[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 163 (Tuesday, August 22, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51208-51211]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-21326]



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Part VII





Department of Justice





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Office of Justice Programs



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Field-Initiated Research and Evaluation Program; Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 163 / Tuesday, August 22, 2000 / 
Notices  

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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Office of Justice Programs

[OJP (OJJDP)-1291]


Field-Initiated Research and Evaluation Program

AGENCY: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office 
of Justice Programs, Justice.

ACTION: Notice of solicitation.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 
(OJJDP) is issuing a solicitation for applications from public and 
private agencies, organizations, institutions, tribal and Alaskan 
Native communities, and individuals to conduct research and evaluation 
projects in a wide range of topical areas that will enhance, inform, 
and advance knowledge in the field of juvenile justice.

DATES: Applications under this program must be received no later than 5 
p.m. ET on October 6, 2000.

ADDRESSES: All application packages should be mailed or delivered to 
the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, c/o Juvenile 
Justice Resource Center, 2277 Research Boulevard, Mail Stop 2K, 
Rockville, MD 20850; 301-519-5535. Faxed or e-mailed applications will 
not be accepted. Interested applicants can obtain the OJJDP Application 
Kit from the Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse at 800-638-8736. The 
application kit is also available at OJJDP's Web site at 
www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org/grants/about.htmlkit. (See ``Format'' in 
this program announcement for instructions on application standards.)

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeff Slowikowski, Acting Deputy 
Director, Research and Program Development Division, Office of Juvenile 
Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 810 Seventh Street NW., Washington, 
DC 20531; phone: 202-307-5929. [This is not a toll-free number.]

Purpose

    The purpose of this program is to generate high-quality research 
and evaluation that will inform and enhance the field of juvenile 
justice and delinquency prevention. Applications are encouraged from 
researchers and evaluators in all academic disciplines using either 
traditional and tested or innovative methodological strategies. The 
ideal project will not only increase the knowledge base regarding 
juvenile delinquency and problem behaviors but also will have practical 
implications for juvenile justice policy and practice.

Background

    Since its inception in 1974, the Office of Juvenile Justice and 
Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has been charged with sponsoring 
research on juvenile crime and victimization (Juvenile Justice and 
Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 5653). OJJDP-
sponsored research has advanced understanding of juvenile crime and its 
impact on society. It has informed and influenced the juvenile justice 
field in the areas of prevention, early intervention, and graduated 
sanctions.
    In general, OJJDP funds research activities that derive from 
congressional mandates or address statutory priority areas that are 
narrowly defined. However, many creative and important research ideas 
deserving support arise outside the Federal Government and Congress. 
The Field-Initiated Research and Evaluation Program allows OJJDP to 
provide flexible funding for innovative and rigorous research and 
evaluation that supports the mission of the Office. In past years, 
OJJDP has supported field-initiated research and evaluation on such 
topics as gangs in correctional institutions, mental health services in 
the juvenile justice system, Native American issues, juvenile sex 
offending, and programs for female offenders.
    An important factor in application development will be 
demonstrating a sufficient knowledge and understanding of OJJDP's 
current research and evaluation portfolio. Applicants are expected to 
identify current OJJDP research and evaluation programs that focus on 
the topic being proposed, describing how the proposed research will 
enhance or complement the existing work of OJJDP and the field. 
Information on the programs being funded by OJJDP can be obtained in 
several ways. One resource is the OJJDP Web site (www.http://
ojjdp.ncjrs.org), which includes information on current and past 
funding opportunities (click on Grants & Funding). Past years' Program 
Plans, which also are available on OJJDP's Web site under Grants & 
Funding, can provide a general idea of the research and evaluation that 
OJJDP is currently conducting. Finally, the report OJJDP Research: 
Making a Difference for Juveniles (NCJ 177602), available from OJJDP's 
Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse (800-638-8736) or on OJJDP's Web site 
under Publications, provides a detailed description of the research and 
evaluation programs currently being funded by OJJDP.
    In fiscal year (FY) 2000, OJJDP seeks applications on a broad range 
of research and evaluation ideas. When applying for funds under this 
program, applicants should submit proposals on topics relevant to 
Federal, State, or local juvenile justice policy or practice. OJJDP is 
interested in expanding the scope of existing research and evaluations 
and the range of research and evaluation topics. Three areas of 
particular interest to OJJDP in FY 2000 are programs looking at the 
waiver or transfer of juveniles to the criminal justice system, 
evaluation and research projects related to programs under the Juvenile 
Accountability Incentive Block Grants program, and research or 
evaluation focused on hate-related behavior. These areas are described 
below, as is the area of general research, evaluation, and data 
collection and analysis.

