FY 2017 Graduate Research Fellowship Program for Criminal Justice Statistics

(Solicitation)
The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) is seeking applications under its Graduate
Research Fellowship (GRF) Program. This program provides awards to accredited
universities for doctoral research that uses BJS’s criminal justice data or statistical
series and focuses on crime, violence, and other criminal justice-related topics. BJS
invests in doctoral education by supporting universities that sponsor students who
demonstrate the potential to complete doctoral degree programs successfully in
disciplines relevant to the mission of BJS, and who are in the final stages of graduate
study. The primary goal of this solicitation is to increase the pool of researchers
using criminal justice statistical data generated by BJS, thereby contributing
solutions that better prevent and control crime and help ensure the fair and impartial
administration of criminal justice in the United States.

Applicant institutions sponsoring doctoral students are eligible to apply if the
doctoral research dissertation has direct implications for criminal justice policy and
practice in the United States. BJS encourages institutions to consider sponsoring
qualified doctoral students from social and behavioral sciences, mathematics, or
statistics for their applications. Applicant institutions are strongly encouraged to
sponsor minority and female student candidates. Awards are anticipated to be made to
successful applicant institutions in the form of a grant to cover a doctoral student
fellowship. Awards are anticipated to be made to successful applicant institutions on
behalf of the sponsored doctoral student. Awards will not exceed the amount of $45,000.
Awarded funds are to be used to cover all allowable expenses over the project period.
Additional funds will not be provided (see B. Federal Award Information). If the
doctoral student’s dissertation is not completed and delivered to BJS within 5 years
from the date of the fellowship award, the academic institution may be required to
return the full award amount to BJS. The Director of BJS will make final award
decisions.
Applicants must register with Grants.gov prior to submitting an application. All applications are due by 11:59 p.m. eastern time on February 24, 2017.