the means of deployment to both officers and subjects is essential and must be thoroughly
addressed. Any disabling effect must be of a short duration and completely reversible. The
expectations of any reduction in the incidence of death or injury to officers, suspects,
prisoners, or the general public to be achieved by the proposed technology must be clearly
and convincingly articulated. Cogent arguments must be made concerning the proposed
technique or device that is quantitatively more effective and/or safer than currently used
products to achieve the same objective. (b) Officer Protection and Safety Area. Technology
development is needed to address techniques, materials, and methods to improve the
protective and safety equipment used by law enforcement, courts, and corrections
officials. Emphasis should be placed on improving the degree of protection, comfort, fit,
ease of use, and cost of protection equipment. Specific applications of protection
equipment includes, but is not limited to: (1) body armor (torso and extremity); (2)
puncture/slash/pathogen resistant gloves/armor; (3) helmet/face shields; and (4)
restraints. Technology development is also needed to indirectly address (i.e.,
preventative techniques that avoid confrontation and potentially dangerous situations)
officer protection and safety in areas such as (5) bio-medical/telemedicine technology;
(6) non- intrusive drug testing; (7) smart guns; and (8) laser systems. (c) Situational
Awareness and Crime Prevention Area. This area addresses various applications that require
unique or innovative sensor, detection, monitoring, surveillance, communications, and
processing techniques and products. Emphasis should be placed on developing concepts that
are easy to use, require low power (primarily for man-portable or unattended
applications), and inexpensive to purchase and operate. Applications and need areas
include, but are not limited to, the following: (1) through-wall sensors; (2) surveillance
and monitoring (perimeter/physical security; asset protection; officer or offender
tracking by Global Positioning System or other technologies; prison staff/inmate tracking;
domestic violence or stalking alarms; court surveillance; probation/parole personnel
monitoring; etc.); (3) sniper detection/location; (4) explosives/drug detection; (5)
covert wires or sensors; (6) interagency communications interoperability; (7) continuous
communication coverage in urban or rural environments; (8) secure communications; (9)
image/audio processing and enhancement (including noise and false alarm reduction); (10)
video/data capture, transmission (including video conferencing), and/or compression
(including noise and false alarm reduction); (11) language translation; (12) speaker
identification; (13) techniques to determine "original" digital recordings for
evidential purposes; (14) data exchange remediation; (15) 911 system to handle/locate
cellular callers and more efficiently handle information flow from caller to responders;
(16) caller/officer locator transmitter; (17) concealed weapons detection; and (18)
information management in prison and court systems. (d) Forensic Sciences Area. Forensic
Sciences technologies are used to identify and develop evidence to solve criminal cases. A
major goal of this focus area is to develop DNA technology that can reduce costs and
processing time for DNA testing and that can enable DNA testing to be performed at the
crime scene. Technologies that can address this goal include, but are not limited to, mass
spectrometry, robotics, and micro-chips. Other Forensic Science technology areas of
interest include, but are not limited to: DNA/serology, firearms, trace evidence,
odontology, questioned documents, fingerprints, pathology, entomology, and toxicology. Of
these, technologies which identify or develop the scientific bases of forensics are of
interest, especially odontology, questioned documents, and trace evidence. (e) Simulation
and Modeling Technology for Training and Operational Use Area. The operational duties and
tasks required of law enforcement, courts, and corrections personnel are becoming
increasingly complex, diverse, situation-dependent, and highly interactive. Traditional
classroom training techniques are somewhat limited because they lack realism. While live
exercises provide the necessary realism, they are expensive, manpower intensive, sometimes
unfeasible, and potentially unsafe. New methods of training are required to address areas
such as, but not limited to: (1) use of force or judgment training; (2) officer
safety/survival training; (3) event modeling and simulation; (4) capturing and use of
lessons learned; (5) team engagement training; (6) weapons training; (7) policy and
procedures training; (8) interpersonal skill development; and (9) supervisor, management,
and resource allocation training. Training technologies, such as computer-based training,
interactive/multi-media, video-based, distributed, and virtual reality should be
considered. Simulation and statistical modeling technology can also be used to enhance
operational capability and capacity. Areas this technology can be applied to include, but
are not limited to: (1) geo-coded crime information that may provide a basis for new
deployment strategies; (2) statistical modeling, neural network, or expert-based methods
to classify probationers or other criminals on community supervision; (3) general crime
prevention practices; and (4) other areas that will improve strategies and procedures to
more efficiently and effectively use law enforcement, courts, or corrections resources.
The simulation and modeling technologies should be inexpensive to procure, easy to learn
and sufficiently flexible to adapt to specific needs of individual law enforcement and
corrections agencies. Category 2: Special Law Enforcement, Courts, and Corrections
Technology Development and Demonstration Projects. There are several high priority,
special project areas delineated below that have been identified by the Law Enforcement
and Corrections Technology Advisory Council (LECTAC) and highlighted for accelerated near
term development and demonstration. Category 1) and Category 2) intentionally overlap to
ensure the technology and key application needs of Law Enforcement, Courts, and
Corrections are addressed. These projects include efforts in: (a) Information Technology
and Database Integration Assessment and Adoption; (b) Concealed Weapons Detection; (c)
Vehicle Stopping Technology; (d) Non-invasive Drug Testing; (e) Crime Mapping; (f)
Integrated Smart Gun/Laser Systems; (g) Electronic Monitoring; and (h) Improved Judicial
Processing, Court Proceedings, and Corrections Monitoring The following focus areas have
been identified as key projects that support the Crime Act focus on identification,
selection, and development of new technologies for use by law enforcement, courts, and
corrections agencies. The following special projects have been identified to meet critical
near term law enforcement needs, and specific proposals are herewith solicited. Focus
Areas (a) Information Technology and Database Integration Assessment and Adoption. Due to
rapid technological growth; hardware and software implementation costs; and training
requirements, implementation of information technology has not fully been adopted by the
law enforcement, courts, and corrections community. Proposals are solicited that examine
information technology needs and methods for computer justice information database
integration from State and local organizations. Proposals are solicited that address the
creation of a "National Assessment of Law Enforcement, Court, and Corrections
Criminal Information Database Systems". Today we have a series of stand- alone
databases that do not provide local, regional, or national connection, effective
networking, or timely access for the communities' effective utilization. Proposals are
solicited that would (1) delineate current law enforcement, courts, and corrections
databases; (2) provide brief descriptions that characterize the current data bases; (3)
illustrate the interdependence of current database systems or the lack thereof; (4)
describe the technical, organizational, and operational barriers to linking separate
databases within, to and from Federal, State, and local organizations; (5) describe the
common database needs and new or modified requirements for law enforcement, court, and
corrections database applications; (6) describe which of the current databases could or
should be linked together; and (7) develop a conceptual plan for implementation of
integrated database law enforcement and corrections, courts, and corrections applications.
