Purpose

To generate high-quality research conducted by researchers representing multiple academic disciplines and strategies, including juvenile justice, delinquency prevention, mental health, child welfare, and social services. This research will identify issues pertinent to the advancement of the juvenile justice and delinquency prevention field and explore topics relevant to State and local juvenile justice policies and practices.

Background

Since its inception in 1974, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has been charged with sponsoring research to build a knowledge base on juvenile crime, its etiology, characteristics, and trends; the impact of juvenile crime and victimization; and appropriate responses to juvenile crime and violence, including prevention, early intervention, and graduated sanctions.

Recognizing that innovative research ideas often spring from those working outside of the Federal Government, OJJDP encourages researchers and practitioners to form partnerships to undertake new avenues of inquiry regarding delinquent behavior and innovative approaches to the problem of juvenile crime. Several landmark studies conducted by the National Academy of Sciences, the OJJDP Study Group on Serious and Violent Offenders, and the University of Maryland have identified fruitful areas for scientific inquiry. Researchers are encouraged to consult these sources or to suggest their own ideas.

In past years, OJJDP has sponsored field-initiated research and evaluation programs, supporting research on such diverse topics as gangs in correctional institutions, mental health issues in juvenile justice, the child welfare and juvenile justice systems, and juvenile sex offending. In fiscal year 1998, the field-initiated program will focus exclusively on innovative nonevaluation research.

Goals

To foster original, rigorous scientific research and to use innovative research methods to study important issues of juvenile delinquency and juvenile justice. This program seeks to encourage empirical research in the areas of youth delinquent and criminal behavior, interventions with youthful offenders, and juvenile justice system policies and practices. Through these research projects, OJJDP intends to inform the field by conceptualizing specific problems and developing specific answers.

Objectives

	Conceptualize and investigate new research questions.
	Develop new methodological approaches to address problems not previously investigated.
	Expand and validate hypotheses on juvenile delinquency.
	Develop knowledge that will lead to new hypotheses, techniques, approaches, or methods to improve the juvenile justice system and delinquency prevention efforts.

Program Strategy

Through the Field-Initiated Research Program, OJJDP is actively soliciting from the field innovative research proposals that will contribute to the prevention and reduction of juvenile delinquency and to the development of more effective juvenile justice practices and policies.

Products

Proposals should contain a description of all products to originate from the research project. At a minimum, each grantee will be required to produce a report that provides an overview of the research, including the underlying theory and hypotheses; methodology; findings; policy implications resulting from the research; and recommendations for future action. Applicants must also indicate a willingness to provide a written report suitable for publication as an OJJDP Bulletin no later than 60 days after the grant ends.

Eligibility Requirements

OJJDP invites applications from public and private agencies, organizations, institutions, and individuals. Private, for-profit organizations must agree to waive any profit or fee. Joint applications from two or more eligible applicants are welcome; however, one applicant must be clearly indicated as the primary applicant (for correspondence and award purposes) and the others indicated as coapplicants. Where appropriate, collaborative relationships are encouraged between researchers and practitioners; if required for conducting the research, assurances should be provided that such collaboration exists.

Selection Criteria

Applicants will be evaluated and rated by a peer review panel according to the criteria outlined below.

Problem(s) To Be Addressed (25 points)

Applicants must include in the project narrative a clear description of the research questions the proposed project will address. Applicants should also provide a discussion of the importance of these research questions and indicate to what extent they can be answered by previous research. Applicants will be judged on the value and contribution of the proposed research. The applicant must also demonstrate an understanding of other research relevant to the field's understanding of delinquency and the juvenile justice system.

Goals and Objectives (25 points)

The application must include a concrete statement of the project goal. The goal should relate to and be supported by the "Problems To Be Addressed" section of the application. The objectives of the project should correspond to specific tasks that the applicant will undertake to achieve the overall goals. The objectives must be clear and measurable.

Project Design (25 points)

The application should discuss in detail the overall design of the project. The discussion should include a description of all research questions and the proposed methodology. The methodology must logically connect with the data available or the data the project will collect.

The application must include a timeline that indicates when specific tasks will be started and completed. The timeline must be referenced as appropriate in the narrative, but should be placed in appendix A of the application.

Management and Organizational Capabilities (15 points)

Applicants must demonstrate a management structure that will achieve the goals and objectives of the project in an efficient and cost-effective manner. Applicants should pay particular attention to ensuring that the project tasks, as delineated in the "Project Design" section of the application, are adequately staffed. Where appropriate and feasible, applicants should indicate the number of staff days required per task.

