Project Grants

Project Grants is sponsored by State Justice Institute. Project Grants are the centerpiece of SJI's efforts to improve the administration of justice in state courts nationwide.

## **Project Grants are the centerpiece of SJI’s efforts to improve the administration of justice in state courts nationwide. Project Grants are intended to support innovative education and training, demonstration, and technical assistance projects that can improve the administration of justice in state courts locally or nationwide.

** #### **SIZE AND DURATION OF GRANT** Project Grants for state court and national non-profit organization applicants may not exceed $300,000 and 36 months in duration. Applications from local court applicants may not exceed $200,000 and 24 months. Examples of expenses not covered by Project Grants include the salaries or benefits of full-or part-time court employees.

Funding may not be used for the ordinary, routine operations of court systems. All applicants are required to contribute a cash match greater than or equal to the SJI award amount. This means that grant awards by SJI must be matched at least dollar for dollar by grant applicants.

For example, if SJI provides $300,000 in funds then the applicant cash match must be at least $300,000. Applicants may contribute the required cash match directly or in cooperation with third parties. All grant applications must be submitted via the online Grant Management System (GMS).

Refer to the Grant Application Guide for details about what an application for a Project Grant must include.

#### **SELECTION CRITERIA** In addition to the criteria detailed below, SJI will consider whether the applicant is a state or local court, a national court support or education organization, a non-court unit of government, or other type of entity eligible to receive grants under SJI’s enabling legislation; the availability of financial assistance from other sources for the project; the diversity of subject matter, geographic diversity; the level and nature of the match that would be provided; reasonableness of the proposed budget; the extent to which the proposed project would also benefit the federal courts or help state or local courts enforce federal constitutional and legislative requirements; and the level of appropriations available to SJI in the current year and the amount expected to be available in succeeding fiscal years, when determining which projects to support.

**Project Grant applications will be rated based on the criteria set forth below:** * Soundness of the methodology * Demonstration of need for the project * Appropriateness of the proposed evaluation design * If applicable, the key findings and recommendations of the most recent evaluation and the proposed responses to those findings and recommendations * Applicant’s management plan and organizational capabilities * Qualifications of the project’s staff * Products and benefits resulting from the project, including the extent to which the project will have long-term benefits for state courts across the nation * Degree to which the findings, procedures, training, technology, or other results of the project can be transferred to other jurisdictions * Reasonableness of the proposed budget * Demonstration of cooperation and support of other agencies that may be affected by the project