These databases could provide for the examination of the need for, current utilization of,
or development and demonstration of new or enhanced multi-jurisdictional outstanding
warrant databases, sex offender databases, homicide databases, and
abuser/batterer/stalker-type databases. Other appropriate databases could also be included
in this effort. Proposals are also solicited to address the potential for integration of
existing unique stand alone State and local law enforcement, courts, and corrections
databases (gang tracking, abuser/batter/stalker tracking, and crime mapping, etc.) that
support large, medium, and small size law enforcement, corrections, and other criminal
justice organizations. Proposals should consider the viability of facilitating increased
data flow between law enforcement, courts, and corrections agencies, as well as increased
data flow between and among jurisdictions. This effort could include the creation of an
on-going assessment and or evaluation of key information on the databases currently
available in State and local law enforcement, courts, and corrections organizations. The
results of this database survey and recommendations would focus on the integration and
broader use of "benchmark/best practice" information technology database
products. Proposals are solicited that address information sharing between criminal
justice agencies and the evaluation of barriers to information technology (computers,
integrated unique software products, special purpose application software products, and
management practices) adoption and modernization. In the realm of post-conviction release,
information technologies for case management are needed. Tools to facilitate the tracking
of probationer/parolee progress with respect to conditions of release might include
detailed electronic checklists for an individual's terms of release. Automated, hand-held
systems to provide for direct input by officers may be desirable. (b) Concealed Weapons
Detection. The increasing illegal use of handguns by juveniles, and the growing number of
States that support concealed weapon permits to the general public, has given rise to
increasing concern by the law enforcement and court community in being able to detect
concealed weapons. The National Institute of Justice, in concert with the Department of
Defense, are the leaders in the development of concealed weapon detection technology. NIJ
is soliciting new and innovative concealed weapons detection technology for development
and demonstration. Current concealed weapons technology focusses on extremely low-dose
back-scatter X-rays, passive millimeter wave imaging, low intensity electromagnetic or
"Heaviside" pulse technology, long wave infrared receivers, radar and ultrasound
technology, passive magnetic gradient technology, and low-frequency magnetic imaging
technology. Proposals are solicited for new and innovative concealed weapons detection
technology that is cheaper, easier to use, and portable. (c) Vehicle Stopping Technology.
Vehicle pursuit has been identified by the law enforcement community and the general
public as a very significant area of concern. The LECTAC places vehicle stopping
technology in the top five priorities for near-term development. Proposals are solicited
for new and innovative technologies, procedures, and concepts that can be effectively used
to stop a fleeing vehicle that will avoid injuring the pursuers, suspects, and innocent
bystanders. This technology could be for fixed border crossing points, police
vehicle-based systems, hand-held portable, and airborne based systems. (d) Non-invasive
Drug Testing. Testing for drug use or impairment is a continuing concern by law
enforcement, courts, and corrections officers. Proposals are solicited for innovative drug
testing technologies that address new approaches such as hair analysis, eye tracking,
telemetered perspiration, micro-assay card, drug abuse relay bracelet/patch and
non-invasive blood sensors. The focus of this effort is to develop and demonstrate lower
cost non-invasive non-urine based technology that can be used for screening and actual
drug testing. (e) Crime Mapping. The intersection between information technology and
presentation of current crime data for community oriented policing analysis and action is
being developed in several communities. Proposals are solicited for the identification,
selection, development, and demonstration of innovative crime mapping products (hardware
and software) as well as software analysis tools. Software analysis tools include, but are
not limited to, the inferential analysis of spatial data that will improve the ability to
evaluate interventions and promote development of early warning systems. Assessment of
currently available and under development crime mapping products and tools could be
followed by an analysis that evaluates the current state of the practice and recommends
national demonstration options. (f) Integrated Smart Gun/Laser Systems. There is growing
interest and support for the development and demonstration of "Smart Gun"
technology. These initiatives are in part driven by increasing liability cost issues, and
the need to develop integrated weapons systems that include "Smart Gun"
self-protection features and laser aiming "point and avoid-shooting" less than
lethal technology. Proposals for the development of integrated "Smart Gun" and
laser aiming technology are solicited. This effort can address these technologies
separately or together. Joint proposals from weapons and/or laser organizations are
welcome. The key is to address the reduction of cost of the final integrated product. (g)
Electronic Monitoring. Electronic monitoring for persons on pre-trial release, probation,
or parole is in widespread use, but the number of individuals covered is still relatively
small. Proposals are sought for assessment of the policy, public acceptability, liability,
and legal implications of continuous electronic monitoring for persons on pre-trial
release, probation, or parole. Proposals are solicited on the enhancement of existing
electronic monitoring technology, including, but not limited to, the implementation of
global positioning systems that would facilitate the monitoring of specialized populations
including sex offenders and stalkers; and the integration of substance abuse technologies.
