Funding Opportunities

NIBRS Animal Cruelty Data Research Award

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Photo by Elya Vatel

Promoting the analysis of NIBRS animal cruelty data

AWI’s Center for the Study of NIBRS Animal Cruelty Data is pleased to offer up to $5,000 in grant funding for master’s and doctoral students to address National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) animal cruelty data in their research.

The application is not open at this time. Preview Form

Application Deadline

  • The 2025 application cycle is now closed. If you would like to receive an alert when applications open in 2026, please email claire@awionline.org.

Application Requirements

  • To be considered, NIBRS animal cruelty data must play a central part in the proposed research project.
  • Projects may involve analysis of NIBRS animal cruelty data and/or the evaluation of related topics such as data quality or reporting issues. Please view this press release for an example of a previously funded NIBRS project. For examples of other research topics related to NIBRS animal cruelty data, please see the reference list below.
  • For projects that involve analysis of NIBRS animal cruelty data, datasets can be downloaded here. (The raw data can also be obtained from the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer or the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research’s National Archive of Criminal Justice Data.)

How to Apply

The application requires the following documents:

  • Completed application form
  • Curriculum vitae (CV) or resume
  • Letter of support from the host institution

Additional Information

  • Award notifications will be sent in February of 2026.
  • Award recipients must agree to submit a written summary of the results of the project at its conclusion. This summary may be edited for potential publication in the AWI Quarterly magazine.
  • Award recipients must agree to submit their results for publication in a professional journal or presentation at an appropriate conference.
  • For additional information, please contact claire@awionline.org.

Examples of NIBRS Animal Cruelty Research Projects

  • Addington, L., Coughlin, C., Hargreaves-Cormany, H. &  Randour, M.L. (2025). Exploring Animal Cruelty Incidents Committed by Youth and Young Adults that are Reported to Police: A Research Note. SSRN Electronic Journal. dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5637750
  • Addington, L. & Randour, M.L. (2024). Using National Incident-Based Reporting System Data to Explore Animal Cruelty Incidents that Occur with Intimate Partner and Family Violence: A Brief Report. Journal of Family Violence. doi.org/10.1007/s10896-024-00684-1
  • Addington, L. & Randour, M.L. (2012). Animal Cruelty Crime Statistics: Findings from a Survey of State Uniform Crime Reporting Programs. Animal Welfare Institute Report.
  • Palais, J. M. (2021). Using the National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS) to study animal cruelty: Preliminary results (2016-2019). Social Sciences, 10(10), 378. doi.org/10.3390/socsci10100378
  • Randour, M.L., Kearley, A., & Wireman, M. (2023). Examining law enforcement agencies’ responses to the addition of Animal cruelty to NIBRS. American Journal of Criminal Justice, 49(4), 576–589. doi.org/10.1007/s12103-023-09740-w