OJJDP FY 2023 Center for Reducing Racial and Ethnic Disparities (R/ED) in Juvenile Justice | O OJJDP 2023 171777

Opportunity Information: Apply for O OJJDP 2023 171777

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), within the U.S. Department of Justice, offered a discretionary cooperative agreement to create and operate a new national Center for Reducing Racial and Ethnic Disparities (R/ED) in Juvenile Justice. The overall purpose is to help jurisdictions reduce racial and ethnic disparities for youth who come into contact with the juvenile justice system, while also helping states and territories meet a core compliance requirement under the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (JJDP) Act Formula Grants Program. In practice, this means the Center is expected to function as a hub for expertise, training, and technical assistance that supports better data use, stronger policies and practices, and more equitable decision-making across the juvenile justice continuum.

The opportunity is grounded in broader Department of Justice and Office of Justice Programs priorities around civil rights, racial equity, access to justice, support for people impacted by the justice system, community safety, and building trust between communities and justice institutions. OJJDP frames this work through its youth-focused vision of transforming juvenile justice so that systems treat children as children, keep youth connected to their families and communities whenever possible, and expand opportunities for system-involved youth. Applicants were encouraged to clearly show how their approach aligns with those priorities, not only in program design but also in day-to-day operations and the way services and supports are delivered.

A central expectation in the solicitation is meaningful and sustained youth and family partnership. OJJDP emphasizes that young people and family members with lived experience are essential to understanding what drives system involvement and what actually helps youth succeed. Applicants therefore had to describe, in both the project plan and the budget, how they would integrate youth and family partnerships in ways that last beyond a single activity or advisory meeting. The solicitation describes several valid levels for that partnership: individual-level partnership (such as engaging youth and families in case planning and service delivery before, during, and after system involvement); agency-level partnership (including participation in policy and program development, implementation, evaluation, staffing, advisory bodies, and budget development); and system-level partnership (such as involvement in strategic planning, broader system improvement initiatives, advocacy approaches, and reform efforts). The expectation is that youth and families are not symbolic participants, but are positioned as co-designers and collaborators shaping solutions.

Structurally, this was a single-award opportunity with an expected award ceiling of $2,000,000 and one anticipated recipient. It was offered as a cooperative agreement, which typically signals substantial federal involvement during the project period, such as close coordination with OJJDP on deliverables, direction, or alignment with national juvenile justice priorities. The assistance the Center provides is meant to be comprehensive and should reach multiple levels of the field, including states, territories, Tribal entities, and community-based stakeholders working to reduce disparities. The program activity focus falls under Law, Justice, and Legal Services, and the associated CFDA number is 16.540.

Eligible applicants were broad and included public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)), Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments), and for-profit organizations other than small businesses. The opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number O-OJJDP-2023-171777) was posted May 26, 2023, with an original closing date of July 11, 2023. Overall, the grant is designed to create a national capacity-building center that can help jurisdictions comply with JJDP Act requirements while advancing practical, field-ready strategies to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in juvenile justice outcomes.

• The Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "OJJDP FY 2023 Center for Reducing Racial and Ethnic Disparities (R/ED) in Juvenile Justice" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.540.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 26, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 11, 2023. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For profit organizations other than small businesses.

Apply for O OJJDP 2023 171777

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