Proposals are also solicited for lower cost, reliable (i.e., low false alarms), continuous
electronic monitoring technology that could be deployed to more communities in the
near-term. (h) Improved Judicial Processing, Court Proceedings, and Corrections Monitoring
Scheduling conflicts and travel limitations among judges, attorneys, law enforcement
officers, probation officers, victims, defendants and witnesses often result in delays in
the judicial process. Technologies to increase efficiencies and speed the time frame of
judicial proceedings and correction monitoring might include, but are not limited to: (1)
the application of secure teleconferencing mechanisms to conduct judicial proceedings; (2)
advanced software applications to optimize scheduling management; (3) database
interoperability to maximize court and probation records and access; and (4) remote
check-in capability for paroled or community supervised criminals. Category 3: Behavioral
and Organizational Impacts of Technological Advances. Purpose: While considerable
literature about technology development and transfer exists, there is a need for more
knowledge and greater understanding about the infusion and impacts of specific new
technologies within the criminal justice system. This part of the solicitation seeks
proposals that explore the dynamics of technology infusion processes, and the resulting
behavioral, operational, and organizational consequences of technologies which have, or
could be, introduced into law enforcement, courts, and/or corrections. Key Issues to be
Examined: Key issues to be examined through this solicitation include, but are not limited
to: (a) early identification and the overcoming of barriers to technology adoption and
modernization; (b) adoption processes through which existing technologies not currently in
use by the criminal justice system can be identified, modified, and/or imported for law
enforcement, courts, or correctional use; ( c) development of methods to identify
significant new areas of technologies that respond to emerging social and demographic
trends; examine and assess the need for proposed technologies, particularly through cost-
benefit analysis; and to predict the acceptance by stakeholders (including component
managers and staff, community members and organizations, policy makers, etc.) of
technology development and use within the criminal justice system; and (d) ways to
increase the capacity of criminal justice personnel to employ technologies innovatively,
to the fullest potential, while also ensuring implementation and operational
accountability; and to develop and evaluate effectiveness of implementation efforts.
Additional issues to consider might include the implications of technology use for an
organization's structure, the effect on performance and practices of law enforcement,
courts, and/or corrections officials, requirements for training, issues of potential
liability or other legal or constitutional issues pertaining to the use of the technology,
and measurable outcomes in terms of reduced criminal activity, or other indicators of
benefits to public safety. Proposals accepted under this portion of the solicitation will
conduct research on the interplay between the introduction of technologies to criminal
justice agencies, and behavioral or organizational processes. Areas of interest include,
but are not limited to, the analysis of lessons learned regarding the introduction of
technologies to criminal justice agencies, assess the current state of use of particular
technologies in criminal justice agencies, and/or evaluate the introduction of a specific
technologies in criminal justice agencies. One or more specific technologies can be used
as the basis for study in one or more criminal justice agencies. Technology categories
which are appropriate to serve as a basis for study include, but are not limited to
computerized information management, communications, area/facility control, body and
vehicle armor, explosives and contraband drug detection and tracking, forensics, medical
(including telemedicine), prisoner and subject control, surveillance and tracking,
simulation and training, vehicle stopping, weapons detection and disablement, and
interagency access to databases. Category 4: Creative Technology Solutions to Law
Enforcement, Courts, and Corrections Problems The intent of this category is to serve as
an "open window" to encourage the submission of research, development, and
application proposals which will result in creative, innovative technologies to benefit
law enforcement, courts, and/or corrections efforts. All proposals in technology
application or practice areas not addressed in the previous three categories will be
considered in this category. The burden of proof in demonstrating the relationship and
benefit law enforcement, courts, and/or corrections agencies will derive from the
applicant's proposal rests entirely with the applicant. As with other category areas,
proposal writers are reminded that technological solutions should serve as work force
multipliers which relieve law enforcement, courts, and/or corrections officials of excess
burdens in order to substantially enhance their ability to efficiently perform their
duties. Such research, development, testing, evaluation, adoption, and implementation
projects should address real and significant law enforcement, courts, and/or corrections
problem areas. Applicants are reminded that the resulting technological solutions should
be affordable to acquire as well as to maintain.
--------------------------------------------- Application Procedures Requirements The
components listed below comprise a complete application. All forms listed are required,
except where specific exceptions are noted. All forms required to complete an application
are included at the end of this document. Applicants should be aware that the volume and
complexity of applications received are an administrative and logistical workload that
precludes NIJ staff from editing applications and contacting applicants to make
corrections. Omission of a form; unsigned forms; or applications not collated in the order
listed below are among the reasons for which an application can be rejected for
administrative reasons without further consideration nor appeal: Tab A. SF 424,
Application for Federal Assistance [signature required]. Tab B. OJP Form 7150/1, Budget
Detail Worksheet. NOTE: Attach a copy of your approved Federal indirect cost rate, when
applicable. See item 11 under the "Recommendations to Proposal Writers" section
for more information on indirect costs. Tab C. Budget Narrative. Tab D. OJP Form 4000/3,
Assurances [signature required]. Tab E. OJP Form 4061/6, Certifications Regarding
Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters; and Drug-Free Workplace
Requirements [signature required]. Tab F. OJP Form 7120/1, Accounting System and Financial
Capability Questionnaire [signatures required, including that of an independent CPA].
NOTE: This form is required only for first-time NIJ applicants from nonprofit and
for-profit organizations. All other applicants should insert a sheet of paper with the
following phrase centered on the middle of the page: This Tab Not Applicable Tab G.
