The Impact of Different Safety Equipment Modalities on Reducing Correctional Officer Injuries | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What agency is offering this grant opportunity?

This opportunity is offered by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), which is the research arm of the U.S. Department of Justice.

What is the main purpose of the grant?

The grant is intended to fund research that can directly improve correctional policy and day-to-day practice, specifically by evaluating how different approaches to safety equipment in correctional settings affect correctional officer physical safety and injury outcomes.

What type of projects is NIJ looking for under this solicitation?

NIJ is seeking comparative evaluations of different safety equipment modalities used in correctional settings. The emphasis is on rigorous research that compares real-world differences in equipment policies and practices across agencies and links those differences to measurable officer safety outcomes.

What does NIJ mean by "safety equipment modalities" in this solicitation?

In this context, "safety equipment modalities" refers to the policies and practices that determine what kinds of safety equipment correctional officers are allowed to carry or use, under what circumstances they can use it, how they are trained or directed to use it, and how those decisions affect officer physical safety and injury outcomes.

How is "safety equipment" defined for this grant?

For this solicitation, "safety equipment" is framed as equipment used to de-escalate and stop violent or disruptive inmate behavior and to protect officers from assaults. The core outcome of interest is reducing officer injuries and improving physical safety.

Are proposals expected to focus on operational efficiency or broader facility outcomes?

No. Based on the description provided, the solicitation is centered on officer physical safety and injury reduction rather than general operational efficiency or other broader performance goals.

What kinds of comparisons are expected in a competitive proposal?

Competitive proposals would be expected to compare different real-world approaches across correctional agencies, examining differences in (1) policy (what is authorized), (2) implementation (how equipment is actually used in practice), and (3) context (such as facility type, staffing patterns, population characteristics, and incident types), and then relate those differences to measurable officer safety outcomes.

What outcomes are most important to NIJ for this research?

The primary outcomes of interest are correctional officer physical safety and injury outcomes, including reductions in assaults and injuries.

Does NIJ expect applicants to use rigorous research methods and correctional data?

Yes. The opportunity emphasizes research, evaluation, and development, and projects would typically involve a structured evaluation using credible methods and correctional data sources to identify which modalities appear to reduce assaults and injuries, under what conditions, and with what tradeoffs.

What is the award mechanism?

The award mechanism is a cooperative agreement.

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

A cooperative agreement generally means NIJ anticipates substantial involvement during the project period, such as coordination on research goals, deliverables, or dissemination activities.

When was the opportunity posted and when was the application due?

The opportunity was posted on January 26, 2012, and the application closing date was April 25, 2012.

Is this grant opportunity still active?

No. The opportunity was later archived on July 25, 2012.

What CFDA program does this solicitation fall under?

This solicitation falls under CFDA 16.560, which is listed as NIJ Research, Evaluation, and Development Project Grants.

Is cost sharing or matching required?

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

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning it is broadly open to many types of applicants, subject to any specific conditions that may be described in the full solicitation text.

How many awards and what funding levels should applicants expect?

The source listing shows expected awards as "100" and lists the award ceiling and floor as "0." The description notes these fields are often placeholders in summary records, so the actual number of awards and any budget limits would typically need to be confirmed in the full announcement.

What legal authority is cited for this program?

The legal authority cited includes Title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (sections 201 and 202) and section 232 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002.

Who is the program contact for questions about the solicitation requirements?

The program contact listed is Jack Harne, Physical Scientist at NIJ.

Where should applicants go for technical help with submission?

Submission support is routed through the Grants.gov help desk, consistent with federal application procedures.

What is the underlying rationale for this research focus?

The solicitation is based on the idea that correctional agencies often differ in their equipment rules and deployment practices, and NIJ wants research that compares those real-world approaches in a rigorous way to determine what appears to improve officer safety and reduce injuries, and under what conditions.