Grants-R-Us : Inside a Federal Grant-Making Research Agency

In this article, the author reviews the process by which the National Institute of Justice, the largest funder of criminological and criminal justice research in the United States, operates in the adjudication, dissemination, and monitoring of research grants. I also analyze the functions of social science analysts/grant managers and the role of potential and actual grantees. By funding the bulk of research on criminal justice, the institute plays a key role in linking research to current policy issues and in shaping the direction that the field takes. This analysis is based on my experience working in the agency for the Office of Research and Evaluation, as well as a review of relevant academic research