New Solicitation: Research and Evaluation for the Testing and Interpretation of Physical Evidence in Publicly Funded Forensic Laboratories

1. Identify and inform the forensic community of best practices through the evaluation of existing laboratory protocols; and/or?
2. Have a direct and immediate impact on laboratory efficiency and assist in making laboratory policy decisions.?

The intent of this program is to direct the findings of this research and evaluation toward the identification of the most efficient, accurate, reliable, and cost-effective methods for the identification, analysis, and interpretation of physical evidence for criminal justice purposes. Projects should address the challenges and needs of the forensic science community, including, but not limited to, the operational needs discussed at the 2021 and 2022 TWG meetings, which may be found on NIJ.ojp.gov. NIJ?s Forensic Science Technology Working Group (TWG) assists in identifying and prioritizing operational needs and requirements of the field, which are intended to facilitate proposal development. Additional research needs of the forensic science community can be found at the Organization of Scientific Area Committees for Forensic Sciences website.?

Applications will be submitted in a two-step process, each with its own deadline:?

1. Submit an SF-424 and an SF-LLL in Grants.gov.
   Grants.gov, Deadline: April 26, 2023, 11:59 PM ET?
2. Submit the full application including attachments in JustGrants.
   Application JustGrants, Deadline: May 3, 2023, 8:59 PM ET?

Applicants must register with Grants.gov and JustGrants prior to submitting an application.??

This solicitation is competitive; therefore, NIJ staff cannot have individual conversations with prospective applicants. Any questions concerning the solicitation should be submitted to the OJP Response Center: 1-800-851-3420; TTY at 301-240-6310 (for hearing impaired only); or email [email protected]. See also NIJ.ojp.gov?s solicitation FAQ page.?

The following application elements must be included in the application to meet the basic minimum requirements to advance to peer review and receive consideration for funding:?

• Proposal Narrative??

• Budget Web-Based Form (The web-based form includes the budget details and the budget narrative.)??
• Curriculum Vitae/Resumes for Key Personnel. (For purposes of this solicitation, ?key personnel? means the principal investigator, and any and all co-principal investigators.)?
• Proof of Forensic Laboratory Accreditation, to include the scope of the accreditation for the involved publicly funded forensic laboratory.?