The U.S. Justice Department’s National Institute of Justice (NIJ) yesterday awarded nearly $63 million to school districts and research organizations through the Comprehensive School Safety Initiative, a large multi-agency research effort to build knowledge about effective approaches to increasing school safety nationwide. Twenty-four research projects will get funding. There are nine awards to research organizations totaling more than $18 million. A second program provides more than $45 million to 15 school districts and their research partners.
The research program is part of President Obama's January 2013 plan to end gun violence emphasized keeping guns out of potentially dangerous hands. “We know a great deal about how to make schools safe in general but very little about the specifics for various settings and populations,”said William Sabol, Acting NIJ Director. “With this $63 million investment, the nation will gain an understanding of school safety that is scientifically sound, practical, and that can be easily interpreted and used by schools.” The Crime Report previewed the grant awards this summer.