Research & Evaluation

Improving Criminal Justice Response (ICJR) Program

The ICJR Program assists Tribal, state, and local governments and courts to strengthen the criminal justice response to domestic/dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking by improving offender accountability, victim safety, homicide reduction, protection-order enforcement, and coordinated law enforcement and prosecutorial action. These sorts of activities treat these offenses as serious violations of criminal law and seek safety and autonomy for victims.

Enhanced Training and Services to End Abuse in Later Life Program

This competitive grant program funds projects that support a comprehensive approach to addressing elder abuse in their communities. These projects will provide training to criminal justice professionals to enhance their ability to address elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation; provide cross-training opportunities to professionals working with older victims; establish or support a coordinated community response to elder abuse; and provide or enhance services for victims who are 50 years of age or older.

Firearms Training and Technical Assistance Initiative

This competitive grant program provides direct training and technical assistance to OVW grant recipients to assist with the implementation of domestic violence firearms policies and laws in order to help reduce domestic violence abuse involving firearms.

Peer-to-Peer Support for Survivors of Crime

This program supports a pass-through funding model in which a trauma-informed, survivor-connected technical assistance provider will provide technical assistance, training, and subgrant funding and financial oversight for at least 10 subgrant sites.

National Mass Violence Victimization Resource Center

This program supports a Center for resources to assist communities in being better prepared and equipped to provide victims of mass violence with timely, comprehensive trauma-informed services.

Youth Violence Prevention Program

This competitive grant program provides funding for applicants to develop and/or enhance strategies to prevent youth violence, including youth gang involvement and youth gang/group violence.

Preparing for Active Shooter Situations (PASS) Awards

This is a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for the FY26 Preparing for Active Shooter Situations (PASS) Program. The preparedness of law enforcement to respond to active shooter incidents is a priority of the Administration. Through the PASS program, the Department of Justice supports this priority by providing funding to deliver nationally recognized, scenario-based training that prepares officers, first responders, and mental health and social service providers on how best to prepare their communities for an active shooter threat or act of terrorism. PASS program funds are used to increase public and law enforcement safety nationwide by training first responders—including law enforcement, fire, emergency medical services (EMS), dispatchers, medical personnel, facility security, emergency management, and any other professionals who may reasonably be key to a successful integrated response—to handle an active shooter threat or act of terrorism. In addition, this program will provide priority access to training for School Resource Officers funded under the COPS Hiring Program, to support active shooter preparedness and response in primary and secondary schools. Training provided under the PASS program will advance the goal of the 2016 Protecting Our Lives by Initiating COPS Expansion (POLICE) Act in offering scenario-based, integrated response courses designed to counter active shooter threats or acts of terrorism against individuals or facilities.

Community Policing Development (CPD) Program

This competitive grant program provides funding to law enforcement agencies to implement community policing strategies including crisis intervention teams, de-escalation training, and tolerance, diversity and anti-bias training.

Research and Evaluation on School Safety

This competitive grant program funds research and evaluation projects on the root causes and consequences of school violence.

Community-Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative (CVIPI) Research and Evaluation

This funding opportunity seeks applications for rigorous research and evaluation projects that advance understanding of OJP Community-Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiatives (CVIPI). The CVIPI program provides resources to support evidence-informed violence intervention and prevention programs in communities across the United States.

Research and Evaluation on Firearms Violence and Mass Shootings

This competitive grant program supports research and program evaluation projects that inform efforts to prevent and reduce intentional, interpersonal firearm violence and mass shootings in the United States in two categories: (1) research or evaluation of Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) laws, and (2) research on the sources of the firearm used in the commission of a crime and the relationship of those sources to shootings and gun-related violence.

Firearm Inquiry Statistics (FIST) Program, 2023–2026

This program provides national estimates on the total number of firearm purchase applications received and denied pursuant to the Brady Act and relevant state laws.

National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP)

1) NCHIP ($70,000,000)- This program aims to improve the nation’s safety and security by enhancing the quality, completeness, and accessibility of criminal history record information; and by ensuring the nationwide implementation of criminal justice and non-criminal justice background check systems. 2) NCHIP SF BSCA ($40,000,000) – This program furthers the DOJ’s mission to reduce violent crime and address gun violence by improving the accuracy, utility, and interstate accessibility of criminal-history and related records in support of national record systems and their use for name- and fingerprint-based… criminal history background checks. This program was developed to implement Title III, Division B (3) – Appropriations outlined in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (Pub. L. 117-159). 3) NARIP ($25,000,000)- This program provides grants to assist states, state court systems and tribal governments in updating the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) with certain mental health, protection and restraining order, domestic violence conviction, and other criminal history record information which may disqualify individuals from purchasing or possessing firearms. BJS coordinates its work on the NICS program with the efforts of the National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP) to ensure that funded state and state court system programs are complementary and consistent with the overall goal of improving the accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of state and national criminal records.

Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation (CTAS)

This competitive grant program provides funding to federally recognized tribes and tribal consortia to improve public safety and victim services in tribal communities. Purpose areas may allow for eligible school safety expenses including the hiring of School Resource Officers and the development of, or to enhance existing, school-involved Youth Healing to Wellness Courts.

National Initiatives: Law Enforcement Training and Technical Assistance

This funding opportunity seeks to fund training and technical assistance (TTA) programs for eight national initiatives to support law enforcement and criminal justice stakeholders in key criminal justice areas. Delivered TTA will be site-based, program-specific TTA and broader TTA for the field. This program furthers DOJ’s mission by supporting and assisting state, local, territorial, and tribal jurisdictions in improving the criminal justice system and enhancing efforts to prevent, investigate, and respond to crime.

Field Initiated: Encouraging Innovation

This competitive grant program provides funding to prevent and reduce crime and enhance the criminal justice system through innovative approaches that accelerate justice by identifying, defining, and responding to emerging or chronic crime problems and systemic issues.

National Public Safety Partnership—Capacity Building Grant Limited Competition Grant Solicitation

This competitive grant program provides state/local prosecutors and local law enforcement agencies who have participated in the National Public Safety Partnership (PSP) with funding to secure necessary resources identified in the PSP program assessments that will help reduce crime and increase public safety and trust in the criminal justice system.

Community Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative

This funding opportunity supports law enforcement efforts to reduce violent crime and improve police-community relations through a range of cross-sector enforcement, prevention, and intervention strategies that leverage active collaboration with communities through sustained partnerships and engagement. Whereas the program was previously open to a range of eligible applicants, FY2025 funding is only made available for local governments and tribes.

STOP School Violence Training and Technical Assistance (STOP TTA) Program

This competitive grant program provides funding for establishing a Center to provide support, training and technical assistance for the STOP School Violence Program.

Rural and Small Department Violent Crime Reduction Initiative (RVCRI)

This competitive grant program provides funding to law enforcement agencies and prosecutors’ offices to implement violent crime reduction strategies, improve investigations and services to victims, and enhance collaboration between local stakeholders.

Firearm Surveillance in Emergency Rooms (FASTER)

The CDC funds research through this program on surveillance data on emergency room visits for firearm injuries.

National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC) – research grants for preventing violence and violence related injury

The NCIPC funds research into gun violence prevention strategies. Funded research is detailed at this website.

Byrne Discretionary Grants Program

This program provides Congressionally-earmarked funds to improve the functioning of the criminal justice system and to combat juvenile delinquency.

Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program – Local Awards

The JAG Program is the leading source of federal criminal justice grant funding to state and local jurisdictions, providing providing formula-based funding for a broad range of program areas.