Project Abstract. Tab H. Project Narrative. Tab I. Qualifications of the Applicants. Due
Date. Ten (10) copies of fully executed proposals should be sent to: Solicitation for Law
Enforcement, Courts and Corrections Technology Development, Implementation and Evaluation
National Institute of Justice Office of Science and Technology, Room 903 633 Indiana
Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20531. Discussion of the Application Package Project
Abstract. The abstract of the full proposal should highlight the research and development
project's purpose (need or application addressed), technical approach, value added with
technical approach, cost (both proposed effort and end- product cost), and proposed
individual or partnership efforts. The abstract should not exceed one page. Project
Narrative. Included among the components of the proposal's project narrative should be
sections addressing the following areas: o Description of the technology research and
development project. Applicants should give a detailed description of the proposed
research and development technology project. A description of the law enforcement, courts,
or corrections problem or challenge to be addressed by the proposal should be included, as
well an explanation of how the proposed technology could be utilized as a work force
multiplier in law enforcement, the courts, and/or corrections. Applicants should include
an explanation of the attributes of the technology which make it sufficiently different
from any other currently available or in-development technology. They also should offer a
per unit cost forecast that would make any product resulting from the research and
development realistically affordable given the severe budgetary limitations of the vast
majority of law enforcement, courts, and corrections agencies throughout the United
States. o Description of the project team. Projects may be carried out by either an
individual organization acting independently, or by a partnership group with a law
enforcement, courts, and/or corrections organization playing an active role in the
technology development process. If the project is to be carried out by a partnership
group, applicants should provide a description of the active partnership between a law
enforcement, courts, and/or corrections agency and a private company, academic institution
or other organization(s) to implement the research and development project. Applicants are
reminded that assurance of active input and participation from a recognized law
enforcement, courts, and/or corrections agency throughout the term of the project is a
central factor in determining whether a proposal will receive a grant award. o Management
plan/project implementation plan. Applicants should provide a sufficiently detailed plan
that outlines the major activities (tasks) involved in implementing the project, describes
how resources will be allocated to implement the project, describes how the project will
be managed, and includes a schedule (time line) for completing major aspects of the
project. Qualifications of the Applicants. The proposal should include resumes. Applicants
should demonstrate education, current knowledge, and recent experience in field(s)
relevant to the technology to be developed. Budget and Budget Narrative. Applicants should
provide an appropriate budget along with a detailed budget narrative that justifies all
costs and provides a basis for computation of these costs. Award Period. In general, NIJ
limits its grants and cooperative agreements to a maximum period of twelve (12) to
twenty-four (24) months. However, longer budget periods may be considered, and there may
exist the possibility of renewal. Award Amount. NIJ expects to have $10 million to $15
million available to fund awards made under this solicitation. It is anticipated that this
amount will support numerous awards. Actual individual funding allocations will be based
on the quality of proposals submitted. Certifications. Applicants should read and sign the
Certifications form regarding lobbying, debarment, suspension, and a drug-free workplace
included in this solicitation. Signing this form commits the applicant to compliance with
the certification requirements under 28 CFR Part 69, "New Restrictions on
Lobbying," and 28 CFR Part 67, "Government-Wide Debarment and Suspension (Non-
procurement) and Government-Wide Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace (Grants)." The
certification will be treated as a material representation of fact, upon which reliance
will be placed by the U.S. Department of Justice in making awards. Letter of Intent. NIJ
is working to streamline its solicitation processing system to accommodate the volume of
proposals anticipated under this and other Crime Act solicitations. Grant applicants can
help in a significant way by sending a non-binding letter of intent at least two weeks
prior to the closing date for submission of their proposal. NIJ will use these letters to
forecast the number of peer panels it needs and to identify conflicts of interest among
potential reviewers. There are several ways to transmit the notification: fill out the
letter of intent form on the last page of this solicitation, or draft a letter with the
necessary information and mail it to the address listed above. The notification may also
be faxed to: (202) 307-9907; or it can be transmitted via electronic mail to:
SL168@OJP.USDOJ.GOV. Cost Sharing. As stated above, proposal writers are encouraged to
explore opportunities to utilize matching funds and/or other creative cost sharing
mechanisms to fully leverage the potential benefit from the proposed technology
development project. Points of Contact Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact NIJ
to discuss topic viability, administrative questions, data availability, or proposal
content before submitting proposals. To obtain further information, potential applicants
may write to the attention of one of the following Program Managers at the address stated
previously for application submission: Mr. Trent DePersia (focus areas: All); Dr. Raymond
Downs (focus areas: Less-Than-Lethal and Concealed Weapons Detection); Dr. Richard Rau
(focus area: Forensics); Dr. Steven Edwards (focus area: Category 3) or contact the
relevant program manager by fax at 202-307-9907, or by electronic mail at
SL168@OJP.USDOJ.GOV. Please include the name of the relevant program manager in your
correspondence. Applicants may also contact the Justice Response Center at (800) 421-6770,
or (202) 307-1480 for general information. Inquiries may also be sent to the Justice
Response Center by fax at 202-616-9249. Selection Criteria Proposals will be selected for
funding through a technical, operational, capability and business decision process with
recommendations from a NIJ peer review panel. The peer review panel will consist of
members with technical and operational expertise in the subject areas of this
solicitation. Evaluations will be performed using the following criteria: 1. Quality and
Technical Merit o Innovation; potential for revolutionary advance o Soundness of approach
o Potential for highly reliable use in Law Enforcement, Courts, and Corrections o
Awareness of state-of-art; ability to apply the work of others o Design of demonstration
systems o Usefulness to Law Enforcement, Courts and/or Corrections 2. Relevance to Law
Enforcement, Courts, and/or Corrections o Well defined and realistic problem domains o
