National Institute of Justice Announces Funding Opportunity To Increase School Safety

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) has announced the fiscal year 2014 funding opportunity, Investigator-Initiated Research: The Comprehensive School Safety Initiative. The goals of this initiative are to improve the knowledge and understanding of school safety and violence, and enhance school safety programs through social and behavioral science research.
Under the Comprehensive School Safety Initiative, NIJ will allocate approximately $15 million for multiple grants to fund research that will address school safety issues directly and strive to achieve the following:

• Examine the root causes of school violence
• Develop new technologies
• Apply evidence-based practices
• Test pilot programs to enhance school safety

As a starting point, Congress has identified a number of factors and issues related to school safety programs that investigators might consider for research and evaluation:

• The school-to-prison pipeline
• Gaps in the nation’s mental health system
• Exposure to violence in the media
• Bullying prevention programs or other violence prevention programs/initiatives
• Crisis/emergency management
• Efforts to address disparate treatment of students (based on race, disability, sex, etc.)
• School discipline alternatives and restorative justice

To see the full list of suggested factors and issues, see page three of the PDF. The deadline to apply for funding is May 20.
Note: The Department of Justice Appropriations Act, 2014, provides funds for the NIJ to undertake a research-focused initiative—the Comprehensive School Safety Initiative—to increase the safety of schools nationwide.
For past reporting on school safety and prevention of school violence, visit the following:

• School-to-Prison Pipeline
• Ineffective School Discipline Policies Threaten Public Safety
• Violence Prevention: Evidence-Based Practices and Community Involvement

Cecilia Bianco is the social and digital communications account coordinator for Prichard Communications. She contributes to the Reclaiming Futures blog regarding topics of juvenile justice reform and substance abuse prevention.