Title: National Evaluation of Grants to Combat Violent Crimes Against Women on Campuses. Series: Solicitation Author: National Institute of Justice Published: National Institute of Justice, May 2000 Subject: Funding Resources 21 pages 43,000 bytes --------------------------- Figures, charts, forms, and tables are not included in this ASCII plain-text file. To view this document in its entirety, download the Adobe Acrobat graphic file available from this Web site or order a print copy from NCJRS at 800-851- 3420 (877-712-9279 for TTY users). --------------------------- Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs National Institute of Justice National Institute of Justice Solicitation Julie E. Samuels, Acting Director May 2000 National Evaluation of Grants to Combat Violent Crimes Against Women on Campuses Application Deadline: July 5, 2000 --------------------------- National Evaluation of Grants to Combat Violent Crimes Against Women on Campuses I. Introduction This solicitation is based on the Congressional reporting requirements of the Higher Education Amendments of 1998 for an evaluation of the effectiveness of the Grants to Combat Violent Crimes Against Women on Campuses Program (VAW Campus Program). The National Institute of Justice (NIJ), in collaboration with the Office of Justice Programs' Violence Against Women Office (VAWO), is soliciting proposals for this national evaluation. The evaluation should examine impact issues unique to those institutions of higher education who are VAW Campus Program grantees. These grantees are implementing comprehensive, coordinated responses to violence against women, including sexual assault, domestic violence, and stalking. One grant of up to $850,000 will be awarded. The duration of the evaluation is up to 36 months, with summary reports required for each component of the evaluation (baseline data, process and impact). II. Background Since the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) was enacted as Title IV of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, researchers, practitioners and policymakers have realized that society has much to learn about the nature of violence against women in general, and more specifically, within certain communities, including college campuses. The need to address the victimization of college women arose because research reveals that college women are at a greater risk of rape and other forms of sexual assault than women of comparable age in the general population. Furthermore, this same research suggests that for every 1,000 women attending college, there will be 35 incidents of rape in a given academic year. This means that for a college campus of approximately 10,000 women, more than 300 will be the victim of a sexual assault. This study also notes that stalking appears to be another form of victimization common among college women. This study also reports that 13.1 percent of the college women sampled (n=4,446) had been the victim of a stalking incident at least once since the school year began.[1] This risk of sexual assault and violent victimization of college women is purportedly associated with the demographic characteristics and lifestyle-routine activities of college students.[2] Recognizing that the victimization of college women poses a threat to the ability of college and university administrators to provide a safe and supportive learning environment, beginning in 1990, Congress passed an Act and appropriated millions of dollars to address these concerns. In 1990, Congress passed the Student Right-to-Know and Campus Security Act (20 USC 1092). This legislation requires all colleges and universities that participate in Federal financial aid programs to publicly disclose three years of statistics for specific on-campus FBI Index offenses, liquor, and drug violations and weapons possession. As a result, NIJ is currently funding a national study to examine procedures undertaken after an institution of higher education receives a report of campus sexual assault. In Fiscal Year 1999, Congress appropriated $10 million for the VAW Campus Program. This program was authorized by a provision added to the Higher Education Amendments of 1998, and was the first year VAWO received grant funds for institutions of higher education to combat violence against women. VAWO ultimately made 21 awards totaling $8.1 million that year. Since the awards were not announced until October 15, 1999, and the grant project periods were for 18-24 months, most grant recipients did not receive grant funds until January 2000. This means that the majority of the Fiscal Year 1999 grantees did not start planning and developing the process for their programs, including hiring staff for program implementation, until early Spring, 2000. In Fiscal Year 2000, Congress appropriated another $10 million for the VAW Campus Program. However, unlike in Fiscal Year 1999, VAWO anticipates announcing the award recipients by September 2000 and making grant awards by October 2000. Therefore, it expected that the Fiscal Year 2000 grantees will begin project implementation by January 2001. The VAW Campus Program was created under the premise that institutions of higher education are in a unique position to educate and shape the values, attitudes, and behaviors of young men and women toward the issue of violence against women. With this goal in mind, VAWO designed the grant program to require the partnering of institutions of higher education with private, nonprofit, nongovernmental victim service providers and local criminal justice or civil legal agencies. Together, these agencies were to develop policies and protocols on campus that treat violence against women as a serious offense and develop victims' services and programs for the campus community that emphasize victim safety and offender accountability. The VAW Campus Program provides an opportunity for institutions of higher education to establish and/or bolster multidisciplinary consortia that enhance victim services. It also allows for the development and strengthening of law enforcement security and investigation strategies to combat violent crimes against women on campuses. Specifically, the VAW Campus Program mandated three minimum requirements in Fiscal Year 1999 and four in Fiscal Year 2000, grantees were to propose activities that fell within one or more of the program's ten purpose areas. Grantees were also encouraged to support projects that respond to the program's five special interest categories. Minimum Requirements In Fiscal Year 1999, it was required that institutions of higher education, at a minimum, propose to do the following: 1. Create a coordinated community response to violence against women on campus. The multidisciplinary response should involve the entire campus and the larger community in which the campus is located. 