Graduate Research Fellowships Solicitation. MENU TITLE: Graduate Research Fellowships Series: NIJ Solicitation Published: July 1997 5 pages 6,999 bytes NIJ Fellowship Opportunities National Institute of Justice ------------------------------------------ GRADUATE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS The National Institute of Justice's Graduate Research Fellowship Program provides dissertation research support to outstanding doctoral students undertaking independent research on issues in the criminal justice field. Students from any academic discipline may apply. The Institute encourages diversity in approaches and perspectives in its research programs. It awards these fellowships to expand the pool of research talent in the criminal justice community by attracting doctoral students who can contribute critical and innovative thinking to pressing justice problems. NIJ asks dissertation advisors to bring this program to the attention of their most promising students early in their dissertation development. The subject of the proposed doctoral dissertation should constitute the research for this fellowship. This research must focus on a topic relevant to national criminal justice policy or be directly related to the concerns of operating criminal justice agencies. NIJ is particularly interested in applications from candidates working in areas related to the long-range goals of the Institute's research, evaluation, and science and technology programs (see NIJ's Research Prospectus, NCJ 163708, which is available from the National Criminal Justice Reference Service). NIJ seeks applicants who have completed all degree requirements except the research, writing, and defense of a dissertation and have had their prospectuses accepted through sponsoring universities. At the conclusion of the grant period, the dissertation must be completed and submitted as a final product. APPLICATION INFORMATION Application Procedures. Proposals not conforming to the application procedures specified below will not be considered. Each applicant should write a technical proposal that is 15 double-spaced pages in length or less and includes the following information: o A detailed discussion of the proposed project, including research questions, a literature review, research design, and analysis plan. o A management plan and schedule of critical milestones. o A discussion of proposed products to be developed along with their respective timelines. Applicants should also provide as separate enclosures: o A background statement that includes education, employment experience, publications, and current stage of degree program. Official transcripts for graduate work should be included. o A statement of support from an academic adviser that evaluates the proposed project and the potential of the candidate to succeed in the program, and describes the adviser's role in monitoring the project. o A letter of support from the dean or provost of the college or university. (Letters of support should be included as appendixes.) The application package must also include the appropriate Federal application forms and budget justifications. These documents and guidance for their completion are available from the National Criminal Justice Reference Service at 800-851-3420; the U.S. Department of Justice Response Center at 800-421-6770; or, in electronic form from the Justice Information Center on the World Wide Web: http://www.ncjrs.org/fedgrant.htm#nij. Selection Criteria. The National Institute of Justice's Graduate Research Fellowships are highly competitive. All applications will be reviewed by an external review panel and NIJ professional staff. Review criteria include technical merit, understanding of the problem, relevance to NIJ's long-range goals, and the applicant's qualifications. Funding decisions are made by the NIJ Director on the basis of peer reviews and consultations with NIJ staff. Eligibility Requirements. To be eligible to administer a Graduate Research Fellowship grant on behalf of a doctoral candidate, an institution must be fully accredited by one of the regional institutional accrediting commissions recognized by the U.S. Commissioner of Education and the Council on Postsecondary Accreditation. Award Amounts. Individuals may not receive awards directly in this program; grant awards will be made only to educational institutions. Up to $35,000 will be awarded to successful applicants. It is anticipated that five or six awards will be made annually. The grant may include the fellow's stipend (prorated on the basis of $15,000 for full-time study for a 12-month period). Allowable Expenses. No indirect costs incurred by the sponsoring university or institution are covered by this program. Awards cover major project costs, such as supplies, reproduction costs, computer time, and necessary local and out-of-town travel (reimbursed at the sponsoring university's or agency's rate), which includes one trip to Washington, D.C., to present dissertation findings at an NIJ staff seminar. Award Period. NIJ's Graduate Research Fellowships will last up to 24 months. Due Date. Technical proposals must be received at the National Institute of Justice by the close of business on October 15, 1997; January 15,1998; or May 15, 1998. Extension of these deadlines will not be granted. Ten copies of technical proposals should be sent to: Graduate Research Fellowship Program National Institute of Justice 810 7th Street N.W. Washington, DC 20531 Staff Contact. Applicants are encouraged to contact the Institute well in advance if there are any questions on topic eligibility for funding. To obtain further information about topic viability, applicants may contact Dr. Voncile Gowdy at 202-307-2951. ------------------------------------------ RECENT DISSERTATION FELLOWSHIPS Eric Gross, Temple University. Topic: Evaluation and Review of the Peacemaker Court of the Navajo Nation. Eric Baumer, State University of New York, Albany. Topic: Influence of Neighborhood Disadvantage on Delinquency and Drug Abuse. Brian Applegate, University of Cincinnati. Topic: Specifying Public Support for Corrections Rehabilitation: A Factorial Survey Approach. Claire Souryal, University of Maryland. Topic: Do Violations of Release Signal Criminal Recidivism? A Multi-Site Examination. David Olson, University of Illinois, Chicago. Topic: The Impact of Crime on Criminal and Juvenile Justice System Policies and Practices. Joseph Fuentes, John Jay College. Topic: The Impact of Managerial Style on the Colombian Distribution of Cocaine to the Wholesale Level. Jennifer Frisbie, Sam Houston State University. Topic: Evaluating the Client Management Classification System: An Application of Fuzzy Sets to Criminal Justice Decision Making. NCJ 166367