NIJ Visiting Fellowship Program Solicitation. MENU TITLE: NIJ Visiting Fellowship Program Series: NIJ Solicitation Published: July 1997 5 pages 7,877 bytes NIJ Fellowship Opportunities National Institute of Justice VISITING FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM Resident Research Fellowships The National Institute of Justice's (NIJ's) Visiting Fellowship Program supports research and development on high-priority topics that enhance the capabilities of criminal justice systems to combat crime, violence, and substance abuse. The Visiting Fellowship Program offers criminal justice professionals and researchers an opportunity to undertake independent research on criminal justice issues relevant to NIJ and public policy. Through the program, Fellows may investigate new approaches for resolving operational problems and become involved in NIJ's criminal justice research national program. Visiting Fellows study topics of mutual interest to the Fellow and the Institute while in residence at NIJ for 6 to 18 months. Fellows are expected to prepare reports, suitable for publication by NIJ, summarizing the results and policy implications of their research. Specific products will be negotiated with Fellows during the preaward period. Fellows also may be asked to: o Participate in developing plans for nationally significant criminal justice research programs. o Interact with Institute staff and other Fellows. o Provide technical assistance in specific program areas. o Present several seminars in their areas of expertise. o Help develop informational materials for new or current projects. NIJ is particularly interested in applications from candidates working in areas related to the long- range goals of the Institute's research, evaluation, and science and technology programs, including forensic science (see NIJ's Research Prospectus, NCJ 163708, which is available from the National Criminal Justice Reference Service). Emphasizing the nexus of research and practice, the Visiting Fellowship Program solicits applications from... ...Criminal Justice Professionals... NIJ seeks research-oriented practitioners at the middle and upper levels of the justice profession. These applicants, with experience in all aspects of criminal justice, have demonstrated their leadership ability and a particular field-based expertise that they wish to enhance through the Fellowship program. Previous studies have focused on policy issues that may require technical design input from NIJ professional staff. There also is an opportunity to address the application of science and technology within criminal justice. ...Senior Researchers... NIJ seeks candidates with extensive experience in criminal justice research. These applicants may be currently employed in colleges and universities, private nonprofit research institutions, or State and local research agencies. Research topics have focused on improving the working assumptions and tools on which criminal justice operations are based, improving field and investigative operations or on improving field operations. APPLICATION INFORMATION Application Procedures. Applicants should write to the NIJ Director expressing their interest in fellowship opportunities; they should enclose career vitae and a brief concept paper (4-5 double- spaced pages) that describes research objectives, how the work would contribute to national knowledge and practice, and how their residence at NIJ would contribute to the work of the Institute. The Institute will review each concept paper for suitability with current NIJ needs and priorities and selectively invite the development of a full proposal reflecting a scope and work plan of mutual interest. Selection Criteria. The selection process is highly competitive. Candidates are chosen on the basis of their background and experience as well as on the quality and viability of their proposed projects. In most instances, proposals to the Visiting Fellowship Program are reviewed by external peer reviewers as well as NIJ professional staff. Eligibility Requirements. NIJ awards grants and cooperative agreements to educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, public agencies, individuals, and profit-making organizations that are willing to waive their fees. For this program, no indirect costs are allowable. Award Amounts. Funding allocations for this program are based on the quality of the proposals received and the extent to which they are related to ongoing research, evaluation, or science and technology priorities. Fellows receive full financial and logistical support from NIJ as well as access to the abundant criminal justice resources of NIJ and the Nation's capital. Awards cover salary, fringe benefits, reasonable costs of relocation, travel essential to the project, and office expenses not provided by NIJ (e.g., computers and research assistants). Applicants should develop reasonable budgets that adequately cover the costs of their proposed projects. NIJ recognizes that in extraordinary cases a move to the Washington, D.C., area could impose a financial hardship. Hence, the salary may be adjusted to compensate for differences in costs of living between the applicant's place of residence and Washington, D.C. This differential cannot exceed 20 percent of the applicant's current salary. An allocation for relocation expenses may be approved to supplement the cost of temporary housing in the Washington, D.C., area or commuter travel from the Fellow's permanent residence to Washington, D.C. Award Period. Visiting Fellowships last from 6 to 18 months. The period in residency and starting date at NIJ are negotiable. Due Date. Concept papers may be submitted at any time. Applicants should anticipate a decision timeframe of 6 to 9 months from concept paper to award. Two copies of concept papers should be sent to: Visiting Fellowship Program National Institute of Justice 810 7th Street N.W. Washington, DC 20531 Staff Contact. Applicants are encouraged to contact the Institute to discuss topic viability before submitting concept papers. To obtain further information about the Visiting Fellowship Program, prospective applicants may contact Dr. Edwin Zedlewski at 202-307-2953. ------------------------------------- RECENT VISITING FELLOWS See the NIJ Research Portfolio (NCJ 162204) for the abstracts on the following projects: Barbara Boland, Senior Researcher and Washington- Based Consultant. Topic: Case Studies of Emerging Experiments in Community Prosecution. R. William Burnham, former Senior Staff, United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme. Topic: Analyzing World Data on Crime and Criminal Justice Systems, 1975 to Present. Carole E. Chaski, former Professor of Linguistics, North Carolina State University and University of South Carolina. Topic: Linguistic Methods of Determining Authorship. Todd Clear, Professor of Criminal Justice, Rutgers University. Topic: Community Justice -- Theory and Practice. James Collins, Senior Program Director, Research Triangle Institute. Topic: Linking Domestic Violence and Substance Abuse Services. William McDonald, Professor of Sociology and Deputy Director, Institute of Criminal Law and Procedure, Georgetown University. Topic: Emerging Role of Local Law Enforcement in Transnational Crime and Illegal Immigration. Thomas Quinn, former Executive Director of the Delaware Criminal Justice Council. Topic: Restorative Justice: Research Findings and Program Applications. Ralph Taylor, Professor of Criminal Justice, Temple University. Topic: Influences of Specific Incivilities on Reactions to Crime in Five Cities. NCJ 165588