2. Establish a mandatory prevention and education program about violence against women for all incoming students, working in collaboration with campus and community-based victim advocacy organizations. 3. Train campus police to respond effectively in sexual assault, domestic violence, and stalking cases. In addition to the three previously mentioned minimum requirements, in Fiscal Year 2000, institutions of higher education are required to: 4. Establish or strengthen programs to train members of campus disciplinary boards to respond effectively to violence against women charges. All members of campus disciplinary boards, including faculty, staff, students, and administrators should receive specific training about violence against women prior to hearing cases involving these issues. Program Purpose Areas Although grantees were required to propose activities that fell within at least one of the program purpose areas, the majority of the VAW Campus Program grantees proposed projects that fell within more than one of the following purpose areas: o to provide personnel, training, technical assistance, data collection, and other equipment with respect to the increased apprehension, investigation, and adjudication of persons committing violent crimes against women on campus; o to train campus administrators, campus security personnel, and personnel serving on campus disciplinary or judicial boards to more effectively identify and respond to violent crimes against women on campus, including sexual assault, stalking, and domestic violence; o to implement and operate education programs for the prevention of violent crimes against women; o to develop, enlarge, or strengthen support services programs, including medical or psychological counseling, for victims of sexual offense crimes; o to create, disseminate, or otherwise provide assistance and information about victims' options on and off campus to bring disciplinary or other legal action; o to develop and implement more effective campus policies, protocols, orders, and services specifically devoted to prevent, identify, and respond to violent crimes against women on campus, including the crimes of sexual assault, stalking, and domestic violence; o to develop, install, or expand data collection and communication systems, including computerized systems, linking campus security to the local law enforcement for the purpose of identifying and tracking arrests, protection orders, prosecutions, and convictions with respect to violent crimes of sexual assault, stalking, and domestic violence; o to develop, enlarge, or strengthen victim service programs for the campus and to improve delivery of victim services on campus; o to provide capital improvements (including improved lighting and communications facilities but excluding the construction of buildings) on campus grounds to address violent crimes against women on campus, including the crimes of sexual assault, stalking, and domestic violence; and o to support improved coordination among campus administrators, campus security personnel, and local law enforcement to reduce violent crimes against women on campus. In addition to the purposes of the VAW Campus Program, VAWO is especially interested in supporting projects that respond to violence against women on campuses within the special interest categories listed below. 1. Establish or strengthen comprehensive campus- based advocacy programs offering services to victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, and stalking on campus. 2. Establish or strengthen comprehensive violence against women prevention programs on campus. 3. Establish or strengthen violence against women programs serving diverse or traditionally under-served populations on campus. 4. Establish or strengthen violence against women programs serving non- traditional students. 5. Establish or strengthen programs to train members of campus disciplinary boards to respond effectively to violence against women charges. Attached to this solicitation is a summary of project activities for each Fiscal Year 1999 grantee. Additional information pertaining to the purpose and goals of the VAWO Campus Program is available on VAWO's web page at: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/vawo/. Information regarding the program can also be obtained from the U.S. Department of Justice Response Center at 1-800- 421-6770, or in the Washington, D.C. area at 202-307-1480. III. Areas of Research Required While there have been several studies conducted over the past years on the victimization of college women, little literature exists on the nature of any programs created to address that victimization or the effectiveness of such programs. Thus, the purpose of this research is to fill the gap in our understanding of the nature and effectiveness of programs that address not only the victimization of college women, but the victimization of all women (students, faculty, staff, administrators, etc.) within the campus community. This announcement solicits proposals for a National Impact Evaluation to measure both outcome and ultimate impact of the Grants to Combat Violent