Graduate Research Fellowship - Frequently Asked Questions

These questions and answers will help you prepare your application for grant funds. Questions are broken into these six categories:

• Before Beginning
• Online Applications
• Program Narrative
• Budget
• Required Documents
• Selection and Awarding

Before Beginning

Whom should I call with questions about the Graduate Research Fellowship Program?

For assistance with substantive issues related to the Graduate Research Fellowship Program (i.e., whether or not the research proposed is responsive to the solicitation), contact Christine Crossland at (202) 616-5166 or e-mail her at Christine.Crossland@usdoj.gov.

For technical assistance with submitting an application, call the Grants.gov Customer Support Hot Line at (800) 518-4726.

Find out more about required forms and instructions for DOJ grants.

Successful applicants must agree to comply with additional requirements prior to receiving grant funding. Find out more about these requirements.

Who is eligible for a Graduate Research Fellowship award?

For the Graduate Research Fellowship Program, the National Institute of Justice seeks applications from accredited universities in the United States who support doctoral students who have completed, or are near completion of, all Ph.D. degree requirements except the research, writing, and final defense of a dissertation. The institution must be fully accredited by one of the regional institutional accreditation commissions recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education.

Does a doctoral student's non-U.S. citizenship affect eligibility?

The official applicant is the university, not the student. Therefore, a Ph.D. student's foreign citizenship does not affect eligibility. Graduate Research Fellowship grant awards are made only to degree-granting educational institutions in the U.S.

What type of research does NIJ fund under the Graduate Research Fellowship Program?

Successful Graduate Research Fellowship applicants must demonstrate how their proposed dissertation research advances basic criminal justice knowledge, practice, and/or policy in the U.S. Quantitative, qualitative, primary and secondary data analysis studies are encouraged. Special consideration will be given to applicants who use the most rigorous research methods applicable to their proposed research topic — such as experimental or randomized designs — to maximize the validity and reliability of findings.

Online Applications

How do I register so that I may apply?

The official applicant to the Graduate Research Fellowship Program is the sponsoring academic institution. Students must contact and seek the assistance of their university office of sponsored research or office of research, grants and contracts. The university or college office of sponsored research or research office must register and submit applications using Grants.gov. The university must also complete and submit all required accompanying forms, including:

• Assurances.
• Certifications.
• Disclosures.
• Privacy Certificate.

Find out more information about forms that must be submitted.

Can a university submit multiple applications for multiple Ph.D. candidates?

Yes.

Who should be listed as the point of contact or principal investigator on the application?

If permitted by the university, the doctoral student should be listed as the Principal Investigator. If this is not allowed by the university, the student's dissertation chair should be listed as the PI with the student listed as key staff. The official representative for the sponsoring academic institution should be listed as the authorized representative.

What does the doctoral student need to provide their university or college?

The student must work with their university to complete an application and ensure all forms are submitted by the due date. Students must complete the program narrative section of the application packet and required appendices. They should then provide those electronic files to the sponsoring academic institution. Students should begin to coordinate with their advisor and their university early on to ensure that submissions occur before the due date.

In addition, students must work with their office of sponsored research to develop the application's budget, especially on items pertaining to salary, fringe and travel per diems.

What information should the sponsoring academic institution provide?

The university must upload all documents, including required forms, into Grants.gov. We recommend that the number of application files uploaded into this Web site be limited in number. Each file should be labeled with what forms it contains (i.e., program narrative, appendices, required forms, and budget worksheet and budget narrative).

Should the start date be the date I submit my application?

No. The start date is the date you estimate that an award will be made (August or September of the next calendar year). Thus, your start date should be at least 9 months after the closing date of the solicitation to allow for NIJ's decision- and award-making processes.

About the Program Narrative

What should be included in the program narrative?

The program narrative is the student's dissertation prospectus, as approved by the student's committee. The narrative should include a title page, a study abstract, a table of contents, and the main body, which should include: purpose, goals, and objectives; review of relevant literature; research design and methods; analysis plan; implications for policy and practice; a dissemination strategy; and a bibliography or references.

The program narrative section must not exceed 15 double-spaced pages in 12-point font with 1-inch margins. Abstract, table of contents, charts, figures, appendixes, and government forms do not count toward the 15-page limit for the narrative section. NIJ will reject applications that do not comply with format requirements.

What should be in the appendices?

The application appendices should contain:

• A list of the student's dissertation committee members and their contact information.
• The student's and his/her dissertation advisor's CV/résumé.
• The dissertation advisor's letter of support.
• The university's statement of progress for the student.
• A copy of the student's transcripts.
• Any letters of cooperation/support or administrative agreements from organizations collaborating on the project (e.g., law or correction agencies).
• A project timeline outlining activities and expected milestones.
• Any tools/instruments, questionnaires or maps pertaining to the study.

About the Budget

What is the total amount available for this fellowship?

