Opportunity Information: Apply for NIJ 2014 3752
Apply for NIJ 2014 3752
- The National Institute of Justice in the other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NIJ FY 14 Research on Offender Decision Making and Desistance From Crime" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.560 National Institute of Justice Research, Evaluation, and Development Project Grants.
- This funding opportunity was created on Feb 19, 2014 and posted on Feb 19, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 5, 2014. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $1,500,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 2 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
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Opportunity Summary:
The NIJ FY 14 Research on Offender Decision Making and Desistance From Crime grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number NIJ 2014 3752) was a National Institute of Justice discretionary research and evaluation solicitation focused on improving how the field understands why adults choose to commit crimes and why, how, and under what conditions they stop. NIJ noted that two long-standing frameworks dominate this area: rational choice perspectives that generally emphasize weighing costs and benefits at the moment of offending, and life course perspectives that often emphasize how desistance unfolds over time as people age, form relationships, gain employment, or experience turning points. Through this solicitation, NIJ aimed to move beyond treating these models as fixed or complete explanations and instead encouraged applicants to dig into the actual decision-making process in a more detailed, realistic, and empirically grounded way.
A central theme of the solicitation was expansion and integration of theory. NIJ invited proposals that refine or extend rational choice and/or life course models, as well as proposals that use alternative theoretical approaches to explain offending decisions or desistance. Examples explicitly mentioned included behavioral economics, business models, psychology, and cognitive models, but the intent was broader than a short list. The key was to explain decision making in a way that better captures how people actually think and act, including non-linear reasoning, bounded rationality, habit, learning, shifting preferences, and the influence of cues and constraints in everyday environments. NIJ also made clear that applicants could combine theories, rather than treating them as competing camps, so long as the proposed work meaningfully advances understanding of the mechanisms behind offending and desistance.
The opportunity specifically encouraged researchers to consider factors that traditional models sometimes handle only indirectly, such as social context, emotions, default choices, and environmental context. In practice, this meant NIJ was looking for studies that examine how decisions are shaped by peers, family, neighborhood conditions, routines, opportunities, stress, fear, anger, shame, perceived legitimacy of authorities, or immediate situational pressures. The mention of default choices signals interest in how people may drift into actions because of inertia, limited attention, or the path of least resistance rather than conscious calculation. Similarly, environmental context points toward situational and place-based influences, such as how settings, guardianship, time of day, or local market conditions can raise or lower the likelihood of offending or of choosing a non-criminal alternative.
From a programmatic standpoint, this was a grant (not a cooperative agreement) under CFDA 16.560 (National Institute of Justice Research, Evaluation, and Development Project Grants). NIJ anticipated making two awards with an estimated total funding amount of $1,500,000. There was no cost sharing or matching requirement, and eligibility was described as unrestricted, meaning a wide range of entity types could apply, subject to any clarifications in the full solicitation. The announcement was posted February 19, 2014, with an application closing date of May 5, 2014, and it was later archived on August 5, 2014. The listed award ceiling and floor were both shown as $0 in the summary data, which typically indicates that the specific award size constraints were either not set in the summary fields or were detailed only in the full solicitation document rather than in the metadata.
For applicants, NIJ provided standard support channels. The program contact listed for substantive questions was Joel Hunt, Social Science Analyst, reachable by phone at (202) 616 8111 and by email at Joel.Hunt@usdoj.gov. NIJ also pointed applicants to general guidance and FAQs on NIJ funding at www.nij.gov/funding/Pages/welcome.aspx and www.nij.gov/funding/Pages/faqs.aspx. For submission and technical issues through Grants.gov, applicants were directed to the Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline (800 518 4726 or 606 545 5035) and support@grants.gov, with the note that the hotline operates 24/7 except federal holidays. The announcement also included a procedural note that if unforeseen Grants.gov technical problems beyond the applicant’s control prevented submission by the deadline, the applicant needed to email the NIJ contact within 24 hours after the deadline to request approval to submit late, consistent with common NIJ/DOJ submission policies.
Overall, the solicitation’s practical purpose was to fund a small number of studies that push the field toward a more complete, behaviorally realistic picture of adult criminal decision making and desistance, emphasizing process, context, and mechanisms rather than relying solely on broad, traditional explanations.
FAQs: NIJ FY 14 Research on Offender Decision Making and Desistance From Crime (NIJ 2014 3752)
What is this grant opportunity?
This was the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) FY 14 discretionary research and evaluation solicitation titled "Research on Offender Decision Making and Desistance From Crime" (Funding Opportunity Number NIJ 2014 3752). It focused on improving how the field understands why adults choose to commit crimes and why, how, and under what conditions they stop (desist).
What was the main goal of the solicitation?
