Opportunity Information: Apply for O NIJ 2026 172799
The NIJ FY 2026 Research and Evaluation on Human Trafficking grant (Opportunity No. O-NIJ-2026-172799) is a discretionary, competitive federal funding opportunity released by the U.S. Department of Justice's National Institute of Justice (NIJ), in collaboration with the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC). It is designed to fund rigorous research and evaluation projects that strengthen the national understanding of human trafficking in the United States and produce practical, evidence-based knowledge that can help prevent trafficking, reduce harm, and improve responses for victims. The funding instrument is a grant under CFDA 16.560, and the program sits in the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity category, signaling that NIJ is looking for strong empirical work, credible methodologies, and results that can inform policy and practice.
The NOFO emphasizes three main research lanes. First, it prioritizes prevention-focused studies, including research on justice system strategies and other prevention initiatives that stop trafficking before it starts or reduce the likelihood of continued harm after trafficking has occurred. This can include examining interventions, system-level approaches, and coordinated strategies that aim to disrupt trafficking pathways and reduce revictimization. Second, it seeks evaluations of federal policies that may have unintended downstream impacts that perpetuate or increase human trafficking. In other words, NIJ is explicitly inviting applicants to take a hard look at how certain policies may inadvertently worsen risk conditions, create enforcement or service gaps, shift trafficking patterns, or produce consequences that increase vulnerability for specific populations. Third, it supports applied research and program evaluations intended to directly strengthen services for American victims of trafficking, with an emphasis on practical findings that can improve what service providers and systems do on the ground, how they do it, and how outcomes are measured.
Funding is substantial, with an award ceiling of $2,500,000 per award, and NIJ anticipates making about five awards under this competition. The original application deadline is November 16, 2026, and the opportunity was created on October 9, 2026. Taken together, the scale of the awards and the small expected number of grants suggests a relatively selective competition that favors well-developed projects with clear relevance to the three priority areas, defensible research designs, and a strong plan for producing actionable findings for justice agencies, policymakers, and victim service stakeholders.
Eligibility is broad and includes a wide range of potential research and implementation partners. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; other Native American tribal organizations; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses. This wide eligibility range makes it possible for universities, research organizations, government agencies, tribal entities, nonprofits, and private-sector research firms to compete directly, and it also encourages collaborative models where research teams partner with victim service providers, justice agencies, and community-based organizations to ensure studies are grounded in operational realities and survivor-centered practices.
Overall, this NOFO is aimed at building the evidence base around what prevents trafficking, what policies may inadvertently contribute to trafficking dynamics, and what services and interventions measurably improve outcomes for victims in the United States. Applicants are essentially being asked to propose research or evaluation work that is methodologically rigorous, clearly tied to real-world decisions, and capable of producing findings that can be used to improve prevention, policy, and victim services at scale.Apply for O NIJ 2026 172799
- The National Institute of Justice in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NIJ FY 2026 Research and Evaluation on Human Trafficking" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.560.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2026-10-09.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-11-16. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2,500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses.
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FAQs: NIJ FY 2026 Research and Evaluation on Human Trafficking (O-NIJ-2026-172799)
What is the NIJ FY 2026 Research and Evaluation on Human Trafficking grant?
It is a discretionary, competitive federal grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Justice's National Institute of Justice (NIJ), in collaboration with the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC). The goal is to fund rigorous research and evaluation projects that strengthen national understanding of human trafficking in the United States and produce practical, evidence-based knowledge to prevent trafficking, reduce harm, and improve responses for victims.
Who is offering this funding opportunity?
The opportunity is released by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) within the U.S. Department of Justice, in collaboration with the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC).
What is the opportunity number for this NOFO?
The Opportunity Number is O-NIJ-2026-172799.
Is this a competitive grant?
Yes. The NOFO describes it as discretionary and competitive, indicating that applications will be reviewed and selected based on merit and alignment with the program priorities.
What type of funding instrument is being used?
The funding instrument is a grant.
What is the CFDA number associated with this program?
The program is listed under CFDA 16.560.
What activity category does this program fall under?
The program is in the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity category, signaling an emphasis on strong empirical work, credible methodologies, and results that can inform policy and practice.
What is the overall purpose of this grant program?
The program is designed to build the evidence base about (1) what prevents human trafficking, (2) how certain policies may inadvertently affect trafficking dynamics, and (3) what services and interventions measurably improve outcomes for victims in the United States.
What kinds of projects is NIJ looking to fund?
