Research into Immigration and Crime, Fiscal Year 2020 | NIJ 2020 17310

Opportunity Information: Apply for NIJ 2020 17310

The Department of Justice's National Institute of Justice (NIJ) grant opportunity titled "Research into Immigration and Crime, Fiscal Year 2020" (Funding Opportunity Number NIJ 2020 17310) is a discretionary research grant focused on improving the evidence base around how immigration intersects with crime in the United States. The central goal is to support rigorous research that deepens understanding of the relationship between immigration (including both lawful and unlawful immigration) and crime from two angles: perpetration (who commits crime and under what conditions) and victimization (who is harmed by crime and how patterns of victimization may differ across immigrant and non-immigrant populations). In practical terms, NIJ is looking for projects that can move the conversation beyond assumptions and provide clearer, data-driven findings that can inform justice policy and practice.

The program sits within CFDA 16.560 and falls under the funding activity areas of law, justice, and legal services, as well as science and technology and broader research and development. This framing signals that NIJ expects empirical, methodologically sound work, such as statistical analyses, longitudinal studies, comparative designs, or mixed-method research that connects strong quantitative evidence with qualitative insights from communities and institutions. While the solicitation summary does not list specific research questions, it clearly indicates that proposals should address immigration and crime relationships in a way that can illuminate patterns, mechanisms, and potentially moderating factors (for example, differences by geography, time period, offense type, local policy environment, demographic factors, or reporting behavior). Because NIJ explicitly references both perpetration and victimization, strong proposals would typically consider how immigration status or immigrant community context may relate not only to offending, but also to exposure to crime, willingness to report, access to services, and interactions with law enforcement and the courts.

Funding is expected to support multiple awards, with NIJ anticipating up to $2,000,000 total available and an award ceiling of $2,000,000. The notice lists an expected two awards, suggesting a competitive environment where NIJ may prioritize proposals with particularly strong designs, credible data sources, and clear deliverables that can be used by policymakers and practitioners. The opportunity was created on January 28, 2020, with an original application closing date of April 1, 2020.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of organizations that can conduct or support research. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3), excluding higher education institutions in those nonprofit categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and other entities as described in the solicitation's additional eligibility language. This wide eligibility range reflects NIJ's interest in drawing proposals from universities, research institutes, government agencies, and other capable organizations that can access relevant data, engage impacted communities, and translate findings into usable knowledge for the justice system.

Overall, this solicitation is designed to fund careful, policy-relevant research that clarifies how immigration status and immigration-related dynamics may correlate with crime and victimization outcomes. NIJ's emphasis on both legal and illegal immigration, and on both offending and victimization, indicates an intent to develop a fuller and more balanced picture of public safety realities, potentially helping agencies and communities make more informed decisions based on credible evidence rather than anecdote or speculation.

• The Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice in the law, justice and legal services, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Research into Immigration and Crime, Fiscal Year 2020" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.560.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jan 28, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 01, 2020. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 2 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for NIJ 2020 17310

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