Title: Violence Against Women Investigator-Initiated Research and Evaluation Series: Solicitation Author: National Institute of Justice Published: November 2001 Subject: Grants and Funding 17 pages 33,000 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). -------------------------------- U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs National Institute of Justice National Institute of Justice Solicitation Sarah V. Hart, Director November 2001 Violence Against Women Investigator-Initiated Research and Evaluation APPLICATION DEADLINE: February 25, 2002 -------------------------------- U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs 810 Seventh Street N.W. Washington, DC 20531 John Ashcroft Attorney General Deborah J. Daniels Assistant Attorney General Sarah V. Hart Director National Institute of Justice For grant and funding information, contact: Department of Justice Response Center 800-421-6770 Office of Justice Programs World Wide Web Site: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov National Institute of Justice World Wide Web Site: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij -------------------------------- Violence Against Women Investigator-Initiated Research and Evaluation -------------------------------- Important Information for Violence Against Women Investigator-Initiated Research and Evaluation -- Non-binding letters of intent to submit an application under this solicitation are due by January 28, 2002. -- Each proposal should contain a Topics Designation Form (attached), a detailed listing of previous NIJ grant award performance, a privacy certificate, and a Protection of Human Subjects Assurance Form. -- Ninety (90) days prior to the completion of the grant period, grantees are expected to submit in draft form a 400 word abstract, a 2,500 word executive summary, and a technical research report. -- Deliverables and reporting time lines are being reinforced including final technical reports, data sets, as well as standard progress and financial reports. -- A grantee meeting should be anticipated and applicants should budget $1,000 for each year of the grant to participate in these grantee meetings. -------------------------------- I. Introduction The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) is soliciting proposals for research and evaluation on violence against women. Violence against women (ages 12 years and older) is defined as intimate partner violence, sexual assault, and stalking, and may include violence committed by intimates, acquaintances, and strangers. Although this solicitation is open to any investigator-initiated proposal, NIJ has identified a number of subject areas in need of further research. These include: civil justice systems, stalking, co-occurrence of intimate partner violence and child maltreatment, theory integration and development, dating violence among adolescents, and program and policy evaluation. NIJ anticipates awarding up to $1,200,000 and up to 4 grants, depending on the complexity of the study designs and length of the projects. -------------------------------- Proposals that specifically address sexual violence should be submitted under a separate NIJ solicitation entitled Solicitation for Research on Sexual Violence FY 2002 (see http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/funding.htm), due January 4, 2002. -------------------------------- Applicants should be familiar with the background that guides this current solicitation: the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (Pub. L. No. 103-322) and the Violence Against Women Act of 2000 (Pub. L. No. 106-386), the current NIJ research program on Violence Against Women, the National Academy of Sciences reports (Understanding Violence Against Women and Violence in Families: Assessing Prevention and Treatment Programs), and related research and evaluation. NIJ's research portfolio on violence against women and family violence can be accessed at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/vawprog/contents.htm or a copy can be obtained from the Department of Justice Response Center at 800-421-6770 (in the Washington, D.C. area at 202-307-1480). Applicants are reminded that NIJ grants are funded for the full length of the project (unless otherwise noted) and the full cost should be in the total budget requested. Projects may be jointly supported with other agencies if applicants have obtained funding from or applied to other governmental or non-governmental funders. However, NIJ will not seek funding partners on behalf of applicants. Funding secured or pending from other sources should be noted in the proposal. Applications for funding should also be noted. -------------------------------- Letters of Intent To accommodate the volume of proposals submitted under this and other solicitations, NIJ requests that non-binding letters of intent be received by January 28, 2002. The Institute will use these letters to anticipate the number of peer panels needed, and to identity conflicts of interest among potential peer panel reviewers. There are two ways to notify us of your intent to submit an application: send email to tellnij@ncjrs.org, or send a letter with the same information to: Violence Against Women Investigator-Initiated Research and Evaluation, Office of Research and Evaluation, National Institute of Justice, 810 7th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20531 (overnight courier ZIP code is 20001). -------------------------------- II. Background Violence against women is often difficult to study because of its intimate and personal nature. Consequently, much remains unknown about what causes violence against women, the factors that endanger women or protect them from violence, and the physical and emotional consequences of such violence for women and their children. The 1994 Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) required the National Academy of Sciences to develop a research agenda on violence against women. Its report, entitled Understanding Violence Against Women, recommends a research agenda on the problem, including nature and scope, causes and consequences, prevention and intervention, and research infrastructure.