Applicants must also demonstrate an organizational capacity to complete the work anticipated in the project design. The applicant should include a description of similar projects undertaken by the organization. Applicants proposing research that involves other governmental agencies, organizations, or programs should submit letters of cooperation from them.

Budget (10 points)

Applicants must provide a proposed budget that is complete, detailed, reasonable, allowable, and cost effective in relation to the activities to be undertaken.

Format

Proposals that request awards of less than $50,000 will be considered "small grants." Applicants for small grants are required to limit their proposals to a total of 15 pages. Applicants requesting more than $50,000 must submit a program narrative that does not exceed 30 pages in length. These page limits do not include the budget narrative, appendixes, application forms, or assurances. The appendixes must include the following: résumés of the project manager and other key staff, the timeline of the project's major milestones with dates for submission included, and letters of cooperation.

The narrative portion of this application must be submitted on 8½- by 11-inch paper, double spaced on one side of the paper in a standard 12-point font. These standards are necessary to maintain a fair and uniform standard among all applicants. If the narrative does not conform to these standards, OJJDP will deem the application ineligible for consideration.

Award Period

This program will be funded for a period not to exceed 2 years. For projects exceeding 1 year, the initial budget period cannot exceed 1 year. Funding after the initial budget period depends on grantee performance, availability of funds, and other criteria at time of award.

Award Amount

Up to $650,000 is available for awards under this program in FY 1998. Individual grants can range between $25,000 and $300,000. Total project costs, regardless of the length of the project, may not exceed $300,000.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number

For this program, the CFDA number, which is required on Standard Form 424, Application for Federal Assistance, is 16.542. This form is included in OJJDP's Application Kit, which can be obtained by calling the Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse at 800-638-8736 or sending an e-mail request to puborder@ncjrs.org. The Application Kit is also available online. (See the Introduction for more contact information.)

Coordination of Federal Efforts

To encourage better coordination among Federal agencies in addressing State and local needs, the U.S. Department of Justice is requesting applicants to provide information on the following: (1) active Federal grant award(s) supporting this or related efforts, including awards from the U.S. Department of Justice; (2) any pending application(s) for Federal funds for this or related efforts; and (3) plans for coordinating any funds described in items (1) or (2) with the funding sought by this application. For each Federal award, applicants must include the program or project title, the Federal grantor agency, the amount of the award, and a brief description of its purpose.

"Related efforts" is defined for these purposes as one of the following:

	Efforts for the same purpose (i.e., the proposed award would supplement, expand, complement, or continue activities funded with other Federal grants).
	Another phase or component of the same program or project (e.g., to implement a planning effort funded by other Federal funds or to provide a substance abuse treatment or education component within a criminal justice project).
	Services of some kind (e.g., technical assistance, research, or evaluation) to the program or project described in the application.

Delivery Instructions

All application packages should be mailed or delivered to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, c/o Juvenile Justice Resource Center, 2277 Research Boulevard, Mail Stop 2K, Rockville, MD 20850; 301-519-5535. Note: In the lower left-hand corner of the envelope, the applicant must clearly write "Field-Initiated Research Program."

Due Date

Applicants are responsible for ensuring that the original and five copies of the application package are received by 5 p.m. ET on August 10, 1998.

Contact

For further information, contact Elissa Rumsey, Research and Program Development Division, 202-616-9279, or send an e-mail inquiry to rumseye@ojp.usdoj.gov.

References

Chalk, R., and King, P., eds. 1998. Violence in Families: Assessing Prevention and Treatment Programs. Washington, DC: National Academy of Sciences.

Loeber, R., and Farrington, D.P. 1998. Serious and Violent Juvenile Offenders: Risk Factors and Successful Interventions. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.

Panel on High Risk Youth. Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education, National Research Council. 1993. Losing Generations: Adolescents in High-Risk Settings. Washington DC: National Academy of Sciences.

Panel on Research on Child Abuse and Neglect. Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education, National Research Council. 1993. Understanding Child Abuse and Neglect. Washington DC: National Academy of Sciences.

Reiss, A.J., Jr., and Roth, J.A., eds. 1993. Understanding and Preventing Violence. Washington, DC: National Academy of Sciences.

Sherman, L.S. 1997. Preventing Crime: What Works, What Doesn't, and What's Promising. A Report to the U.S. Congress. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice.