Facilitator Training for Victim Offender Dialogue

26PR08 - Victim Offender Dialogue NOFO

U.S. Department of Justice
National Institute of Corrections
NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY (NOFO)
Funding Opportunity Title: Facilitator Training for Victim Offender Dialogue
Announcement Type: Initial
Funding Opportunity Number: 26PR08
Assistance Listing Number: 16.601
Due Date for Applications: April 16, 2026
Applicants must register with Grants.gov prior to submitting an application. NIC encourages
applicants to register several weeks before the application submission deadline. In addition, NIC
urges applicants to submit applications 72 hours prior to the application due date. All
applications are due to be submitted and in receipt of a successful validation message in
Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. eastern time on April 16, 2026. Late applications are neither reviewed
nor considered.
Purpose: Providing victim-offender dialogue training for facilitators furthers NIC's mission by
building the capacity and sustainability of federal, state, local, and tribal correctional agencies to
provide victim services in the post-conviction setting.
SPECIAL NOTE: Applications must be ‘VALIDATED’ by Grants.gov by the application
deadline. This can take up to 48 hours after successful submission. See Section 5, Timely
Receipt Requirements and Proof of Timely Submission, for more information. It is strongly
recommended that applications be submitted at least 2 business days ahead of the application
deadline.
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CONTENTS
1. Basic Information ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 3
2. Eligibility --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4
3. Program Description ------------------------------------------------------------------ 6
4. Application Contents and Format ------------------------------------------------- 11
5. Submission Requirements and Deadlines ---------------------------------------- 22
6. Application Review Information --------------------------------------------------- 27
7. Award Notices -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 29
8. Post-Award Requirements and Administration -------------------------------- 31
9. Other Information -------------------------------------------------------------------- 34
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1. BASIC INFORMATION
Federal Agency Name: National Institute of Corrections
Funding Opportunity Title: Facilitator Training for Victim Offender Dialogue
Announcement Type: Initial Announcement: 26PR08
Funding Opportunity Number: 26PR08
Assistance Listing Number:
16.601 - Corrections Training and Staff Development
Funding Details: NIC expects to make one award for a 12-month project period. Requests for
amounts more than award amount, including direct and indirect costs will not be considered.
Total funding available: $100,000.00
Total Award Amount: $100,000.00
Number of Awards: 1
Key Dates: Announcement Date: February 27, 2026
Pre-proposal inquiries and questions must be submitted not later than April 6, 2026
Application Due Date: April 13, 2026 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time
Applications must be received electronically and in receipt of a successful validation message in
Grants.gov.
Anticipated Award Date: May 8, 2026
Executive Summary:
The National Institute of Corrections (NIC) has a long history of developing and delivering post-
conviction victim service resources to support Victim Services Coordinators across the 50 state
departments of correction. These coordinators manage a wide range of responsibilities, many of
which are mandated by state constitutions, statutes, or administrative rules. One such
responsibility is providing opportunities for victims/survivors—or their family members—to
meet with the individual who committed the crime. These interactions, often called Victim
Offender Dialogue (VOD), allow victims to share how the crime has impacted their lives and to
ask questions that may never have been addressed. Because these interactions are highly
sensitive, they must be facilitated by specially trained professionals to ensure the best possible
outcome for all parties.
Across the United States, this service is referred to by several terms, including Victim Offender
Dialogue (VOD), Victim Offender Mediation (VOM), Victim Offender Mediation/Dialogue
(VOMD), and Facilitated Dialogue. Currently, at least 26 states either operate or are required
to operate a victim offender dialogue program. However, very few have formalized facilitator
training programs, and most lack the dedicated funding needed to establish one. Many rely on a
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mix of staff and volunteers—or on volunteers exclusively—making it essential that training
opportunities be provided regularly as personnel and volunteers cycle out.
NIC is committed to strengthening the field of corrections by ensuring that agencies are equipped
with the training, tools, and resources necessary to deliver post-conviction victim services
effectively. Through this solicitation, NIC seeks a provider to deliver:
• One blended basic training for new facilitators of victim-offender dialogue.
• One blended advanced training focused on cases involving sexual assault.
Together, these training courses will expand the capacity of state correctional agencies to meet
victims’ needs, foster healing, and enable victims to actively participate in repairing the harm
caused to them.
Agency Contact Information:
Application Submission and Form Information:
Cameron Coblentz
202-514-0053
BOP-NIC-General-S@bop.gov and/or ccoblentz@bop.gov
Program Specific Information: Comments or questions submitted should be concise and to the
point, eliminating any unnecessary verbiage. In addition, the relevant page, part and paragraph of
the NOFO should be referenced. Responses to programmatic questions will be posted on NIC’s
website for public review. The website will be updated regularly, and postings will remain on the
website until the closing date of this solicitation. Questions submitted within 2 weeks prior to a
submission deadline may not be answered, and the due date for proposal submission will not be
extended.
Scott W. Richards, National Program Advisor
S1richards@bop.gov
2. ELIGIBILITY
Eligible Applicants.
NIC invites applications from nonprofit organizations (including faith-based, community, and
tribal organizations), for-profit organizations (including tribal for-profit organizations), and
institutions of higher education (including tribal institutions of higher education). Recipients,
including for-profit organizations, must agree to waive any profit or fee for services. Foreign
governments, international organizations, and non-governmental international
organizations/institutions are not eligible to apply. Proof of 501(c) (3) status as determined by
the Internal Revenue Service or an authorizing tribal resolution is required.
NIC welcomes applications that involve two or more entities; however, one eligible entity must
be the applicant, and the others must be proposed as subrecipients. The applicant must be the
entity with primary responsibility for administering the funding and managing the entire
program. Only one (1) application will be accepted from a submitting organization.
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NIC may elect to make awards for applications submitted under this solicitation in future fiscal
years, dependent on the merit of the applications and on the availability of appropriations.
Entity Types Eligible to Apply:
-nonprofit organizations (including faith-based, community, and tribal organizations)
-for-profit organizations (including faith-based, community, and tribal organizations)
-institutions of higher education (including tribal institutions of higher education)
Additional Restrictions on Eligibility:
-Recipients, including for-profit organizations, must agree to waive any profit or fee for
services
-Foreign governments, international organizations, and non-governmental international
organizations/institutions are not eligible to apply.
-Proof of 501(c) (3) status as determined by the Internal Revenue Service or an
authorizing tribal resolution is required.
-The applicant must be the entity with primary responsibility for administering the
funding and managing the entire program.
-Applications from federal agencies or employees of federal agencies will not be
considered. However, federal agencies or employees may serve as unfunded collaborative
project partners under the Cooperative Agreement award.
-Government Organizations to include State governments, County governments,
City or township governments, Special district governments are not eligible.
Eligibility factors for the Principal Investigator or Project Director:

Only one (1) application will be accepted from a submitting organization.

Criteria that would make any particular projects ineligible:
-For–profit entities cannot use program funds to conduct private business, promote
private self–interests, supplement the costs of normal sales activities, or promote their
own products or services beyond specific uses approved by NIC.
-Funding limited to a maximum of $100,000.00 Applications that request more than
$100,000.00 in total funding including indirect costs will not be considered
-To be deemed eligible, applications must substantially comply with the application
submission instructions and requirements set forth in Section 4, Application Contents and
Format, of this solicitation, also see Application Checklist
-If an applicant submits multiple versions of the same application, NIC will review only
the most recent system-validated version submitted. For more information on system-
validated versions, see information on Duplicate Applications.
Cost Sharing
-This announcement does not require cost sharing or match: See 2 C.F.R. 200.306 for
additional information.
-Calculation for required cost sharing: NONE
-Cost Sharing restrictions: NONE
-If a successful application proposes a voluntary cost share or match amount, and
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NIC approves the budget, the total cost share or match amount shall be
incorporated into the approved budget and becomes mandatory and subject to
audit. Cost sharing or match will not be used as a factor during the merit review
of applications.
3. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
General Purpose
The purpose of this cooperative agreement is to advance post-conviction victim services by
developing and enhancing training for Victim Offender Dialogue (VOD) facilitators. This
initiative will enable state departments of correction to better meet victim needs, foster healing,
and allow victims to actively participate in repairing harm caused to them.
NIC Funding Priorities / Focus Areas
The National Institute of Corrections (NIC) supports public safety by providing specialized
corrections training, information services, and technical assistance to federal, state, local, and
tribal justice agencies. The outcomes of NIC's activities contribute significantly to the
achievement of the following correctional goals and priorities:
Effectively managed prisons, jails, and community corrections programs and facilities. NIC
provides services related to effective planning, management, and operational practice leading to
safe and secure prisons, jails, and community services.
Enhanced organizational and professional performance in corrections. NIC provides
education and training in management, leadership, and corrections operations based on that
enhance organizational and professional performance.
Community, staff, and offender safety. NIC promotes correctional practices and procedures
that maximize the safety of the community, staff, and offenders; holds detainees, inmates, and
parolees/probationers accountable; and seeks to reduce recidivism.
Improved correctional practices through the exploration of trends and public policy issues.
NIC promotes the exploration of critical issues and the shaping of public policies that strengthen
and improve the effectiveness and efficiency of corrections.
Enhanced services through improved organizational and staff effectiveness. NIC provides
opportunities for organizational and professional growth that enhance the field of corrections.
Program Goals and Objectives
GOALS
The goal of this cooperative agreement is to strengthen the capacity of state corrections agencies
to provide post-conviction victim services by training facilitators to deliver victim-offender
dialogues safely, effectively, and compassionately.
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OBJECTIVES AND DELIVERABLES
The awardee will:
1. Meet virtually with NIC National Program Advisor (NPA) Project Lead for an initial
kickoff meeting to review goals and objectives, discuss and develop a timeline of
activities, role clarification, overview of the project, and the project concept plan within
ten days of award.
2. Participate in periodic virtual meetings with NIC project lead.
3. The awardee is responsible for contracting and compensating technical resource
providers (TRPs) to deliver training and related assistance under the cooperative
agreement. If not performed solely by the awardee, TRP services will include:
a. Participation in virtual meetings with the cooperative agreement team as needed.
b. Facilitated Dialogue subject matter expert (SME) consultation on all program
materials.
c. Delivering Virtual Instructor Led Training (VILT) and in-person Instructor Led
Training (ILT) sessions of this curriculum (must have facilitated dialogue experience).
d. Reviewing and providing feedback on intersession assignments to all participants.
4. The awardee, in collaboration with NIC program manager, will schedule and complete
VILT curriculum rehearsals. Rehearsals will be conducted on NIC's Webex Training
platform. Awardee is responsible for acting as, or providing, the producer for all VILT
rehearsals and instructional sessions throughout the pilot delivery of the blended
curriculum.
5. Deliver one (1) blended Facilitated Dialogue training course using NIC’s existing
curriculum consisting of approximately eighteen (18) hours of virtual instructor-led
training, followed by thirty-two (32) hours of in-person training for 26 participants(travel
expenses paid by NIC) at the National Corrections Academy, Aurora, CO, June 23 – 26,
2026 The in-person portion of this training requires six instructors due to breakout group
structure (awardee is responsible for all instructor-related expenses).
6. Deliver one (1) blended Advanced Facilitated Dialogue training course using NIC’s
existing curriculum consisting of approximately three hours of virtual instructor-led
training, followed by twenty-four (24) hours of in-person training for 26 participants
(travel expenses paid by NIC) at the National Corrections Academy, Aurora, CO, July 21

23, 2026. The in-person portion of this training requires six instructors due to breakout

group structure (awardee is responsible for all instructor-related expenses.
7. Coordinate all training logistics in collaboration with NIC program managers (technical
readiness checks, scheduling, transportation, etc.).
8. 6.12. Work with NIC IT staff to make training-related resources available on a NIC
hosted project website.
9. Work with NIC Social Science Research Analysts to develop, implement, and analyze
evaluations for each program.
