BJA FY 18 Strategies for Policing Innovation | BJA 2018 13608

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): BJA FY 18 Strategies for Policing Innovation (CFDA 16.738)

1) What is the BJA FY 18 Strategies for Policing Innovation opportunity?

It is a discretionary federal funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). It was offered as a cooperative agreement under CFDA 16.738 and sits within BJA's Innovative Solutions Suite. The focus is on helping state, local, and tribal communities address current crime and public safety challenges through analysis-driven and evidence-based policing strategies.

2) What is the main purpose of this program?

The program is designed to move agencies beyond ad hoc or purely reactive approaches by supporting strategies grounded in data, research, and carefully designed interventions. The intent is to reduce crime and improve policing outcomes by using evidence-based interventions paired with local analysis.

3) What kinds of problems is the grant meant to address?

The opportunity is aimed at "current crime and public safety problems" faced by state, local, and tribal communities. It supports projects that analyze local conditions (for example, crime patterns or risk factors) and apply interventions intended to prevent, respond to, or reduce crime.

4) What does "analysis-driven" policing mean in the context of this grant?

Based on the description, analysis-driven policing means using local data and structured analytical work to guide the design and selection of strategies. Examples noted include crime pattern analysis, identification of risk factors, and problem-oriented policing assessments that inform targeted interventions.

5) What does "evidence-based" policing mean for this opportunity?

For this program, evidence-based interventions are approaches grounded in research or in prior demonstrated results. The expectation is that the intervention is not chosen at random; it is supported by credible evidence and is combined with local analysis to ensure it fits the jurisdiction's needs.

6) What types of projects or activities might be supported?

The grant supports agencies and partners that want to test and implement promising strategies for crime prevention, response, and reduction. It also emphasizes practical, internal improvements to day-to-day processes and procedures, such as improving operational workflows, strengthening deployment and resource allocation decisions, improving investigative or call-response practices, or adopting problem-solving models that can be institutionalized after the grant period.

7) Does the program support internal operational improvements, or only street-level interventions?

It supports both. The opportunity explicitly emphasizes improvements inside agencies, including making day-to-day processes and procedures more effective and efficient, alongside implementing crime prevention/response/reduction strategies.

8) Is a partnership with a researcher required?

Yes. A defining feature of the opportunity is the requirement for sustainable partnerships with researchers. The program emphasizes building a credible evaluation component in collaboration with academic or research partners, not just implementing a tactic.

9) Why does the grant emphasize partnerships with researchers?

The partnership requirement is tied to evaluation. The goal is to measure whether a strategy works, under what conditions it works, and how it can be improved or scaled. This evaluation focus is intended to generate usable findings for the field and support long-term adoption of approaches that prove successful.

10) What is meant by a "credible evaluation component"?

The description indicates that projects should include an evaluation designed and carried out with research partners to assess outcomes and implementation. The intent is to produce evidence about effectiveness, the conditions that affect results, and lessons that can inform improvement or replication.

11) Is this funding intended for one-time pilots or long-term change?

While the program supports testing and implementation, the stated emphasis is on sustainable partnerships, credible evaluation, and institutionalizing successful models after the grant period. That framing points toward long-term adoption rather than one-off pilots.

12) How many awards were expected to be made?

BJA anticipated making about 5 awards under this opportunity.

13) What was the maximum award amount?

The award ceiling was $700,000 per award.

14) What agency and office offered this opportunity?

The opportunity was offered by the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA).

15) What is the funding mechanism: grant or cooperative agreement?

It was offered as a cooperative agreement rather than a standard grant.

16) What does "cooperative agreement" imply for recipients?

The description notes that, because it is a cooperative agreement, recipients can generally expect more substantial federal involvement during the project period. That can include ongoing coordination, technical guidance, and collaboration with BJA on implementation and evaluation expectations.

17) When was the opportunity posted and when was the application due?

The initial posting/creation date was April 3, 2018, and the application closing date was May 21, 2018.

18) Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was listed broadly as "Others," with additional eligibility clarification referenced in the full solicitation. The summary suggests applicants likely include entities involved in policing innovation efforts such as law enforcement agencies and potentially their governmental units or partnering organizations, depending on the solicitation's specific eligibility language.

19) Is this opportunity intended for state, local, and tribal communities?

Yes. The program is described as supporting state, local, and tribal communities in addressing crime and public safety problems using data and research-driven approaches.

20) What is CFDA 16.738 and why does it matter here?

CFDA 16.738 is the identifier associated with this federal assistance program. In this opportunity, it is used to classify and reference the BJA FY 18 Strategies for Policing Innovation cooperative agreement within federal assistance systems.

21) What makes this opportunity part of BJA's "Innovative Solutions Suite"?

The information provided states that the program sits within BJA's Innovative Solutions Suite and is centered on policing innovation that is analysis-driven, evidence-based, and evaluated through research partnerships to produce field-relevant lessons.

22) What kinds of outcomes is the program trying to achieve?

The stated outcomes include reducing crime, improving public safety, improving policing outcomes, improving agency effectiveness and efficiency in day-to-day operations, and producing credible evidence about what works that can be improved or scaled.