A research grant of up to $20,000 will be awarded to successful applicants (i.e., accredited universities in the U.S.) toward costs associated with the fellowship recipient's dissertation research. The university is ultimately responsibility for the administration of grant funds and for making periodic payments to the fellowship recipient.

How much detail is required in the budget detail worksheet?

Students should work with their office of sponsored research to complete the budget detail worksheet and budget narrative.

The budget detail worksheet must be provided with an application and clearly show a breakdown of all costs associated with each of the nine allowable budget categories. All proposed expenses must comply with the Office of Justice Programs' Financial Guide.

In addition, every budget category of expense listed in the budget detail worksheet must be justified and explained in detail in a budget narrative.

What are allowable costs that can be included in my budget?

Typical Graduate Research Fellowship grants include budget items such as salary and fringe of the student, study respondent incentives, recording or translation services, postage, telephone charges, printing/duplication costs, publication purchases, software/license and/or hardware purchases, travel expenditures and conference registration. Regardless of the expense, each category must show an itemized listing of expenses and how those expenditures were calculated.

Is there a cap on indirect costs?

Direct or indirect administrative expenses of the applicant university are not covered under the Graduate Research Fellowship Program.

What should be the grant's end date?

The end date of the grant must reflect the successful completion and submission of the student's dissertation to NIJ.

Required Documents

Can I submit an unofficial copy of my academic transcripts?

Yes.

Who should write the Statement of Progress letter?

Applicant universities must submit a signed statement regarding the student's progress in the current doctoral program of study. The department's chair or the college dean usually writes this statement.

What should be in the advisor's letter?

A signed copy of a letter drafted by the student's dissertation chair/advisor must be submitted as part of the application packet. The dissertation chair/advisor must indicate that the dissertation research has begun, or is about to be undertaken, and that the student has the full support of the dissertation committee. Although it is not necessary to have formally defended the dissertation prospectus at the time of application submission, the student's dissertation chair or advisor must submit a statement of support with the application that: (1) evaluates the student's proposed project, (2) describes the current status of the proposed work, (3) outlines any other outstanding work toward completion of the degree, and (4) states the student's potential to successfully complete the dissertation. The dissertation chair's statement must also describe their role in monitoring the project and present evidence of both the department's and the advisor's track record with respect to Ph.D. candidates' completion of their degrees. The statement should also verify that the advisor will review and approve all progress reports (semiannual and final progress reports), and that the final product (i.e., dissertation) will be submitted by the student to NIJ.

About Selection and Awarding

How many awards does NIJ plan on funding?

The number of Graduate Research Fellowship awards depends upon the availability of funds and the number of high-quality applications. See recent Graduate Research Fellowship recipients from 2007, 2006 and 2005.

How does NIJ decide which Graduate Research Fellowship applications to fund?

Independent, external peer review panels evaluate all responsive Graduate Research Fellowship proposals. NIJ generally selects two categories of reviewers to serve on the external peer review panel. Panel members are chosen for their research and technical expertise (i.e., social science subject matter experts and methodologists with Ph.D.s) and/or their knowledge and experience as criminal justice practitioners or policymakers. Panel members read each proposal, assess the technical merits and policy relevance of the proposed research, and discuss their assessments before coming to a consensus. External peer review panelists are asked to base their reviews on criteria set forth in the solicitation. In addition, a NIJ internal peer review process takes place. The external peer review panel's consensus review and the recommendations of NIJ's subject matter experts and methodologists are then submitted to the NIJ Director, who has final authority to make awards.

When will I know if my application is selected for funding?

The application review process (including peer review, decision-making, and other considerations) take 9 months or longer. Notices of award and nonaward are sent out at the same time to the official applicant (i.e., university or college) with a copy of the external consensus peer review.

If I receive an award, what are the reporting requirements?

Reporting requirements for the Graduate Research Fellowship Program include quarterly financial and semiannual progress reports throughout the life of the grant, a final progress report, and a final technical report (i.e., the doctoral student's dissertation).

If funded, can I work another job (part-time or full-time employment)?

NIJ does not prohibit Graduate Research Fellows from obtaining employment. However, students need to check with their university to determine what requirements the university has in place pertaining to employment while receiving grant funds.

Can I receive multiple awards/stipends?

Students can receive multiple awards/stipends. However, the student must provide full disclosure regarding supplemental funding and support (e.g., research/teaching assistantships, position held on advisor's grant/project, other private or government fellowships, grants, stipends, etc.)

What happens if I have already started my dissertation work prior to an award being made?

Doctoral students funded under a Graduate Research Fellowship award are eligible for funding during months of enrollment in a full-time doctoral program leading to a doctoral degree.

Can I reapply if I do not receive an award?

Yes. However, the student must submit a letter with their application indicating that the application is a resubmission and describe what changes were made to the application in response to former peer reviews.