10. Incorporate minor curriculum revisions based on participant and NIC feedback.
11. The awardee will meet all financial and reporting requirements for the cooperative
agreements.
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Award Conditions
The successful applicant must:
1. Articulate a clear understanding of best and promising practices concerning post-
conviction victim services like facilitated dialogue (i.e., victim offender dialogue, victim
offender mediation, victim offender mediated dialogue, etc.).
2. Demonstrate substantial capacity to provide virtual instructor-led and in-person instructor
led facilitated dialogue training.
3. Provide resumes and letters of intent for all subcontractors, partners, and/or subject
matter experts needed to fulfill the requirements of all program deliverables.
Specific Requirements
4. The awardee shall actively work with NIC program managers to determine the suitability
of SMEs. Final determination rests with NIC program managers.
5. Instructors/SMEs must have specific knowledge and experience in facilitated dialogue
programs in jails or prisons.
6. Awardee shall distribute participant guides and associated materials for all training and
training related events in print and electronic format to all participants. Awardee should
anticipate providing all project team members, including the NIC program manager, printed and
electronic copies of all guides and associated project materials as requested.
7. Awardee shall, throughout the duration of the award period, maintain regular, routine
contact with the NIC program manager regarding programmatic and deliverable progress. This
includes, but is not limited to:
• At a minimum, schedule and conduct monthly virtual meeting updates, providing
NIC program managers with information about deliverable status, challenges, areas
where assistance is required, etc.
• Quarterly progress reports are required; adhering to the written requirements and
prescribed schedule outlined in the award documents.
• Provide appropriate documentation of meeting (e.g. planning sessions, focus
groups, etc.) outcomes to NIC program managers.
Expected Outcomes
• Fifty-two (52) participants will be trained as Victim Offender Dialogue facilitators.
• States will expand their ability to provide post-conviction victim services.
• Victims will have increased opportunities to participate in meaningful, healing dialogue.
The fifty-two participants trained will facilitate Victim Offender Dialogues as a post-conviction
victim service for state corrections departments.
Performance measures capture outcomes of cooperative agreement activities, demonstrating if
programs accomplish goals and objectives. Performance measures. NIC requires all applicants to
submit quarterly progress reports demonstrating progress towards completion of the work
proposed under this solicitation. The performance measures for this notice are:
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Objective Performance Description Data Grantee Provides
Measure(s)
Deliver Basic Facilitated One course was This measure tracks the End-of-program report with
Dialogue training. delivered, and all number of trainings, participant counts, department of
requirements met. participants, and training corrections represented, training
activities. activities, and program outcomes
provided to NIC.
Deliver Advanced One course was This measure tracks the End-of-program report with
Facilitated Dialogue delivered, and all number of trainings, participant counts, training
training. requirements met. participants, and training activities, and program outcomes
activities. provided to NIC.
Recruit and hire qualified Instructors This measure tracks cadre Instructor roster and qualifications
instructors. contracted and recruitment, including provided to NIC.
approved expertise in sexual assault
dialogues.
Collect and analyze post- Feedback reviewed This measure tracks Written evaluation summary with
training feedback. and summarized. participant and project team recommendations for revisions.
evaluations.
Refine and revise training Updated curriculum This measure ensures Revised guides, slide decks, and
curriculum, as needed. materials. continuous improvement of materials submitted electronically.
training content.
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Award instrument – Cooperative Agreement. Cooperative Agreements require significant staff
involvement excluding the basic monitoring of the project, progress, deliverables and reports.
The NIC project manager will be involved in the following aspects of the cooperative agreement:
• Provides general oversight and project management, working collaboratively with
awardee on all aspects of the project
• Provides approval of subject matter experts
• Review and approval of curriculum and materials.
• Provides approval of training dates, and participants.
Funding Restrictions
Foreign Travel is not allowed unless prior written approval is received from Awarding Agency
(NIC). Equipment purchases are not allowed. Construction is not an allowable activity. See 2
CFR Part 200 Subpart E—Cost Principles for information on Cost Principles.
For information on Direct and Indirect Cost, see: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-
200.412
Incentives or Stipends
Unless specifically listed in Section 3. Program Description, NIC will not fund incentives or
Stipends.
Pre-Agreement Cost Approvals
NIC does not typically approve pre-agreement costs; an applicant must request and obtain the
prior written approval of NIC for all such costs. If approved, pre-agreement costs could be paid
from grant funds consistent with a grantee’s approved budget, and under applicable cost
standards. However, all such costs prior to award and prior to approval of the costs are incurred
at the sole risk of an applicant.
Generally, no applicant should incur project costs before submitting an application requesting
federal funding for those costs. Should there be extenuating circumstances that appear to be
appropriate for NIC’s consideration as pre-agreement costs, the applicant should contact the
point of contact listed in Section 1 of this announcement.
Limitation on use of award funds for employee compensation; waiver
With respect to any award of more than $250,000 made under this solicitation, recipients may
not use federal funds to pay total cash compensation (salary plus cash bonuses) to any employee
of the award recipient at a rate that exceeds 110 percent of the maximum annual salary payable
to a member of the Federal Government’s Senior Executive Service (SES) at an agency with a
Certified SES Performance Appraisal System for that year. The 2026 salary table for SES
employees is available at the Office of Personnel Management website. Note: A recipient may
compensate an employee at a greater rate, provided the amount in excess of this compensation
limitation is paid with non-federal funds. (Any such additional compensation will not be
considered matching funds where match requirements apply.)
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Eligibility Criteria for Program Participants (Other than Federal Award Recipients)
State corrections departments will benefit from this cooperative agreement by allowing
employees and/or volunteers to receive training on how to facilitate a Victim Offender Dialogue.
Additionally, the victims/survivors of crimes who participate in victim offender dialogue as a
result of this program will have the opportunity to share how the crime has affected their lives
and ask questions to which they have never been given answers.
Authorizing Statutes and Regulations
Statutory Authority: Public Law 93-415 and 8 U.S.C. § 3771. Crime victims' rights
Upon awarding this cooperative agreement, this program will begin its fourth year. There have
been minor updates throughout the three years of its existence, and demonstration videos focused
on key processes within a Victim Offender Dialogue will be incorporated in year five.
4. APPLICATION CONTENTS AND FORMAT
Applicants should anticipate that if they fail to submit an application that contains all of the
specified elements, it may negatively affect the review of their application; and, should a
decision be made to make an award, it may result in the inclusion of special conditions that
preclude the recipient from accessing or using award funds pending satisfaction of the
conditions. See attached checklist.
Moreover, applicants should anticipate that applications that are determined to be nonresponsive
to the scope of the solicitation, do not request funding within the funding limit, or that do not
include the application elements that NIC has designated to be critical, will neither proceed to
peer review nor receive further consideration. Under this solicitation, NIC has designated the
following application elements as critical:
SF-424: Application for Federal Assistance
SF-424A: Budget Information for Non-construction Programs
SF-424B: Assurances for Non-construction Programs
SF-LLL: Disclosure of Lobbying Activities
Project Abstract
Program Narrative
Budget Detail Worksheet
Budget Narrative
Logic Mode
Timeline or Milestone Chart
Capabilities and Competencies AND Résumés of all key personnel.
Accessibility Conformance Report
A complete, NIC standard Federal Financial Assistance application package should be
submitted, as described below. Each proposal must include the following federal application
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forms. The Standard Form (SF)-424family and form instructions are available in the Grants.gov
application package, but may be downloaded from https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-
repository/sf-424-family.
-SF-424: Application for Federal Assistance
-SF-424A: Budget Information for Non-construction Programs
-SF-424B: Assurances for Non-construction Programs
-SF-LLL: Disclosure of Lobbying Activities
Pre-application letters of intent, or whitepapers are not required or encouraged.
Budget SF-424A: Prepare a master budget table using “SF-424A Budget Information for Non-
Construction Programs” (aka SF-424A), available in the Grants.gov electronic application
package. Only complete “Section B-Budget Categories”. Provide the object class budget
category (a. - k.) amounts for each budget year under the “Grant Program, Function or Activity”
heading. Each column reflects a separate budget year. For example, Column (1) reflects budget
year 1. The total budget will be automatically tabulated in column (5). The solicitation will
specify if the award will fund multiple years, continuation awards will be made on a
noncompetitive basis. Column 1 (budget year 1) is the only requirement.
Component pieces of the application in addition to the four SF-424, SF-424A, SF 424B and SF-
LLL. Forms: Project Abstract, Program Narrative, Budget Detail Worksheet, Budget Narrative,
Logic Mode, Timeline or Milestone Chart, Capabilities and Competencies AND Résumés of all
key personnel, Accessibility Conformance Report.
Project Abstract (1 Page): Applications must include a high-quality project abstract that
summarizes the proposed project in 400 words or less. Project abstracts should be written for a
general public audience; submitted as a separate attachment with “Project Abstract” as part of its
file name; and single-spaced, using a standard 12-point font (Times New Roman) with 1-inch
margins. As a separate attachment, the project abstract will not count against the page limit for
the program narrative. The abstract should briefly describe the project’s purpose, the population
to be served, and the activities that the applicant will implement to achieve the project’s goals
and objectives. The abstract should describe how the applicant will measure progress toward
these goals.
Program Narrative (30 Pages - The cover page does not count toward the 30-page limit):
Applicants must submit a program narrative that presents a detailed description of the purpose,
goals, objectives, strategies, design, and management of the proposed program. The program
narrative should be double-spaced with 1-inch margins, not exceeding 30 pages of 8½ by 11
inches, and use a standard 12-point font, preferably Times New Roman. Pages should be
numbered “1 of 30,” etc. The tables, charts, pictures, etc., including all captions, legends, keys,
subtext, etc., may be single-spaced and will count in the 30-page limit. Material required under
the Budget and Budget Narrative and Additional Attachments sections will not count toward the
program narrative page count. Applicants may provide bibliographical references as a separate
attachment that will not count toward the 30-page program narrative limit. If the program
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narrative fails to comply with these length-related restrictions, NIC may consider such
noncompliance in peer review and in final award decisions.
The program narrative should address the following selection criteria: (1) statement of the
problem; (2) goals, objectives, and performance measures; (3) program design and
implementation; and (4) capabilities/competencies. The applicant should clearly delineate the
connections between and among each of these sections. For example, the applicant should derive
the goals and objectives directly from the problems to be addressed. Similarly, the project design
section should clearly explain how the program’s structure and activities will accomplish the
goals and objectives identified in the previous section.
The following sections should be included as part of the program narrative:
Statement of the problem.
Applicants should describe any research or evaluation studies that relate to the problem and
contribute to the applicant’s understanding of its causes and potential solutions. While NIC
expects applicants to review the research literature for relevant studies, they should also explore
whether unpublished local sources of research or evaluation data are available.
Goals, objectives, and performance measures.
Applicants should describe the goals of the proposed training and technical assistance program
and identify its objectives. When formulating the program’s goals and objectives, applicants
should be cognizant of the performance measures that NIC will require successful applicants to
provide.
Goals. Applicants should describe the program’s intent to deliver training and technical
assistance, as described in the previous section and outline the project’s goals.
Program objectives. Applicants should explain how the program will accomplish its goals.
Objectives are specific, quantifiable statements of the project’s desired results. They should be
clearly linked to the training and technical assistance strategy identified in the preceding section
and measurable.
NIC does not require applicants to submit performance measures data with their application.
Performance measures are included as an alert that NIC will require successful applicants to
submit specific data as part of their reporting requirements. For the application, applicants should
indicate an understanding of these requirements and discuss how they will gather the required
data, should they receive funding.
Project Design and Implementation: Applicants should detail how the project will operate
throughout the funding period and describe the strategies that they will use to achieve the goals
and objectives identified in the previous section. Applicants should describe how they will
complete the deliverables stated in the Goals, Objectives, and Deliverables section. NIC
encourages applicants to select evidence-based practices for their programs.