Crimes Against Women on Campuses Program for Fiscal Year 1999 and Fiscal Year 2000. A multi-method evaluation, including both quantitative and qualitative approaches is required. Evaluating impact and capturing the voices of the victims served will be essential components. One grant of up to $850,000 will be awarded for the total project. Objectives of the Grants to Combat Violent Crimes Against Women on Campuses Program o To provide a national program-level process and impact evaluation of the Fiscal Year 1999 and Fiscal Year 2000 VAW Campus Program; and o To inform policy and practice that address violence against women on campuses, and ensure victim safety and offender accountability. Components of the Grants to Combat Violent Crimes Against Women on Campuses Program National Evaluation The national evaluation will include the following components: (1) baseline data collection; (2) process evaluation; and, (3) impact evaluation. The budget section in the proposal should address the allocation of funds across all three components. Applicants should also plan to utilize the first 18 months of the award period to collect baseline data and to conduct the process component of the evaluation. The final 18 months should then be utilized to conduct the impact component of the evaluation. Specifically with the impact component, the evaluation proposal should include a strategy for the impact evaluation, indicating possible sources for obtainable data and potential problems or pitfalls. Evaluators will work closely with NIJ and VAWO to further develop this strategy, obtain information critical to the evaluation, and coordinate with related activities such as the Violent Crimes Against Women on Campuses Technical Assistance project. Applicants are also encouraged to use charts, tables and diagrams as visual presentations to summarize the data to be used, the logic model for the evaluation, or the various analyses to be conducted. The first two to three months of the project will also be used to refine this evaluation plan. Baseline Data Component This is an important foundation for assessing the impact of the program and determining the changes that have occurred as a result of the implementation of the program. While NIJ recognizes some of the pitfalls associated with such a rigorous impact evaluation, to every extent possible, common data items should be collected for the baseline data phase and the impact evaluation phase. These common data items should at least include data from the minimum requirements listed on page 4 of this solicitation. Applicants should also be aware that VAW Campus Program grantees were also required to conduct local evaluations to assess the effectiveness of their funded projects. They were encouraged to maintain data that measured impact before and after implementation of the VAW Campus Program. While these local evaluations will not affect this national evaluation, VAW Campus Program grantees are required to fully cooperate with the national evaluator. As such, applicants should discuss how they might incorporate the data obtained from the local evaluations and prevent duplication of those efforts. For this particular section in the proposal, applicants should explain how they propose to conduct this component of the evaluation. Questions applicants should address, if relevant, include: o Do the different projects under the VAW Campus Program suggest different types of designs to assess outcomes? o If possible, will measures in the campus community pre- and post- implementation be obtained? o Will comparison/control groups be used? If so, how will they be obtained? Process Component This component will involve a thorough descriptive analysis of the problems being addressed by all 21 projects supported by the VAW Campus Program for Fiscal Year 1999 and all new projects supported in Fiscal Year 2000. It should include a description of the processes undertaken in formulating the projects to provide information about various approaches or strategies used at the local level. This information would then allow for the development of a more global typology or a categorization scheme to compare and contrast projects, and to provide feedback to the projects for improvement. Questions applicants should address, if relevant, in their proposals for this component include, but are not limited to: Victim Characteristic Measures o What types of victims are being served by the funded projects (e.g. domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking)? o What are the demographics of the victims? o What are the victim-offender relationships (e.g. boyfriend/ex-boyfriend, classmate, friend, acquaintance, co-worker, stranger)? Project Measures o What types of campuses are being served (e.g. size, geographic distribution, number of students)? o What are the purposes of the projects? o What types of services are provided? o Were the projects implemented as planned? o Do the projects address safety and protection concerns for women? o Were funds used to create new programs or services, expand existing programs or services, or enhance outreach aimed at increasing awareness about resources available to address violence against college women? Coordinated Response Measures o What types of partnerships and/or coordinated responses were created-what agencies and/or campus-based entities formed partnerships? o What was the nature of the partnerships? Policy Development Measures o What types of new policies and protocols were adopted? o What types of mandatory prevention and education programs were established for incoming students? Training Measures o How was training provided to campus police on how to respond to violence against college women (e.g. type of training, training topics, amount of training)? o Was this training available to all officers, new recruits, or patrol officers only? o What type of training was provided for project staff? o What type of training was provided for the members on the campus disciplinary