NIJ is seeking rigorous research and evaluation projects that produce practical, actionable findings for justice agencies, policymakers, and victim service stakeholders. The NOFO emphasizes prevention-focused studies, evaluations of federal policies that may have unintended downstream impacts, and applied research and program evaluations intended to strengthen services for American victims of trafficking.
What are the three main research priority areas (or "lanes") in the NOFO?
The NOFO emphasizes three primary lanes:
- Prevention-focused studies: Research on justice system strategies and other prevention initiatives that stop trafficking before it starts or reduce continued harm after trafficking has occurred, including interventions, system-level approaches, coordinated strategies, and efforts to reduce revictimization.
- Evaluations of federal policies with unintended impacts: Studies examining whether certain federal policies may inadvertently perpetuate or increase human trafficking, create enforcement or service gaps, shift trafficking patterns, increase vulnerability, or worsen risk conditions for specific populations.
- Applied research and program evaluations to strengthen victim services: Work intended to directly improve services for American victims of trafficking, with an emphasis on practical findings that improve operations, delivery approaches, and outcome measurement.
Does the NOFO emphasize prevention, policy evaluation, or victim services?
All three. The program is structured to support prevention-focused research, critical evaluation of federal policy impacts, and applied research and evaluations that strengthen victim services and improve measurable outcomes.
What does the NOFO mean by "prevention-focused" research?
Prevention-focused research includes studies of strategies and initiatives intended to stop trafficking before it starts or reduce the likelihood of continued harm after trafficking has occurred. The NOFO notes examples like justice system strategies, interventions, system-level approaches, coordinated strategies, and efforts designed to disrupt trafficking pathways and reduce revictimization.
What does the NOFO mean by evaluating federal policies with "unintended downstream impacts"?
This priority invites applicants to examine how certain federal policies may inadvertently worsen risk conditions, create enforcement or service gaps, shift trafficking patterns, or otherwise produce consequences that increase vulnerability for specific populations or communities.
What does the NOFO mean by "applied research" and "program evaluations" to strengthen victim services?
This lane supports studies and evaluations designed to produce practical findings that directly improve service delivery for American victims of trafficking, including how services and systems operate, how they deliver support on the ground, and how outcomes are measured.
How much funding is available per award?
The award ceiling is $2,500,000 per award.
How many awards does NIJ expect to make?
NIJ anticipates making about five awards under this competition.
What does the combination of a $2,500,000 award ceiling and about five awards suggest about the competition?
The NOFO description suggests a relatively selective competition that favors well-developed projects with clear relevance to the priority areas, defensible research designs, and a strong plan to produce actionable findings for stakeholders.
What is the application deadline?
The original application deadline is November 16, 2026.
When was this opportunity created?
The opportunity was created on October 9, 2026.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad. Eligible applicants include:
- State governments
- County governments
- City or township governments
- Special district governments
- Independent school districts
- Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education
- Private institutions of higher education
- Federally recognized Native American tribal governments
- Other Native American tribal organizations
- Public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities
- Nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education)
- For-profit organizations (other than small businesses)
- Small businesses
Can universities apply?
Yes. Both public/state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education are eligible.
Can nonprofit organizations apply?
Yes. Nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education) are eligible.
Can for-profit organizations apply?
Yes. For-profit organizations (other than small businesses) are eligible, and small businesses are also eligible.
Can tribal governments or tribal organizations apply?
Yes. Federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other Native American tribal organizations are eligible.
Can government agencies apply?
Yes. State, county, city or township governments, special district governments, and independent school districts are listed as eligible applicants.
Can housing authorities apply?
Yes. Public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities are eligible.
Does the NOFO encourage partnerships or collaborations?
The description indicates that the wide eligibility range encourages collaborative models, such as research teams partnering with victim service providers, justice agencies, and community-based organizations to ensure studies are grounded in operational realities and survivor-centered practices.
What kind of research quality or rigor does NIJ appear to expect?
The NOFO signals that NIJ is looking for strong empirical work, credible methodologies, and results that can inform policy and practice. It emphasizes methodologically rigorous research or evaluation capable of producing evidence-based, actionable findings.
What geographic focus is implied for the research?
The program is designed to strengthen understanding of human trafficking in the United States and improve services for American victims of trafficking.
What kinds of outcomes or deliverables does NIJ want projects to produce?
Based on the description, NIJ is looking for practical, evidence-based knowledge that can be used to prevent trafficking, reduce harm, and improve victim responses, with findings that can inform real-world decisions by justice agencies, policymakers, and victim service stakeholders.
What makes an application likely to be competitive based on the NOFO description?
The description suggests that competitive applications will be well-developed, clearly aligned to one or more of the three priority lanes, built on defensible research designs, and structured to produce actionable findings relevant to policy and practice.
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