If applicable, the need to identify proprietary information. Include how to do so and how the
Federal agency will handle it. Applicants should generally refrain from including the details of
proprietary information in applications. In cases where, in the applicant’s judgement, the
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inclusion of proprietary information is essential to application review and scoring, the applicant
should clearly indicate information it wishes to designate as proprietary.
Budget Detail Worksheet
Applicants must provide a budget that (1) is complete, allowable, and cost-effective in relation to
the proposed activities; (2) shows the cost calculations demonstrating how they arrived at the
total amount requested; and (3) provides a brief supporting narrative to link costs with project
activities. The budget should cover the entire award period. Pre-agreement cost approvals: For
information on pre-agreement costs, see Pre-Agreement Cost Approvals.
The Budget Detail Worksheet must provide the detailed computation for each budget line item,
listing the total cost of each and showing how it was calculated by the applicant. For example,
cost for personnel must show the annual salary rate and the percentage of time devoted to the
project for each employee paid with cooperative agreement funds. The Budget Detail worksheet
must present a complete itemization of all proposed costs.
Identify the amount requested for each budget category and describe the basis for calculating the
personnel, fringe benefits, travel, equipment (if authorized), supplies, contractual support and
other costs identified in the SF-424A.
Budget information must be supported at the level of detail described below:
a. Personnel: List all staff positions by title. Give annual salary, percentage of time
assigned to the project, total cost for the budget period, project role and specify any
annual cost of living adjustments. Compensation paid for employees engaged in grant
activities must be consistent with payments for similar work within the applicant
organization. Note that for salaries to be allowable as a direct charge to the award, a
justification of how that person will be directly involved in the project must be provided.
General administrative duties such as answering telephones, filing, typing or accounting
duties are not considered acceptable.
Below is a sample computation for Personnel:
Position/Title Annual % of Time Year 1 Total
Year 2 Year 3
Salary Assigned to
Project
Project $70,000 50% $35,000 $36,050 $37,132 $108,182
Manager
Trainer $60,000 100% $60,000 $61,800 $63,654 $185,454
Specialist $45,000 100% $45,000 $46,350 $47,741 $139,091
Design Tech
Total $140,000 $144,200 $148,527 $432,727
Personnel
*
There is a 3% increase after Year 1 for all personnel for cost of living adjustments
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Note this budget category is limited to persons employed by the applicant organization ONLY.
Those employed elsewhere are classified as sub awardees, program participants, contractors or
consultants. Contractors and consultants should be listed under the “Contractual” budget
heading. Subawards made to eligible subrecipients are listed under the “Other” budget heading.
Participant support costs such as travel assistance for trainees are listed under the “Other” budget
heading.
b. Fringe Benefits: Identify the percentage used and the basis for its computation Fringe
benefits are for the personnel listed in budget category (1) above and only for the
percentage of time devoted to the project. Fringe benefits include but are not limited to
the cost of leave, employee insurance, pensions and unemployment benefit plans. The
applicant should not combine the fringe benefit costs with direct salaries and wages in
the personnel category.
Below is a sample computation for Fringe Benefits
Base Fringe % Rate
Position/Title Costs
Project Manager 47.22% $16,527
Trainer 50.83% $30,498
c. Travel: In a table format, specify the estimated number of trips, purpose of each trip,
number of travelers per trip, destinations and other costs for each type of travel for
applicant employees. Travel costs for program participants if authorized, should be
specified in the “Other” budget category. Explain the need for any travel, paying
particular attention to travel outside the United States. Foreign travel includes trips to
Mexico and Canada, but does not include trips to Puerto Rico, the U.S. territories, or
possessions. If NIC funds will be used for foreign travel, the budget justification
must expressly state that the applicant will not use NIC funds for foreign travel
without prior written approval by NIC.
Below is a sample computation for Travel:
Purpose of Location Item Computation Cost
Travel
State prison visit Washington Lodging 4 people x $100 per night x $800
DC 2 nights
Airfare 4 people x $500 round trip $2,000
Per Diem 4 people x 50 per day x 2.5 $500
days
Total Travel $3,300
d. Equipment: If authorized, identify all tangible, non-expendable personal property to be
purchased that has an acquisition cost of $5,000 or more per unit and a useful life of more
than one year. Equipment also includes accessories and services included with the
purchase price necessary for the equipment to be operational. It does not include: (1)
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equipment planned to be leased/rented; or (2) separate equipment service or maintenance
contracts. Details such as the type of equipment, cost and a brief narrative on the intended
use of the equipment for project objectives are required. Each item of equipment must be
identified with the corresponding cost. Particular brands of equipment should not be
identified. General-purpose equipment (office equipment, etc.) must be justified as to
how it will be used on the project. (Property items with a unit cost of less than $5,000 are
considered supplies).
e. Supplies: “Supplies” are tangible property other than “equipment” with a per item
acquisition cost of less than $5,000. Include a brief description of the supplies required to
perform the work. Costs should be categorized by major supply categories (e.g. office
supplies, computing devices, monitoring equipment) and include the estimated costs by
category.
f. Contractual: List the proposed contractual activities along with a brief description of
the scope of work or services to be provided, the proposed duration of the
contract/procurement, the estimated cost and the proposed procurement method
(competitive or non-competitive). Any procurement of services from individual
consultants or commercial firms (including space for workshops) must comply with
g. the competitive Procurement Standards of 2 CFR Part 200.317-200.326.
Examples of Contractual costs include:
Consultants – Consultants are individuals with specialized skills who are paid at a daily
or hourly rate. Participation in the salary rate (excluding overhead) paid to individual
consultants retained by recipients or by a recipient's contractors or subcontractors is
limited to the maximum daily rate for a Level IV of the Executive Schedule (formerly
GS-18), to be adjusted annually.
Speaker/Trainer Fees – Information on speakers should include the fee and a description
of the services they are providing.
h. Construction: Not Authorized.
i. Other: List each item in sufficient detail for NIC to determine the reasonableness of its
cost relative to the program solicitation. “Other” items may include equipment rental,
telephone service and utilities and photocopying costs. Note that subawards, such as
those with other universities or nonprofit research institutions for members of the
research team, are included in this category. Provide the total costs proposed for
subawards as a separate line item in the budget justification and brief description of the
activities to be supported for each subaward or types of subawards if the subrecipients
have not been identified. Subawards may not be used to acquire services from consultants
or commercial firms.
Provide the total costs proposed for participant support costs if authorized as a separate
line item in the budget justification and brief description of the costs. If NIC funds will be
used for foreign travel by program participants, the budget justification must expressly
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state that the applicant will not use NIC funds for foreign travel without prior approval by
NIC.
j. Indirect costs (IDC): may be budgeted and charged by recipients of Federal assistance
agreements in accordance with 2 CFR Part 200, with the exception of “exempt” agencies
and Institutions of Higher Education as noted below, all recipients must have one of the
following current (not expired) IDC rates, including IDC rates that have been extended
by the cognizant agency:
Provisional.
Final.
Fixed rate with carry-forward.
Predetermined.
15% de minimis rate authorized by 2 CFR 200.414(f) here
“Exempt” state or local governmental departments or agencies are agencies that receive
up to and including $35,000,000 in Federal funding per the department or agency’s fiscal
year and must have an IDC rate application developed in accordance with 2 CFR 200
Appendix VII, with documentation maintained and available for audit.
Institutions of Higher Education must use the IDC rate in place at the time of award for
the life of the assistance agreement (unless the rate was provisional at time of award, in
which case the rate will change once it becomes final). As provided by 2 CFR Part 200,
Appendix III, the term “life of the assistance agreement”, means each competitive
segment of the project.
Indirect costs are allowed only if the applicant has a current federally approved indirect
cost rate, this requirement does not apply to units of local government. Attach a copy of
the federally approved indirect cost rate agreement to the application. Applicants that do
not have an approved rate may request one through their cognizant federal agency, which
will review all documentation and approve a rate for the applicant organization, or, if the
applicant’s accounting system permits, costs may be allocated in the direct cost
categories. Indirect costs may be charged to an award only if the recipient has a current
(unexpired), federally approved indirect cost rate; or the recipient is eligible to use, and
elects to use, the “de minimis” indirect cost rate described in the Part 200 Uniform
Requirements as set out at 2 C.F.R. 200.414(f).
IDCs incurred during any period of the assistance agreement that are not covered by the
provisions above are not allowable costs and must not be drawn down by the recipient.
Recipients may budget for IDCs pending approval of their IDC rate by the cognizant
Federal agency. However, recipients may not draw down IDCs until their rate is
approved.
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Budget Narrative: The budget narrative must thoroughly and clearly describe every category of
expense listed in the Budget Detail Worksheet. NIC expects proposed budgets to be complete,
cost effective, and allowable (e.g., reasonable, allocable, and necessary for project activities).
Applicants should demonstrate in their budget narratives how they will maximize cost
effectiveness of cooperative agreement expenditures. Budget narratives should generally describe
cost effectiveness in relation to potential alternatives and the goals of the project. For example, a
budget narrative should detail why planned in-person meetings are necessary, or how technology
and collaboration with outside organizations could be used to reduce costs, without
compromising quality.
The narrative must be mathematically sound and correspond with the information and figures
provided in the Budget Detail Worksheet. The narrative should explain how the applicant
estimated and calculated all costs, and how they are relevant to the completion of the proposed
project. The narrative may include tables for clarification purposes but need not be in a
spreadsheet format. As with the Budget Detail Worksheet, the Budget Narrative should be
broken down by year.
Noncompetitive procurement contracts in excess of simplified acquisition threshold. If an
applicant proposes to make one or more non-competitive procurements of products or services,
where the noncompetitive procurement will exceed the simplified acquisition threshold (also
known as the small purchase threshold), which is currently set at $250,000, the application
should address the considerations outlined in 2 C.F.R.200.317
Logic Model: Applicants must include a logic model that graphically illustrates how the
performance measures are related to the project’s problems, goals, objectives, and design.
Timeline or Milestone Chart: Applicants must submit a milestone chart that indicates major
tasks associated with the goals and objectives of the project, assigns responsibility for each, and
plots completion of each task by month or quarter for the duration of the award, using “Year 1,”
“Month 1,” “Quarter 1,” etc., not calendar dates. On receipt of an award, the recipient may revise
the timeline, based on training and technical assistance that NIC will provide.
Capabilities / Competencies AND Résumés of All Key Personnel:
This section should describe the experience and capability of the applicant organization and any
contractors or subawards that the applicant will use to implement and manage this effort and its
associated federal funding, highlighting any previous experience implementing projects of
similar design or magnitude. Applicants should highlight their experience/capability/capacity to
manage subawards, including details on their system for fiscal accountability. Management and
staffing patterns should be clearly connected to the project design described in the previous
section. Applicants should describe the roles and responsibilities of project staff and explain the
program’s organizational structure and operations. Applicants should include a copy of an
organizational chart showing how the organization operates, including who manages the
finances; how the organization manages subawards, if there are any; and the management of the
project proposed for funding. Résumés of all key personnel must be included.
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Accessibility Conformance Report: Applicants must provide an Accessibility Conformance
Report (ACR) for each type of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) (e.g.,
electronic document, web-based content, web-based training, podcast, or video) offered through
this Cooperative Agreement. Create the ACR using the Voluntary Product Accessibility
Template (VPAT) Version 2.1 or later, located at https://www.itic.org/policy/accessibility/vpat.
Complete each ACR in accordance with the instructions provided in the VPAT template. Many
electronic products (Adobe PDF, MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint) already have completed an ACR
and can be found on their websites.
Each ACR must address the applicable Section 508 requirements referenced in the statement of
work and program description. Use the remarks/explanations column or additional narrative to
explain how the ICT meets, fails to meet, or does not apply to the standards (e.g., user
functionality, administrator functionality, and reporting). For ICT features that do not fully
conform to Section 508 standards, describe your plan to remedy those features.
Finally, the applicant should describe the evaluation methods that were used to support Section
508 conformance claims. NIC reserves the right, prior to making an award decision, to perform
testing on some or all of the applicant’s proposed ICT items to validate Section 508 conformance
claims made in the ACR.