Potential for revolutionary advance to Law Enforcement, Courts, and/or Corrections
operations o Relevance of demonstration plan to application domain o Ability to evaluate
contribution to Law Enforcement, Courts, and Corrections operations 3. Capabilities and
Experience o Qualifications/demonstrated productivity of personnel o Quality of related
experience of personnel o Responsiveness to goals of solicitation o Ability to manage
proposed effort o Adequacy of resources to perform effort 4. Cost Realism and value of
proposal to law enforcement, courts, and corrections agencies o Total cost relative to
benefit o Facilities and staff at realistic cost levels o Cost-effective use of existing
equipment and software o Cost-effective technology transition Monitoring Each award under
this solicitation will be monitored according to the Office of Justice Programs (OJP)
Handbook 4500.2C (revised Chapter 7 Monitoring). Products In addition to any technology
developed through the grant award, at a minimum the project should include a summary
report of activities and accomplishments. Grant Funds Must Supplement and Not Supplant
Grant funds may not be used to replace State or local funds (or, where applicable, funds
provided by the Bureau of Indian Affairs) that would, in the absence of Federal aid, be
available or forthcoming to or for law enforcement purposes. The possibility of
supplanting will be the subject of careful application review, post-award monitoring, and
audit. Any supplanting of non-Federal funds by grant funds is a ground for potential
suspension of funding or termination of grant funding, recovery of funds already provided,
and other civil or criminal sanctions. Eligibility requirements NIJ awards grants to, or
enters into cooperative agreements with, educational institutions, non- profit
organizations, public agencies, individuals, and profit making organizations that are
willing to waive their fees. -------------------------------------------------
Recommendations to Proposal Writers Over the past four years, NIJ staff have reviewed
approximately 1,500 grant applications. On the basis of those reviews and inquiries from
applicants, the Institute offers the following recommendations to help potential
applicants present workable, understandable proposals. Many of these recommendations were
adopted from materials provided to NIJ by the State Justice Institute, especially for
applicants new to NIJ. Others reflect standard NIJ requirements. The author(s) of the
proposal should be clearly identified. Proposals that are incorrectly collated,
incomplete, or handwritten will be judged as submitted or, at NIJ's discretion, will be
returned without a deadline extension. No additions to the original submission are
allowed. The Institute suggests that applicants make certain that they address the
questions, issues, and requirements set forth below when preparing an application. 1. What
is the subject or problem you wish to address? Describe the subject or problem and how it
affects the criminal justice system and the public. Discuss how your approach will improve
the situation or advance the state of the art of knowledge or state of the science and
explain why it is the most appropriate approach to take. Give appropriate citations to the
research literature. The source of statistics or research findings cited to support a
statement or position should be included in a reference list. 2. What do you want to do?
Explain the goal(s) of the project in simple, straightforward terms. The goals should
describe the intended consequences or expected overall effect of the proposed project,
rather than the tasks or activities to be conducted. To the greatest extent possible,
applicants should avoid a specialized vocabulary that is not readily understood by the
general public. Technical jargon does not enhance an application. 3. How will you do it?
Describe the methodology carefully so that what you propose to do and how you would do it
is clear. All proposed tasks should be set forth so that a reviewer can see a logical
progression of tasks and relate those tasks directly to the accomplishment of the
project's goal(s). When in doubt about whether to provide a more detailed explanation or
to assume a particular level of knowledge or expertise on the part of the reviewers, err
on the side of caution and provide the additional information. A description of project
tasks also will help identify necessary budget items. All staff positions and project
costs should relate directly to the tasks described. The Institute encourages applicants
to attach letters of cooperation and support from agencies that will be involved in or
directly affected by the proposed project. 4. What should you include in a grant
application for a program evaluation? If a grant application is for a program evaluation,
describe how the evaluation will determine whether the proposed program, training,
procedure, service, or technology accomplished the objectives it was designed to meet.
Applicants seeking support for a proposed evaluation should describe the criteria that
will be used to evaluate the project's effectiveness and identify program elements that
will require further modification. The description in the application should include how
the evaluation will be conducted, when it will occur during the project period, who will
conduct it, and what specific measures will be used. In most instances, the evaluation
should be conducted by persons not connected with the implementation of the procedure,
training, service, or technique, or the administration of the project. 5. How will others
learn about your findings? Include a plan to disseminate the results of the research,
evaluation, technology, or demonstration beyond the jurisdictions and individuals directly
affected by the project. The plan should identify the specific methods that will be used
to inform the field about the project such as the publication of journal articles or the
distribution of key materials. Expectations regarding products are discussed more fully in
the following section, "Requirements for Award Recipients." A statement that a
report or research findings "will be made available to" the field is not
sufficient. The specific means of distribution or dissemination as well as the types of
recipients should be identified. Reproduction and dissemination costs are allowable budget
items. Applicants must concisely describe the interim and final products and address each
product's purpose, audience, and usefulness to the field. This discussion should identify
the principal criminal justice constituency or type of agency for which each product is
intended and describe how the constituent group or agency would be expected to use the
product or report. Successful proposals will clearly identify the nature of the grant
products that can reasonably be expected if the project is funded. In addition, a schedule
of delivery dates of all products should be delineated. 6. What are the specific costs
involved? The budget application should be presented clearly. Major budget categories such
as personnel, fringe benefits, travel, equipment, supplies and indirect costs should be
identified separately. "Other" costs should be addressed in detail in the budget
narrative, and should not include set-asides for undefined contingencies. The budget is
prepared on OJP Form 7150/1. When completing this form, applicants should ensure they
separately list Federal funds from any other source of funding for each cost category. 7.