[1] A complementary report issued subsequently by the National Academy of Sciences, entitled Violence in Families: Assessing Prevention and Treatment Programs, [2] focuses on assessing interventions in family violence. NIJ has supported research addressing a number of the topics identified in these reports. Consequently, NIJ's portfolio on violence against women has grown substantially over the past several years (see www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/vawprog/contents.htm). However, there are several aspects of this problem where further research is needed. These areas are discussed in the following section. Identification of such gaps does not preclude from consideration proposals that address other important topics on violence against women. III. Areas in Need of Further Research The goal of this research solicitation is to advance the empirical understanding of violence against women and accompanying theory; support theory testing and development; and ultimately to improve policy and practice. Any research that has the potential to be useful in reducing the level of violence against women, increasing the safety of women, and improving the criminal justice system and related responses will be considered. However, NIJ has identified a number of specific areas in particular need of further research. These areas include civil justice systems, stalking, co-occurrence of intimate partner violence and child maltreatment, theory integration and development, dating violence among adolescents, and program and policy evaluation. Each of these is briefly described below. o Civil Justice Systems Research is needed on how the civil justice system responds to violence against women and how women invoke the civil justice system. For example, are civil remedies providing adequate relief to victims in addressing legal issues including: family, immigration, administrative agency; housing matters; protection order proceedings; tort claims; and other similar matters? Are victims adequately represented in such civil cases? Is there an unmet need for legal assistance for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking? Are civil actions successful at stopping or reducing violence in comparison to other actions? What are the effects of intimate partner violence on divorce and custody proceedings? o Stalking Although stalking has been identified as a danger for many women, more research is needed on the causes and consequences of stalking and frequency among different populations to increase our understanding of this important phenomenon. In particular, research on separation violence (violence perpetrated after a victim takes steps to leave the abusive relationship or to seek help) is needed. Additionally, more information is needed on the stalkers themselves, including descriptions of stalkers and their motivations for stalking (e.g., can empirically based, meaningful stalking typologies be developed?). o Co-Occurrence of Intimate Partner Violence and Child Maltreatment Although research on the co-occurrence of intimate partner violence and child maltreatment has expanded considerably in recent years, much remains to be learned. For example, little is known empirically about violence that occurs after separation (e.g., during child visitation) in families where the perpetrator and victim have a child in common. Research is also needed on the long-term consequences of co-occurring intimate partner violence and child maltreatment, law enforcement responses to co-occurring intimate partner violence and child maltreatment, and effective interventions for these populations. Where safe and appropriate, the sample design should include fathers. o Theory Integration and Development Although theories of violence against women exist, more work is needed in the integration of various theoretical models of violence. Literature reviews and meta-analytic techniques may be used to integrate existing, but disparate, violence literatures. This will advance the scientific knowledge and improve its contribution to policy and practice. o Dating Violence Among Adolescents Research on adult intimate partner violence is accumulating rapidly, yet less is known about the prevalence and incidence of violence perpetrated by both male and female adolescents in dating relationships, including the context of such violence (e.g., self-defense). Additional research questions of particular relevance to practitioners include barriers to reporting dating violence, responses by law enforcement, parents, schools, and others to adolescents' reports of violence, the escalation of dating violence, and available resources for adolescents affected by violence (e.g., teen shelters). Other important research questions include the development of violence in adolescent dating relationships, the intergenerational transmission of violence in relationships, the lifecourse of violence in relationships (e.g., does adolescent dating violence predict marital violence?), and similarities and differences between adolescent and adult intimate partner violence. o Program and Policy Evaluation Multi-jurisdictional evaluations of programs and policies directed toward ensuring the safety of women and improving the criminal justice response to violence against women are needed. Such research might include rigorous impact evaluations of batterer intervention programs, either existing programs or programs based on new conceptual models, and evaluations of victim services. Experimental designs are strongly encouraged in studies of interventions. However, NIJ will consider other evaluation designs as required by the needs and constraints in a particular setting. IV. Suggestions for Applicants NIJ seeks to underscore the importance of several factors in conducting meaningful research on violence against women. These suggestions are not requirements for funding, but applicants who include one or more of the factors listed below will be given special consideration. o Longitudinal Research Research using longitudinal designs is needed to examine factors associated with the initiation, maintenance, escalation, or diminution of violence against women over time and across the life course within families. NIJ recognizes that longitudinal research often requires greater resources than other methodologies and the costs associated with longitudinal design will be taken into consideration in the review process. o Experimental Designs Experimental designs are strongly encouraged in studying interventions where appropriate. Prospective applicants considering an experimental design may apply for a grant to conduct a feasibility and planning project for an initial year. Applicants may receive up to $100,000 for this purpose. A grant to conduct the experimental design study would be considered after completion of the feasibility study and would be dependent on future appropriations for this program area. Written agreement from key practitioners to use an experimental design and a thorough plan for insuring the safety of all victims is required of applicants. o Ecological Research Proposals that incorporate an ecological perspective[3] (e.g., include factors associated with the individual, the neighborhood, the community, the work environment, and the broader sociopolitical culture) into their research are strongly encouraged. NIJ is particularly interested in how various ecological factors relate to a perpetrator's likelihood of committing violent crimes against women, and how these factors protect women or increase women's risk for victimization. Analyzing the ecological context in which perpetrators commit violence and in which women experience violence is critical to understanding the nature of this problem, its impact on women, and the effectiveness of interventions (e.g., victim services, the criminal justice system). o Multi-Method/Multi-Instrument/Multi-Informant Approach Proposals are encouraged to use multiple methods and multiple instruments to assess the same phenomenon, and to obtain information from multiple informants (e.g., the victim, offender, counselors, police, children). This approach fosters greater validity and reliability of the findings, as well as enables researchers to identify important differences among contexts and subgroups. o Research-Practitioner Partnerships and Research Team Composition Applicants are encouraged to establish researcher-practitioner partnerships where appropriate to the research prior to submitting proposals. Such proposals often improve the quality of the research and bring it closer to those who can most use the results. In addition, NIJ encourages applicants in which the composition of the research team reflects the diversity of the population under study. NIJ also encourages mentoring relationships in which new researchers collaborate with established researchers in the field. This suggestion is designed to increase the diversity of researchers and research questions while fostering the development of the next generation of researchers. o Innovative Methods of Dissemination of Results NIJ is interested in expeditious and innovative methods to disseminate the results from all projects supported under this solicitation. Methods that would supplement the more traditional dissemination approaches are encouraged. Results of projects are expected to be reported to NIJ as they become available, at a minimum, through semi-annual progress reports and at the Grantees Meetings. Applicants may provide a discussion of the types of other reports or products that would become available over the course of the project and the audiences to which they would be addressed. V. Selection Criteria NIJ is firmly committed to a competitive process in making grant awards. Peer review panelists consider both technical and programmatic merits of a proposed topic. Successful applicants must demonstrate to an independent peer review panel that: 1) the gap in knowledge they seek to fill is critical to understanding crime and justice and is policy relevant; 2) the proposed research design is rigorous and appropriate to posited research questions; and, 3) principal investigators are highly qualified to execute the design within the proposed budget. Institute staff then make recommendations to the NIJ Director based on the results of the independent reviews. Final decisions are made by the NIJ Director after consultation with Institute staff. Reviews of grant applications are based upon the following criteria: o Impact of the Project -- Importance of the problem; -- Potential for significant advances in the area of violence against women; -- Potential for advancement of scientific understanding of the problem area; -- Relevance to improving the policy and practice of criminal justice and related agencies and for improving public safety, security, and quality of life. o Quality and Technical Merit -- Awareness of existing research; -- Soundness of methodology, analytic, or technical approach; -- Innovation and creativity, where appropriate; -- Feasibility of proposed project and awareness of pitfalls. o Capabilities, Demonstrated Productivity, and Experience of Applicants -- Qualifications and experience of personnel to proposed project; -- Demonstrated ability to manage proposed effort; -- Adequacy of proposed budget including time and personnel; -- Past performance on NIJ grants and contracts. o Budget Considerations -- Total cost relative to perceived benefit; -- Budget appropriate to level of effort; -- Use of existing resources to conserve costs. Notification. The review process (including peer review, decision-making, and other considerations) may take up to six months to complete. Notices of award and non-award are distributed simultaneously approximately 180 days subsequent to the closing date of a solicitation. VI. How to Apply Individuals interested in submitting proposals in response to this solicitation must complete the required application forms and related documents (See below for how to obtain application forms and guides for completing proposals). Applicants must include all of the following information and completed forms to qualify for consideration: PART A: o Application for Federal Assistance - Standard Form (SF 424) o Topics Designation Form o Proposal abstract o Table of contents o Budget Detail Worksheet o Budget Narrative o Negotiated indirect rate agreement (if appropriate) o