boards? Service Population Measures o How do the projects attempt to reach victims? o Do the projects survey victims to learn how well their needs are being met? o Are there victim populations that are not being served? o How many incoming students were served by these programs? Impact Component This component should focus on the outcomes and ultimate impact of the projects. Applicants should present a preliminary plan for assessing the effectiveness of the grant program, and a timetable of the anticipated steps and key events. Questions applicants should address, if relevant, in this component include but are not limited to: Outcome Measures o Were victims' needs met? o Which type of victims (in terms of race, age, type of victimization, etc.) appear to benefit most and least from the program requirements? o Did the program initiate or lead to better coordination between the various campus entities and outside agencies or organizations? o Have there been any unintended consequences resulting from the projects? Impact and Change Measures o To what extent have projects attained the goals of the VAW Campus Program? o Has the VAW Campus Program had an impact on victimization of women on college campuses? If so, how? o Has the VAW Campus Program had an impact on the larger community, attitudinal and/or behavioral changes in the student population and campus administrators? o How have victims and incoming students been served and how have their lives been affected by the services? o How have offenders been held accountable? Methodological Issues. NIJ recognizes the challenge of conducting an evaluation of a multifaceted program, such as the VAW Campus Program, operating in diverse institutions of higher education throughout the country. Therefore, applicants should present a thorough plan for how the evaluation will be rigorously conducted. Proposals should address contextual factors, sources of data and collection methods, sampling procedures, evaluation design and measurement issues, analysis plans, and report writing and other feedback mechanisms. The use of multiple methods is seen as critical in conducting the evaluation. Qualitative approaches should capture the voices of the victims as well as the views of service providers. Applicants should consider the ways in which victims/clients and service providers will be brought into the evaluation process. Context of the Program. Applicants should address the context in which the VAW Campus Program operates. Other governmental or private programs may exist in the same jurisdiction as the VAW Campus project being assessed. In such cases, the evaluator will need to take the related programs, with similar goals, into account. Among the government programs that may be of relevance are: the S.T.O.P. Violence Against Women Program, the Rural Domestic Violence and Child Victimization Enforcement Program, the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act Programs, Programs under the Victims of Crime Act, programs funded by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and other ongoing State and local programs. Data Sources and Collection. Applicants are encouraged to be comprehensive and innovative in the collection and use of data for the evaluation. Various types of data should be considered, including interviews, or focus groups with key populations of relevance to the VAW Campus Program. Official data sources might include calls to the police (campus and/or local) and sheriffs, domestic and sexual violence arrests, misdemeanors and felonies charged that involve a victimized woman on a college campus, declination rates for these cases, and sentences. Sampling should be thoroughly discussed. The initial phase of the evaluation should be descriptive and include all Fiscal Year 1999 and Fiscal Year 2000 projects supported by the VAW Campus Program. The proposal should include a detailed description of the sampling design for the impact component. While the descriptive analysis will inform selection for the second phase, applicants should discuss any critical issues regarding sampling procedures for projects and particular populations within projects (e.g., victims, incoming students, service providers). Analysis. Applicants should provide detailed information on a plan for data analysis, explaining how the various types of data will be integrated and analyzed, and how they will be presented. Report Writing & Meetings. A separate summary report will be required for each of the three (baseline data, process and impact) components of the evaluation. Applicants should, given their anticipated schedule, state what is expected to be included in each report. The third and final report, the impact component, should include an Executive Summary. This report is the final report and should detail the entire evaluation effort. The final report may also include other products seen as useful for the purposes of informing the local projects, the field at large, and the Federal government. The applicant should also plan for semi-annual meetings in Washington, D.C., throughout the entire award period. These meetings will provide an opportunity for the evaluator to meet with both VAWO and NIJ to discuss evaluation progress and any unanticipated problems or concerns. Organizational Capacity. Applicants must demonstrate organizational capacity to conduct a large-scale national evaluation. This capacity would be reflected in the staffing plan; the effective and efficient use of consultants and subcontracts; and, the evaluator's experience with large-scale evaluation efforts. IV. How to Apply Those interested in submitting proposals in response to this solicitation must complete the required application forms and submit related required documents. (See below for how to obtain application forms and guides for completing proposals.) Applicants must include the following information/forms to qualify for consideration: o Standard Form (SF) 424--application for Federal assistance