NIJ FY 2026 Research and Evaluation on School Safety

Updated Oct 20, 2026

Cooperative agreement from the National Institute of Justice, open to small businesses. Closes Nov 23, 2026, 34 days left.

Opportunity number	O-NIJ-2026-172796
Agency	National Institute of Justice
Funding type	Cooperative agreement
Field	Science, technology and other research and development
Award ceiling	$5.0 million
Expected number of awards	6
Total program funding	$5.0 million
Cost sharing or matching	Not required
Assistance listing	16.560
Posted	Oct 9, 2026
Closes	Nov 23, 2026 (34 days left)
Add the deadline to	Google Calendar

Who can apply

State governments
County governments
City or township governments
Special district governments
Independent school districts
Public and state controlled institutions of higher education
Native American tribal governments (federally recognized)
Public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities
Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments)
Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status, other than institutions of higher education
Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status, other than institutions of higher education
Private institutions of higher education
For-profit organizations other than small businesses
Small businesses

Description

This is a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for NIJ FY 2026 Research and Evaluation on School Safety. This opportunity will support rigorous research and evaluation projects to fill key gaps regarding K-12 safety, specifically focusing on the development, deployment, and operation of: • Anonymous reporting systems for threats of school violence, including mobile telephone applications, hotlines, and internet websites • School threat assessment and intervention teams that include coordination with law enforcement agencies and school personnel This NOFO seeks rigorous outcome/impact evaluations paired with process/implementation evaluations to assess the effectiveness of activities supported by STOP1 School Violence Act (SVA) projects administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP) or similar programs from other sources that align with STOP SVA's goals.

To develop practical recommendations for K-12 school safety, applicants are strongly encouraged to work closely with educators, school stakeholders, and communities to develop questions, identify solutions, collect data, and interpret findings. Applicants should: • Clearly describe complex factors and how they will be measured. • Include letters of support confirming secondary data access and explain how datasets will be matched to support the analyses proposed. • Describe data limitations, how they will be addressed, and their potential impact on findings.

Full announcement and how to apply on Grants.gov

Science, technology and other research and development grants right now

There are 99 open federal grants in science, technology and other research and development that small businesses may apply for; 46 close within 30 days. The median award ceiling is $1.2 million; this grant offers up to $5.0 million. The agencies offering the most are Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA, U.S. National Science Foundation and National Institute of Justice. Grants in this field stay open a median of 154 days; this one is open for 45 days.

Who has won this program before

Research Triangle Institute $13.2 million · from Jan 1, 2024
University Of Pittsburgh - Of The Commonwealth System Of Higher Education $12.4 million · from Jan 1, 2018
The CNA Corporation $7.0 million · from Jan 1, 2025
National Policing Institute $3.0 million · from Jan 1, 2024
Icahn School Of Medicine AT Mount Sinai $2.5 million · from Jan 1, 2021

The largest grants and cooperative agreements under assistance listing 16.560 with payments since Oct 1, 2025, from USAspending.gov. Amounts are each award's total.