U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Statistics The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) is pleased to announce that it is seeking to applications to administer the 2009 National Inmate Survey (NIS). As the statistical arm of the U.S. Department of Justice, BJS is responsible for the collection, analysis, publication, and dissemination of statistical information on crime, criminal offenders, victims of crime, and the operations of criminal justice systems at all levels of government. This survey, a component of the BJS Criminal Justice Statistics Program, furthers the mission of the Department and the Office of Justice Programs, by working in partnership with the justice community to identify the most pressing challenges confronting the justice system and to provide state-of-the-art knowledge and information in support of innovative strategies and approaches for dealing with these challenges. 2009 National Inmate Survey Solicitation Eligibility Applications for funds may be submitted by both for-profit (commercial) and non-profit organizations. (See more information in the “Eligibility” section on page 3) Deadline All applications are due by 5:00 p.m. Eastern time on May 29, 2008. See “Deadline: Application” on page 3) Contact Information For assistance with the programmatic requirements of this solicitation, contact Paige Harrison, Statistician, Bureau of Justice Statistics, at 202-307-0765 or via e-mail at askbjs@usdoj.gov. Include "nis08" in the subject line. This application must be submitted through Grants.gov. For technical assistance with submitting the application, call the Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline at 1–800– 518–4726. 2008-BJS-1890 CONTENTS Overview………………………………………………………3 Deadline: Registration………………………………………………3 Deadline: Application…………………………………………………3 Eligibility…………………………………………………4 Project-Specific Information…………………………………...…………5 Performance Measures……………………………………………………………7 How to Apply………………………………………………...……………8 What an Application Must Include: …………………………………………………………….8 Standard Form 424 Program Narrative Budget and Budget Narrative Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable) Other Attachments Selection Criteria…………………………………………………………10 Review Process…………………………………………………………11 Additional Requirements…………………………………………………12 2009 National Inmate Survey CFDA Number 16.739 Overview The purpose of this award is to provide funding to administer the 2009 National Inmate Survey (NIS). The NIS is an Audio Computer-Assisted Self-Interview (ACASI) instrument administered to inmates in correctional facilities to measure the prevalence of sexual assault at the facility level. BJS anticipates making one award for a 24-month period under this solicitation. This survey is part of the National Prison Rape Statistics program (NPRS), a recurring survey series which will collect and analyze data on the prevalence of sexual assault among individuals held in federal and state prisons, local jails, and juvenile facilities as well as former inmates. The data collections under NPRS are in response to the mandate to the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) under The Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 (PREA). BJS, the statistical agency of the U.S. Department of Justice, is statutorily authorized to collect, compile, analyze, publish, and disseminate uniform national statistics concerning all aspects of criminal justice and related components of the justice system. BJS is responsible for collecting data for the NPRS. Findings from the NPRS will be used to develop and implement national standards for the detection, prevention, and reduction of sexual assault within correctional facilities. BJS is authorized to issue this solicitation under 42 U.S.C. §§ 3732(c) and 15603(a). Deadline: Registration Registering with Grants.gov is a one-time process; however, if you are a first time registrant it could take up to several weeks to have your registration validated and confirmed and to receive your user password. It is highly recommended you start the registration process as early as possible to prevent delays in submitting your application package to our agency by the deadline specified. There are three steps that you must complete before you are able to register: 1) Register with Central Contractor Registry (CCR); 2) Register yourself as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR); and, 3) Be authorized as an AOR by your organization. For more information, go to www.grants.gov. Note: Your CCR Registration must be renewed once a year. Failure to renew your CCR registration may prohibit submission of a grant application through Grants.gov. Deadline: Application The due date for applying for funding under this announcement is May 29, 2008, 5:00 p.m. Eastern time. Eligibility Both for-profit (commercial) and non-profit organizations may apply for funds. However, consistent with OJP fiscal requirements, for-profit organizations are not allowed to make a profit as a result of this award or to charge a management fee for the performance of this award. Faith-Based and Other Community Organizations: Consistent with President George W. Bush’s Executive Order 13279, dated December 12, 2002, and 28 C.F.R. Part 38, it is DOJ policy that faith-based and other community organizations that statutorily qualify as eligible applicants under DOJ programs are invited and encouraged to apply for assistance awards to fund eligible grant activities. Faith-based and other community organizations will be considered for awards on the same basis as other eligible applicants and, if they receive assistance awards, will be treated on an equal basis with all other grantees in the administration of such awards. No eligible applicant or grantee will be discriminated for or against on the basis of its religious character or affiliation, religious