o Geographic Areas Affected Worksheet o Assurances o Certifications Regarding Lobbying, Debarment, Suspension, and Other Responsibility Matters; and Drug-Free Workplace Requirements (one form) o Disclosure of Lobbying Activities o Budget Detail Worksheet o Budget Narrative o Negotiated indirect rate agreement (if appropriate) o Names and affiliations of all key persons from applicant and subcontractor(s), advisors, consultants, and advisory board members. Include name of principal investigator, title, organizational affiliation (if any), department (if institution of higher education), address, phone, and fax o Proposal abstract o Table of contents o Program narrative or technical proposal o Privacy certificate o Form 310 (Protection of Human Subjects Assurance Identification/ Certification/ Declaration) o Environmental Assessment (if required) o References o Letters of cooperation from organizations collaborating in the research project o Resumes o Appendixes, if any (e.g., list of previous NIJ awards, their status, and products [in NIJ or other publications]) Confidentiality of information and human subjects protection. NIJ has adopted new policies and procedures regarding the confidentiality of information and human subjects protection. Please see the Guidelines for Submitting Proposals for National Institute of Justice-Sponsored Research for details on the new requirements. Proposal abstract. The proposal abstract, when read separately from the rest of the application, is meant to serve as a succinct and accurate description of the proposed work. Applicants must concisely describe the research goals and objectives, research design, and methods for achieving the goals and objectives. Summaries of past accomplishments are to be avoided, and proprietary/confidential information is not to be included. Length is not to exceed 400 words. Use the following two headers: o Project Goals and Objectives: o Proposed Research Design and Methodology: Page limit. The number of pages in the "Program Narrative" part of the proposal must not exceed 30 (double-spaced pages). Any charts, tables or diagrams should not be included in this 30 page limit. Due date. Completed proposals must be received at the National Institute of Justice by the close of business on July 5, 2000. Extensions of this deadline will not be permitted. Emails and faxes are not allowed. Award period. In general, NIJ limits its grants and cooperative agreements to a maximum period of 36 months. Number of awards. NIJ anticipates supporting one grant under this solicitation. Award amount. One award totaling $850,000 will be made available for this NIJ solicitation. Applying. Two packets need to be obtained: (1) application forms (including a sample budget worksheet) and (2) guidelines for submitting proposals (including requirements for proposal writers and requirements for grant recipients). To receive them, applicants can: o Access the Justice Information Center on the Web: http://www.ncjrs.org/ fedgrant.htm#nij or the NIJ Web site: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ nij/funding.htm --These Web sites offer the NIJ application forms and guidelines as electronic files that may be downloaded to a personal computer. o Request hard copies of the forms and guidelines by mail from the National Criminal Justice Reference Service at 800-851-3420 or from the Department of Justice Response Center at 800-421-6770 (in the Washington, D.C., area, at 202-307-1480). o Request copies by fax. Call 800-851-3420 and select option 1, then option 1 again for NIJ. Code is 1023. Guidance and information. Applicants who wish to receive additional guidance and information may contact the U.S. Department of Justice Response Center at 800-421-6770. Center staff can provide assistance or refer applicants to an appropriate NIJ professional. Applicants may, for example, wish to discuss their prospective research topics with the NIJ professional staff. Please send ten copies (one with original signatures) of completed forms to: National Evaluation of Grants To Combat Violent Crimes Against Women on College Campuses National Institute of Justice 810 Seventh Street N.W. Washington, DC 20531 [overnight courier ZIP code 20001] --------------------------- Notes 1. Bonnie S. Fisher, Francis T. Cullen, Michael G. Turner, The Sexual Victimization of College Women: Findings From, Two National-Level Studies, Washington, D.C.: National Institute of Justice, U.S. Department of Justice, forthcoming summer 2000. 2. Bonnie S. Fisher, John J. Sloan, Francis T. Cullen, Chunmeng Lu, Crime in the Ivory Tower: The Level and Sources of Student Victimization, Criminology 36(3): 671-710. This project was supported under award 93-IJ-CX-0049 from the National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, 1995. --------------------------- Grants to Combat Violent Crimes Against Women on Campuses Summary of Project Activities for Fiscal Year 1999 Grantees Grantee: University of Alabama, Alabama Award: $449,299 Project Activities: In partnership with community law enforcement and victim service providers, the University of Alabama will develop a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE) Program; expand campus victim advocacy services with special emphasis on the international, non-traditional and African- American students; install a computerized system linking the University's Public Safety Department to local law enforcement; train and develop domestic violence awareness training materials for university staff, administrators, medical providers and childcare workers. Grantee: University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona Award: $421,006 Project Activities: The University of Arizona will educate residence assistants, students, campus law enforcement, and the University Hearing Board about violence against women; develop new policies to prohibit electronic stalking and harassment; and, incorporate violence against women issues into their curriculum. Special