Opportunity Information: Apply for 23AC07
The Immersive Employment Readiness Training for Justice-Involved Individuals opportunity (Funding Opportunity No. 23AC07) is a Department of Justice initiative administered through the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) that focuses on improving employment outcomes for people who are justice-involved, with the larger goal of reducing recidivism. The premise behind the program is straightforward: stable employment is one of the strongest, most consistent factors linked to successful reentry and long-term desistance from crime. By helping individuals build both job-specific capabilities and the day-to-day behavioral competencies needed to keep a job, the effort aims to support family stability, reduce reliance on illegal income, and increase positive economic participation in the community.
A central feature of this opportunity is its emphasis on immersive learning technologies as a practical way to teach and reinforce employment readiness, especially "soft skills" that can be harder to build through lecture-only approaches. The notice highlights skills such as critical thinking, cooperation, empathy, and problem solving, framing them as essential not only for getting hired but for sustaining employment once hired. Immersive learning is presented as a supplement to other training methods that can improve knowledge retention and give participants a low-risk space to practice real-world scenarios. The idea is that virtual environments can replicate workplace dynamics in ways traditional media cannot, letting learners make mistakes, receive feedback, and try again without the high stakes that can lead to real job loss.
The opportunity describes immersive learning broadly, ranging from standard web-based virtual classrooms (such as sessions delivered through remote meeting platforms like WebEx and Zoom) to more advanced 2D and 3D environments that overlap with virtual reality and augmented reality tools. It points to the wider adoption of these technologies across many sectors for employee and student training and notes that workforce-focused organizations, including career resource centers such as Goodwill Industries International, have already used virtual reality approaches successfully to deliver soft-skills training to job seekers. In the corrections context, the grant aligns with NICs existing Workforce Development and Correctional Industries training programs, which are designed primarily to support correctional staff and practitioners with employment resources and effective intervention strategies.
Another key thread is the connection to cognitive behavioral therapies and interventions. The opportunity underscores that cognitive-behavioral approaches have been used to help individuals challenge distorted beliefs, strengthen critical thinking, and improve problem-solving, which overlap heavily with the behaviors and decision-making patterns needed to function consistently in a workplace. In practice, the grant frames immersive training as something practitioners can combine with other instructional methods to facilitate learning and rehearsal of job-related competencies, especially those tied to thinking patterns, interpersonal interaction, and situational judgment.
From an administrative standpoint, this is a cooperative agreement (not a simple formula grant), meaning the NIC is likely to have substantial involvement in how the project is carried out. It is listed under CFDA 16.601 and categorized as "Other" for both the opportunity category and activity category, signaling that it does not fit neatly into a single conventional program bucket and may have a specialized scope defined in the full solicitation. The maximum award amount is $500,000, with one award expected, indicating a single selected project rather than a broad multi-grantee program. The opportunity was created on June 15, 2023, and had an original closing date of July 31, 2023. Eligibility is listed as "Others," which typically means applicants must consult the full eligibility language in the solicitation for the precise types of organizations permitted to apply.
Overall, the grant is aimed at advancing employment readiness for justice-involved individuals by leveraging immersive virtual training methods to build the soft skills and cognitive competencies that support job retention. It positions immersive learning as a realistic, repeatable, and low-risk way to simulate workplace conditions, integrate cognitive-behavioral skill building, and strengthen the practical behaviors people need to succeed at work after involvement with the justice system.Apply for 23AC07
- The Department of Justice, National Institute of Corrections in the other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Immersive Employment Readiness Training for Justice-Involved Individuals" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.601.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jun 15, 2023.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 31, 2023. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Immersive Employment Readiness Training for Justice-Involved Individuals opportunity?
It is a Department of Justice funding opportunity administered by the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) focused on improving employment outcomes for people who are justice-involved, with the broader goal of reducing recidivism through stronger job readiness and job retention skills.