Waiver or Transfer

    In the past 10 years, most States have modified their juvenile 
codes to enable more juveniles (individuals who may be subject to the 
delinquency jurisdiction of State courts based on age and offense 
limitations established by law) to be subject to the jurisdiction of 
adult criminal courts. The effect of these laws has been not only the 
waiving or transferring of a larger number of juveniles to the criminal 
justice system but also the waiving or transferring of younger 
juveniles to the criminal justice system. At the end of their 1997 
legislative sessions, all but five States provided for discretionary 
waiver of certain juveniles to criminal court. Between 1987 and 1994, 
the number of delinquency cases judicially waived to criminal court 
grew 73 percent (Stahl, 1999). Since 1994, the numbers have declined. 
One reason for the decline is the large number of States that passed 
legislation that transferred the original jurisdiction of juveniles to 
the criminal justice system, thus removing large numbers of juveniles 
from ever being processed by the juvenile justice system. The Bureau of 
Justice Statistics estimated that the number of persons less than 18 
years of age being held in State prisons more than doubled between 1985 
and 1997 (Strom, 2000).
    Waivers and transfers of the most serious, violent, and chronic 
juvenile offenders--who have proven to be unamenable to treatment in 
the juvenile justice system--may be required in order to protect 
society and other juveniles in custody.
    To increase knowledge and understanding about waivers, applicants 
are encouraged to address critical aspects of waiver or transfer. These 
areas include, but are not limited to, the following: assessing the 
current number and types of juvenile cases being filed in criminal 
court and the manner in which those cases are processed,

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disposed, and sentenced; assessing the current number and types of 
juveniles under supervision in adult detention, corrections, or 
probation; studying the delivery of services to juveniles in adult 
facilities; and evaluating the effects on the juvenile justice system 
of placing juvenile offenders in adult facilities. Research proposals 
need not be confined to these topics; they are only suggestions meant 
to encourage creative thinking.

Juvenile Accountability Incentive Block Grants Program

    OJJDP's Juvenile Accountability Incentive Block Grants (JAIBG) 
program provides funding to States and units of local government to 
implement a variety of program purpose areas. OJJDP is interested in 
evaluations of programs supported with JAIBG funds awarded by States or 
units of local government.
    Below are brief descriptions of the 12 purpose areas:
     Building, expanding, renovating, or operating temporary or 
permanent juvenile correction or detention facilities, including 
training of correctional personnel.
     Developing and administering accountability-based 
sanctions for juvenile offenders.
     Hiring additional juvenile judges, probation officers, and 
court-appointed defenders, and funding pretrial services for juveniles 
to ensure the smooth and expeditious administration of the juvenile 
justice system.
     Hiring additional prosecutors, so that more cases 
involving violent juvenile offenders can be prosecuted and backlogs 
reduced.
     Funding prosecutors to enable them to address drug, gang, 
and youth violence problems more effectively.
     Funding prosecutors to receive training and technological 
support in identifying and expediting the prosecution of violent 
juvenile offenders.
     Funding juvenile courts and juvenile probation offices so 
that they are more effective and efficient in holding juvenile 
offenders accountable, and therefore reducing recidivism.
     Establishing and funding juvenile gun courts and court-
based programs for the adjudication and prosecution of juvenile firearm 
offenders so as to provide continuing judicial supervision over 
juvenile offenders who were charged with a firearm offense.
     Establishing drug courts and court-based programs for 
juveniles so as to provide continuing judicial supervision over 
juvenile offenders with substance abuse problems and to provide the 
integrated administration of other sanctions and services.
     Establishing and maintaining interagency information-
sharing programs that enable the juvenile and criminal justice systems, 
schools, and social services agencies to make more informed decisions 
regarding the early identification, control, supervision, and treatment 
of juveniles who repeatedly commit serious delinquent or criminal acts.
     Establishing and maintaining accountability-based programs 
that work with juvenile offenders who are referred by law enforcement 
agencies or that are designed, in cooperation with law enforcement 
officials, to protect students and school personnel from drug, gang, 
and youth violence.
     Implementing a policy of controlled substance testing for 
appropriate categories of juveniles within the juvenile justice system.
    Evaluation or research projects should be developed around these 
purpose areas. In accordance with the 12 purpose areas, JAIBG funds 
support programs in the following areas:
     Additional probation staff.
     Alternatives to incarceration programs.
     Detention building and renovations.
     School resource officers.
     Drug courts and drug testing.
     Electronic monitoring.
     Fingerprinting systems.
     Gang tracking.
     Information systems development.
     Mental health services.
     Prosecutors and public defenders staffing.
     Purchase of residential services.
     Restitution programs.
     Sanction programs.
     School violence programs.
     Teen courts/youth courts.
     Training for teachers and staff in detention centers.
     Day treatment programs.
    Research proposals need not be confined to these topics. Research 
and evaluation under any of the JAIBG purpose areas is acceptable.

