Determining the Relationship Between Stress and Unexplained In Custody Deaths | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) What is the title of this NIJ grant opportunity?

The opportunity is titled "Determining the Relationship Between Stress and Unexplained In Custody Deaths".

2) Which federal agency is offering this funding?

The funding is offered by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ).

3) What larger program does this solicitation fall under?

This solicitation is a discretionary research funding call under NIJ's broader Research, Evaluation, and Development Project Grants program.

4) What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The CFDA number provided is 16.560.

5) What is the central goal of NIJ's Research, Evaluation, and Development Project Grants program?

The central goal is to fund research, development, and evaluation that can strengthen criminal justice policy and practice across the United States.

6) What is the main research question NIJ wants applicants to study in this solicitation?

NIJ is seeking studies to clarify whether the physiological and metabolic consequences of acute stress during subdual or restraint could help explain certain in-custody deaths that remain unexplained after initial review.

7) What types of deaths are the focus of this research?

The focus is on deaths that occur during or shortly after a person is physically subdued or restrained, particularly when the death remains unexplained based on available evidence after initial review.

8) Does the solicitation limit the research to particular restraint methods?

No. The research focus includes events where a person is physically subdued or restrained regardless of the specific method used.

9) What biological systems or processes does NIJ highlight as potentially relevant to the stress response?

NIJ highlights short-term stress reactions that may involve changes in cardiovascular function, breathing, metabolism, and other biological systems.

10) What is the purpose of studying acute stress in restraint or subdual situations?

The purpose is to investigate mechanisms that might connect high-stress restraint events with sudden death, especially when traditional explanations are not sufficient based on the evidence available.

11) What type of funding instrument is being used (grant vs. cooperative agreement)?

This opportunity is issued as a cooperative agreement.

12) What does it generally mean that the award is a cooperative agreement?

In general, a cooperative agreement typically indicates NIJ may expect more active involvement or collaboration during the project period than would occur with a standard grant.

13) How is the funding instrument categorized?

The funding instrument is categorized under science and technology and other research and development.

14) What kinds of expertise might be relevant for a competitive application?

The solicitation signals an expectation of rigorous technical or scientific work and notes multidisciplinary expertise may be relevant, such as forensic science, physiology, medicine, biomechanics, behavioral science, or criminal justice.

15) How many awards does NIJ expect to make?

The solicitation lists an expected number of awards as 100.

16) Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. The solicitation states there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.

17) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning it is broadly open to many types of entities, subject to any additional conditions described in the full announcement.

18) What kinds of organizations might be able to apply under an "unrestricted" eligibility description?

Based on the description provided, potential applicants may include universities, nonprofit research organizations, private entities, governmental units, and other qualified applicants, as long as they meet the requirements in the full solicitation.

19) When was the opportunity posted?

The opportunity was posted on January 26, 2012.

20) What was the application deadline?

The application deadline was April 25, 2012.

21) What does it mean that the opportunity is archived?

The notice indicates the opportunity was archived on July 25, 2012, which typically means it is no longer an active open solicitation as of that archive date.

22) What is the legal authority NIJ cites for issuing this solicitation?

NIJ cites authority from Title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (sections 201 and 202) and the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (section 232).

23) Why is NIJ funding research on unexplained in-custody deaths related to acute stress?

Based on the description, NIJ is seeking a stronger scientific understanding of whether acute stress during restraint/subdual could contribute to otherwise unexplained deaths, with the broader implication that findings could help inform restraint protocols, medical screening, emergency response practices, investigations, and risk reduction strategies.

24) Who is the NIJ point of contact for solicitation and programmatic questions?

The solicitation lists Brian Montgomery, Physical Scientist, as the point of contact.

25) How can applicants contact the NIJ point of contact?

Brian Montgomery can be reached by phone at 202-353-9786 or by email at Brian.Montgomery@ojp.usdoj.gov.

26) Who should applicants contact for Grants.gov submission issues?

For application submission issues through Grants.gov, applicants are directed to Grants.gov Customer Support.

27) What are the Grants.gov Customer Support phone numbers and email listed?

The notice lists 800-518-4726 and 606-545-5035, and the email support@grants.gov.

28) When is Grants.gov support available?

Support is available 24/7 except federal holidays.

29) Where can applicants find the detailed requirements, deliverables, allowable costs, and evaluation criteria?

The announcement references an additional information link leading to the full solicitation, where those details would be provided.

30) What is the overall theme or problem this solicitation aims to address?

The solicitation aims to advance scientific understanding of how acute stress during restraint/subdual might contribute to certain in-custody deaths that remain unexplained after initial review.