How much detail should be included in the budget narrative? The narrative should describe
how the applicant arrived at the numbers presented on OJP Form 7150/1. This is the place
where all cost assumptions and other cost items that may need explanation can be detailed.
For multi-year projects, applicants must include the full amount of NIJ funding for the
entire life of the project, and provide a detailed breakout for each year of proposed
funding. This amount should be reflected in item 15g on SF 424 and on the line for TOTAL
PROJECT COSTS on the last page of OJP Form 7150/1. When appropriate, applications should
include justification of consultants and a full explanation of daily rates for any
consultants proposed. To avoid common shortcomings of application budget narratives,
include the following information: o Personnel estimates that accurately provide the
amount of time to be spent by personnel involved with the project and the total associated
costs, including current salaries for the designated personnel (e.g., Project Director, 50
percent of one year's annual salary of $50,000 = $25,000). If salary costs are computed
using an hourly or daily rate, the annual salary and number of hours or days in a work
year should be shown. o Estimates for supplies and expenses supported by a complete
description of the supplies to be used, nature and extent of printing to be done,
anticipated telephone charges, and other common expenditures, with the basis for computing
the estimates included (e.g., 100 reports x 75 pages each x $0.05/page = $375.00). Supply
and expense estimates offered simply as "based on experience" are not
sufficient. 8. What travel regulations apply to the budget estimates? Transportation costs
and per diem rates must comply with the policies of the applicant organization, and a copy
of the applicant's travel policy should be submitted as an appendix to the application. If
the applicant does not have a travel policy established in writing, then travel rates must
be consistent with those established by the Federal Government. The budget narrative
should state which regulations are in force for the project and should include the
estimated fare, the number of persons traveling, the number of trips to be taken, and the
length of stay. The estimated costs of travel, lodging, ground transportation, and other
subsistence should be listed separately. When combined, the subtotals for these categories
should equal the estimate listed on the budget form. 9. What technical materials are
required to be included in the application? o A one-page abstract of the full proposal,
highlighting the project's purpose, methods, activities and, when known, the location(s)
of field research. o A program narrative, which is the technical portion of the proposal.
It should include a clear, concise statement of the problem, goals, and objectives of the
project and related questions to be explored. A discussion of the relationship of the
proposed work to the existing literature is expected. o A statement of the project's
anticipated contribution to criminal justice policy and practice. It is important that
applicants briefly cite those particular issues and concerns of present-day criminal
justice policy that stimulate the proposed line of inquiry and suggest what their own
investigation would contribute to current knowledge. o A detailed statement of the
proposed research or study design and analytical methodologies. The proposed data sources,
data collection strategies, variables and issues to be examined, and procedures of
analysis to be employed should be delineated carefully and completely. When appropriate,
experimental designs are encouraged because of their potential relevance to policy making
and the strength of the evidence they can produce. o The organization and management plan
to conduct the study. A list of major milestones of events, activities, and products and a
timetable for completion that indicates the time commitments to individual project tasks
should be included. All grant activities, including writing of the final report, should be
completed within the duration of the award period. o The applicant's curriculum vitae
should summarize education, research experience, and bibliographic information related to
the proposed work. 10. How may grant funds be used? Grant funds may be used to purchase or
lease equipment essential to accomplishing the objectives of the project. The budget
narrative must list such equipment and explain why the equipment is necessary. Funds may
not be used for operating programs, writing texts or handbooks, training, etc. 11. To what
extent may indirect costs be included in the budget estimates? It is the policy of the
Institute that all costs should be budgeted directly; however, if an applicant has an
indirect cost rate that has been approved by a Federal agency within the past two years,
an indirect cost recovery estimate may be included in the budget. A copy of the approved
rate agreement should be submitted as an appendix to OJP Form 7150/1 (see item 6). If an
applicant does not have an approved rate agreement, the applicant should contact the
Office of the Comptroller, Office of Justice Programs at (202) 307-0623, to obtain
information about preparing an indirect cost rate proposal. 12. What, if any, matching
funds are required? Units of State and local governments (not including publicly supported
institutions of higher education) are encouraged to contribute a match (cash, noncash, or
both) of requested funds. Other applicants also are encouraged to seek matching
contributions from other Federal agencies or private foundations to assist in meeting the
costs of the project. 13. Should other funding sources be listed? Applicants are expected
to identify all other Federal, local, or private sources of support, including other NIJ
programs, to which this or a closely related proposal has been or will be submitted. This
information permits NIJ to consider the joint funding potential and limits the possibility
of inadvertent duplicate funding. Applicants may submit more than one proposal to NIJ, but
the same proposal cannot be submitted in more than one program area. Is there a page
limit? The Institute has established a limit of 30 double-spaced pages (with font size not
smaller than 12 point) for all grant applications. This page limit does not include
references, budget narrative, curriculum vitae, forms, or necessary appendices.
Applications for small grants ($1,000 to $50,000) are limited to 15 double-spaced pages.
Proposals failing to conform to these page and font limitations will not be accepted. 16.
What does the review process entail? After all applications for a competition are
received, NIJ will convene a series of peer review panels of criminal justice
professionals and researchers. NIJ will assign proposals to peer panels that it deems most
appropriate. Panel members read each proposal and meet to assess the technical merits and
policy relevance of the proposed research. Panel assessments of the proposals, together
with assessments by NIJ staff, are submitted to the Director, NIJ, who has sole and final
authority over approval of awards. The review normally takes 60 to 90 days, depending on
the number of applications received. 17. What are the criteria for an award? The essential
question asked of each applicant is, "If this effort were successful, how would
criminal justice policies or operations be improved?" Evaluations will be based on
the criteria described in the "Selection Criteria" section in this solicitation.
