NIJ FY 2026 Invited to Apply - Byrne Discretionary Community Project Grants/Byrne Discretionary Grants Program
This invitation-only NIJ Byrne Discretionary program funds congressionally designated criminal justice, juvenile delinquency prevention, or crime victim assistance projects for the specific recipients named in the FY 2026 Joint Explanatory Statement.
RESTRICTED TO: SINGLE NAMED INSTITUTION
⚑ Invitation only; applicant must match the specific recipient named in the FY 2026 Joint Explanatory Statement/SAM UEI. · Administered by NIJ only for OJP-Byrne projects; separate NOFOs handle BJA, OJJDP, and OVC projects.
Unit fits — one characterization, each unit's own rules
| IPPRA | 5 none | limited competition — a named institution holds this |
| Tom Love Innovation Hub | 5 none | not openly competed |
| Physical Sciences & Engineering (demo) | 5 none | limited competition — a named institution holds this |
Description
This is a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for the National Institute of Justice FY 2026 Byrne Discretionary Community Project Grants/Byrne Discretionary Grants Program. This opportunity seeks to support projects designated for funding pursuant to the Department of Justice Appropriations Act, 2026 (Pub. L. No. 119-74, Div. A, Title II.) to improve the functioning of the criminal justice system, to prevent or combat juvenile delinquency, and to assist victims of crime (other than compensation). The Congressional Joint Explanatory Statement accompanying the 2026 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) Appropriations Act lists the designated projects, which the Act incorporates by reference, as stated in relevant part, below— • $537,978,926 is for discretionary grants to improve the functioning of the criminal justice system, to prevent or combat juvenile delinquency, and to assist victims of crime (other than compensation), which shall be made available for the OJP—Byrne projects, and in the amounts, specified in the table titled ‘‘Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed Spending’’ included for this division in the explanatory statement described in section 4 (in the matter preceding division A of this consolidated Act): Provided, That such amounts may not be transferred for any other purpose; (Pub. L. No. 119-74, Div. A, Title II). Note that this NOFO is only for OJP-Byrne projects to be administered by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ). Separate NOFOs will be posted and invitations sent for projects to be administered by OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), and Office for Victims of Crime (OVC).
Eligibility
NIJ sent an invitation to apply to all eligible recipients, which are limited to those identified in the Congressional Joint Explanatory Statement for projects designated for funding pursuant to the Department of Justice Appropriations Act, 2026 (Pub. L. No. 119-74, Div. A, Title II). A list of the projects designated for funding in FY 2026 can be found here: FY 2026 Appropriations. The legal name (or “doing business as” name) associated with the applicant’s unique entity identifier (UEI) as registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) must coincide with the recipient listed in the Joint Explanatory Statement. Prospective applicants still uncertain of eligibility after reviewing this section should contact the agency using the information below before starting or submitting an application.
Apply
View on Grants.gov → CONTACT: National Institute of Justice <OJP.ResponseCenter@usdoj.gov>
Proposal brief SEE AN EXAMPLE →
A one-page internal memo: fit assessment, submission requirements, document scaffold, and next steps dated back from the deadline — tailored to your project idea if you add one.
Proposal shell · Federal (generic) conventions SEE A FEDERAL EXAMPLE →
Funder-faithful document skeletons — Federal (generic)'s document set with section headings, page limits, reviewer guidance, and writing prompts; add a project idea to get [DRAFT] starter bullets. Download as .md for Word or Overleaf.