name, or the religious composition of its board of directors or persons working in the organization. Faith-based organizations receiving DOJ assistance awards retain their independence and do not lose or have to modify their religious identity (e.g., removing religious symbols) to receive assistance awards. DOJ grant funds, however, may not be used to fund any inherently religious activity, such as prayer or worship. Inherently religious activity is permissible, although it cannot occur during an activity funded with DOJ grant funds; rather, such religious activity must be separate in time or place from the DOJ-funded program. Further, participation in such activity by individuals receiving services must be voluntary. Programs funded by DOJ are not permitted to discriminate in the provision of services on the basis of a beneficiary’s religion. If your organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the basis of religious belief, it may be entitled, under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, 42 U.S.C. § 2000bb, to receive federal funds and yet maintain that hiring practice, even if the law creating the funding program contains a general ban on religious discrimination in employment. For the circumstances under which this may occur, and the certifications that may be required, please see the reference to the Civil Rights Compliance section under “Additional Requirements” included herein. American Indian Tribes and Alaska Native Tribes and/or Tribal Organizations: Applicants are limited to for-profit (commercial) organizations, non-profit organizations, faith-based and community organizations, institutions of higher learning, and consortiums with demonstrated organization and community-based experience working with American Indian and Alaska Native communities, including tribal commercial and non- profit organizations, tribal colleges and universities, and tribal consortiums. All tribal applications must be accompanied by a current authorizing resolution of the governing body of the tribal entity or other enactment of the tribal counsel or comparable government body. If the grant will benefit more than one tribal entity, a current authorizing resolution or other enactment of the tribal counsel or comparable government body from each tribal entity must be included. If the grant application is being submitted on behalf of a tribal entity, a letter or similar document authorizing the inclusion of the tribal entity named in the application must be included. Applicants are encouraged to review the Civil Rights Compliance section under “Additional Requirements” in this announcement. Project-Specific Information The Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 (P.L. 108-79) requires the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) to carry out, for each calendar year, a comprehensive statistical review of the incidence and effects of prison rape. The Act further specifies that the review and analysis shall be based on a random sample, or other scientifically appropriate sample, of not less than 10 percent of all federal, state, and county prisons, and a representative sample of municipal prisons. More than 8,700 facilities nationwide are covered by the Act. The Act requires the Attorney General to submit a report, not later than June 30 of each year, listing institutions in the sample and ranking them according to the incidence of prison rape. BJS has developed a multiple-measure, multiple-method data collection strategy to fully implement requirements under PREA. In 2007, BJS accomplished the following activities: a) collected 2006 incident-level data from administrative records in all state and federal prisons and in a sample of local jails, and juvenile facilities on substantiated incidents of sexual violence; b) collected self-reports of sexual victimization from about 80,000 inmates in 146 prisons and 282 local jails nationwide; c) began implementation of the survey of adjudicated youth in 256 state-operated local and private facilities; and, d) began collecting self-reports of sexual victimization from more than 11,500 former state inmates under active supervision in a nationally representative sample of 285 parole offices. In 2007 the national prison rape collection and reporting system were fully operational in prison and jail, with annual data reporting based on victim self-reports at the facility level. This will be the third round of collection for the NIS. As a result, the instrumentation, protocols, and sampling plans will need minimal alterations. BJS requires the use of ACASI technology for this collection, which involves inmates responding to a computer questionnaire, following audio instructions delivered via headphones. To increase confidentiality, inmates will receive one of two possible questionnaires – one on sexual assault or one on a separate topic, to be determined. All interviews will take about 30 minutes, regardless of questionnaire administered or answers provided, due to a padding function, which is also intended to increase confidentiality protection. Scope of Work The objectives of this project are to (1) refine NIS instrumentation, protocols, and sampling strategy; (2) minimize collection costs and potential disruption of facility operations; (3) maximize reliability of facility-level estimates and inmate response rate; (4) obtain approvals from an appropriate Institutional Review Board (IRB) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for the collection; (5) field the NIS in a sample of approximately 475 facilities (with up to 90,000 inmates) within the Federal Bureau of Prisons, state prisons, local jails, Indian country, facilities operated by or for the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and military facilities; and, (6) provide the data and a complete project summary to BJS. Specifically, the Recipient of funds will: 1. Develop a detailed timetable for each task in the project. The data collection should begin within 12 months of the project start and be completed within 24 months. All deliverables are due within 24 months. After the BJS Project Manager (PM) has agreed to the timetable, all work must be completed as scheduled. 