18. Are there any other considerations in selecting applications for an award? Projects
should have a national impact or have potential relevance to a number of jurisdictions.
Because of the broad national mandate of the National Institute of Justice, projects that
address the unique concerns of a single jurisdiction should be fully justified. Projects
that intend to provide services in addition to performing research are eligible for
support, but only for the resources necessary to conduct the research tasks outlined in
the proposal. The applicant's performance on previous or current NIJ grants will also be
taken into consideration in making funding decisions. Performance factors include not only
the efficacy or previous or current projects, but also the thoroughness, timeliness and
accuracy of all reporting requirements. 19. Who is eligible to apply? NIJ awards grants
to, or enters into cooperative agreements with, educational institutions, nonprofit
organizations, public agencies, individuals, and profit making organizations that are
willing to waive their fees. Where appropriate, special eligibility criteria are indicated
in the solicitation. 20. Does NIJ accept resubmission of proposals? The Institute will
accept resubmission of a previously rejected proposal. The applicant should indicate on
Question 8, SF 424, that the application is a revision. The applicant should also include
this information in the abstract. Finally, the applicant should prepare a one-page
response to the earlier panel review (to follow the abstract) including: (1) the title,
submission date, and NIJ-assigned application number of the previous proposal; and (2) a
brief summary of responses to the review and/or revisions to the proposal. Requirements
for Award Recipients Required products. Each project is expected to generate tangible
products of maximum benefit to the law enforcement, courts and corrections community. In
particular, NIJ strongly encourages efforts that provide products or information of
practical utility to law enforcement officials; prosecutors; judges; corrections officers;
victims services providers; and Federal, State, county, and local elected officials.
Research report products should include: o A summary of approximately 2,500 words
highlighting the findings of the research and the policy issues those findings will
inform. The material should be written in a style that will be accessible to policy
officials and practitioners and suitable for possible publication as an NIJ Research in
Brief. An NIJ editorial style guide is sent to each project director at the time of the
award. o A full technical report, including a discussion of the research question, review
of the literature, description of project methodology, detailed review of project
findings, and conclusions and policy recommendations. o Clean copies of all automated data
sets developed during the research and full documentation prepared in accordance with the
instructions in the NIJ publication, Depositing Data with the Data Resources Program of
the National Institute of Justice: A Handbook. o Brief project summaries for NIJ use in
preparing annual reports to the President and the Congress. As appropriate, additional
products such as case studies and interim and final reports (e.g., articles, manuals, or
training materials) may be specified in the proposal or negotiated at the time of the
award. Public Release of Automated Data Sets NIJ is committed to ensuring the public
availability of research data and to this end established its Data Resources Program in
1984. All NIJ award recipients who collect data are required to submit a machine-readable
copy of the data and appropriate documentation to NIJ prior to the conclusion of the
project. The data and materials are reviewed for completeness. NIJ staff then create
machine-readable data sets, prepare users' guides, and distribute data and documentation
to other researchers in the field. A variety of formats are acceptable; however, the data
and materials must conform with requirements detailed in Depositing Data With the Data
Resources Program of the National Institute of Justice: A Handbook. A copy of this
handbook is sent to each project director at the time of the award. For further
information about NIJ's Data Resources Program, contact Dr. James Trudeau at (202)
307-1355. Reporting Requirements NIJ expects individuals and institutions receiving its
support to work diligently and professionally toward completing a high-quality research or
study product. Besides this general expectation, the Institute imposes specific
requirements to ensure that proper financial and administrative controls are applied to
the project. Financial and general reporting requirements are detailed in the Office of
Justice Program's Financial Guide. This manual provides policy guidance and controls, and
is sent to recipient institutions with the award documents. Project directors and
recipient financial administrators should pay particular attention to the requirements in
this document. Audit requirements. State and local governments are governed by the Single
Audit Act of 1984 and OMB Circular A-128, "Audits of State and Local
Governments." The audit requirements are as follows: o If the organization receives
$100,000 or more per year in Federal funds, an organization-wide financial and compliance
audit is required. o If the organization receives between $25,000 and $100,000 per year in
Federal funds, the organization may elect to have an organization-wide audit or program
audit. o If the organization receives less than $25,000 per year in Federal funds, the
organization is exempt from the audit requirement. Nonprofit organizations and
institutions of higher education are governed by the Single Audit Act of 1984 and OMB
Circular A-133, "Audits of Institutions of Higher Education and Other Nonprofit
Institutions." The audit requirements are as follows: o If the organization receives
$300,000 or more per year in Federal funds, an organization-wide financial and compliance
audit is required. o If the organization receives less than $300,000 per year in Federal
funds, the organization is exempt from the audit requirement. Commercial (for-profit)
organizations are required to have financial and compliance audits performed by qualified
individuals who are independent from those who authorize the expenditure of Federal funds.
This audit must be performed in accordance with Government Auditing Standards. The audit
thresholds contained in OMB Circular A-133 (as described above) apply. Financial status
reports. Financial status reports (SF 269A) are due quarterly on the 45th day following
the end of each calendar quarter. A report must be submitted every quarter the award is
active. The final report is due 120 days after the end date of the award. The Office of
the Comptroller, Office of Justice Programs, will provide a copy of this form in the
initial award package. Progress Reports. NIJ Program Managers must be kept informed of
research progress. Written progress reports are required on a semi-annual basis and should
inform the Program Manager of which tasks have been completed and whether significant
delays or departures from the original work plan are expected. The first progress report
should cover the period from the beginning date of the project through the end of the
first complete quarter (quarters are January 1-March 31, April 1-June 30, July 1-September
30, and October 1-December 31). Subsequent progress reports should cover the next two
quarters. All progress reports are due 30 days following the end of the reporting period.