Hate- or Bias-Related Behaviors

    Juvenile involvement in hate-related crime has not been well 
researched, and few data are available on hate-related offenses by 
juveniles or their victimization. In response to the passage of the 
Hate Crime Statistics Act of 1990, the Attorney General tasked the 
Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI's) Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) 
Program to develop and implement a data collection system for its 
voluntary law enforcement agency participants, numbering nearly 17,000. 
With the cooperation and assistance of several State and local law 
enforcement agencies already experienced in the investigation of hate 
crimes and the collection of related information, comprehensive 
guidelines for the compilation of hate crime data were established.
    The Hate Crime Statistics Act was amended by the Violent Crime 
Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 to include those crimes 
motivated by a bias against persons with disabilities. In order to 
comply with this amendment, the FBI began collecting data on disability 
bias-motivated crimes on January 1, 1997. Also, the Church Arson 
Prevention Act, signed into law in July 1996, amended the Hate Crime 
Statistics Act by permanently extending the data collection mandate.
    Beginning in 1994, and each year since, the FBI has issued an 
annual Hate Crime Report that documents the known hate crimes 
identified through the Uniform Crime Reports for that year. 
Unfortunately, the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Program is not 
currently able to report on juvenile involvement either as the victim 
or offender in hate crimes. Although the FBI's National Incident-Based 
Reporting System (NIBRS) has the capacity to report on age, the data 
have not been analyzed by age to identify hate or bias crimes committed 
by or against juveniles.
    In July 1996, OJJDP sent a report to Congress detailing the lack of 
data available on juvenile hate crime. The report was based on a 1995 
survey of the 50 State crime statistical analysis centers and the law 
enforcement agencies in the 79 largest cities in the United States. 
Only 30 States and 36 law enforcement agencies responded to the survey 
stating that they collected data on hate crimes. Of the responding 
States and cities, only six States and seven cities reported annual 
numbers that included the age of the offender.
    OJJDP is interested in research and analysis of juvenile 
involvement as victims or perpetrators of hate- or bias-related crimes.

General Research, Evaluation, and Data Collection and Analysis

    Applications are welcomed and encouraged in other topical areas 
relevant to the juvenile justice field. Applicants need not apply for 
one of the ``interest areas'' to be eligible for funding. The ``general 
research'' portion of the Field-Initiated Research and Evaluation 
Program provides flexible funding for research which, while it may not 
fit neatly under any of OJJDP's current initiatives, supports the 
agency's mission in significant and creative

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ways. The issues and problems currently confronting the juvenile 
justice system require strategies and solutions that cut across 
traditional juvenile justice boundaries. Ideally, field-initiated 
research should have practical implications for juvenile justice 
policies and practices. The OJJDP FY 1999 field-initiated research 
program provided funding in these subject areas: evaluation of 
interventions in youth correctional facilities, evaluation of media 
literacy on delinquency prevention, research on victimization of youth 
in and around schools, and research on girls in gangs.

Goal

    The goal of the FY 2000 Field-Initiated Research and Evaluation 
Program is to foster rigorous, original scientific research that uses 
traditional or innovative methods to further the agency's mission of 
enhancing the juvenile justice system and preventing juvenile 
delinquency. Research that demonstrates collaboration among multiple 
disciplines is strongly encouraged. Project results should be of 
practical use to practitioners and policymakers and increase the 
juvenile justice knowledge base.

Objectives

     Promote and support innovative research and evaluation in 
the field of juvenile justice and delinquency prevention.
     Conceptualize and investigate new research questions in 
the juvenile justice field.
     Develop new methodological approaches to addressing 
priority issues.
     Develop knowledge that can be used to craft effective 
programs, policies, and strategies for reducing and preventing juvenile 
delinquency and victimization.
     Conduct research that will enhance the ability of the 
juvenile justice system to respond to the needs of both juvenile 
offenders and society at large.