The goal was to fund studies that provide a more complete, behaviorally realistic understanding of adult offending decisions and desistance. NIJ emphasized digging into the actual decision-making process in a detailed, realistic, and empirically grounded way, rather than treating traditional models as fixed or complete explanations.
What kinds of theories or frameworks did NIJ reference?
NIJ noted two long-standing frameworks in this area: rational choice perspectives (often emphasizing the weighing of costs and benefits at the moment of offending) and life course perspectives (often emphasizing how desistance unfolds over time as people age, form relationships, gain employment, or experience turning points).
Did NIJ want applicants to choose between rational choice and life course theories?
No. NIJ encouraged applicants to move beyond treating these models as competing camps. Proposals could refine or extend rational choice and/or life course models, use alternative theories, or combine theories, as long as the work meaningfully advanced understanding of mechanisms behind offending and desistance.
What does NIJ mean by "expansion and integration of theory"?
NIJ was looking for proposals that go beyond standard, broad explanations and instead develop richer accounts of how offending and desistance decisions actually work. This included refining existing frameworks, integrating multiple perspectives, or introducing alternative theoretical approaches that better capture real-world decision processes.
What alternative theoretical approaches were explicitly mentioned?
Examples NIJ explicitly mentioned included behavioral economics, business models, psychology, and cognitive models. NIJ also indicated the intent was broader than this short list.
What kinds of decision-making features did NIJ want proposals to address?
NIJ highlighted decision-making features such as non-linear reasoning, bounded rationality, habit, learning, shifting preferences, and the influence of cues and constraints in everyday environments.
What factors did NIJ encourage researchers to consider that may be indirect in traditional models?
NIJ encouraged attention to factors such as social context, emotions, default choices, and environmental context. The solicitation pointed toward examining how real-world settings and pressures shape decisions, not just abstract calculations or long-run trajectories.
What does "default choices" refer to in this context?
In the solicitation, "default choices" signaled interest in how people may drift into actions due to inertia, limited attention, or taking the path of least resistance, rather than making a fully conscious, deliberate calculation at each moment.
What does NIJ mean by "environmental context"?
NIJ pointed to situational and place-based influences, such as settings, guardianship, time of day, or local market conditions, that can increase or decrease the likelihood of offending or choosing a non-criminal alternative.
What specific social and emotional influences did NIJ mention?
NIJ mentioned influences such as peers, family, neighborhood conditions, routines, opportunities, stress, fear, anger, shame, perceived legitimacy of authorities, and immediate situational pressures.
Was the solicitation focused on adults or juveniles?
The solicitation described a focus on why adults choose to commit crimes and why, how, and under what conditions they stop.
What type of award was this (grant or cooperative agreement)?
This opportunity was a grant (not a cooperative agreement).
What CFDA program was this funded under?
This solicitation fell under CFDA 16.560, "National Institute of Justice Research, Evaluation, and Development Project Grants."
How many awards did NIJ anticipate making?
NIJ anticipated making two awards.
What was the estimated total funding amount?
The estimated total funding amount was $1,500,000.
Was cost sharing or matching required?
No. NIJ stated there was no cost sharing or matching requirement.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was described as unrestricted, meaning a wide range of entity types could apply, subject to any clarifications in the full solicitation.
What were the key dates for the opportunity?
The announcement was posted on February 19, 2014. The application closing date was May 5, 2014. The opportunity was later archived on August 5, 2014.
What were the award floor and ceiling amounts?
In the summary data, the award ceiling and floor were both shown as $0. This typically indicates the specific award size constraints were either not set in the summary fields or were detailed only in the full solicitation rather than in the metadata.
Who was the NIJ program contact for substantive questions?
The program contact listed was Joel Hunt, Social Science Analyst. Phone: (202) 616 8111. Email: Joel.Hunt@usdoj.gov.
Where could applicants find NIJ funding guidance and general NIJ FAQs?
NIJ referenced its general guidance and FAQs at www.nij.gov/funding/Pages/welcome.aspx and www.nij.gov/funding/Pages/faqs.aspx.
Who should applicants contact for Grants.gov submission or technical issues?
Applicants were directed to the Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline at (800) 518 4726 or (606) 545 5035, or by email at support@grants.gov. The hotline was noted as operating 24/7 except federal holidays.
What if a Grants.gov technical problem prevented on-time submission?
The solicitation included a procedural note: if unforeseen Grants.gov technical problems beyond the applicant's control prevented submission by the deadline, the applicant needed to email the NIJ contact within 24 hours after the deadline to request approval to submit late, consistent with NIJ/DOJ submission policies.
What was NIJ trying to move the field toward with this solicitation?
NIJ aimed to support a small number of studies that push the field toward a more complete picture of adult criminal decision making and desistance, emphasizing process, context, and mechanisms rather than relying only on broad traditional explanations.
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