What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity number is 23AC07.
Which federal agency administers this opportunity?
The initiative is a Department of Justice opportunity administered through the National Institute of Corrections (NIC).
What is the main purpose of the program?
The purpose is to improve employment readiness and employment outcomes for justice-involved individuals by building job-related capabilities and the behavioral competencies needed to obtain and keep employment, supporting successful reentry and reducing recidivism.
Why does the opportunity focus on employment?
The notice emphasizes that stable employment is one of the strongest and most consistent factors associated with successful reentry and long-term desistance from crime. The program links employment to family stability, reduced reliance on illegal income, and increased positive economic participation in the community.
What types of skills does the opportunity emphasize?
It places strong emphasis on employment readiness skills, particularly "soft skills" that are critical for job retention, including critical thinking, cooperation, empathy, and problem solving.
What does "immersive learning" mean in this opportunity?
The opportunity describes immersive learning broadly. It can include standard web-based virtual classrooms (for example, sessions delivered through remote meeting platforms such as WebEx and Zoom) and can extend to more advanced 2D and 3D environments that overlap with virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) tools.
How is immersive learning expected to help participants?
Immersive learning is presented as a practical way to improve knowledge retention and to provide a low-risk space for participants to practice real-world workplace scenarios. Participants can make mistakes, receive feedback, and try again without the high-stakes consequences that might occur in an actual workplace.
Is immersive learning meant to replace other training methods?
No. The notice positions immersive learning as a supplement to other instructional methods, used to reinforce and facilitate learning and rehearsal of job-related competencies.
What kinds of workplace abilities are most suited to immersive learning under this program?
The opportunity highlights day-to-day behavioral competencies and situational judgment that can be difficult to build through lecture-only approaches, especially interpersonal interaction, thinking patterns, decision-making, and problem-solving in workplace-like situations.
Does the opportunity mention any examples of immersive training being used elsewhere?
Yes. It notes broader adoption of immersive technologies across sectors for employee and student training and references workforce-focused organizations, including career resource centers such as Goodwill Industries International, that have used virtual reality approaches successfully for soft-skills training for job seekers.
How does this opportunity connect to NIC programs?
The grant aligns with NIC's existing Workforce Development and Correctional Industries training programs, which are designed primarily to support correctional staff and practitioners with employment resources and effective intervention strategies.
Is there a cognitive-behavioral component to this opportunity?
Yes. The opportunity underscores connections to cognitive behavioral therapies and interventions, describing how cognitive-behavioral approaches can help individuals challenge distorted beliefs, strengthen critical thinking, and improve problem-solving, which overlap with workplace behaviors and decision-making.
How are cognitive-behavioral approaches expected to relate to immersive training?
The grant frames immersive training as something practitioners can combine with other instructional methods to support learning and rehearsal of job-related competencies, especially those tied to thinking patterns, interpersonal interaction, and situational judgment.
What type of award is this?
This opportunity is a cooperative agreement, meaning NIC is likely to have substantial involvement in how the project is carried out compared with an award structure that provides less federal participation.
What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?
The opportunity is listed under CFDA 16.601.
What is the maximum award amount?
The maximum award amount listed is $500,000.
How many awards are expected?
One award is expected, indicating a single selected project rather than a multi-grantee program.
When was the opportunity created and what was the closing date?
The opportunity was created on June 15, 2023, and had an original closing date of July 31, 2023.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is listed as "Others." This typically indicates that applicants must consult the full eligibility language in the solicitation to confirm which organizations are permitted to apply.
How is the opportunity categorized?
It is categorized as "Other" for both the opportunity category and the activity category, suggesting a specialized scope defined in the full solicitation rather than a standard program bucket.
What is the overall intended impact?
The overall intent is to advance employment readiness for justice-involved individuals by using immersive virtual training methods to build soft skills and cognitive competencies that support job retention, strengthen reentry success, and reduce recidivism.
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