NIJ FY 2026 Research and Evaluation on Violent Crime: Gangs and Organized Criminal Groups (Domestic and Transnational)

Updated Oct 24, 2026

Grant from the National Institute of Justice, open to small businesses. Closes Nov 30, 2026, 37 days left.

Opportunity number	O-NIJ-2026-172806
Agency	National Institute of Justice
Funding type	Grant
Field	Science, technology and other research and development
Award ceiling	$3.0 million
Expected number of awards	5
Total program funding	$3.0 million
Cost sharing or matching	Not required
Assistance listing	16.560
Posted	Oct 22, 2026
Closes	Nov 30, 2026 (37 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)
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 Violent Crime: Gangs and Organized Criminal Groups (Domestic and Transnational). This opportunity supports research and evaluation proposals on gang and organized criminal group-related violent crime, including domestic and transnational. Projects funded through this NOFO will study topics that inform law enforcement strategies and operations to effectuate EO 14157, “Designating Cartels And Other Organizations As Foreign Terrorist Organizations And Specially Designated Global Terrorist;” Chapter 4 of the 2026 National Drug Control Strategy, “Global Campaign Against Transnational Criminal Threats;” and other related threats, including those posed by firearm, human, and other trafficking-related violence.

NIJ seeks rigorous evaluations of new or existing strategies intended to reduce violent crime associated with gangs and organized criminal groups or networks and are led by or collaborate with law enforcement agencies. Evaluations should consider how individual, group, organizational, situational, or other relevant contextual factors interact with the strategies being studied. NIJ encourages evaluation designs such as randomized controlled trials (when feasible), mixed methods research, quasi-experimental designs, matched comparisons, and other appropriate methodologies.

Process evaluations should be incorporated to support interpretation of program implementation and outcomes. Outcome evaluations must focus on violent crime measures such as murder, aggravated assault, and robbery along with relevant intermediate and process outcomes. Multi-site and cross-jurisdictional evaluations are encouraged.

Full announcement and how to apply on Grants.gov

Science, technology and other research and development grants right now

There are 94 open federal grants in science, technology and other research and development that small businesses may apply for; 40 close within 30 days. The median award ceiling is $2.2 million; this grant offers up to $3.0 million. The agencies offering the most are U.S. National Science Foundation, Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA and National Institute of Justice. Grants in this field stay open a median of 154 days; this one is open for 39 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 funding activity since Oct 1, 2025, from USAspending.gov. Amounts are each award's total.