Advancing Science — Newsletter from the NIJ Director

OJP Communications sent this bulletin at 12/27/2024 10:33 AM EST

As 2024 comes to a close, I couldn’t be prouder of the outstanding achievements and milestones that NIJ staff, grantees, and research partners have accomplished together this year. I extend my heartfelt thanks to all of you for your exceptional work and wish you a restful and joyful holiday season!
2024 Year In Review

It’s been a very productive year here at NIJ! Here are some highlights about some of our most notable accomplishments from 2024: 

•  We launched 35 notices of funding opportunities resulting in 111 awards granted, totaling $88,071,815 in new and competitive funding. 

•  We held the second consecutive year of the NIJ National Research Conference this September with roughly 600 researchers, practitioners, and CJ professionals in attendance.  

•  NIJ published a combined 68 research publications, articles, reports, and briefs. 

Check out all the highlights in the full infographic!

2024 HIGHLIGHTS
Body Armor

I recently joined Mark Greene, Ph.D., director of NIJ’s Office of Technology and Standards and Jilian Barnas Ph.D, NIJ’s safety, health, and wellness research advisor, as part of a DOJ Protective Equipment Working Group (PEWG) Female Body Armor Focus Group. This was an important opportunity to learn about the concerns female agents and officers may have regarding fit, comfort, breast health, and wearability of body armor.  

Relatedly (ICYMI), we also released an addendum that includes revisions to NIJ Standard 0101.07, Ballistic Resistance of Body Armor, which includes interpretations and clarifications resulting from collaborations with accreditors, manufacturers, and researchers.
WH2024

I was recently invited to join a convening on "Advancing Data and Evidence to Prevent Gun Violence" at the White House where I participated alongside Megan Ranney, Dean of Yale School of Public Health (pictured with me), Urban Institute's Kathryn Pettit and University of Chicago Crime Lab's Kimberley Smith. We had an engaging conversation on how best to infuse data and evidence into local community gun violence intervention efforts.
 
Special thanks to Greg Jackson and Rob Wilcox of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention and Denice Ross of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and her team for hosting and organizing the event and for all of their contributions to gun violence prevention during these past ~4 years. 

RAP 2025

Friendly reminder that applications to NIJ’s Research Assistantship Program (RAP) for the 2025-26 academic year are due by January 20, 2025.  

The RAP program is a fantastic professional development opportunity for doctoral students from any academic discipline related to crime and justice to gain first-hand experience working at NIJ part-time and contribute their expertise across our science offices and research areas. 

APPLY

 

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