Products

    Proposals should contain a description of all products that will 
originate from the project. At a minimum, each grantee will be required 
to produce a Fact Sheet summarizing the findings of the research and a 
final report that provides an overview of the research project. This 
overview should contain the following: (1) The theory and hypotheses 
guiding the work, (2) a description of the research or evaluation 
methods, (3) research and evaluation results (both significant and 
nonsignificant), (4) any practical or policy implications of the 
results, and (5) recommendations for future study. Grantees should 
indicate in their final report how their work might contribute to 
defining and/or implementing best practices in the field of juvenile 
justice. This final report may be published as an OJJDP Report. 
Applicants are also strongly encouraged to consider submitting their 
results for publication in a refereed journal. This report should be 
completed within 60 days of the grant's closing date.

Eligibility Requirements

    OJJDP invites applications from public and private agencies, 
organizations, institutions, tribal and Alaskan Native communities, and 
individuals, or any combination of these entities. Private, for-profit 
organizations must agree to waive any profit or fee. In the case of 
joint applications, one applicant must be clearly indicated as primary 
(for correspondence and award purposes) and the other(s) listed as 
coapplicant(s). OJJDP encourages collaborative relationships among 
researchers, practitioners, and tribal entities. If the research is of 
a collaborative nature, written assurances of the collaboration should 
be provided. Similarly, when specific programs or agencies are the 
subject of an applicant's research or evaluation, the application 
should include letters of commitment or cooperation from the relevant 
program or agency. Applicants are encouraged to identify existing or 
potential funding partners for the proposed work and indicate whether 
the proposed idea has been submitted to any other funding sources. 
Finally, applicants must demonstrate that they have experience or 
ability related to the type of research or evaluation that they are 
proposing to conduct.

Selection Criteria

    Applications will be evaluated and rated by a peer review panel 
according to the criteria outlined below. In addition, the extent to 
which the project narrative makes clear and logical connections among 
the components listed below will be considered in assessing a project's 
merits.

Problem(s) To Be Addressed (20 points)

    Applicants must include a clear description of the research 
questions to be addressed in the project narrative. Applicants should 
discuss how previous research supports and shapes these questions and 
should identify the relevance of these questions for the field of 
juvenile justice. The proposed research will be judged on its ability 
to contribute to knowledge and practice in the field of juvenile 
justice and delinquency prevention.

Goals and Objectives (10 points)

    The application must include goals and objectives that are clear, 
concrete, and relevant to the field of juvenile justice. Goals should 
address the problems directly. Objectives should consist of clearly 
defined, measurable tasks that will enable the applicant to achieve the 
goals of the project.

Project Design (40 points)

    The application should present the design of the project in detail. 
Design elements should follow directly from the project's goals and 
objectives. The data to be collected and/or analyzed should clearly 
support the project's goals and objectives. The applicant should 
describe the research or evaluation methodology in detail and 
demonstrate the validity and usefulness of the data that will be 
collected and/or analyzed. The application must include a timeline that 
indicates when specific tasks will be initiated and completed. The 
timeline should be referenced as appropriate in the narrative but 
should also be placed in appendix A of the application.

Management and Organizational Capability (20 points)

    Applicants must demonstrate the existence of a management structure 
that will support the achievement of the project's goals and objectives 
in an efficient and cost-effective manner. In particular, applicants 
must ensure that the tasks delineated in the project timeline (see 
``Project Design'' above) are adequately staffed. Resumes for key staff 
members should be included in appendix B. Applicants should also 
demonstrate the organizational capacity to complete the work described 
in the ``Project Design'' section. The applicant should include a 
description of any similar projects it has undertaken previously and 
should also demonstrate knowledge and experience related to juvenile 
justice issues. In addition, applicants should provide evidence of 
their ability to work collaboratively with juvenile justice system 
practitioners or service providers, particularly in the project's area 
of study. For research that involves specific agencies, organizations, 
or programs, including those under governmental or tribal auspices, 
applicants should submit appropriate letters of cooperation in appendix 
C.

Budget (10 points)

    Applicants must provide a proposed budget that is complete, 
detailed,

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reasonable, allowable, and cost effective in relation to the activities 
to be undertaken. All budgeted costs should be directly related to the 
achievement of project goals and objectives. A brief budget narrative 
should be included in this section. Applicants are encouraged to 
identify existing or potential funding partners.

