The NIJ has sponsored four projects specifically mandated by VAWA: (1) development of a research agenda by the National Academy of Sciences that will build knowledge in such areas as prevention, education, and legal strategies, with emphasis on underserved populations; (2) assessment of the feasibility of creating State databases to record the number of incidents of sexual and domestic violence; (3) study of the means by which abusive partners obtain the addresses of domestic violence victims; and (4) examination of the battered women's syndrome from a variety of perspectives. In addition, the NIJ sponsors research on the phenomenon of violence against women and evaluates the effectiveness of VAWA. Limitations of the criminal justice system response to violence against women are examined, and the need for a theoretical framework to analyze the nature of such violence is emphasized. 5 notes and 1 photograph