2. Refine the ACASI instrument and protocols for the NIS as needed. The Recipient shall modify the instrument in collaboration with the PM. The ACASI instrument shall be fielded in English and Spanish. The instrument must maximize respondent cooperation and confidentiality, be easily understood by a respondent with a 6th grade education, and not exceed an average respondent burden of 30 minutes. The instrument shall be tailored for use by male and female inmates in both prison and jail facilities. BJS already owns the laptop computers (Panasonic Toughbooks with touchscreen capability) that will be used to administer the survey instrument. The existing instrument is created from non-proprietary software commonly available to Government and Industry, in compliance with the Government's desire for portability in applications; any subsequent changes are subject to the same requirements. BJS retains all rights to the source code used to produce the instrument. Authoring software must be capable of producing a hard copy version of the ACASI interview instrument and the associated audio files for purposes of explaining to the PM, BJS staff, and to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) exactly how the ACASI instrument is being implemented. The Recipient shall make available to the PM a draft version of the ACASI instrument (installed in a field laptop) for evaluation within 6 months of the project start. 3. Develop, test, and implement an alternative survey module that will serve either as a substitution or padding function for the NIS questionnaire. This module will be randomly assigned to a sample of inmates. A draft survey instrument will be provided to the Recipient by the PM within 6 months of the project start. The Recipient will be responsible for programming and implementing this additional module for the NIS. 4. Obtain IRB and OMB approvals for data collection. The Recipient, in collaboration with the PM, will submit the collection and protocols to an appropriate IRB and obtain approval. In addition, the Recipient is responsible for obtaining approval from any additional IRB’s or review panels that may be required by sampled jurisdictions or facilities. Finally, the Recipient will submit a full OMB package for approval, including the supplemental survey. 5. Draw facility samples from BJS-provided frames. The PM shall provide to the Recipient the various sampling frames necessary to draw the facility samples for prisons, jails, and other facilities (Indian country, ICE, military). BJS and the Recipient shall work collaboratively to determine the requirements of the various samples. The Act requires a 10% sample of prisons and jails across the nation, with at least one prison and one jail in each state. 6. Implement the NIS in collaboration with the PM. The Recipient, with assistance from the PM as needed, will secure cooperation and coordinate logistics with each individual facility. The Recipient shall ensure that field staff complies with all facility regulations and pass any required background checks. The Recipient shall be responsible for all subsequent logistics and case management related to field activities. 7. Deliver to BJS electronic versions of the collected data in both raw and final forms, documentation, and the final instrument on diskette and in SPSS and ASCII file format. Data collection documentation should include, but is not limited to, a comprehensive codebook detailing variable positions, data coding, variable and value labels, any recoding implemented during the data cleaning process, methods used for dealing with missing data, any data allocations, weights, imputation, or non-response adjustment, and copies of all program code used to generate data or published statistics. Publication, presentation, or dissemination of the data in any form, prior to official release by BJS, is prohibited. All data and documentation from this survey may be posted on the BJS website, and data archived at the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR). 8. Meetings and Progress Reports - Formal meetings between the PM and the Recipient will be scheduled as needed. Such meetings shall take place at a location mutually acceptable to both parties. Conference calls between BJS project principals and the Recipient’s Project Director shall be held at least twice per month. The Recipient shall submit to the PM progress reports every six months including: (1) all activities performed during the period; (2) problems encountered and proposed or enacted solutions; (3) plans for the upcoming period; (4) a brief discussion of the expenditure of funds and a statement that indicates the percentage of the funds that have been expended; (5) and a statement as to whether the project will be completed in accordance with the time frame specified in the delivery schedule and within the budgeted amount. Funding under this competitive grant announcement is contingent on the availability of FY 2008 funding. BJS anticipates making one award for a 24-month period under this solicitation. Performance Measures To assist in fulfilling the Department’s responsibilities under the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA), P.L. 103-62, applicants who receive funding under this solicitation must provide data that measure the results of their work. Performance measures for this solicitation are as follows: Objective To conduct a national survey of inmates in correctional facilities to measure the prevalence of sexual assault at the facility level. Performance Measures Achieve an 80% or higher