Program narrative o References o Names and affiliations of all key persons including applicants and subcontractor(s), advisors, consultants, and advisory board members. Include name of principal investigator, title, organizational affiliation, department (if institution of higher education), address, phone, fax, and e-mail address. o List all previous and current NIJ awards and grant numbers including information on final reports and other deliverables to NIJ (whether submitted or outstanding) and a listing of all publications (by NIJ or other publishers) derived from each grant award. PART B: o Privacy certificate o Protection of Human Subjects Assurance Identification/Certification/Declaration (Form 310) o Environmental Assessment (if required) 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 Appendixes: -- Letters of cooperation from organizations collaborating in the research project -- Resumes -- Other materials Application for Assistance. The Standard Form 424 should be the first page of the application. Please follow the instructions in completing the Standard Application for Assistance Form. In item 10 of the Application, be sure to include 16.560 as the Catalog for Federal Domestic Assistance Number. Indicate the Title to be the "Violence Against Women Investigator-Initiated Research and Evaluation." Enter the title of your proposal in Item 11. Start and end dates in Item 13 should be adjusted to accommodate a six month grant making process. For this solicitation, proposed projects should not have a start date earlier than August 4, 2002. Topics Designation Form. The Topics Designation Form should be the second page of the application package and indicate the area into which the proposal falls: civil justice systems, stalking, co-occurrence of intimate partner violence and child maltreatment, theory integration and development, dating violence among adolescents, program and policy evaluation, and other thematic areas. Proposal abstract. The proposal abstract is a very important part of the application. Along with the Topics Designation Form, the abstract is used in sorting applications for review by the appropriate independent peer panel. Once an award has been granted, the abstract is computerized and serves as a summary available to all interested parties for the duration of the grant. When read separately from the rest of the application, the abstract should serve as a succinct and accurate description of the proposed work. Applicants should concisely describe research goals and objectives, research design, and methods for achieving the goals and objectives. Length is not to exceed 400 words. Use the following two headers and instructions in developing the abstract. Research Goals and Objectives: Statement of Purpose. State the problem under investigation including goals and objectives of the proposed research project, and anticipated relevance of the project to public policy and/or practice. Research Subjects. If applicable, describe subjects who will be involved in the proposed project including the number of participants, age, gender, race/ethnicity, and other pertinent characteristics such as how you will gain access to participants. Proposed Research Design & Methodology: Methods. Describe the research method and/or design including data to be used in addressing research questions, data collection procedures and instrumentation including access to data, data analysis methods, and other methods or procedures unique to the proposed study. Data Analysis and Products. Describe proposed techniques for data analysis and all expected products including interim and final reports, data to be archived under NIJ's Data Resource Program, and instrumentation. Program Narrative. The program narrative should provide information and detail to adequately describe the proposed project and should include: o Purpose, Goals and Objectives o Review of Relevant Literature o Methodology o Anticipated Results and Products o Staff/Management Plan o Tables, Charts, Figures & Research Time-line (not within page limit) Page limit. The number of pages included in the "Program Narrative" section of the application must not exceed thirty (30), double-spaced pages in 12-point font, with one inch margins. Applicants are strongly encouraged to use tables, charts and diagrams as visual presentations to summarize the research design, the data to be used, the logic model for the evaluation, or the analysis plan. Tables, charts and diagrams will not be counted in the 30 page limitation. Due date. Ten (10) copies (one unbound) of complete proposals must be received at the National Institute of Justice by 4:30 p.m. on February 25, 2002. Extensions to this deadline are not permitted. Faxed or electronically transmitted copies will not be accepted. NIJ reserves the right to return incomplete applications, those not responsive to the scope of this solicitation, or those not complying with format requirements. Names and affiliations of the author(s) of the proposal should be clearly identified. Proposals that are incorrectly collated, incomplete, or handwritten may be considered as submitted or, at NIJ's discretion, may be returned without further review. Proposals exceeding the page limit will not be reviewed. No additions to the original submission are allowed. Under the violence against women investigator-initiated solicitation, NIJ has recently awarded grants ranging from less than $100,000 to $300,000 and occasionally more. Application Materials. Applicants should obtain two packets: 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 NIJ Web site and download application information http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/funding.htm). o Request hard copies of the forms and guidelines by mail from the NCJRS 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. o Please note that instructions provided in this announcement supersede those outlined in the document: Guidelines for Submitting Proposals for National Institute of Justice - Sponsored Research. VII. Guidelines For Grantees NIJ has established guidelines for grantees regarding deliverables such as final reports and data sets. Ninety (90) days prior to the completion of the