NIJ FY15 Research into the Use of Suicide Prevention and Intervention Strategies by Law Enforcement Agencies | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the official title of this NIJ grant opportunity?

The opportunity is titled "Research into the Use of Suicide Prevention and Intervention Strategies by Law Enforcement Agencies" (NIJ FY15).

Which federal agency offered this solicitation?

The solicitation was offered by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ).

What program is this solicitation part of?

It was a discretionary funding solicitation under NIJ's Research, Evaluation, and Development Project Grants program.

What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?

The CFDA number listed for this program is 16.560.

What is the overall purpose of the NIJ Research, Evaluation, and Development Project Grants program?

The program aims to strengthen criminal justice policy and practice in the United States by supporting research, development, and evaluation that is practical, evidence-focused, and designed to inform real-world decision-making.

What topic area did this specific solicitation focus on?

This solicitation focused on suicide prevention and intervention strategies as they relate to law enforcement agencies.

What types of activities or projects was NIJ seeking to fund under this solicitation?

NIJ sought innovative and rigorous research designed to identify, describe, and characterize the suicide prevention and intervention strategies currently being used by law enforcement agencies.

Was the research limited to the United States?

The primary emphasis was on the United States, but NIJ left open the possibility that applicants could also examine strategies used elsewhere if the comparative perspective helped clarify what is being implemented and why.

Was NIJ only interested in listing or cataloging strategies used by agencies?

No. NIJ emphasized going beyond cataloging and showing interest in understanding the reasoning behind agencies' choices of strategies.

What kinds of "rationale" did NIJ indicate interest in understanding?

NIJ signaled interest in the rationale for adopting specific strategies, including potential drivers such as policy considerations, perceived needs, organizational culture, training requirements, resource constraints, legal concerns, and prior incidents that may have influenced adoption.

How important was evidence of effectiveness in this solicitation?

Evidence was a major emphasis. NIJ explicitly indicated interest in what evidence exists regarding the efficacy of the strategies being used, including whether approaches appear to work, under what conditions, and what outcomes are being measured (or should be measured).

What kinds of evidence sources or indicators were applicants expected to consider?

The solicitation described interest in indicators such as what data agencies track, whether evaluations have been conducted internally or externally, what research literature supports certain practices, and where evidence gaps remain.

What was the overarching goal of funding this research?

The goal was to move the field toward a clearer understanding of what law enforcement agencies are doing, how strategies are being implemented, and how decision-makers can judge whether these approaches are improving outcomes.

What type of funding mechanism was used for this award?

The funding mechanism was a cooperative agreement.

What does it mean that the award mechanism was a cooperative agreement?

Based on the solicitation description, a cooperative agreement typically implies NIJ expected a more collaborative relationship during the life of the project than might occur under a standard grant.

How many awards did NIJ expect to make under this solicitation?

The opportunity anticipated making one award.

What was the estimated total funding amount?

The estimated total funding amount was $500,000.

Was cost sharing or matching required?

No cost sharing or matching requirement was listed.

Was there a stated minimum or maximum award amount?

The summary record listed the award ceiling and floor as $0, which commonly indicates the precise award range was governed by the solicitation details rather than fixed minimums or maximums in the summary record.

Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was described as unrestricted, meaning the competition was generally open to a wide range of applicant types (for example, academic institutions, nonprofits, for-profits, and public agencies), subject to any additional eligibility clarifications that may have been included in the full solicitation.

When was this opportunity posted?

The opportunity was posted on January 2, 2015.

What was the application deadline?

The application deadline was April 2, 2015.

Is this opportunity still open?

No. The opportunity was later archived on May 2, 2015.

How were applications submitted?

Applicants were directed to submit electronically through Grants.gov.

Where could applicants get help with Grants.gov submission problems?

The announcement provided Grants.gov troubleshooting guidance, including the Grants.gov support hotline and instructions for reporting unforeseen technical issues that prevented on-time submission.

Who should applicants contact for programmatic or solicitation requirement questions?

Programmatic and solicitation requirement questions were directed to the NIJ contact email address: ST_Research@ojp.usdoj.gov.

Did the announcement point applicants to any general NIJ application resources?

Yes. The announcement pointed applicants to NIJ's general funding guidance and frequently asked questions pages for broader application support.