Additional Attachments
Evidence of nonprofit status Proof of 501(c) (3) , e.g., a copy of the tax exemption letter from the
Internal revenue Service, if applicable. Evidence of for-profit status, e.g., a copy of the articles of
incorporation, if applicable.
Applicants should submit the following information, as stipulated in the cited pages, as
attachments to their applications. While the materials listed below are not assigned specific point
values, peer reviewers will, as appropriate, consider these items when rating applications. For
example, reviewers will consider résumés and/or letters of support/ memoranda of understanding
when assessing “capabilities / competencies.” Peer reviewers will not consider any additional
information that the applicant submits other than that specified below.
Applicant disclosure of pending applications. Applicants are to disclose whether they have
pending applications for federally funded grants or subawards (including cooperative
agreements) that include requests for funding to support the same project being proposed under
this solicitation and will cover the identical cost items outlined in the budget narrative and
worksheet in the application under this solicitation. The disclosure should include both direct
applications for federal funding (e.g., applications to federal agencies) and indirect applications
for such funding (e.g., applications to state agencies that will subaward federal funds).
NIC seeks this information to help avoid any inappropriate duplication of funding. Leveraging
multiple funding sources in a complementary manner to implement comprehensive programs or
projects is encouraged and is not seen as inappropriate duplication.
Applicants that have pending applications as described above are to provide the following
information about pending applications submitted within the last 12 months:
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-the federal or state funding agency;
-the solicitation name/project name; and
-the point of contact information at the applicable funding agency.
SAMPLE
Federal or State Funding Solicitation Name/Project Name/Phone/E-mail for
Agency Name Point of Contact at Funding
Agency
DOJ/COPS COPS Hiring Program John Doe
202-000-0000
John.doe@doj.gov
HHS/Substance Abuse Drug Free Mentoring Jane Doe
Program 202-000-000
Jane.doe@doj.gov
Applicants should include the table as a separate attachment, with the file name “Disclosure of
Pending Applications,” to their application.
Applicants that do not have pending applications as described above are to include a statement to
this effect in the separate attachment page (e.g., “[Applicant Name on SF-424] does not have
pending applications submitted within the last 12 months for federally funded grants or
subawards (including cooperative agreements) that include requests for funding to support the
same project being proposed under this solicitation and will cover the identical cost items
outlined in the budget narrative and worksheet in the application under this solicitation.”).
Tribal Authorizing Resolution
Tribes, tribal organizations, or third parties proposing to provide direct services or assistance to
residents on tribal lands should include in their applications a resolution, letter, affidavit, or other
documentation, as appropriate, that certifies that the applicant has the legal authority from the
tribe(s) to implement the proposed project on tribal lands. In those instances when an
organization or consortium of tribes applies for a grant on behalf of a tribe or multiple specific
tribes, the application should include appropriate legal documentation, as described above, from
all tribes that would receive services or assistance under the award. A consortium of tribes for
which existing consortium bylaws allow action without support from all tribes in the consortium
(i.e., without an authorizing resolution or comparable legal documentation from each tribal
governing body) may submit, instead, a copy of its consortium bylaws with the application.
Applicant Disclosure of High Risk Status
Applicants are to disclose whether they are currently designated high risk by another federal
grant making agency. This includes any status requiring additional oversight by the federal
agency due to past programmatic or financial concerns. If an applicant is designated high risk by
another federal grant making agency, you must submit the following information to at the time of
application submission:
-the federal agency that currently designated the applicant as high risk;
-date the applicant was designated high risk;
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-the high risk point of contact name, phone number, and email address, from that federal
agency; and
-reasons for the high risk status as set out by the federal awarding agency.
NIC seeks this information to ensure appropriate federal oversight of any grant award. Unlike the
Excluded Parties List, this high risk information does not disqualify any organization from
receiving an NIC award. However, additional oversight may be included, if necessary, in award
documentation.
Logic model
Disclosure of Lobbying Activities
All applicants must complete this information. Applicants that expend any funds for lobbying
activities are to provide the detailed information requested on the form Disclosure of Lobbying
Activities (SF-LLL form) do not expend any funds for lobbying activities are to enter “N/A” in
the text boxes for item 10 (“a. Name and Address of Lobbying Registrant” and “b. Individuals
Performing Services”).
Letters of Support/Memoranda of Understanding
If submitting a joint application, as described under Section C: Eligibility Information, page 1,
applicants should provide signed and dated letters of support or memoranda of understanding for
all key partners that include the following: expression of support for the program and a statement
of willingness to participate and collaborate with it;
description of the partner’s current role and responsibilities in the planning process and expected
responsibilities when the program is operational; and
estimate of the percentage of time that the partner will devote to the planning and operation of the
project.
Intergovernmental review
This funding opportunity is not subject to Executive Order 12372. (In completing the SF-424,
applicants are to make the appropriate selection in response to question 19 to indicate that the
“Program is not covered by E.O. 12372.”)
Plain Writing Attestation Letter
For the deliverables offered with this Cooperative Agreement, applicants should provide a letter
attesting to the adherence of requirements of the Plain Writing Act of 2010 and NIC Guidelines
for Preparing and Submitting Manuscripts for Publication https://nicic.gov/plainlanguage. Include
a section describing the evaluation methods that were used to support plain writing claims. NIC
reserves the right, prior to making an award decision, to perform testing on some or all of the
applicant’s proposed deliverables to validate claims made in the plain writing attestation letter.
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5. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS AND DEADLINES
Address to Request Application Package. This Notice of Funding Opportunity contains all
information required to submit a complete application package.
How to Apply
Applicants must register in and submit applications through Grants.gov, a “one-stop storefront”
to find federal funding opportunities and apply for funding. Find complete instructions on how to
register and submit an application here. Applicants that experience technical difficulties during
this process should call the Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline at 800-518-4726 or 606–545–
5035, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except federal holidays.
Registering with Grants.gov
A one-time process; however, processing delays may occur, and it can take several weeks for
first-time registrants to receive confirmation and a user password. NIC encourages applicants to
register several weeks before the application submission deadline. In addition, NIC urges
applicants to submit applications 72 hours prior to the application due date to allow time to
receive validation messages or rejection notifications from Grants.gov, and to correct in a timely
fashion any problems that may have caused a rejection notification.
NIC strongly encourages all prospective applicants to sign up for Grants.gov email notifications
regarding this solicitation https://www.grants.gov/connect/manage-subscriptions/. If this
solicitation is cancelled or modified, individuals who sign up with Grants.gov for updates will be
automatically notified.
Browser Information
Grants.gov was built to be compatible with Internet Explorer. For technical assistance with
Google Chrome, or another browser, contact Grants.gov Customer Support.
Attachments
Grants.gov has two categories of files for attachments: “mandatory” and “Other Attachments
Form / Attachments” NIC receives all files attached in both categories. Attachments are also
labeled to describe the file being attached (e.g., Project Narrative, Budget Narrative, Other) and
are labeled correctly. Do not embed “mandatory” attachments within another file.
File Names and File Types
Grants.gov only permits the use of certain specific characters in names of attachment files. Valid
file names may include only the characters shown in the table below. Grants.gov is designed to
reject any application that includes an attachment(s) with a file name that contains any characters
not shown in the table below.
Characters Special Characters
Upper case (A – Z) Parenthesis ( ) Curly braces { } Square brackets [ ]
Lower case (a – z) Ampersand (&) Tilde (~) Exclamation point (!)
Underscore ( ) Comma ( , ) Semicolon ( ; ) Apostrophe ( ‘ )
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Hyphen ( - ) At sign (@) Number sign (#) Dollar sign ($)
Space Percent sign (%) Plus sign (+) Equal sign (=)
Period (.) When using the ampersand (&) in XML, applicants must use the
“&” format
NIC strongly recommends that applicants use appropriately descriptive file names (e.g.,
“Accessibility Conformance Report”, “Program Narrative,” “Budget Detail Worksheet and
Budget Narrative,” “Timelines,” “Memoranda of Understanding,” “Résumés”) for all
attachments. Also, NIC recommends that applicants include résumés in a single file.
All applicants are required to complete the following steps:
NIC may not make a federal award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all
applicable SAM registration requirements. If an applicant has not fully complied with the
requirements by the time the federal awarding agency is ready to make a federal award, the
federal awarding agency may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a federal
award and use that determination as a basis for making a federal award to another applicant.
Acquire and maintain registration with the System for Award Management (SAM).
SAM is the repository for standard information about federal financial assistance applicants,
recipients, and subrecipients.
Applicants must maintain an active SAM registration with current information, including
information on a recipient's immediate and highest level owner and subsidiaries, as well as on all
predecessors that have been awarded a Federal contract or grant within the last three years, if
applicable, at all times during which it has an active Federal award or an application or plan under
consideration by a Federal awarding agency; and provide its unique entity identifier in each
application or plan it submits to the Federal awarding agency.
Applicants must be registered in SAM to successfully register in Grants.gov, failure to register
with SAM will prevent your organization from applying through Grants.gov. Applicants must
continue to maintain and active SAM registration with current information at all times in which it
has an active Federal award or an application or plan under consideration by a Federal awarding
agency. Information regarding SAM registration and Federal awards can be found in the CFR
(Title 2/SubtitleA/Chapter I/Part 25): https://www.ecfr.gov/on/2022-03-18/title-2/subtitle-
A/chapter-I/part-25
Applicants cannot successfully submit their applications until Grants.gov receives the SAM
registration information. The information transfer from SAM to Grants.gov can take as long as
48 hours. NIC recommends that the applicant register or renew registration with SAM as early as
possible. NIC may not make a Federal award to an applicant until the applicant has complied
with all applicable unique entity identifier and SAM requirements and, if an applicant has not
fully complied with the requirements by the time the federal awarding agency is ready to make a
Federal award, NIC may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a Federal award
and may make an award to another applicant.
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Access information about SAM registration procedures here.
Click here for further details SAM, and Grants.gov registration steps and timeframes.
Submission Dates and Times
All applications are due: 11:59pm, April 16, 2026.
Acquire an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) and a Grants.gov username
and password
Complete the AOR profile on Grants.gov and create a username and password. For more
information about the registration process, go here.
Acquire confirmation for the AOR from the E-Business Point of Contact (E-Biz POC). The E-
Biz POC at the applicant organization must log into Grants.gov to confirm the applicant
organization’s AOR. When applications are submitted through Grants.gov, the name of the
organization's AOR that submitted the application is inserted into the signature line of the
application, serving as the electronic signature. The EBiz POC must authorize individuals who
are able to make legally binding commitments on behalf of the organization as an AOR; this step
is often missed and it is crucial for valid and timely submissions.
Search for the funding opportunity on Grants.gov
Use the following identifying information when searching for the funding opportunity on
Grants.gov. The Assistance Listing Number for this solicitation is 16.601 and the funding
opportunity number is NIC-26PR08.
Access Funding Opportunity and Application package from Grants.gov. Select “Apply for
Grants” under the “Applicants” column. Enter you email address to be notified of any changes
to the opportunity package before the closing date. Click the Workspace icon to use Grants.gov
Workspace.
Submit a valid application consistent with this solicitation by following the directions in
Grants.gov. Within 24–48 hours after submitting the electronic application, the applicant should
receive two notifications from Grants.gov. The first will confirm the receipt of the application
and the second will state whether the application has been successfully validated, or rejected due
to errors, with an explanation. It is possible to first receive a message indicating that the
application is received and then receive a rejection notice a few minutes or hours later.
Submitting well ahead of the deadline provides time to correct the problem(s) that caused the
rejection. Important: NIC urges applicants to submit applications at least 72 hours prior to the
application due date to allow time to receive validation messages or rejection notifications from
Grants.gov, and to correct in a timely fashion any problems that may have caused a rejection
notification.