grant period, grantees are expected to submit in draft form: a 400 word abstract; a 2,500 word executive summary; and, a technical research report. -------------------------------- Final Deliverables o Abstract (400 words) o Executive Summary (2,500 words) o Technical Report o Electronic data and supporting documentation -------------------------------- All NIJ draft research reports are peer reviewed upon submission. The reviews are forwarded to the principal investigator with suggestions for revisions. The principal investigator is then required to submit the revised final report, abstract, executive summary, final data set and codebook/data dictionary by the end date of the grant. The abstract, executive summary and final report are to be submitted in both paper and electronic/diskette versions. The data set and codebook/dictionary are also to be submitted in electronic form. Data sets must be received by the grant end date. Grant applicants should ensure that the proposed time line and budget accommodates these requirements. In addition to the abstract, executive summary, technical report and data set, grantees are required to submit quarterly financial status reports and semi-annual progress reports. Financial Status Report Financial status reports (SF 269-A) are to be submitted quarterly no later than 45 days following the end of each calendar quarter. Two copies of the financial status report must be submitted to the Office of the Comptroller every quarter during which the award is active even if there has been no financial activity during the reporting period. Additionally, a final financial report is due 120 days after the end date of the award. Future awards and fund drawdowns will be withheld if financial status reports are delinquent. Semi-annual Progress Report Recipients of funding are also required to submit semi-annual Categorical Assistance Progress Reports. Two copies of the progress report must be submitted to the Office of the Comptroller twice a year even if there has been no substantive activity during the reporting period. The progress report should describe activities during the reporting period and status or accomplishment of objectives as set forth in the approved application for funding. For the duration of the award, progress reports must be submitted within 30 days after the end of the reporting periods (January 1 through June 30 and July 1 through December 31). Additionally, a Final Progress Report providing a summary of achievement of the goals and objectives of the award, significant results, and any products developed under the award, is due 90 days after the end date of the award. Future awards and fund drawdowns may be withheld if progress reports are delinquent. Forms for submitting financial and progress reports are available at the NIJ website. Report formats will also be provided by the Office of Justice Programs at the time of the grant award. CONFIDENTIALITY OF INFORMATION AND HUMAN SUBJECT PROTECTION NIJ has adopted new policies and procedures regarding the confidentiality of information and human subjects protection. The Department of Justice (DOJ) regulations at 28 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 22 require recipients of NIJ research funds to protect personally identifiable information that is collected from all research participants. The regulations at 28 CFR Part 22 require applicants for NIJ funding to outline specific procedures for protection of private information about individuals as part of the Privacy Certificate submitted with the application package. In addition to the regulations in Part 22, DOJ has adopted policies concerning protection of human subjects which are the same as those established by the Department of Health and Human Services in 45 CFR Part 46, Subpart A, also known as the "Common Rule." The DOJ regulations are set forth in 28 CFR Part 46. In general, 28 CFR Part 46 requires that all research involving human subjects conducted or supported by a federal department or agency be reviewed and approved by an Institutional Review Board (IRB) before federal funds are expended for that research. If IRB approval is required for this project, a copy of the IRB's approval as well as supporting documentation concerning the IRB's institutional affiliation, its polices and procedures, and necessary assurances must submitted to the National Institute of Justice prior to the initiation of any research activities that are not exempt from the provisions of 28 CFR Part 46. Further information regarding Confidentiality and Human Subjects Protections may be found in Guidelines for Submitting Proposals for National Institute of Justice-Sponsored Research. 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. Send applications to: Violence Against Women Investigator-Initiated Research and Evaluation Office of Research and Evaluation National Institute of Justice 810 Seventh Street N.W., Rm. 7324 Washington, DC 20531 [overnight courier ZIP code 20001] 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 -------------------------------- Notes 1. National Research Council, 1996, Understanding Violence Against Women, N.A. Crowell and A.W. Burgess, eds. Panel on research on violence against women, Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press. This volume can be purchased from the National Academy Press at 800/624-6242 or 202/334-3313 or www.nap.edu. 2. National Research Council, 1998, Violence in Families: Assessing Prevention and Treatment Programs, R. Chalk and P.A. King, eds. Committee on the Assessment of Family Violence Interventions, Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press. This volume can be purchased from the National Academy Press at 800/624-6242 or 202/334-3313 or www.nap.edu. 3. The study of the relation between the developing human being and the settings and contexts in which the person is actively involved (Bronfenbrenner, U., 1979. The ecology of human development: Experiments by nature and design. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press). -------------------------------- Topics Designation Form for Violence Against Women Investigator-Initiated Research and Evaluation --------------------------------