survey response rate Achieve a 95% or better survey response rate for high items Successfully complete the data collection within the required schedule Data Grantee Provides Survey response rate. (Target: 80% or higher. A response rate lower than 80% threshold is unacceptable). Survey response rate for high items. (Target: 95% or better. A response rate lower than 95% threshold is unacceptable). Time from initiation of the collection to close of the reference period (Target: 12 months). How to Apply DOJ is participating in the e-Government initiative, one of 25 initiatives included in the President’s Management Agenda. Part of this initiative -- Grants.gov -- is a “one- stop storefront” that provides a unified process for all customers of federal grants to find funding opportunities and apply for funding. Grants.Gov Instructions: Complete instructions can be found at www.grants.gov. If you experience difficulties at any point during this process, please call the Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline at 1-800-518-4726. CFDA Number: The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number for this solicitation is 16.739, titled “2009 National Inmate Survey,” and the funding opportunity number is 2008-BJS-1890. A DUNS number is required: The Office of Management and Budget requires that all businesses and non-profit applicants for federal funds include a DUNS (Data Universal Numeric System) number in their application for a new award or renewal of an award. Applications without a DUNS number are incomplete. A DUNS number is a unique nine-digit sequence recognized as the universal standard for identifying and keeping track of entities receiving federal funds. The identifier is used for tracking purposes and to validate address and point of contact information. The DUNS number will be used throughout the grant life cycle. Obtaining a DUNS number is a free, simple, one-time activity. Obtain one by calling 1-866-705- 5711 or by applying online at http://www.dunandbradstreet.com. Individuals are exempt from this requirement. Note: Grants.gov does not support the Microsoft Vista Operating System. The PureEdge software used by Grants.gov for forms is not compatible with Vista. Also, Grants.gov cannot yet process Microsoft Word 2007 documents saved in the new default format with the extension ".DOCX." Please ensure the document is saved using "Word 97-2003 Document (*.doc)" format. Please also note: OJP’s Grants Management System (GMS) does not accept executable file types as application attachments. OJP’s Grants Management System (GMS) downloads applications from Grants.gov and is the system in which OJP reviews applications and manages awarded grants. These disallowed file types include, but are not limited to, the following extensions: ".com", ".bat", ".exe", ".vbs", ".cfg", ".dat", ".db", ".dbf", ".dll", ".ini", ".log", ".ora", ".sys", and ".zip". What an Application Must Include When applying for federal funding, applicants must provide the following: Standard Form 424 Program Narrative Budget and Budget Narrative Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable) Other Attachments * Applicant must complete the online Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424), a standard form that most federal agencies use. Project and Budget Related Attachments * The project narrative should describe activities as discussed in the Scope of Work and address the evaluation criteria. The project narrative should contain a detailed timeline for project activities, a description of the survey methodology to be used, including defined geographic boundaries, data collection method, data entry, and data documentation procedures. * The Budget Detail Worksheet may be found through the Internet at , OJP Standard Forms & Instructions. The OJP Financial Guide, which governs the administration of funds and contains information on allowable costs, methods of payment, audit requirements, accounting systems, and financial records, is available on the OJP website at . If you have any questions, please contact the OJP Office of the Chief Financial Officer’s Customer Service Center at 1-800-458–0786. * Applicants that do not have a federally- negotiated indirect cost rate and wish to establish one, may submit a proposal to their “cognizant” federal agency. In general, the cognizant federal agency is the agency that provides the preponderance of direct federal funding. This can be determined by reviewing an organization’s schedule of federal financial assistance. If DOJ is your cognizant federal agency, information needed to submit an indirect cost rate proposal can be obtained at . Other Attachments * Key staff information. Information on key staff includes a staff loading chart, by task and contract year, showing the role and number of hours (per year) committed for proposed staff; identification of proposed key personnel and their qualifications for the significant functions in this project, along with concise descriptions of the duties each will perform under the grant; and an identification by name of all key personnel with decision- making authority. * Privacy Certification. The Privacy Certificate is a funding recipient’s certification of compliance with federal regulations requiring confidentiality of information identifiable to a private person, which is collected, analyzed, or otherwise used in connection with an OJP- funded research or statistical activity. The funding recipient’s Privacy Certificate includes a description of its policies and procedures to be followed to protect identifiable data. A model certificate is located at . * Human Subjects Protection Certification of Compliance. BJS requires the funding recipient to submit proper documentation to be used to determine that the research project meets the federal requirements for human subjects protections set forth in 28 CFR Part 46. A model