emphasis will be placed on the traditionally under served student populations. Grantee: University of California Davis Police, Davis, California Award: $543,000 Project Activities: The University of California-Davis will enhance victim services on campus by: creating a violence against women response team; developing a social norms campaign to raise public awareness; training first responders, campus law enforcement and judicial board members; and, developing prevention programs for student leaders, athletes and members of fraternities and sororities. Special emphasis will be placed on the commuter and graduate student populations. Grantee: University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut Award: $248,630 Project Activities: The University of Connecticut will serve as a pilot program as it coordinates a statewide consortia of 20 higher education institutions and 11 local sexual assault programs. This consortium will develop violence prevention programs at each institution, which will include training for peer and staff; expansion of SANE; and, development of specialized Coordinated Response Teams for victims. Grantee: Howard University, District of Columbia Award: $466,487 Project Activities: Howard University will expand victim services by establishing a women's resource and advocacy center on campus; creating a community-campus task force to respond to sexual assault and domestic violence; and, developing an orientation program for incoming students. Special training will also be provided to university staff, health professionals, and security personnel. Improvements will be made to the campus physical plant in order to deter possible perpetrators, and security systems will be installed in the dormitories. Grantee: University of North Florida, Florida Award: $143,547 Project Activities: The University of North Florida (UNF) will expand and enhance the UNF Women Center's current efforts to provide rape education to the campus community. This will include a full-time rape prevention educator; a peer education theater project; and, ongoing training sessions for university students, staff, administrators and judicial board members. Grantee: Idaho State University, Idaho Award: $280,045 Project Activities: Idaho State University will establish a comprehensive, coordinated, campus effort to: develop a mandatory prevention program for all incoming students and a sexual violence prevention program for athletes; establish a victim advocacy program for domestic violence survivors; train campus and community response teams to respond to violence against women; and, expand the Rape Aggression Defense course for deaf students, international students, and students with disabilities. Grantee: University of Louisville, Kentucky Award: $499,925 Project Activities: The University of Louisville will improve victim services by creating a campus-based advocacy program. This effort will involve training campus law enforcement, disciplinary hearing panel members, health professionals, students, residential advisors, fraternities, sororities and athletic teams; and, developing materials and resources aimed at the commuter, transfer, graduate and professional student populations. Grantee: Tulane University, Louisiana Award: $500,000 Project Activities: Tulane University will establish a consortia with the University of New Orleans and Southern University to create a sustainable infrastructure at each university that will promote ongoing education and services for the campus communities and enhance existing partnerships between community anti-violence programs and the campuses. The three universities will collaborate with a city-wide steering committee to create education and service programs for both students and staff, and to create task forces and establish a victim advocate position at each institution. The universities would also develop specialized programs for under served student populations. Grantee: Tufts University, Massachusetts Award: $394,936 Project Activities: Tufts University will implement educational programs and workshops that are aimed at changing the attitudes and beliefs of both men and women regarding violence against women. This will include providing training to residential hall staff, peer educators, community members, students and administrators. The university will also work on developing programs and services targeting the African-American, Asian-American, Latino, and lesbian/bisexual communities. Grantee: Michigan State University, Michigan Award: $418,333 Project Activities: Michigan State University will establish a comprehensive, coordinated, campus effort to educate resident assistants, campus law enforcement, incoming students, the judicial board, athletes, sororities and fraternities. The university will also enhance services for under served victims by installing a TTY line at the campus domestic violence shelter, and by translating educational material into ten languages--Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, Spanish, German, Italian, Arabic and Russian. Grantee: University of Minnesota, Minnesota Award: $381,805 Project Activities: The University of Minnesota will strengthen existing services to victims of domestic violence by creating a legal advocacy program. This program will be a coordinated community response with local law enforcement, prosecution, courts and advocacy programs. It will establish a 24-hour crisis hotline and provide advocacy for victims of domestic violence. The university will also install a TTY phone line and establish a protocol for American Sign Language Interpreters to be contacted on an on-call basis. Grantee: Rochester Institute of Technology, New York Award: $400,000 Project Activities: Rochester Institute of Technology will create a comprehensive campus project to prevent violence against women. This project will increase public awareness about violence against women; offer self defense courses for students; develop protocols in response