For example, if a grant is awarded in May, the first progress report would cover the rest
of the current quarter (through June 30) and the first complete quarter (July 1- September
30) and would be due October 31; the second progress report would cover the next two
quarters (October 1-December 31 and January 1-March 31) and would be due April 30.
Standards of Performance by Recipients Conditions for suspension or termination of
funding. The National Institute of Justice may suspend, in whole or in part, terminate
funding for, or impose another sanction on a recipient for the following reasons: o
Failure to comply substantially with the requirements or statutory objectives of the
Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, as amended; the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of
1988; program guidelines issued thereunder, or other provisions of Federal law; o Failure
to make satisfactory progress toward the goals or strategies set forth in this
application; o Failure to adhere to the requirements in the agreement, standard
conditions, or special conditions; o Proposing or implementing substantial plan changes to
the extent that, if originally submitted, the application would not have been selected for
funding; o Failure to submit reports; or o Filing a false certification in this
application or other report or document. Before imposing sanctions, the National Institute
of Justice will provide reasonable notice to the recipient of its intent to impose
sanctions and will attempt informally to resolve the problem. Hearing and appeal
procedures will follow those in U. S. Department of Justice regulations in 28 CFR part 18.
Program Monitoring Award recipients and Principal Investigators assume certain
responsibilities as part of their participation in government-sponsored research and
evaluation. NIJ's monitoring activities are intended to help grantees meet these
responsibilities. They are based on good communication and open dialogue, with
collegiality and mutual respect. Some of the elements of this dialogue are: o
Communication with NIJ in the early stages of the grant, as the elements of the proposal's
design and methodology are developed and operationalized. o Timely communication with NIJ
regarding any developments that might affect the project's compliance with the schedules,
milestones, and products set forth in the proposal. (See statement on Timeliness, below.)
o Communication with other NIJ grantees conducting related research projects. An annual
"cluster conference" should be anticipated and should be budgeted for by
applicants at a cost of $1,000 for each year of the grant. o Providing NIJ on request with
brief descriptions of the project in interim stages at such time as the Institute may need
this information to meet its reporting requirements to Congress. NIJ will give as much
advance notification of these requests as possible, but will expect a timely response from
grantees when requests are made. NIJ is prepared to receive such communication through
electronic media. o Providing NIJ with copies of presentations made at conferences,
meetings, and elsewhere based in whole or in part on the work of the project. o Providing
NIJ with prepublication copies of articles based on the project appearing in professional
journals or the media, either during the life of the grant or after. o Other reporting
requirements (Progress Reports, Final Reports, and other grant products) are spelled out
elsewhere in this section. Financial reporting requirements will be described in the grant
award documents received by successful applicants. Timeliness Grantees are expected to
complete award products within the time frames that have been agreed upon by NIJ and the
grantee. The Institute recognizes that there are legitimate reasons for project
extensions. However, NIJ does not consider the assumption of additional research projects
that impinge upon previous time commitments as legitimate reasons for delay. Projects with
unreasonable delays can be terminated administratively. In this situation, any funds
remaining are withdrawn. Future applications from either the project director or the
recipient institution are subject to strict scrutiny and may be denied support based on
past failure to meet minimum standards. Publications The Institute encourages grantees to
prepare their work for NIJ publication. In cases where grantees disseminate their findings
through a variety of media, such as professional journals, books, and conferences, copies
of such publications should be sent to the Program Manager as they become available, even
if they appear well after a project's expiration. NIJ imposes no restriction on such
publications other than inclusion of the following acknowledgment and disclaimer: This
research was supported by grant number _____________ from the National Institute of
Justice. Points of view are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the
position of the U.S. Department of Justice. Data Confidentiality and Human Subjects
Protection Research that examines individual traits and experiences plays a vital part in
expanding our knowledge about criminal behavior. It is essential, however, that
researchers protect subjects from needless risk of harm or embarrassment and proceed with
their willing and informed cooperation. NIJ requires that investigators protect
information identifiable to research participants. When information is safeguarded, it is
protected by statute from being used in legal proceedings: "[S]uch information and
copies thereof shall be immune from legal process, and shall not, without the consent of
the person furnishing such information, be admitted as evidence or used for any purpose in
any action, suit, or other judicial, legislative, or administrative proceedings" (42
United States Code 3789g). Applicants should file their plans to protect sensitive
information as part of their proposal. Necessary safeguards are detailed in 28 Code of
Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 22. In addition, the U.S. Department of Justice has
adopted Human Subjects policies similar to those established by the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services. If an Institutional Review Board is necessary for this project,
a copy of the Board's approval must be submitted to the National Institute of Justice
prior to the initiation of data collection. Researchers are encouraged to review 28 CFR
Part 46, paragraph 46.101 to determine their individual project requirements.
----------------------- Call NCJRS at 800-251-3420 to obtain application forms for the
Solicitation for Law Enforcement, Courts and Corrections Technology Development,
Implementation and Evaluation. NIJ application forms available online are not applicable
to this solicitation. Therefore, please contact NCJRS at the above number to obtain the
correct application forms for this particular solicitation. Ask for document number
SL000168.
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- Surveillance / Stakeout
- Riot control / Recon
- Suspect pursuit and capture
- Perimeter control
- Narcotics grow facility detection
- Wild fire recon
- Poor visibility navigation
- Flammable liquid detection in drums and storage tanks
- Victim location
- Search and rescue
- Oil spill location
- Navigation aid
- Search and rescue
- Vessel Identification
- Narcotics smuggling / suspect vessel detection
- Wildlife observation and control
- Wildfire hot spot detection
- Wilderness search and rescue
- Poaching control
- Geo-thermal event detection
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