NIJ FY 2026 Research and Evaluation on Violent Crime: Gangs and Organized Criminal Groups (Domestic and Transnational)

Source-based overview

This is a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for NIJ FY 2026 Research and Evaluation on Violent Crime: Gangs and Organized Criminal Groups (Domestic and Transnational). This opportunity supports research and evaluation proposals on gang and organized criminal group-related violent crime, including domestic and transnational. Projects funded through this NOFO will study topics that inform law enforcement strategies and operations to effectuate EO 14157, “Designating Cartels And Other Organizations As Foreign Terrorist Organizations And Specially Designated Global Terrorist;” Chapter 4 of the 2026 National Drug Control Strategy, “Global Campaign Against Transnational Criminal Threats;” and other related threats, including those posed by firearm, human, and other trafficking-related violence. NIJ seeks rigorous evaluations of new or existing strategies intended to reduce violent crime associated with gangs and organized criminal groups or networks and are led by or collaborate with law enforcement agencies. Evaluations should consider how individual, group, organizational, situational, or other relevant contextual factors interact with the strategies being studied. NIJ encourages evaluation designs such as randomized controlled trials (when feasible), mixed methods research, quasi-experimental designs, matched comparisons, and other appropriate methodologies. Process evaluations should be incorporated to support interpretation of program implementation and outcomes. Outcome evaluations must focus on violent crime measures such as murder, aggravated assault, and robbery along with relevant intermediate and process outcomes. Multi-site and cross-jurisdictional evaluations are encouraged. The official record contains the controlling eligibility, budget, attachment and submission requirements for opportunity O-NIJ-2026-172806.

Eligibility

Eligible applicant types listed by the agency: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education; City or township governments; State governments; Private institutions of higher education; Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education; Independent school districts; Public and State controlled institutions of higher education; County governments; Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments); For profit organizations other than small businesses; Special district governments; Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized); Small businesses. Applicants must also satisfy every programme-specific condition in the official notice.

Funding and benefits

Award ceiling: USD 3,000,000

Expected number of awards: 5

Themes and supported activities

This is a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for NIJ FY 2026 Research and Evaluation on Violent Crime: Gangs and Organized Criminal Groups (Domestic and Transnational). This opportunity supports research and evaluation proposals on gang and organized criminal group-related violent crime, including domestic and transnational. Projects funded through this NOFO will study topics that inform law enforcement strategies and operations to effectuate EO 14157, “Designating Cartels And Other Organizations As Foreign Terrorist Organizations And Specially Designated Global Terrorist;” Chapter 4 of the 2026 National Drug Control Strategy, “Global Campaign Against Transnational Criminal Threats;” and other related threats, including those posed by firearm, human, and other trafficking-related violence. NIJ seeks rigorous evaluations of new or existing strategies intended to reduce violent crime associated with gangs and organized criminal groups or networks and are led by or collaborate with law enforcement agencies. Evaluations should consider how individual, group, organizational, situational, or other relevant contextual factors interact with the strategies being studied. NIJ encourages evaluation designs such as randomized controlled trials (when feasible), mixed methods research, quasi-experimental designs, matched comparisons, and other appropriate methodologies. Process evaluations should be incorporated to support interpretation of program implementation and outcomes. Outcome evaluations must focus on violent crime measures such as murder, aggravated assault, and robbery along with relevant intermediate and process outcomes. Multi-site and cross-jurisdictional evaluations are encouraged.

Opportunity number: O-NIJ-2026-172806

Deadline and timeline

Applications close 2026-11-30: Applications close 2026-11-30: Nov 30, 2026.

Applicants should confirm the exact deadline time, time zone, required documents, portal steps and any institutional approvals on the official call page before submitting.

How to apply

Open the official Grants.gov record, review the full notice and attachments, and use the application package or agency route stated there.

Before applying, check eligibility rules, budgets, attachments, page limits, partner requirements, cost-share conditions and whether the opportunity uses an expression of interest, full proposal, registration or nomination stage.