Sensor, Surveillance, and Biometric Technologies for Criminal Justice Applications | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) What is the name of this funding opportunity?

The opportunity is titled Sensor, Surveillance, and Biometric Technologies for Criminal Justice Applications.

2) Which agency is offering this opportunity?

This is a National Institute of Justice (NIJ) discretionary grant solicitation.

3) What program is this solicitation associated with?

It is offered under NIJ's Research, Evaluation, and Development Projects Grants program, listed as CFDA 16.560.

4) What is the central goal of the solicitation?

The stated goal is to fund research, technology development, and evaluation that can measurably improve U.S. criminal justice policy and day-to-day practice, and to validate capabilities through rigorous study so agencies can make better-informed operational and procurement decisions.

5) Is this intended to fund general public safety initiatives?

No. The summary indicates the solicitation is not aimed at general public safety initiatives, but rather at advancing specific technical capabilities and evaluating them in a way that supports real-world criminal justice decision-making.

6) What funding mechanism is used (grant vs. cooperative agreement)?

The solicitation is issued as a cooperative agreement, which typically means NIJ expects a more substantial level of involvement during the project period compared to a standard grant (such as coordination on milestones, deliverables, testing approaches, or dissemination).

7) What is the funding opportunity number?

The funding opportunity number is NIJ-2011-2803.

8) How many awards did NIJ anticipate making?

NIJ anticipated making up to 100 awards.

9) What are the award floor and award ceiling for this opportunity?

The award floor is listed as 0 and the award ceiling is listed as 0. In practice, this usually means award sizes may vary by proposal scope and applicants should look to the full solicitation for budget expectations and any topic-specific guidance.

10) What are the main topic areas NIJ is seeking proposals in?

NIJ is seeking proposals in four topic areas:

• Remote Detection of Concealed Handguns
• Integrated Sensor Systems
• Crime Scene Evidence Identification
• Biometric Technologies

11) What is meant by "Remote Detection of Concealed Handguns" in this solicitation?

This topic targets technologies or methods that could identify the presence of hidden firearms from a distance. The summary notes this work would typically involve sensor science, detection performance testing, limitations analysis, and evaluation under conditions resembling real-world criminal justice settings.

12) What is meant by "Integrated Sensor Systems" in this solicitation?

This topic emphasizes combining multiple sensors or data streams into a coordinated system to improve situational awareness or detection accuracy beyond any single sensor. The summary highlights system engineering, interoperability, fusion algorithms, field testing, and practical deployment and workflow considerations.

13) What does the "Crime Scene Evidence Identification" topic focus on?

This topic supports technologies to help identify, recognize, or analyze evidence more effectively at crime scenes, with potential benefits such as improved speed, accuracy, and reliability, and reduced contamination or human error.

14) What does the "Biometric Technologies" topic cover?

This topic focuses on identity-related tools and methods used in justice applications. The summary gives examples such as capture, matching, quality assessment, or performance evaluation intended to strengthen identification processes.

15) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning it is open to a wide range of applicant types, subject to any clarifications in the full announcement.

16) Is cost sharing or matching required?

The summary indicates no cost sharing or matching requirement is stated in the listed summary data.

17) When was the opportunity posted?

The opportunity was posted on November 9, 2010.

18) What was the application closing date, and was it extended?

The original closing date was February 7, 2011, and it was later extended to February 14, 2011.

19) Is this opportunity still open?

No. The archive date is listed as May 7, 2011, which indicates the opportunity is no longer active.

20) Why is the archive date important?

The archive date indicates the solicitation is not accepting applications anymore, but the summary can still serve as a snapshot of NIJ priorities and how it structured technology-focused R&D solicitations during that period.

21) What legal authorities support NIJ's ability to fund this work?

The authorizing authorities cited are:

• Title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (sections 201 and 202)
• Homeland Security Act of 2002 (section 232)

22) Who are the topic-specific agency contacts listed for this solicitation?

The solicitation provides topic-specific NIJ contacts:

• Frances Scott (Physical Scientist) for sensor and surveillance-related requirements
• Mark Greene (Physical Scientist) for biometrics-related requirements

23) Who should applicants contact for technical problems with submission?

For technical submission issues, the listing references Grants.gov customer support.

24) Where would applicants find the detailed requirements and submission instructions?

The listing points to an additional information link directing applicants to the full solicitation announcement, where program-specific information, required deliverables, performance measures, and submission requirements would be provided in detail.

25) What kinds of criminal justice operations are implied as potential application areas?

The summary notes justice system needs such as policing, forensic operations, corrections, courts, and related government functions.