certificate, describing the necessary information to be provided by the funding recipient, can be accessed at . * Assurances and Certifications. Applicants are required to submit as an attachment signed copies of these assurances and certifications electronically through Grants.Gov. It is critical that the name, address, telephone number, fax number, and e-mail address of the authorizing official on these online forms are correct. These forms can be obtained on OJP’s funding page at . (1) Assurances. The applicant must comply with the assurances in order to receive federal funds under this program. It is the responsibility of the recipient of federal funds to fully understand and comply with these requirements. Failure to comply may result in withholding of funds, termination of the award, or other sanctions. (2) Certifications Regarding Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension, and Other Responsibility Matters; and Drug- Free Workplace. This form commits the applicant to comply with the certification requirements under 28 CFR Part 69, "New Restrictions on Lobbying," and 28 CFR Part 67, "A Government-wide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) and Government-wide Requirements for a Drug- Free Workplace (Grants)." Selection Criteria Proposals should describe the plan and implementation strategies outlined in the Scope of Work. The applicant will be evaluated on the basis of: 1. Program Narrative Content of the proposal and how it addresses the tasks in the scope of work and scheduled timeline. 2. Project Design and Implementation Demonstrated knowledge of applied survey research, with an emphasis on experience using ACASI methodology, including survey construction, interview techniques, data collection, data coding, entry and verification, and the production of public use data files. This includes availability of an adequate computing environment, knowledge of standard social science data processing software, and demonstrated ability to produce SPSS readable data files for analysis and report production. 3. Capabilities/Competencies Demonstrated ability of staff in understanding survey research, including survey design and sample design. Demonstrated ability and experience in collecting data from incarcerated respondents or similar populations. 4. Budget Demonstrated fiscal, management, staff, and organizational capacity to provide sound management for this project. Applicant should include detailed staff resources and other costs by project tasks. 5. Impact/Outcomes and Evaluation Demonstrated ability to develop research designs for complex surveys. Review Process The applicant will be evaluated based on the requirements provided under the Selection Criteria. OJP is committed to ensuring a standardized process for awarding grants. The Bureau of Justice Statistics reviews the application to make sure that the information presented is reasonable, understandable, measurable, and achievable, as well as consistent with program or legislative requirements as stated in the solicitation. Peer Reviewers will be reviewing the applications submitted under this solicitation as well. The Bureau of Justice Statistics may use either internal peer reviewers, external peer reviewers or a combination of both to review the applications under this solicitation. An external peer reviewer is an expert in the field of the subject matter of a given solicitation who is NOT a current U.S. Department of Justice employee. An internal reviewer is an expert in the field of the subject matter of a given solicitation who is a current U.S. Department of Justice employee. Applications will be screened initially to determine whether the applicant meets all eligibility requirements. Only applications submitted by eligible applicants that meet all other requirements will be evaluated, scored, and rated by a peer review panel. Peer reviewers’ ratings and any resulting recommendations are advisory only. In addition to peer review ratings, considerations may include, but are not limited to, underserved populations, strategic priorities, past performance, and available funding. After the peer review is finalized, the Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO), in consultation with the Bureau of Justice Statistics, conducts a financial review of all potential discretionary awards and cooperative agreements to evaluate the fiscal integrity and financial capability of applicants; examines proposed costs to determine if the budget and budget narrative accurately explain project costs; and determines whether costs are reasonable, necessary, and allowable under applicable federal cost principles and agency regulations. OCFO also reviews the award document and verifies the OJP Vendor Number. Absent explicit statutory authorization or written delegation of authority to the contrary, all final grant award decisions will be made by the Assistant Attorney General (AAG), who may also give consideration to factors including, but not limited to, underserved populations, strategic priorities, past performance, and available funding when making awards. Additional Requirements * Civil Rights Compliance * Confidentiality and Human Subjects Protections Regulations * Anti-Lobbying Act * Financial and Government Audit Requirements * National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Compliance * DOJ Information Technology Standards * Single Point of Contact Review * Non-Supplanting of State or Local Funds * Criminal Penalty for False Statements * Compliance with Office of the Comptroller Financial Guide * Suspension or Termination of Funding We strongly encourage you to review the information pertaining to these additional requirements prior to submitting your application. Additional information for each can be found at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/funding/other_requirements.htm. 5/9/08 rck 18