How to Submit an Application to the National Institute of Corrections via Grants.gov
How to Apply for Grants | Grants.gov
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Grants.gov applicants can apply online using Workspace
Workspace is a shared, online environment where members of a grant team may simultaneously
access and edit different webforms within an application. For each funding opportunity
announcement (FOA), you can create individual instances of a workspace.
Below is an overview of applying on Grants.gov. For access to complete instructions on how to
apply for opportunities, refer to: https://www.grants.gov/applicants/workspace-overview
-Create a Workspace: Creating a workspace allows you to complete it online and route it through
your organization for review before submitting.
-Complete a Workspace: Add participants to the workspace to work on the application together,
complete all the required forms online or by downloading PDF versions, and check for errors
before submission. The Workspace progress bar will display the state of your application process
as you apply. As you apply using Workspace, you may click the blue question mark icon near
the upper-right corner of each page to access context-sensitive help.
-Adobe Reader: If you decide not to apply by filling out webforms you can download individual
PDF forms in Workspace. The individual PDF forms can be downloaded and saved to your local
device storage, network drive(s), or external drives, then accessed through Adobe Reader.
NOTE: Visit the Adobe Software Compatibility page on Grants.gov to download the appropriate
version of the software at: https://www.grants.gov/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility
-Mandatory Fields in Forms: In the forms, you will note fields marked with an asterisk and a
different background color. These fields are mandatory fields that must be completed to
successfully submit your application.
-Complete SF-424 Fields First: The forms are designed to fill in common required fields across
other forms, such as the applicant name, address, and UEI (Unique Entity Identifier). Once it is
completed, the information will transfer to the other forms.
-Submit a Workspace: An application may be submitted through workspace by clicking the Sign
and Submit button on the Manage Workspace page, under the Forms tab. Grants.gov
recommends submitting your application package at least 24-48 hours prior to the close date to
provide you with time to correct any potential technical issues that may disrupt the application
submission.
-Track a Workspace Submission: After successfully submitting a workspace application, a
Grants.gov Tracking Number (GRANTXXXXXXXX) is automatically assigned to the
application. The number will be listed on the Confirmation page that is generated after
submission. Using the tracking number, access the Track My Application page under the
Applicants tab or the Details tab in the submitted workspace.
For additional training resources, including video tutorials, refer to:
https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-training
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Applicant Support
Grants.gov provides applicants 24/7 support via the toll-free number 1-800-518-4726 and email
at support@grants.gov. For questions related to the specific grant opportunity, contact the
number listed in the application package of the grant you are applying for. If you are
experiencing difficulties with your submission, it is best to call the Grants.gov Support Center
and get a ticket number. The Support Center ticket number will assist the National Institute of
Corrections with tracking your issue and understanding background information on the issue.
Timely Receipt Requirements and Proof of Timely Submission
Online Submission. All applications must be received by 11:59 pm Eastern time on the due date
established for each program. Proof of timely submission is automatically recorded by
Grants.gov. An electronic date/time stamp is generated within the system when the application is
successfully received by Grants.gov. The applicant with the AOR role who submitted the
application will receive an acknowledgement of receipt and a tracking number
(GRANTXXXXXXXX) from Grants.gov with the successful transmission of their application.
This applicant with the AOR role will also receive the official date/time stamp and Grants.gov
Tracking number in an email serving as proof of their timely submission.
When the National Institute of Corrections successfully retrieves the application from
Grants.gov, and acknowledges the download of submissions, Grants.gov will provide an
electronic acknowledgment of receipt of the application to the email address of the applicant
with the AOR role who submitted the application. Again, proof of timely submission shall be the
official date and time that Grants.gov receives your application. Applications received by
Grants.gov after the established due date for the program will be considered late and will not be
considered for funding by the National Institute of Corrections.
Applicants using slow internet, such as dial-up connections, should be aware that transmission
can take some time before Grants.gov receives your application. Again, Grants.gov will provide
either an error or a successfully received transmission in the form of an email sent to the
applicant with the AOR role attempting to submit the application. The Grants.gov Support
Center reports that some applicants end the transmission because they think that nothing is
occurring during the transmission process. Please be patient and give the system time to process
the application.
Duplicate applications
If an applicant submits multiple versions of the same application, NIC will review only the most
recent system-validated version submitted.
Experiencing Unforeseen Grants.gov Technical Issues
Applicants that experience unforeseen Grants.gov technical issues beyond their control that
prevent them from submitting their application by the deadline must contact the Grants.gov
Customer Support Hotline or the SAM Help Desk to report the technical issue and receive a
tracking number. The applicant must e-mail the Response Center information to BOP-NIC-
General-S@bop.gov within 24 hours after the application deadline and request approval to submit
their application. The e-mail must describe the technical difficulties, and include a timeline of the
applicant’s submission efforts, the complete grant application, the applicant’s UEI number, and
any Grants.gov Help Desk or SAM tracking number(s). Note: NIC does not automatically
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approve requests. After the program office reviews the submission and contacts the Grants.gov
or SAM Help Desks to validate the reported technical issues, NIC will inform the applicant
whether the request to submit a late application has been approved or denied. If NIC determines
that the applicant failed to follow all required procedures, which resulted in an untimely
application submission, NIC will deny the applicant’s request to submit their application.
The following conditions are insufficient to justify late submissions:
-failure to register in SAM or Grants.gov in sufficient time; (SAM registration and renewal can
take as long as 10 business days to complete. The information transfer from SAM to Grants.gov
can take up to 48 hours.)
-failure to follow Grants.gov instructions on how to register and apply as posted on its website;
-failure to follow each instruction in the NIC solicitation; and
-technical issues with the applicant’s computer or information technology environment, including
firewalls.
Notifications regarding known technical problems with Grants.gov, if any, are posted on NIC’s
website.
6. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION
Selection Criteria
The following three (3) selection review criteria will be used to evaluate each application, with
the different weight given to each based on the percentage value listed after each individual
criteria. For example, the first criteria, Programmatic Review, is worth 40 percent of the entire
score in the application review process.
Programmatic Review (40)
-Project tasks adequately discussed?
-Clear statement of how each task will be accomplished?
Organizational Review (35)
-Skills of the proposed project members.
-Organizational capacity to complete all project tasks.
-Realistic and sufficient project and management plans to complete within the time frame.
Management/Administrative Review (25)
-Identification of reasonable objectives.
-Reasonable justification for inclusion of consultants or partnerships if used.
-Realistic budget proposed.
See section What an Application Should Include for the criteria that the peer reviewers will use
to evaluate applications.
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Review Process
NIC is committed to ensuring a fair and open process for awarding grants. NIC reviews the
application to make sure that the information presented is reasonable, understandable,
measurable, and achievable, as well as consistent with the solicitation.
Peer reviewers will review the applications submitted under this solicitation that meet basic
minimum requirements. For purposes of assessing whether applicants have met basic minimum
requirements, NIC screens applications for compliance with specified program requirements to
help determine which applications should proceed to further consideration for award. Although
program requirements may vary, the following are common requirements applicable to all
solicitations for funding under NIC grant programs:
-Applications must be submitted by an eligible type of applicant.
-Applications must request funding within programmatic funding constraints (if
applicable).
-Applications must be responsive to the scope of the solicitation.
-Applications must include all items designated as “critical elements”.
-Applicants will be checked against the General Services Administration’s Excluded
Parties List.
For a list of critical elements, see “What an Application Should Include” under Section D.
Application and Submission Information.
NIC may use internal peer reviewers, external peer reviewers, or a combination, to assess
applications meeting basic minimum requirements on technical merit using the solicitation’s
selection criteria. An external peer reviewer is an expert in the subject matter of a given
solicitation who is not a current DOJ employee. An internal reviewer is a current NIC employee
who is well-versed or has expertise in the subject matter of this solicitation. A peer review panel
will evaluate, score, and rate applications that meet basic minimum requirements. Peer
reviewers’ ratings and any resulting recommendations are advisory only, although their views
are considered carefully. In addition to peer review ratings, considerations for award
recommendations and decisions may include, but are not limited to, underserved populations,
geographic diversity, strategic priorities, past performance under prior NIC and NIC awards, and
available funding.
NIC reviews applications for potential discretionary awards to evaluate the risks posed by
applicants before they receive an award. This review may include but is not limited to the
following:
-Financial stability and fiscal integrity.
-Quality of management systems and ability to meet the management standards
prescribed in the Financial Guide.
-History of performance.
-Reports and findings from audits.
-The applicant's ability to effectively implement statutory, regulatory, or other
requirements imposed on non-Federal entities.
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-Proposed costs to determine if the Budget Detail Worksheet and Budget Narrative
accurately explain project costs, and whether those costs are reasonable, necessary, and
allowable under applicable federal cost principles and agency regulations.
Risk Review
Prior to making a Federal award, the Federal awarding agency is required by 2 CFR 200.206, to
review information available through any OMB–designated repositories of government–wide
eligibility qualification or financial integrity information. Therefore, application evaluation
criteria may include the following risk–based considerations of the applicant: (1) financial
stability; (2) quality of management systems and ability to meet management standards; (3)
history of performance in managing federal award; (4) reports and findings from audits; and (5)
ability to effectively implement statutory, regulatory, or other requirements.
Prior to making a Federal award with a total amount of Federal share greater than the simplified
acquisition threshold, currently $350,000, the federal agency must review and consider any
information about the applicant that is in the responsibility/qualification records available in
SAM.gov.
-An applicant can review and comment on any information in the
responsibility/qualification records available in SAM.gov.
-Before making decisions in the risk review required by 2 CFR 200.206, the Federal
awarding agency will consider any comments by the applicant along with information
available in the responsibility/qualification records in SAM.gov.
Absent explicit statutory authorization or written delegation of authority to the contrary, all final
award decisions will be made by the NIC Director, who may consider factors including, but not
limited to, peer review ratings, underserved populations, geographic diversity, strategic
priorities, past performance under prior NIC awards, and available funding when making awards.
7. AWARD NOTICES
This section must address what a successful applicant can expect to receive following selection.
Federal Award Notices
NIC award notification will be made by the NIC Director or designated official and sent from
NIC’s Office via E-mail, FedEX or USPS within 45 days of the award decision. The award is the
official document that obligates funds.
Modification, Remedies for Noncompliance, Termination
This Agreement may be modified only by a written instrument executed by the parties.
Modifications will be in writing and approved by the Senior Deputy Director/Deputy Director
and the authorized representative of the awardee/recipient.
Additional conditions may be imposed by NIC if it is determined that the awardee is non–
compliant to the terms and conditions of this agreement. Remedies for Noncompliance can be
found in 2 CFR 200.338.
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This Agreement may be terminated consistent with applicable termination provisions for
Agreements found in 2 CFR 200.339 through 200.343.
In accordance with 2 CFR 200.339, NIC may implement specific conditions if the awardee fails
to comply with the terms and conditions of the Federal award. Per 2 CFR 200.208, these specific
conditions may be implemented based on the following factors: (i) review of OMB-designated
repositories of government-wide data; (ii) receipt’s or subrecipient’s history of compliance with
terms and conditions of Federal awards; (iii) ability to meet expected performance goals; and (iv)
determination of whether a recipient or subrecipient has inadequate financial capability to
perform the Federal award. For a list of specific conditions NIC may implement please refer to 2
CFR 200.208.
If NIC determines that noncompliance cannot be remedied by imposing specific conditions, NIC
may implement certain actions as implemented by 2 CFR 200.339.
If a termination is due to the awardee’s material failure to comply with applicable Federal
statutes, regulations, or the terms and conditions of this Federal award, the NIC will issue a
written notification to the awardee of NIC’s intent to terminate the agreement for material
noncompliance in accordance with 2 C.F.R. § 200.340.
The Federal award may also be terminated if the award no longer effectuates the program goals
or agency priorities, in accordance with 2 CFR 200.340.
A notice of NIC’s intent to terminate the award for material noncompliance may be appealed to
the NIC Director of the NIC within 30 calendar days of receiving the notice. The awardee may
provide information and documentation challenging the termination action. The filing of an
appeal with the NIC Director shall not stay any determination or action taken by NIC which is
the subject of the appeal.
Consistent with its obligation to protect the interests of the Federal Government, NIC may take
such authorized actions as may be necessary to preserve the status quo pending decision by the
NIC Director, or to preserve its ability to provide relief in the event the NIC Director decides in
favor of the appellant. The decision of the NIC Director shall be the final decision of the NIC.
Cooperative Agreement may also be subject to termination if an award no longer effectuates the
program goals or agency priorities 2 CFR 200.340(a)(4).
Compliance with Executive Orders
The Recipient shall comply with all applicable federal laws, regulations, and executive orders,
including but not limited to those issued by the President of the United States and in effect at the
time of the award or during the performance period of this cooperative agreement. The Recipient
agrees to adhere to any terms, conditions, or requirements set forth in executive orders that are
relevant to the activities funded under this agreement, as directed by the awarding agency.
Failure to comply with applicable executive orders may result in the suspension, termination, or
recovery of grant funds, as permitted by law.
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8. POST-AWARD REQUIREMENTS AND ADMINISTRATION
Rights in Data
The awardee must grant the Federal Bureau of Prisons, including the NIC, a royalty–free, non–
exclusive and irrevocable license to publish, reproduce and use, and dispose of in any manner
and for any purpose without limitation, and to authorize or ratify publication, reproduction or use
by others, of all copyrightable material, or any subsequently trademarked titles, phrases, words,
or symbols first produced or composed under this Agreement by the awardee, its employees or
any individual or concern specifically employed or assigned to originate and prepare such
material.
Payments
Under this agreement payments will be made in accordance with 2 C.F.R. 200.305. Pursuant to
2 C.F.R. § 200.305(b)(6), NIC may withhold payments for allowable costs as a remedy for
noncompliance in accordance with 2 C.F.R. 200.338, or if one or more of the circumstances in 2
C.F.R. 200.305 apply, which includes the awardee’s failure to comply with the project
objectives, Federal statutes, regulations, or the terms and conditions of this agreement.
Awardee/Recipient Employee Whistleblower Rights and Requirement to Inform
Employees of Whistleblower Rights
This award and employees working on this financial assistance agreement will be subject to the
whistleblower rights and remedies in the pilot program on Award Recipient employee
whistleblower protections established at 41 U.S.C. 4712 by section 828 of the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 (Pub. L. 112–239).
The Award Recipient shall inform its employees in writing, in the predominant language of the
workforce, of employee whistleblower rights and protections under 41 U.S.C. 4712.
The Award Recipient shall insert the substance of this clause in all subawards or subcontracts
over the simplified acquisition threshold.
Conflict of Interest
The awardee must establish safeguards to prohibit its employees and Subrecipients from using
their positions for purposes that constitute or present the appearance of a personal or
organizational conflict of interest. The awardee is responsible for notifying the Awarding Officer
in writing of any actual or potential conflicts of interest that may arise during the life of this
award. Conflicts of interest include any relationship or matter which might place the awardee or
its employees in a position of conflict, real or apparent, between their responsibilities under the
agreement and any other outside interests. Conflicts of interest may also include, but are not
limited to, direct or indirect financial interests, close personal relationships, positions of trust in
outside organizations, consideration of future employment arrangements with a different
organization, or decision–making affecting the award that would cause a reasonable person with
knowledge of the relevant facts to question the impartiality of the awardee and/or awardee’s
employees and Subrecipients in the matter.
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The Awarding Officer and the servicing Ethics Counselor will determine if a conflict of interest
exists. If a conflict of interest exists, the Awarding Officer will determine whether a mitigation
plan is feasible. Mitigation plans must be approved by the Awarding Officer in writing.
Failure to resolve conflicts of interest in a manner that satisfies the government may be cause for
termination of the award. Failure to make required disclosures may result in any of the remedies
described in 2 CFR 200.339, Remedies/or Noncompliance, including suspension or debarment
(see also 2 CFR Part 180).
Administrative, National Policy, and Other Legal Requirements
If selected for funding, in addition to implementing the funded project consistent with the
agency-approved project proposal and budget, the recipient must comply with award terms and
conditions, and other legal requirements, including but not limited to OMB or other federal
regulations that will be included in the award, incorporated into the award by reference, or are
otherwise applicable to the award. NIC strongly encourages prospective applicants to review the
information pertaining to these requirements prior to submitting an application.
As stated above, NIC anticipates that it will make any award from this solicitation in the form of
a cooperative agreement. Cooperative agreement awards include standard “federal involvement”
conditions that describe the general allocation of responsibility for execution of the funded
program. Generally stated, under cooperative agreement awards, responsibility for the day-to-day
conduct of the funded project rests with the recipient in implementing the funded and approved
proposal and budget, and the award terms and conditions.
Responsibility for oversight and redirection of the project, if necessary, rests with NIC. NIC's
role will include the following tasks:
-reviewing and approving major work plans, including changes to such plans, and key
decisions pertaining to project operations.
-reviewing and approving major project-generated documents and materials used in the
provision of project services; and
-providing guidance in significant project planning meetings and participating in project
sponsored training events or conferences, serve as a subject matter expert.
In addition to any “federal involvement” condition(s), NIC cooperative agreement awards include
a special condition specifying certain reporting requirements required in connection with
conferences, meetings, retreats, seminars, symposium, training activities, or similar events
funded under the award, consistent with NIC policy and guidance on conference approval,
planning, and reporting.
Plain Language
The successful applicant shall ensure that relevant deliverables (with information regarding a
service, benefit, or requirement provided by the government) conform to the Plain Writing Act of
2010, meaning that it should contain only writing that is clear and that outlines information in
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manner that is easy to use. (See http://www.nicic.gov/plainlanguage and
https://plainlanguage.gov/law/ for details.) Relevant deliverables covered by this award will be
determined in collaboration with the National Institute of Corrections.
Section 508 Accessibility
The successful applicant shall ensure that all information and communication technologies (ICT)
(e.g., Word or PDF documents, video, audio, mobile technologies, or apps) fully conform to all
applicable revised Section 508 standards prior to delivery and before final acceptance. See
https://www.section508.gov/
The successful applicant shall test and validate all ICT in accordance with the required testing
methods. For Microsoft Office and PDF documents, WCAG Level A and AA Conformance test
results must be based on the Harmonized Testing Guidance from the AED ACOP (see
http://www.nicic.gov/section508 and Test for Accessibility | Section508.gov for details).
Electronic and Information Technology: All electronic and information technology acquired or
created through this cooperative agreement must satisfy the accessibility requirements of Section
508 of the Rehabilitation Act https://www.section508.gov/
Create Accessible Documents
https://www.section508.gov/create/documents
Create Accessible PDF’s
https://www.section508.gov/create/pdfs
WCAG: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
http://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/quickref/?versions=2.0
ICT: Information and Communication Technology Standards and Guidelines
https://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards/communications-and-it/about-the-ict-
refresh/final-rule
Checklist of Requirements for Federal Websites and Digital Services
https://digital.gov/resources/checklist-of-requirements-for-federal-digital-services/
Paperwork Reduction Act
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), Cooperative Agreement awardee shall
not proceed with collecting information from surveys, questionnaires, or interviews until Project
Monitor obtains approval from Office of Management and Budget clearance. For any
Cooperative Agreement award involving a requirement to collect or record information calling
either for answers to identical questions from 10 or more persons other than Federal employees,
or information from Federal employees which is outside the scope of their employment, for use
by the Federal Government or disclosure to third parties, the Cooperative Agreement awardee
must comply with the PRA of 1995 ( 44 U.S.C. 3501et seq.).
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General Information about Post-Federal Award Reporting Requirements
Recipients must submit quarterly financial reports, semi-annual progress reports, final financial
and progress reports, and, if applicable, an annual audit report in accordance with 2 CFR 200.
Future awards and fund drawdowns may be withheld if reports are delinquent.
Special Reporting requirements may be required by NIC depending on the statutory, legislative
or administrative obligations of the recipient or the program.
9. OTHER INFORMATION
Provide Feedback to NIC
To assist NIC in improving its application and award processes, we encourage applicants to
provide feedback on this solicitation, the application submission process, and/or the application
review/peer review process. Provide feedback to BOP-NIC-General-S@bop.gov
IMPORTANT: This e-mail is for feedback and suggestions only. Replies are not sent from this
mailbox. If you have specific questions on any program or technical aspect of the solicitation,
you must directly contact the e-mail listed on the front of this solicitation document. These
contacts are provided to help ensure that you can directly reach an individual who can address
your specific questions in a timely manner
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Application Checklist
NIC FY 2026 Facilitator Training for Victim Offender Dialogue
This application checklist has been created to assist in developing an application.
What an Applicant Should Do:
Prior to Registering in Grants.gov:
_____Acquire or renew registration with SAM
To Register with Grants.gov:
_____Acquire AOR and Grants.gov username/password
_____Acquire AOR confirmation from the E-Biz POC
To Find Funding Opportunity:
_____Search for the Funding Opportunity on Grants.gov
_____Download Funding Opportunity and Application Package
_____Sign up for Grants.gov email notifications (optional)
After application submission, receive Grants.gov email notifications that:
_____(1) application has been received,
_____(2) application has either been validated or rejected
If no Grants.gov receipt, and validation or error notifications are received: contact NIC regarding
experiencing technical difficulties.
Scope Requirement:
_____*The federal amount requested is within the allowable limit(s) of $100,000.00.
Eligibility Requirement:
_____Nonprofit or for-profit organization, including tribal nonprofit or for-profit organization.
_____Institution of higher education, including tribal institution of higher education.
What an Application Must Include:
_____*Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424)
_____*Project Abstract
_____*Program Narrative
_____*Budget Detail Worksheet
_____*Budget Narrative justification
_____*Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL)
_____*Logic model
_____*Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable)
_____*timeline or milestone chart
_____*résumés of all key personnel
_____*VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template)
_____*Tribal Authorizing Resolution (if applicable)
Additional Attachments:
_____Applicant Disclosure of Pending Applications
_____Applicant Disclosure of High Risk Status
_____job descriptions outlining roles and responsibilities for all key positions
_____letters of support/memoranda of understanding from partner organizations
_____evidence of nonprofit status, e.g., a copy of the tax exemption letter from the Internal
Revenue Service, if applicable.
_____evidence of for-profit status, e.g., a copy of the articles of incorporation, if applicable.
_____Employee Compensation Waiver request
*Note: These elements are the basic minimum requirements for applications. Applications that do not
include these elements shall neither proceed to peer review nor receive further consideration by the
National Institute of Corrections.
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NIC Style Guide

Guidelines for Preparing
and Submitting Manuscripts
for Publication
Appendix
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Contents
General Conditions ....................................................................................................................... 47
Preparing Manuscripts .................................................................................................................. 51
Parts of a Manuscript ................................................................................................................ 51
Formatting ................................................................................................................................. 52
Electronic Files ......................................................................................................................... 53
Writing and Editing Manuscripts – General ................................................................................. 54
Style Guides .............................................................................................................................. 54
Laws and Mandates................................................................................................................... 54
Writing and Editing Manuscripts – NIC Style .............................................................................. 56
Electronic Sources .................................................................................................................... 56
Terms and Spelling ................................................................................................................... 58
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General Conditions
The conditions in this guide apply to all National Institute of Corrections (NIC) cooperative
agreements, contract awards, and technical assistance projects that involve the preparation of
materials for publication and public dissemination. NIC documents are available in both print and
electronic forms, including PDF, e-book, and mobile application. All manuscripts submitted for
publication must meet the federal government’s requirements for plain language and accessibility.
NIC funds may not be used to produce any publication or announcement unless—
• Such production is included specifically in the approved application and budget.
• The Director of NIC reviews and approves of the document for publication.
• The document adheres to the conditions described in these Guidelines.
Any material to be published with NIC award funds must relate to administrative aspects of the
project. This means the publication is necessary to conduct the greater project (e.g., printing of
survey forms or handout materials). The awardee must submit the material to the NIC project
manager and have it approved by NIC before preparing a final draft.
Documents, brochures, announcements, certificates, pamphlets, and other materials developed for
public dissemination must adhere to the following general conditions:
Funding
• All documents prepared with NIC funds must include U.S. Department of Justice and NIC
identification on the cover (unless they are for internal use only by the author’s agency).
The NIC writer/editor will advise the author(s) of any other applicable administrative
requirements.
• Federal policy restricts the use of U.S. government funds for printing (or engraving)
stationery, business cards, memo pads, etc., with the names of individuals. NIC policy
prohibits the use of federal funds for the printing of these items with the names of projects
or programs unless specific, written permission has been granted by NIC.
• NIC funds are not to be used for the preparation, printing, or reproduction of newsletters
unless the newsletters are specifically described in the approved plan and budget.
Acknowledgment
• The cover page of brochures or the title page of other publications must include the date
(month and year) of release for that publication.
• Names of authors are not to appear on the covers of publications, but they may appear on
the title page.
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• No advertising of any type is to be included in material produced with federal funds, nor is
it to be implied that the government endorses or favors any specific commercial product,
commodity, or service. Generic terms should be used instead of names of commercial
products.
• Signed releases from any identifiable individuals appearing in a photograph must be
provided before any documents containing that photograph are disseminated.
• News releases announcing or reporting on NIC-funded activity must be approved by NIC
prior to release.
Copyright
• Authors may copyright work produced under NIC auspices unless specifically restricted
from doing so by NIC. If authors copyright materials, the following statement will appear
immediately under the copyright notice on page ii (reverse side of the title page):
The National Institute of Corrections reserves the right to reproduce, publish,
translate, or otherwise use and to authorize others to publish and use all or any part
of the copyrighted material contained in this publication.
The author(s) must furnish a letter granting permission to NIC to publish the material, to
authorize others to do so, and to post the material on the Internet.
• Authors using material(s) copyrighted by others in a product developed under NIC
auspices must identify the source of the material, whether it is being used verbatim or
paraphrased. This rule applies to both published and unpublished source material of any
kind—text, tables, graphs, photographs, illustrations, etc. Resources for identifying the
correct format for citing source material is presented in this guide under Writing and
Editing Manuscripts - General.
• Include a list of all copyrighted material used either in the acknowledgments, on the inside
front cover, or in other front matter. When a document contains materials that did not
originate in the performance of the NIC-funded activity and that are copyrighted by a
person other than the author(s), a copyright notice is not included.
• If the material being quoted or paraphrased in a manuscript is longer than a brief quotation,
the author(s) must provide NIC with written permission of (1) any copyright holders
(usually the publisher) and (2) of the author(s) of the material to publish and use it, to
authorize others to do so, and to post the material on the Internet. A sample letter for
requesting permission to use copyrighted material is included below. If the copyright
holders do not want their material posted on the Internet, the author(s) must indicate this to
NIC when submitting the final material for printing. Payment of any fees associated with
using copyrighted material is the responsibility of the author(s). For detailed information
on copyright matters, such as how to request permission and what is considered fair use,
refer to Writing and Editing Manuscripts - General.
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Sample Copyright Permission Letter
[Date]
Dear ———:
I am writing to request permission to reprint the following material in a manuscript that I am submitting
for publication to the National Institute of Corrections, U.S. Department of Justice:
Requested Work
[Author, title, publisher, date of publication, ISBN or URL, location and number of pages to be used]
Proposed Manuscript
[Author, title, type of publication, number of print copies estimated, future website URL]
Appropriate credit will be given in the form of a complete citation. Thank you in advance for considering
this request. For your convenience, a short signature block is provided below.
If you are not the copyright holder or worldwide rights must be obtained elsewhere, please let me know
who I should contact.
Sincerely,
[Applicant’s signature]
*
Permission is granted: ___ Yes ___ No
Signature:
Date:
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Preparing Manuscripts
Authors can avoid lengthy delays in the publication of their manuscripts by preparing their
document according to NIC guidelines. In general, authors should ensure they have included all
required parts of a manuscripts in their submission, that they have adhered to NIC’s formatting
instructions, and that their submission is in a file format that NIC can work with. Manuscripts that
do meet NIC guidelines will be returned to the author for correction or otherwise delayed during
the editing process. Layout of the manuscript will not begin until all parts of the manuscript are
available for editing.
Parts of a Manuscript
The following are core elements that most manuscripts are expected to have upon submission.
Research briefs and similar documents of less than 10 pages are not required to include many of
these items. At a minimum, all manuscripts must include the document title, cooperative
agreement number, author name, and bibliography.
Abstract
Provide a brief abstract of no more than 200 words that summarizes the manuscript. It should convey
the document’s purpose, outline its contents, and, if applicable, provide a preview of its research
methods and findings or test results.
Title
There is no requirement regarding the length of titles, but it is best to be succinct while also accurately
describing the manuscript. Whenever possible use common keywords in your title to help readers find
it electronically.
Subtitle
Optional to the title is the subtitle. Use it only when it is not possible to succinctly describe the purpose
of the manuscript by using a title alone.
Cooperative Agreement Number
Identify the cooperative agreement number used in developing this project. Contact your NIC project
manager if you do not have the number.
Author(s)
Be sure to check the spelling of author name(s).
Table of Contents
Cross check the accuracy of chapter and section titles between the table of contents and the manuscript
contents. Do not include page numbers because they will change during layout.
Foreword
Often provided for review and approval by the NIC director, the draft of a foreword should include
mention of the purpose of the manuscript and why it is needed for the field. It takes the form of a letter
signed by the director.
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Preface
Written as a letter from the author to the reader, the preface should provide background on why the
manuscript was written and any additional information about the topic that the author would like to
share with readers.
Acknowledgments
Written from the author’s perspective, the acknowledgments includes reference to those who aided in
seeing the manuscript to fruition.
Chapters
Include a unique title for each chapter and cross check it with the table of contents to ensure they are
the same. Chapters should always begin with an introduction, whether it is a brief paragraph or
sentence.
Section Headings
Use level 1, level 2, and level 3 headings only. For each heading level, there may be either no
subheading or at least two subheadings beneath the main heading. Never begin a section with
another section. Always begin with text.
Notes
Use endnotes rather than footnotes. Consult the latest edition of the Chicago Manual of Style for
information on how to format notes. Use the shortened citation style when the manuscript also
contains a bibliography.
Appendix
For multiple appendixes, label as appendix A, appendix B, etc. and give each a title. Each appendix
should be submitted in a separate Word file.
Bibliography
Include full bibliographic information for all references cited in the endnotes. Provide the
bibliography in a Word file separate from the last chapter of the manuscript.
Formatting
The following are general rules for formatting manuscripts for publication.
1. Manuscripts should be:
• saved as a Microsoft Word file (save charts/graphs as Microsoft Excel files and images
as Illustrator, Photoshop, or JPEG files)
• double spaced (not 1½-spaced)
• left justified with 1-inch margins
• separated by chapter (each chapter has its own Microsoft Word file)
2. The text font should be:
• 12-point
• Times New Roman. A sans serif font such as Ariel may be used for headings and
exhibits.
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3. Apply heading styles to titles and sections. Apply headings using the Microsoft Word
styles function or distinguish heading levels typographically by designating the level in
brackets following the heading. Then highlight each bracket. For example:
Chapter Title [chapter title]
First Heading Under Chapter Title [L1]
Subheading [L2]
Subheading under level 2 heading [L3]
Second subheading under level 2 heading [L3]
Subheading [L2]
Second Heading Under Chapter Title [L1]
Subheading [L2]
Subheading [L2]
Third Heading Under Chapter Title [L1]
4. Number all pages.
5. Place all exhibits, charts, and figures in separate files. Use placeholders in the text to show
placement (e.g., in brackets write “Insert exhibit 1 here.”).
6. Separate textboxes, sidebars, and callouts with bracketed text, and then highlight the
brackets. For example:
[Begin text box]
The text for your text box goes here.
[End text box]
Electronic Files
Authors may submit manuscripts for publication via e-mail. When the file size is too large, please
burn the manuscript to a disc and submit it with the manuscript title, contents, software
program/version, and contact information. The disc should contain only the final version of the
manuscript.
Acceptable photograph or graphic submissions may be submitted as Adobe Illustrator, Adobe
Photoshop, or JPEG files. Photographs should have a resolution of at least 300 dpi.
Do not submit manuscripts in .epub, .mobi, .azw, .gif, .tif, postscript, PDF, or PowerPoint.
When a manuscript includes a presentation (such as one that would be delivered via PowerPoint),
place the content of the slides in a Microsoft Word document. Separate the start and end of each
slide with brackets. Then highlight the brackets. For example:
[begin slide 1]
This is the text that will appear on slide 1.
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[end slide 1]
Writing and Editing Manuscripts – General
Manuscripts prepared with NIC funds must be free of grammatical and typographical errors at the
time of publication. Authors and editors can facilitate the smooth production of manuscripts from
draft to publication by applying the following suggested tips and resources.
Style Guides
NIC uses style guides for writing and editing as well as spelling and usage. Information on stylistic
items not covered in the guides can be found by consulting the section below titled Writing and
Editing Manuscripts – NIC style.
For Writing and Editing (Print/E-Books)
Edit NIC materials according to the latest edition of the Chicago Manual of Style: The Essential
Guide for Writers, Editors, and Publishers. Be sure that when citing resources, you apply the
system of notes and bibliography (rather than author-date) to the manuscript.
For Writing and Editing (Online/Mobile)
When writing for an audience online, consult the latest edition of the Yahoo! Style Guide: The
Ultimate Sourcebook for Writing, Editing, and Creating Content for the Digital World for writing
tips. All chapters are relevant except for the those under section 4. Authors and editors should
consult the Chicago Manual for information on the mechanics of writing.
For Spelling and Usage
Consult the NIC Terms and Spelling list or a dictionary to ensure accurate spelling. NIC uses the
latest edition of Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary.
For questions about the proper use of words, consult The Careful Writer: A Modern Guide to
English Usage.
Laws and Mandates
Legislative mandates require that government communications be clear, free of jargon, and
accessible to the broadest range of audiences. Of primary importance for authors and editors are
the Plain Writing Act and Section 508 legislations.
Plain Language
Through the Plain Writing Act of 2010, the U.S. Congress requires that federal documents be easy
to use and that their language be easy to understand. Exceptions to this requirement are few and do
not affect most manuscript submissions. Therefore, unless otherwise directed, authors and editors
should assume that their manuscript is covered under Plain Writing Act requirements.
To comply with the Act, authors and editors generally need to apply best practices for organizing
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documents logically, improving document usability with structural aids like headings and bullets,
and using plain language whenever possible. Plain language is the stating of concepts in a way that
is easy for people to understand. Following are some general guidelines:
• Avoid lengthy, overly complex sentences. Sentences that are more than three lines long usually
can benefit from being broken into two or more sentences.
• Use the active voice whenever possible.
• Avoid jargon. When using statistical or other technical terms, provide straightforward,
easy-to-understand explanations of such terms.
• Maintain an objective, professional tone. Do not use words or phrases that sound demeaning or
show personal opinion. For example, avoid “of course,” “naturally,” “needless to say,”
“obviously,” etc.
• Avoid using personal pronouns.
• Avoid headings beyond the third level, because such an intricate level of detail can confuse
readers. Try “upgrading” the heading levels or combining detail sections under a single
heading.
• Use simple words and eliminate redundant words. For example:
Use rather than
some, several a number of
now, currently at the present time
improve effect an
improvement
consider give consideration
to
to in order to
if in the event that
use make use of,
utilize
before prior to
until until such time as
use of utilize utilization
of
3 a.m. 3 a.m. in the
morning
inmates incarcerated
offenders
whether whether or not
Learn more about the Plain Writing Act and plain language through these online resources:
• NIC Plain Language webpage (http://www.nicic.gov/plainlanguage)
• PlainLanguage.gov (http://www.plainlanguage.gov/)
• Center for Plain Language (http://centerforplainlanguage.org/)
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• Plain Language Association International (http://www.plainlanguagenetwork.org/)
Section 508
Section 508 of the Americans with Disabilities Act was created to ensure that the electronic
information and technology that the federal government provides is accessible to people with
disabilities. Generally, following the rules of plain language will go a long way in helping you to
create a document that is Section 508 complaint. Additional tips include the following:
• For all visual items—such as photographs, infographics, charts, and tables—provide alt
text or a brief written description that explains all the pertinent elements of the visual item.
• Include transcripts for all audio/visual material accompanying manuscript submissions.
• For hyperlinked text, tag it as a hyperlink. Then test the link to ensure the URL is correct.
Learn more about Section 508 through these online resources:
• NIC Section 508 webpage (http://www.nicic.gov/Section508)
• Section508.gov (http://www.section508.gov)
• U.S. Access Board (http://www.access-board.gov/)
Writing and Editing Manuscripts – NIC Style
As technologies change and the English language evolves, it sometimes happens that among the
Chicago Manual, Merriam-Webster’s, and The Careful Writer, none of them have information on
how to style text for new types of references, spell new words, or provide guidance on the use of
words that are specific to the field of corrections. It may also happen sometimes that the
information presented in one of these resources will conflict with the other. In these instances,
authors and editors should consult this section of the guide or contact the NIC writer/editor directly
for guidance.
Electronic Sources
The following guidelines are based on styles for citing electronic sources used by the American
Psychological Association (APA), the Modern Language Association (MLA), the Library of
Congress, and the International Organisation for Standardization (ISO), whose style is supported
by the Chicago Manual.
Formal publication lodged on a website
Published document:
Elias, Gail, and John Milosovich. 2005. Resource Manual for Transition to a New Jail.
Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Corrections,
www.nicic.gov/pubs/2005/020159.pdf, accessed July 18, 2005.
Unpublished document accessed from a database:
Esbensen, Finn-Aage. 2001. “National Evaluation of the Gang Resistance Education and
Training (G.R.E.A.T) Program.” Final report for National Institute of Justice, grant
number 94–IJ–CX–0058. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute
of Justice,www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/nij/grants/196477.pdf, accessed July 14, 2005.
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Sources available in electronic format only
Website or page on a website:
University of Kansas. “Community Tool Box,” http://ctb.ku.edu, accessed October 7,
2005.
Database accessed via the Web: U.S. Census Bureau. 2006. “American Community
Survey, Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS),”
www.census.gov/acs/www/Products/PUMS/, accessed February 12, 2008.
Online Forum or Discussion Board Posting
Reference
Miller, John S. 2010. "As We Know It" [Msg 12]. Message posted
to http://www.paperless.com/subpage_topics.html, accessed August 14, 2010.
Note
John Miller, "As We Know It" [Msg 12]. Message posted to
http://www.paperless.com/subpage_topics.html, accessed August 14, 2010.
(Note: If the author's name is not available, use his or her screen name)
Blog Posting
Reference
Miller, John S. 2010, April 23. "One Mission" [Blog Post].
http://www.e-missions.com/subpages_topical.html, accessed January 12, 2010.
Note
John S. Miller, "One Mission" [Blog Post].
http://www.e-missions.com/subpages_topical.html, accessed January 12, 2010.
(Note: If the author's name is not available, use his or her screen name)
Video Blog Posting
Reference
Miller, John S. 2010, April 23. "One Mission Video" [Video Blog Post].
http://www.youtube.com/onemissionvideo, accessed January 12, 2010.
Note
John S. Miller. "One Mission Video" [Video Blog Post].
http://www.youtube.com/onemissionvideo, accessed January 12, 2010.
(Note: If the author's name is not available, use his or her screen name)
Updated: October 2013 57

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Terms and Spelling
To reduce variations in the use and spelling of common terms among NIC publications, this
section of preferred usages and spellings has been compiled. Questions about words and terms and
not covered in this or other resources should be directed to the NIC writer/editor.
PREA-Related
The sensitive nature of both sexual topics and the field of corrections requires that authors use
discretion in their use of sexual and PREA-related terms. The guidelines below are intended to
assist with that process and help authors avoid the pitfalls that result from the misuse, however
unintentional, of key terms.
For terms not listed below, authors should consult the proposed rules1 issued by the U.S.
Department of Justice on National Standards to Prevent, Detect, and Respond to Prison Rape,
released February 3, 2011.
Sex vs. sexual: Use “sex” as a noun and verb. As an adjective, use “sexual.”
Examples: The sex (noun) of the witness is female. The officer is accused of having sex
(verb) with a subordinate. The facility is being sued for sexual (adjective) discrimination.
Sexual abuse, sexual assault, sexual activity, and sexual behavior: When only a general
reference is required, use sexual behavior as an umbrella term that encompasses all the meaning
combined in sexual abuse, sexual assault, and sexual activity. For precise definitions of related
terms, refer to the PREA commission proposed standards.
PREA: use only in reference to the law or history of the work of the Prison Rape Elimination Act,
not as a euphemism for staff sexual misconduct and its forms.
Examples: The officer is filing a complaint because he realized that a PREA violation may
have occurred when he found a colleague engaged in sexual behavior with an inmate.
Staff Sexual Misconduct: Use this umbrella term to describe staff/inmate relations and staff/staff
relations
Inmate/Inmate sexual abuse: Use this term to describe coercive, abusive, nonconsensual sexual
behaviors among offenders under supervision.
Transexual/Transsexual vs. transgender: Use “transgender” as the appropriate term to describe
someone whose gender identity does not correspond to his or her anatomical sex.
Gay vs. LGBTI: “Gay” should not be used an umbrella term to mean LGBTI or to denote
members of that group. When referring to men or women, use the terms “gay,” “lesbian,” or
“bisexual” depending on how the individuals self identify.
1 http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=DOJ-OAG-2011-0002-0001
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General
A
acknowledgment
Act (federal, state, or foreign)
ADAM (Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring) administration
Clinton administration
Food and Drug Administration (capitalized as part of title)
adviser
advisor (law)
African-American (v.)/African American (n.)
aftercare
Alaska Native
amendment
First Amendment
14th Amendment
America (do not use as synonym for the United States)
anticrime
antidrug, but anti-drug-abuse (v.), Anti-Drug Abuse Act
antiviolence
(Write words with the prefix “anti-“ as a single word except when they are hyphenated in
the title of a book, periodical, or statute.)
appendix A (text), Appendix A (title)
appendixes (not appendices)
ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) [Note: No comma after “Firearms”]
at-risk (v.) Attorney General (U.S.), but State attorney general
B
benefited
bill (but Bill of Rights)
bingeing
bisexual (no hyphen)
Border Research and Technology Center (BRTC)
broken windows (no quotation marks)
C
canceling
catalog (not catalogue)
CD-ROM (use a hyphen, not an en-dash; this is contrary to GPO rule 8.73)
civil rights (v. and noun)
cleanup (v. or noun; two words if a verb)
coauthor
community-based (v.)
community corrections/community corrections agencies
community-oriented (v.)
Community Oriented Policing Services, [Office of] (COPS)
community planning (v./n.)
community policing (v./n.)
communitywide
Updated: October 2013 59

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correctional (adj.)
[In general, use as adjective instead of corrections. Examples: correctional agencies,
correctional executives, correctional leaders, correctional staff, but community corrections
agencies.]
cost-effective (v.)/cost effective (predicate adjective)
cost effectively (adv.)
cost-effectiveness (n.)
cost-recovery (v.)
county, but Montgomery County, Prince George’s County (with apostrophe), Fairfax and
Loudoun Counties
Court (U.S. Supreme Court); otherwise court:
The U.S. Supreme Court adjourned. The Court adjourned.
The New York Court of Appeals adjourned. The court adjourned.
crimefighter, crimefighting
Crime File
criminal justice-related
crossfire
curricula
D
D.A.R.E.® (Drug Abuse Resistance Education)
data (pl.)
database (v./n.)
dataset
decisionmaker, decisionmaking
desktop dialogue (not dialog)
discreet (using discretion); discrete (separate entities)
district attorney/district attorney’s office
do’s and don’ts
driveby (v.)
drug dealer, drug dealing (n.); drug-dealer, drug-dealing (v.)
drug-free
drug seller, drug selling (n.); drug-seller, drug-selling (v.)
E
e-book (but .epub as a file extension)
e-mail (within text; capitalize E-mail in an address/telephone list)
ensure (“insure” only when referring to insurance coverage)
epilogue (not epilog)
ex-convicts
exhibit 1 (text), Exhibit 1 (title)
ex-offenders
F
fact sheet
Fax-on-Demand (cap as proper name)
fax-on-demand (lower case as generic)
FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation)
federal, federally
female (OK to use as adj., e.g., “female offender,” and noun, e.g., “the females in the jail”; also use
60

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noun “women”)
flier (not flyer)
followup (v./n.; two words if a verb)
for-profit (v.)
fundraiser, fundraising
G
gender (use instead of “sex” in tables)
government
Governor
graffito (sing.), graffiti (pl.)
grievable
H
hardcopy (v.); hard copy (n.)
health care (n.); health-care (v.)
highrise
high school (v./n.)
home page
hotline
hotspot (n.) (no quotation marks)
I
indepth (v.)
indexes (not indices)
in-house (v.)
in-kind inner-city (v.);
inner city (n.)
inpatient
inservice
intake
the Internet, but an internet or intranet
J
judgment
just deserts
JUSTINFO (NCJRS Internet listserv)
Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse (JJC)
Juvenile Justice Resource Center (JJRC)
K
kidnaping, kidnaper
L
listserv
M
male (OK to use as adj., e.g., “male offender,” and noun, e.g., “the males in the jail”; also use noun
“men”)
marshal (but U.S. Marshal)
mayor (l.c. unless used before a surname)
Updated: October 2013 61

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Metropolitan Washington (but Washington metropolitan area)
middle school (v./n.)
moneys (not monies)
multiagency
multicultural
multijurisdictional
multisite
N
nation (U.S.) (in general use instead of country), national
nonprofit
NW (not NW. or N.W.)
O
offsite
online (v./n.)
onsite
outpatient
P
paralleling
PAVNET (Partnerships Against Violence Network)
policymaker, policymaking
pre-incident
private-sector (v.); private sector (n.)
problem-solving (v.); problem solving (n.)
proved (past participle: You have proved your point.) proven (adjective: A proven remedy.)
public-sector (v.); public sector (n.)
Q
queer (not acceptable; instead use gay, lesbian, bisexual, or LGBTI)
R
RAND (all caps) Corporation
re-create (to create again)
re-election
Representative (preferred to Congressman or Congresswoman)
résumé
S
sallyport
screenwriter, screenwriting
semiannual, semicolon (close up all others), but semi-independent, semi-automatic weapon
sex (use “gender” in tables and when referring to social constructs)
Social Security number
startup (v./n.)
state
state’s attorney, state attorney general, state’s attorney’s office
statewide
systemwide
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T
timeframe
toll-free (v.); toll free (Call toll free.)
totaled
toward (not towards)
trafficking
transgender (adj, not as a noun)
U
under way (adv.)
U.S. Attorney, U.S. Attorney’s Office (u.c.)
U.S. Marshal
V
versus (in text always write out except in court cases)
video cassette (v./n.)
videotape
W
website, but World Wide Web, the Web
white-collar crime
-wide (close up all words ending in “wide,” e.g., systemwide, communitywide)
workplace
workplan
work release (v./n.)
worldwide, but World Wide Web
X
x-ray (not x ray)
Y
youth (sing./pl.)
Z
ZIP Code (not Zip Code)
Updated: October 2013 63