The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), in partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), is offering a continuation cooperative agreement titled “National Incident-Based Reporting System Estimation Project Supplement.” This initiative supports the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), which became the national standard for crime data reporting on January 1, 2021. Through this project, BJS and the FBI aim to enhance the generation of national crime estimates based solely on NIBRS data, a more comprehensive and detailed crime reporting system compared to its predecessor.
The primary objective of this supplemental funding opportunity is to conduct an annual evaluation and update of the statistical methodologies and weighting systems used in NIBRS data estimation. The need for regular updates arises from the continual changes in the number and types of law enforcement agencies contributing to NIBRS. The evolving nature of the dataset requires ongoing methodological refinement to ensure the accuracy, reliability, and representativeness of national, state, and regional crime estimates.
Key project activities include the development and testing of statistical procedures to assess data quality and completeness, and the enhancement of estimation procedures to generate national crime indicators. The grantee is also expected to maintain and evolve a semi-automated system capable of producing these estimates annually. This iterative process is essential as participation in NIBRS grows and the diversity of reporting agencies increases, influencing the overall data landscape.
The cooperative agreement, totaling $1.5 million, will be funded jointly by BJS and the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services Division. It is a non-competitive, invited-only opportunity directed at RTI International. No cost sharing or matching requirement is imposed. The opportunity is classified under Information and Statistics and supports data infrastructure development for criminal justice applications.
The application window is brief, opening and closing on December 5, 2025. Applicants must submit through the designated federal grants platform by the deadline. Due to its invited nature, the application process is streamlined, and no pre-application steps such as letters of intent are required. Questions or access issues related to the full announcement may be directed to AskBJS@usdoj.gov.
This grant supports recurring efforts to refine crime data estimation methods as NIBRS adoption expands. The methodology updates supported by this funding will influence how national crime statistics are reported, enhancing data-driven policy and programmatic responses across the criminal justice system.
