State Justice Institute

SJI was established by federal law in 1984 to improve the quality of justice in state courts, and foster innovative, efficient solutions to common issues faced by all courts. To fulfill this mission, SJI awards grants that benefit the nation’s judicial system and the public it serves.

TYPES OF GRANTS AVAILABLE:

Applying for Grants

All new grant applications submissions must be made via the online Grant Management System (GMS). Refer to the Grant Application Guide for details about what an application must include.

GRANT APPLICATION DEADLINES

Grant application deadlines are: November 1; February 1; May 1; and August 1, and correspond with the federal fiscal year quarters. The SJI Board meets on a federal fiscal year quarterly basis to make funding decisions because SJI is federally funded. This structure allows SJI to start awarding new grants once its budget is provided by Congress each fiscal year, and award the grant funding across four fiscal quarters as seen in the table below.

FY QTR	Due Date
1	1-Nov
2	1-Feb
3	1-May
4	1-Aug

PROHIBITED USES OF SJI FUNDS

To ensure that funds made available under this chapter are used to supplement and improve the operation of State courts, rather than to support basic court services, funds shall not be used to (1) supplant State or local funds currently supporting a program or activity; or 2) construct court facilities or structures, except to remodel existing facilities to demonstrate new architectural or technological techniques, or to provide temporary facilities for new personnel or for personnel involved in a demonstration or experimental program.

Examples of basic court services include:

Hiring of personnel
Purchase and/or maintenance of equipment
Purchase of software and/or licenses
Purchase of internet access or service
Supplies to support the day-to-day operations of courts

The final determination of what constitutes basic court services is made by SJI and is not negotiable. Applicants are encouraged to contact SJI Staff to discuss any questions related to this section prior to or during the application process.

Likewise, meals and refreshments are generally not allowable costs unless the applicant or grantee obtains written prior approval from SJI. This applies to all awards, including contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements. In general, SJI may approve such costs only in very rare instances where:

Trinkets (items such as hats, mugs, portfolios, t-shirts, coins, gift bags, gift cards, etc.) may not be purchased with SJI grant funding.

Grant Management

All awards are required to be managed in the Grant Management System (GMS). Refer to the Grant Management Guide for additional information.

SJI’s Funding Toolkit

Visit SJI’s Funding Toolkit for State Courts and Justice System Partners to learn about additional grant opportunities, access grant resources, and to request grant writing technical assistance.

Past Grant Awards FY 2005 – 2019

SJI Grant Awards FY 05-19_with Award Numbers