ClosedOpportunity O-NIJ-2025-172599

NIJ FY25 Research and Evaluation on Forensic Science Systems

National Institute of Justice · Department of Justice

At a glance

NIJ FY25 Research and Evaluation on Forensic Science Systems is a closed federal cooperative agreement opportunity from the National Institute of Justice (Department of Justice). The application deadline was June 2, 2026. Individual awards are listed as up to $2M, with about 6 awards expected and $2M in total estimated funding. Applicant types listed as eligible include state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, independent school districts and 10 more. Cost sharing is not required. It is funded under Assistance Listing 16.560 (National Institute of Justice Research, Evaluation, and Development Project Grants).

Summary assembled from the official notice's fields. The official notice governs.

Key facts

Apr 30, 2026Posted
Jun 2, 2026Application deadline

Posted: Apr 30, 2026
Close date: Jun 2, 2026
Award floor: Not specified
Award ceiling: $2,000,000
Est. total funding: $2,000,000
Expected awards: 6
Cost sharing: Not required
Funding instrument: Cooperative Agreement
Opportunity category: Discretionary

Who can apply

State governments
County governments
City or township governments
Special district governments
Independent school districts
Public colleges & universities
Federally recognized tribal governments
Public & Indian housing authorities
Native American tribal organizations
501(c)(3) nonprofits
Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status
Private colleges & universities
For-profit organizations (not small businesses)
Small businesses
Others (see notice)

Additional information on eligibility (from the notice)

Other Units of Local Government

Can your organization apply?

A quick check against the listed applicant types — other requirements in the notice still apply.

Based on the published notice. Review the official notice for complete eligibility requirements.

What it funds

Official synopsis as published by the agency, formatted for readability.

This NOFO seeks proposals for rigorous applied research and evaluative studies on the forensic science system. The field of forensic science is changing, particularly as technological advancements improve the criminal justice system’s ability to use forensic evidence more effectively and efficiently. Research is needed to better understand the impact of forensic science on the criminal justice system and law enforcement operations. With this NOFO, NIJ requests applications in three topic areas:
• The impact of forensic science on the criminal justice system and law enforcement operations, such as improving investigative clearance rates, increasing law enforcement effectiveness, and reducing crime lab backlogs.
• Evaluations of the implementation of new and innovative forensic science methods and their impact on strengthening courtroom admissibility and evidentiary reliability.
• Developing the forensic science workforce.

Additional information from the agency ↗

Assistance Listing

What is an ALN?

16.560National Institute of Justice Research, Evaluation, and Development Project GrantsProgram →

Reported obligations under ALN 16.560

Historical data · not a prediction

FY24

$57.8M

FY25

$3.18M

FY26

— est.

Source: SAM.gov Assistance Listing 16.560. Program-wide totals, not awards from this specific opportunity.

Agency contact (as published)

National Institute of Justice
OJP.ResponseCenter@usdoj.gov
202-616-5314

Quick answers

Who is eligible to apply for “NIJ FY25 Research and Evaluation on Forensic Science Systems”?

The official notice lists these applicant types as eligible: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public colleges & universities, Federally recognized tribal governments, Public & Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations, 501(c)(3) nonprofits, Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status, Private colleges & universities and 3 more. Additional restrictions may apply; review the full notice.

How much funding is available through “NIJ FY25 Research and Evaluation on Forensic Science Systems”?

Per the notice, individual awards are listed as up to $2m, total estimated program funding is $2,000,000 and the agency expects to make about 6 awards.

How do I apply for “NIJ FY25 Research and Evaluation on Forensic Science Systems”?

Applications are submitted through the official source, not through GrantsJunction. Open the official notice on Grants.gov (opportunity O-NIJ-2025-172599), and review the full announcement and application package. Organizations applying through Grants.gov generally need an active SAM.gov registration and a Grants.gov account, which can take several weeks to set up.

Matched on shared Assistance Listings, agency, categories and eligible applicant types.

Closes in 5 daysALN 47.076