As the research arm of the U.S. Department of Justice, the NIJ sponsors research and evaluation with the aim of preventing and reducing crime as well as improving the operations of the criminal justice system. NIJ also conducts studies that contribute to the understanding of criminal behavior, sponsors demonstration or pilot projects that use innovative or promising approaches in criminal justice, and identifies new issues that are emerging in the field. The development of new technologies and the adoption of existing technologies to assist law enforcement and investigations are also part of the NIJ mission, as is disseminating research findings and related information through the most advanced methods of communication. NIJ also administers a clearinghouse of criminal justice information, the National Criminal Justice Reference Service, whose database and reference and referral services are accessible worldwide. During the period examined in this article, NIJ received a stimulus for further activity under the largest anticrime bill in U.S. history, the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994. NIJ also took a major step toward expanding its role as a member of the international criminal justice research community when in May 1995 it formally joined the network of criminological research institutes affiliated with the United Nations. This article profiles NIJ's research and project activities, its technical cooperation and advisory services, its conferences and meetings, its information dissemination and publication services, and its resources (staff, organization, and funding).