to electronic stalking; and train resident assistants, athletes, students, sororities and fraternities. Grantee: Jamestown College, North Dakota Award: $495,419 Project Activities: Jamestown College will coordinate a statewide consortia with the University of North Dakota, Fort Berthold Community College (tribal community), Lake Region State College, North Dakota State College of Science, and Mayville State University. This consortium will collaborate with victim service providers and criminal justice agencies to reduce violence against women on campus. Each campus will develop a coordinated campus and community-based response to violence against women. These responses will include developing model campus policies; providing training to campus law enforcement, judicial hearing officers, advocates, housing staff and administrators, on effective responses to violence against women; and developing advocacy programs to increase the likelihood that students remain in school. Grantee: California University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Award: $250,000 Project Activities: California University of Pennsylvania will establish a centralized Victim Advocacy Center to offer comprehensive services to victims of sexual assault, domestic violence and stalking. The university will also strengthen campus judicial policies and procedures; provide training to judicial board members on handling violence against women cases; and conduct extensive prevention and education programs for the entire campus community. Grantee: University of Puerto Rico/Humacao University College, PR Award: $350,000 Project Activities: The University of Puerto Rico will establish a comprehensive, coordinated, campus response to violence against women by emphasizing specialized training programs for academic counselors, department chairs, athletes, sororities, fraternities, and other student organizations. The university will provide nine hours of training on violence against women issues for all incoming students; provide training for campus law enforcement and disciplinary board members; and establish a campus escort service and install telephones across the campus for increased security. Grantee: University of South Carolina, South Carolina Award: $278,360 Project Activities: The University of South Carolina will strengthen victim services by establishing a safe shelter on campus; providing counseling, to include crisis intervention and ongoing medical, legal and academic service; and, training to law enforcement. Outreach services will also be tailored to international students and spouses of students. Grantee: Vanderbilt University, Tennessee Award: $435,000 Project Activities: Vanderbilt University will establish a coordinated campus response to violence against women by expanding its Violence Against Women taskforce to improve outreach and advocacy for students who are victims. Specialized training will be provided for campus law enforcement, student health care personnel, and student organizations such as the sororities and fraternities. The university will also collaborate with Catholic Services to respond to the needs of international students. The university also plans to hire a support outreach counselor to assist staff and faculty with violence against women issues. Grantee: Prairie View A & M University, Texas Award: $449,957 Project Activities: Prairie View A&M University will establish a coordinated campus response to violence against women by involving campus-based entities, students, law enforcement and non-profit violence prevention agencies. This coordinated response will involve: conducting prevention and educational programs for incoming students; training student peer educators, campus law enforcement and judicial board members; and recruiting fraternity members and male athletes as peer educators. Grantee: Western Washington University, Washington Award: $499,484 Project Activities: Western Washington University will improve comprehensive victim services and change the social and physical environment on campus. These things will occur by developing more campus policies and procedures; training campus law enforcement, administrators, staff and students; developing a public awareness campaign; and, conducting workshops for incoming students, athletes and students living in the dorms on issues relating to violence against women. The university will also install phones and improve the lighting to increase safety on campus. Grantee: Edgewood College, Wisconsin Award: $213,302 Project Activities: Edgewood College will establish a comprehensive, coordinated, campus effort to respond to and reduce incidents of crimes against women. The college will collaborate with local sexual assault, domestic violence, and law enforcement agencies; establish a peer education program; and revise the disciplinary policies on violence against women. Training will also be provided for disciplinary board members, campus law enforcement, and staff. The lighting on campus will also be improved to enhance campus safety. --------------------------- NIJ is streamlining its process to accommodate the volume of proposals anticipated under this and other Crime Act solicitations. Researchers can help in a significant way by sending NIJ a nonbinding letter of intent by June 5, 2000 . The Institute will use these letters to forecast the number of peer panels it needs and to identify conflicts of interest among potential reviewers. You can e-mail a letter of intent identifying this solicitation to NIJ at tellnij@ncjrs.org. --------------------------- For more information on the National Institute of Justice, please contact: National Criminal Justice Reference Service Box 6000 Rockville, MD 20849-6000 800-851-3420 e-mail: askncjrs@ncjrs.org You can view or obtain an electronic version of this document from the NCJRS Justice Information Center web site (http://www.ncjrs.org) or the NIJ web site (http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij).