FY26 Request for Proposals

Gun Violence Research - 2026

Submit all materials here: https://rutgers.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4OebMeNeaBG2Lm6

 The New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center (GVRC) is seeking proposals for research focused on gun violence prevention. Faculty members, postdoctoral fellows, and students affiliated with a university based within the United States are eligible to apply. Because the GVRC is funded by the state of New Jersey, priority will be given towards projects that include New Jersey-based study teams and/or New Jersey focused data; however, due consideration will be given to all applications. Applicants will submit proposals for projects focused primarily on one or more aspects of gun violence.

The GVRC is offering three distinct tracks to which applicants can submit their proposals and each application should clearly specify their chosen option.  The three options – defined in greater detail below – are as follows:

1. Multi-Year Scholar Grant
2. Single Year Scholar Grant
3. Short-Term Startup Grant/Dissertation Grant

The GVRC welcomes proposals on all forms of gun violence (e.g. suicide, mass shootings, domestic violence, community violence) or aspects of firearm ownership (e.g. ownership patterns, storage and carrying practices) and is particularly interested in proposals that involve active collaborations with community partners.  Study teams and budgets can include community partners who are not affiliated with a university.

Information on FY26 Tracks

Multi-Year Scholar Grant

The GVRC is interested in funding projects that address research questions that require more time and otherwise could not be completed within a single fiscal year (FY).  For this track, applicants can propose projects that would require up to 24 months to complete.  Although there is not a hard cap on total costs for applications in this track, we estimate an upper limit of approximately $200,000 across the life of any proposed longer-term project. 

Proposals that seek to evaluate interventions and/or which involve primary data collection are strongly encouraged. 

By design, this call is open with respect to the specific aspect(s) of gun violence and firearm ownership being sought from applications; however, by way of guidance, examples of potentially viable options include:

• Projects that vigorously evaluate the effectiveness of a specific gun violence-related policy at the city, state, or federal level.
• Projects that evaluate the efficacy and viability of a particular gun violence prevention program (e.g. HVIPs, firearm storage campaigns, street outreach programs, lethal means counseling, criminal justice interventions).
• Projects that explore potential upstream solutions that avoid dependence upon the healthcare system.
• Projects that provide clarity on the practices and characteristics of specific subgroups of firearm owners.
• Projects that focus on a specific understudied population within the field of gun violence prevention (e.g. LGBTQ, American Indian/Alaskan Native populations).
• Projects that utilize measures less vulnerable to dishonest response patterns (e.g. MMPI-3) to assess how survey response patterns relate to firearm access, use, and behavior.
• Projects that utilize experimental designs to better understand the decision-making processes involved in firearm practices.

Single Year Scholar Grant

Although the GVRC anticipates funding longer term projects, we remain invested in funding work that can be completed within the FY.  Such projects may represent a particularly viable option for researchers relatively new to gun violence research who are seeking to expand their focus into this field; however, we also anticipate funding projects in this track for researchers with extensive histories of gun violence prevention research.

The expectation for projects funded in this track is that all expenditures will be invoiced by the end of FY26 (June 30, 2026).  As such, applications should anticipate delays stemming from (1) the date at which the GVRC receives its FY funding from the state (2) IRB review and (3) contracting.  We encourage applications to be mindful of such delays in planning their timeline and to thus develop study timelines that do not extend beyond 8 months.

The potential content area for projects funded in this track is similar to those outlined for the Multi-Year Scholar Grant track.  The primary difference between these tracks is the scope of the project.  This track is also generally a better option for applications focused on secondary data analysis.  We anticipate budgets for projects funded within this track to range between $20,000 and $100,000.  We encourage projects across this wide range and plan to diversity our portfolio through investments in studies that vary in scope.

Short-Term Startup Grant/Dissertation Grant

Short-term startup grants and dissertation grants are small research endeavors that can be completed in a short period of time (e.g. 1-3 months) and which primarily serve as tools to help facilitate future larger work or as funds to facilitate work conducted by students or postdoctoral fellows.  Budgets for these projects generally do not exceed $5,000, although we consider larger budgets on a case-by-case basis.

By design, this call is open with respect to the specific aspect(s) of gun violence or firearm ownership emphasized by applicants and the structure of the project.  Possible examples of viable options include:

• Pilot qualitative projects on novel research questions focused specifically on one or more forms of gun violence or aspects of firearm ownership and use
• Salary coverage for a research team to facilitate secondary data analysis on larger datasets requiring substantial merging or reformatting
• Acquisition of existing datasets to facilitate analysis
• Pilot quantitative surveys to facilitate more rigorous assessments post-FY24
• Development of research infrastructure with community resources that will facilitate subsequent ongoing research collaborations focused on gun violence prevention.

Postdoctoral fellows and students that apply must have a faculty sponsor listed on the application; however, we aim to elevate the voices of students and postdoctoral fellows and will work to ensure their leadership on the project is emphasized.

General Requirements

Although projects can involve work that takes place outside of New Jersey, the proposed projects should primarily or even exclusively involve data specific to New Jersey or include one or more team members based in New Jersey.  At a minimum, the value of the project specifically to New Jersey should be described clearly within the grant application.  Projects funded by the GVRC do not include F&A costs.  The GVRC will routinely assess progress related to expenditures and will work with funded research teams to brainstorm solutions should obstacles emerge.  Should the GVRC determine that the full funding cannot be spent during the proposed study time frame, anticipated unspent funds will be returned to the GVRC to be reallocated to ensure that the GVRC remains compliant with state mandates regarding the spending of state funds. 

The timeframe within which funded research teams will have access to funds depends upon the time at which the state releases FY26 funding to the GVRC.  Historically, this has occurred in mid- to late-September each year, although delays in the finalization of GVRC funding for FY26 resulted in subsequent delays in contracting with the state, which may result in an altered timeline this year.  Research teams can invoice for costs incurred prior to that date, but they should anticipate this delay when developing the initial timeline for their proposed project.  IRB approval must be obtained prior to project funds being dispersed to funded research teams.  As such, we encourage applicants to seek IRB approval prior to funding decisions.

All researchers funded by the GVRC will engage with the GVRC’s communications team to develop and disseminate information regarding study findings outside of academic settings.  This could include providing key points for the development of visual abstracts or taking part in streamed social media chats.  The GVRC places a heavy emphasis on the dissemination of science to broad audiences and, as such, requires funded researchers to communicate their findings to the communities we serve.  A representative from funded research projects will also record a 1-2 minute video describing their project and their current progress in completing it near the end of the FY.  These videos are intended to reach a broad, non-academic audience and to foster broader awareness of the science of gun violence prevention while providing a useful guide for policy makers to better understand the nature of the GVRC’s investment portfolio.

All teams must submit quarterly reports throughout the duration of their funding and a final report upon completion.  Due dates and reporting templates will be provided along with award notice.

Application Review Process

The review process for applications will involve a panel consisting of the GVRC leadership team and affiliated researchers.  The review panel will make decisions regarding how to allot the funding based upon the nature and quality of the submitted proposals.

GVRC Funding Proposal Format

The New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center is soliciting funding applications for FY26 projects that support the GVRC’s mission and vision.  We will consider projects that address any form of gun violence or aspects of firearm ownership and are particularly interested in projects that extend our reach into a variety of New Jersey communities and that involve active collaborations with community partners.  Gun violence must be the central focus of the project.  We encourage multidisciplinary teams and do not require applicants to have a prior record of funded gun violence research.  We are interested in growing the field of gun violence researchers and, as such, strong applications by accomplished scientists whose work has not previously been focused on gun violence will be given due consideration.  Similarly, Short-Term Startup Grant applications led by students or postdoctoral fellows are highly encouraged as a means for us to further the mission of expanding the pool of gun violence prevention researchers.

The scope of projects submitted to the Single-Year Scholar Grant or Short-Term Startup Grant tracks must be such that all or nearly all the work can be completed prior to the end of the fiscal year (June 30, 2026).  We encourage applications that initiate new research specific to New Jersey’s gun violence-related concerns.  Projects that involve comparisons between New Jersey and other states will also be considered, thereby facilitating work relevant not only to the needs of New Jersey, but also to the home states of GVRC funded researchers.  Proposals with no data collection or analysis specific to New Jersey and no team members located within New Jersey will be considered, but will require substantial justification outlining how deliverables would directly benefit New Jersey.

All the information requested below must be provided for the application to be considered.  Approved applications will receive an official funding award letter.

Application Instructions

Track:

Please specify to which track you are applying: (1) Multi-Year Scholar Grant (2) Single Year Scholar Grant or (3) Short-Term Startup Grant.

Specific Aims:

In 1 page, provide a rationale for your proposed project, along with a list of specific aims and hypotheses.

Background:

In 2 pages or less, provide background information that details the (1) significance of the proposed work and (2) the extent to which the proposed work would expand beyond existing literature in this area.  Clear articulation of the gaps addressed by the proposed project is a key consideration in the evaluation of applications.

Methods:

In 2000 words or less, describe the methodology for your proposed project.  Describe which dataset(s) will be used if the project uses secondary data.  Describe the proposed sample, assessment tools, and research procedures if the project involves primary data collection.

Project Timeline:

Please provide a table that outlines the timeframe within which you anticipate completing each project-related task.

Budget:

For all Rutgers personnel, please use the Rutgers spreadsheet template as a guide for budgeting: https://orsp.rutgers.edu/budget-template.

The template includes categories allowable for funding. We strongly recommend that you prepare your budget with the support of your department or unit’s budget/financial administrator.

All non-Rutgers applicants, please use your own organization’s budget template. 

Facilities and Administrative Costs (indirect costs) will not be provided to Rutgers or non-Rutgers applicants. 

Budget Justification:

Describe the nature and rationale for each of the costs included within the proposed budget. The total amount of money awarded through the RFP process will depend upon the nature and quality of pool of applications.  However, we anticipate awarding up to $1,000,000 total across all awards.  The total number of funded projects will depend upon the nature of the applications received and the funds required to execute those proposed projects.

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI):

In 200 words or less, describe how your research project and/or research team will actively work to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. For instance, this might involve conducting research that focuses on specific populations underrepresented in research or overrepresented in gun violence outcomes or the development of a research team that is inclusive of individuals from underrepresented populations.

New Jersey Deliverables:

In 200 words or less, describe how your project will contribute to gun violence prevention specifically in New Jersey. 

Biosketch:

Provide an NIH-formatted biosketch for the PI and any Co-Is listed on the application (see https://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms/biosketch.htm).

Communication of Science:

GVRC policies require that all funded research teams work with the GVRC communications team to develop tools for broadly disseminating research findings (e.g., visual abstracts, Twitter chats) to diverse communities and to develop 1-2 minute videos describing their projects during each FY during which their projects are funded.  Please provide a statement acknowledging your willingness to take part in GVRC communications efforts.

IRB:

Project funds will not be available until IRB approval has been received or a determination of IRB exemption has been made. We recommend obtaining IRB approval prior to your intended start date.  Please provide a statement acknowledging your understanding of this policy or noting that your application will not require IRB review.

Timeline:

Other than projects funded under the Multi-Year Scholar Grant track, funding will only cover projects through June 30, 2026.  Although extensions beyond the fiscal year may be considered, expenses are expected to be exhausted within the fiscal year timeframe to the extent possible.  The GVRC will periodically assess expenditures with funded research teams and will brainstorm ways to help teams spend their full award amount.  The GVRC will reallocate these funds if they determine that some of the funds cannot be spent effectively in a manner consistent with the terms of the funded proposal. 

Submissions are due on September 1, 2025 (11:59 pm deadline). Submit applications through the following link: https://rutgers.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4OebMeNeaBG2Lm6 and direct questions to Angela Centellas at centelaj@sph.rutgers.edu.  We anticipate extending notices of intent to fund on or around October 1, 2025.