FY 2022 Census of State Courts | O BJS 2022 171320

FY 2022 Census of State Courts (CSC) Grant - FAQs

What is the FY 2022 Census of State Courts (CSC) grant opportunity?

The FY 2022 Census of State Courts (CSC) grant opportunity is a discretionary funding announcement from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), administered through the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). It funds a new nationwide statistical collection intended to produce a complete census of state and local courts operating in the United States.

Which federal agencies and offices are associated with this funding?

This opportunity is offered by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) through the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), with the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) serving as the administering bureau for the project.

What is the main purpose of the Census of State Courts (CSC)?

The CSC is designed to compile comprehensive, standardized information about how state and local courts are structured and resourced, including court staffing and the types of cases heard across state municipal, trial, and appellate courts. The intent is to create systemwide data that can be used for benchmarking, operational planning, policy decisions, and public understanding.

What policy priorities or broader context does the announcement highlight?

The announcement situates the CSC within OJP priorities that include civil rights and racial equity, increased access to justice, support for crime victims and people impacted by the justice system, improved community safety, protection from evolving threats, and strengthening trust between law enforcement and the community. Within that context, the CSC is described as a foundational data effort for understanding court structure, resources, and responsibilities.

What types of courts are included in the CSC census?

The CSC focuses on state and local courts, specifically including state municipal courts, trial courts, and appellate courts operating in the United States.

What kinds of information is the CSC expected to collect?

Based on the scope described, the CSC is expected to collect comprehensive information on (1) court staffing and (2) the types of cases heard by courts, across municipal, trial, and appellate court levels.

Who is expected to use the data produced by the CSC?

The announcement identifies several intended user groups: judges and court administrators (for benchmarking and operational context), federal and state policymakers (for funding and policy decisions), and researchers and journalists (to analyze differences across jurisdictions, staffing allocations, and court responsibilities by type and location).

What type of award mechanism is used for this opportunity?

Funding is offered through a cooperative agreement. This means the selected recipient is expected to work closely and collaboratively with BJS, rather than operating fully independently.

What are the main deliverables or tasks funded under this project?

The project scope is organized around four main deliverables: (1) develop and test a data collection instrument, (2) update the existing frame of courts, (3) field the CSC nationwide, and (4) clean, analyze, and deliver the data with appropriate documentation and quality checks.

What does "develop and test a data collection instrument" mean in this program?

It involves designing the survey questions or data templates to be used for the census, ensuring that definitions are clear and consistent across jurisdictions, and conducting pilot testing to confirm that courts can provide the requested information reliably.

What is the "frame of courts" and why does it need to be updated?

The frame of courts is the master list and classification system of all courts that should be included in the census. It needs updating to ensure the census is complete and correctly classified. The announcement specifically calls out identifying municipal courts as a key task because names and organizational structures vary widely across states and localities.

What does it mean to "field" the CSC?

Fielding the CSC refers to conducting the actual nationwide data collection. The funded organization is expected to manage outreach and follow-up with court points of contact, track response rates, and resolve reporting issues during the collection process.

What is expected under data cleaning, analysis, and delivery?

The recipient is expected to perform data cleaning and validation, conduct analysis as required, and deliver both raw datasets and finalized datasets suitable for public release or official statistical use. The deliverables also include documentation and quality checks to support proper interpretation and use of the data.

How many awards does BJS expect to make?

BJS anticipates making a single award (ExpectedAwards: 1) under this funding opportunity.

What is the maximum funding amount available for this opportunity?

The award ceiling for this opportunity is $750,000.

What is the funding activity category for this program?

The opportunity is listed under the funding activity category of Information and Statistics.

What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The CFDA number listed for this opportunity is 16.734.

What is the funding opportunity number?

The funding opportunity number is O-BJS-2022-171320.

When was the opportunity originally posted and when did it close?

The original posting date was May 5, 2022, and the original closing date was June 29, 2022.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility includes: public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments; other tribal organizations; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses.

What kinds of capabilities would an applicant need to successfully carry out this project?

The announcement indicates that applicants should be able to run a complex national data collection. That includes experience with survey design and testing, building and maintaining comprehensive census frames, managing large-scale respondent communications and follow-up, applying rigorous data validation and cleaning procedures, and producing well-documented datasets that align with federal statistical expectations.

Why does the opportunity emphasize identifying municipal courts?

Municipal courts can be difficult to identify and classify consistently because naming conventions and organizational structures vary widely across states and localities. The announcement highlights this as a specific task within the frame update work, reflecting the importance of completeness for a national court census.

What outputs are expected at the end of the project?

The expected outputs include a tested data collection instrument, an updated and accurate master frame of courts, completed nationwide data collection results, and delivered datasets (both raw and finalized) with documentation and quality checks suitable for broader use.

How does this project support benchmarking for courts?

By producing standardized nationwide information on court staffing and case types across municipal, trial, and appellate courts, the CSC gives judges and court administrators comparable systemwide context that can be used for benchmarking and operational planning.

How could policymakers use the CSC results?

The announcement states that federal and state policymakers rely on accurate systemwide information to guide funding and policy decisions. A complete census of courts provides a foundation for understanding differences in court structure, resources, and responsibilities across jurisdictions.

How could researchers and journalists use the CSC results?

The announcement explicitly identifies researchers and journalists as audiences because a standardized national census can help answer questions about how court systems vary across jurisdictions, how personnel is allocated, and how court responsibilities differ by court type and location.