BJS FY 2026 Criminal History Record Assessment and Research Program (CHRARP)

The Bureau of Justice Statistics, within the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs, is offering the Criminal History Record Assessment and Research Program through Grants.gov opportunity O-BJS-2026-172685. The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, funding, and other resources supporting law enforcement, efforts to combat violent crime, services for crime victims, protection of children, and responses to public safety challenges. The Criminal History Record Assessment and Research Program is intended to strengthen BJS capabilities to process criminal history record data and use those records for statistical analysis and research on crime, criminal offenders, recidivism, and the operation of justice systems. The funded recipient will convert state- and federal-specific criminal history fields into standardized research datasets, account for jurisdictional variation in administrative records, examine differences in arrest, prosecution, court, and supervision information, identify potential data quality issues, and obtain feedback from federal, state, and tribal agencies as needed. The recipient must develop methods to transform all data fields in parsed rap sheet datasets into BJS standardized values and prepare research extracts and criminal history summary files according to BJS specifications. The recipient will also assist BJS with at least two research studies, including one cohort of persons who served time in federal prisons and another cohort to be determined. Each parsed dataset is expected to contain criminal history information for approximately 90,000 to 100,000 offenders. Work may include sample design, weighting, sample matching, statistical analysis, report writing, specialized research topics, and preparation of information for the Recidivism Patterns Explorer. The expected total funding is $1,750,000, with one cooperative agreement anticipated for an amount up to $1,750,000. The expected award period is 36 months beginning October 1, 2026. Applicants are encouraged to propose cost-efficient methods and innovative solutions. Costs included in the budget must be reasonable, allocable, necessary, allowable under the funding statute and agency requirements, and connected to project goals, objectives, and activities. Certain activities involving violations of federal immigration law or applicable federal civil rights and nondiscrimination law are outside program scope. Certain legal services for removable aliens or aliens otherwise unlawfully present in the United States are also unallowable except for specified exceptions. The funding opportunity does not require cost sharing or matching. Eligible applicants include independent school districts, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status other than institutions of higher education, nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status other than institutions of higher education, for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and small businesses. Applications involving multiple project partners are permitted, but only one entity may serve as the applicant and other participating entities must be proposed as subrecipients. Applicants must provide required privacy and human subjects protection certifications. Recipients will also be required to develop and maintain a BJS-approved Data Management Plan, which must be submitted for BJS review and approval no later than 60 days after the award start date. Submission uses a two-step process. Applicants must first complete the required SF-424 and submit it through Grants.gov by September 21, 2026, at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. The full application must then be submitted through JustGrants by September 28, 2026, at 8:59 PM Eastern Time. Required application materials include Standard Applicant Information, a Proposal Narrative, a Budget, a Research and Evaluation Independence and Integrity Statement, Privacy Certification, Human Subjects Protection Certification of Compliance Form, curriculum vitae or resumes for key personnel, and a project timeline. The proposal narrative must be double-spaced in a standard 12-point font, have margins of at least one inch, use numbered pages, and not exceed 30 pages, subject to the exclusions described in the notice. The proposal abstract is limited to 2,000 characters and should address the proposed project, its purpose, population served, activities, partners if known, deliverables, and expected outcomes. Peer review scoring assigns 5 percent to Description of the Need, 15 percent to Project Goals and Objectives, 35 percent to Project Design and Implementation, 30 percent to Capabilities and Competencies, and 15 percent to the Budget. Basic responsiveness requirements include submission by an eligible applicant, a requested amount that does not exceed the award ceiling, and responsiveness to the scope of the funding opportunity. OJP may also give priority consideration to applicable projects supporting law enforcement operations, combating violent crime, supporting services to American citizens, protecting American children, or supporting American victims of trafficking and sexual assault, although priority consideration does not guarantee funding. Performance will be assessed through required reports, data, deliverables, and progress toward the program goals and objectives. The funding opportunity was released August 13, 2026. Applicants are directed to begin SAM.gov registration or renewal as soon as possible. The Grants.gov submission deadline is September 21, 2026, and the JustGrants deadline is September 28, 2026. Award notification is anticipated by December 1, 2026, and the expected 36-month award period begins October 1, 2026. The notice does not state that the opportunity recurs annually or on another regular schedule. The NOFO contact is Lindsay Bostwick, Statistician, at AskBJS@usdoj.gov or 202-307-0765; applicants using email should include FY26 CHRARP in the subject line. Grants.gov assistance is available at 800-518-4726 and support@grants.gov, while JustGrants assistance is available at 833-872-5175 and JustGrants.Support@usdoj.gov.

Ensure the application is submitted by an eligible applicant, does not exceed the award ceiling, and is responsive to the NOFO scope. Follow the proposal narrative formatting requirements because failure to do so may reduce the score or ranking. Give particular attention to Project Design and Implementation, which represents 35 percent of the score, and Capabilities and Competencies, which represents 30 percent. Clearly connect project activities, deliverables, staffing, and timing to the stated goals and objectives. Demonstrate capacity to meet information system security and privacy requirements. Build the budget from reasonable, allocable, necessary, and allowable costs and explain calculations and their connection to project activities.