Format

    The narrative portion of the application must be submitted on 8\1/
2\-by 11-inch paper using a standard 12-point font and should not 
exceed 30 pages in total length. This page limit does not include the 
budget narrative, appendixes, application forms, assurances, or Privacy 
Certificate. The application should be double spaced and printed on one 
side of the paper only with at least 1-inch margins. The narrative 
should be preceded by an abstract with a maximum length of 300 words. 
At the end of the program narrative, applicants must indicate the 
author(s) responsible for each of the narrative sections. Appendix A 
should contain the project's timeline with dates for initiation and 
completion of critical project tasks. Appendix B should contain the 
resumes for the principal investigator and key staff members. Appendix 
C should include all necessary letters of cooperation or support.
    These requirements are necessary to maintain a fair and uniform set 
of standards among all applicants. If the application fails to conform 
to these standards, it will not be eligible for consideration.

Award Period

    The project period and budget period for all field-initiated awards 
will be for up to 2 years. Applicants that envision longer project 
periods will need to show that additional funding will not be necessary 
or will be obtained from other sources.

Award Amount

    Up to $1,250,000 available for OJJDP's FY 2000 Field-Initiated 
Research and Evaluation Program. Individual grant amounts, which will 
be subject to negotiation, will not exceed $200,000 per project. 
Projects that require additional funds must demonstrate that those 
funds have been secured and identify the funding source(s).

Human Subjects

    Applicants are advised that any project that will involve the use 
of human research subjects must be reviewed by an Institutional Review 
Board (IRB), in accordance with U.S. Department of Justice regulations 
at 28 CFR Part 46. IRB review is not required prior to submission of 
the application. However, if an award is made and the project involves 
research using human subjects, OJJDP will place a special condition on 
the award requiring that the project be approved by an appropriate IRB 
before Federal funds can be expended on human subjects activities. 
Applicants should include plans for IRB review, where applicable, in 
the project timeline submitted with the proposal.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number

    For all these programs, the CFDA number, required on Standard Form 
424, ``Application for Federal Assistance,'' is 16.542. Standard Form 
424 is included in the OJJDP Application Kit, which can be obtained by 
contacting the Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse at 800-638-8736 or 
sending an e-mail request to [email protected]. The Application Kit is 
also available online at www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org/grants/about.html#kit.

Coordination of Federal Efforts

    To encourage better coordination among Federal agencies in 
addressing State and local needs, the U.S. Department of Justice is 
requiring applicants to provide information on the following: (1) 
Active Federal grant awards supporting this project or related efforts, 
including other awards from the Department of Justice; (2) any pending 
applications for Federal funds for this or related efforts; and (3) 
plans for coordinating any funds described in items (1) and (2) with 
the funding sought by this application. For each Federal award, 
applicants must include the program or project title, the Federal 
grantor agency, the amount of the award, and a brief description of its 
purpose.
    The term ``related efforts'' is defined for these purposes as one 
of the following:
     Efforts for the same purpose (i.e., the proposed project 
would supplement, expand, complement, or continue activities funded 
with other Federal grants).
     Another phase or component of the same program or project 
(e.g., to implement a planning effort funded by other Federal monies or 
to provide a substance abuse treatment or educational component within 
an existing juvenile justice project).
     Services of some kind (e.g., technical assistance, 
research, or evaluation) to the program or project described in the 
application.

Delivery Instructions

    All application packages should be mailed or delivered to the 
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, c/o Juvenile 
Justice Resource Center, 2277 Research Boulevard, Mail Stop 2K, 
Rockville, MD 20850; 301-519-5535. Faxed or e-mailed applications will 
not be accepted. Note: In the lower left-hand corner of the envelope, 
the applicant must clearly write ``Field-Initiated Research and 
Evaluation Program.''

Due Date

    Applicants are responsible for ensuring that the original and five 
copies of the application package are received by 5 p.m. ET on October 
6, 2000.

Contact

    For further information, contact Jeff Slowikowski, Research and 
Program Development Division, at 202-307-5929 or send an e-mail inquiry 
to [email protected].

References

Stahl, A. 1999. Delinquency Cases Waived to Criminal Court, 1987-
1996. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice 
Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
Strom, K. 2000. Profile of State Prisoners Under Age 18, 1985-97. 
Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice 
Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics.

    Dated: August 16, 2000.
John J. Wilson,
Acting Administrator, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency 
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 00-21326 Filed 8-21-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-18-P