Grants Information

Many agencies and labs have found that applying for and receiving grant money is a good way to finance their purchase of an M-Vac^® system. We want to help our customers learn where to look for these grant opportunities as well as how the process works. Grants are often available for only a short window of time (often two or three months from initial posting to the application deadline) so it is important to look at the websites often. There is also some preparatory work that can be done anytime in order to make the specific application process go faster once an opening shows up.

A change was made for grant applications for 2021 which involves having two deadlines for every application. The first deadline is with the Grants.gov and it is for submitting the SF-424 (a 3-page basic information form) and the SL-LLL (a 1-page lobbying activities disclosure) forms in grants.gov. The second deadline is for submitting the full application in JustGrants. You won't be able to submit the main application in JustGrants if the grants.gov forms aren't already submitted.

Here are links to likely grants that are currently open:

• Rural Violent Crime Reduction Initiative (RVCRI). Submission Deadline: "The RVCRI Team accepts applications in a rolling cohort format, so the RVCRI Application is always open! However, applications will be reviewed and awarded on a quarterly basis in: March, June, September, and December."  The Institute and BJA seeks "applications for a federal grant program that supports the development and implementation of problem-solving strategies that specifically address violent crime occurring in and affecting rural populations." Further, the Application Requirements describes one component as, "Deploying forensic evidence tools and services for identifying suspects or enhancing evidence, testimony, and victim outreach."  That matches the M-Vac's^® description and purposes. Further details are on the website linked above.
• FY 2023 Postconviction Testing of DNA Evidence. Grants.gov deadline is April 4, 2023, 8:59 pm Eastern. JustGrants deadline is April 11, 2023, 8:59 pm Eastern. The intent of this program is to help with the costs of reviewing postconviction cases and doing DNA testing in cases where the results might actually show innocence. One of the objectives of the program states: "Perform DNA analysis of appropriate biological evidence and report and review the DNA test results."
• FY 2023 Prosecuting Cold Cases Using DNA. Grants.gov deadline is April 4, 2023, 8:59 pm Eastern and JustGrants deadline is April 11, 2023, 8:59 pm Eastern. This solicitation provides funds to "support the prosecution of violent crime cold cases where a DNA profile from a known or unknown suspect has been identified" and also if "a DNA profile attributed to a known or unknown suspect has been identified, this funding also supports investigative activities as well as crime and forensic analyses that could lead to prosecuting violent crime cold cases."
  
• FY 2023 National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative. Grants.gov deadline is April 4, 2023, 8:59 pm Eastern. JustGrants deadline is April 11, 2023, 8:59 pm Eastern. One of the Purpose Areas is "Investigation and Prosecution of Cold Case Sexual Assaults." Further definitions about fund use under this heading that may be helpful include, "Training in relation to sexual assault evidence collection, DNA technology, ... and other related topics to improve the quality and outcomes of sexual assault investigations and prosecutions." Also, "Applicants can use funding to apply advanced DNA methodologies in a targeted fashion to identify unknown violent serial offenders."
• FY 2023 Project Safe Neighborhoods Formula Grant Program. Grants.gov deadline is  April 4, 2023, 8:59 pm Eastern. JustGrants deadline is  April 11, 2023, 8:59 pm Eastern. One of the main design features of this grant is "Focused and Strategic Enforcement." The description says, "Critical elements of strategic enforcement include...leveraging technology and analytics, ...and deterring others from engaging in violence, which could also be through public awareness about enforcement actions...."
• FY 2023 Formula DNA Capacity Enhancement for Backlog Reduction (CEBR) Program. Grants.gov deadline is April 19, 2023, 8:59 pm Eastern. JustGrants deadline is is April 26, 2023, 8:59 pm Eastern. This grant provides funding to state and local crime labs that conduct DNA analysis, with the purposes of increasing their capacity to process more DNA samples and reducing or preventing backlogs. The results need to be uploaded to CODIS. One specific Deliverable mentioned is "Purchasing newer and more efficient instruments." This grant has previously been successfully used to purchase M-Vac^® systems.
• FY 2023 Competitive DNA Capacity Enhancement for Backlog Reduction (CEBR) Program. Grants.gov deadline is April 19, 2023, 8:59 pm Eastern. JustGrants deadline is is April 26, 2023, 8:59 pm Eastern. This grant provides funding to state and local crime labs that conduct DNA analysis, with the purposes of increasing their capacity to process more DNA samples and reducing or preventing backlogs. The results need to be uploaded to CODIS.
• NIJ FY23 Research and Evaluation for the Testing and Interpretation of Physical Evidence in Publicly Funded Forensic Laboratories. Grants.gov deadline is April 26, 2023, 11:59 pm ET. JustGrants deadline is May 3, 2023, 8:59 pm ET. The solicitation description says in part, "The intent of this program is to direct the findings of this research and evaluation toward the identification of the most efficient, accurate, reliable, and cost-effective methods for the identification, analysis, and interpretation of physical evidence for criminal justice purposes." 
• OVW Fiscal Year 2023 Grants to Reduce Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking on Campus Program Solicitation. Grants.gov deadline is May 4, 2023, 11:59 pm Eastern. JustGrants deadline is May 9, 2023, 9:00 pm Eastern. The first Purpose Area in the description of this grant is "To provide personnel, training, technical assistance, data collection, and other equipment with respect to the increased apprehension, investigation, and adjudication of persons committing domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking on campus." This should go right along with purchasing and using an M-Vac^® for crimes committed on a campus.
• FY 2023 Community-based Approaches to Prevent and Address Hate Crimes. Grants.gov deadline is May 17, 2023, 8:59 pm Eastern. JustGrants deadline is May 24, 2023, 8:59 pm Eastern. The description of this program includes "improve responses to hate crimes" and one of the objectives states "Develop comprehensive approaches that expand and enhance strategies — including resources, tools, policies, and procedures — to prevent and respond to hate crimes." The M-Vac^® is a tool and a procedure that is part of a legitimate response to hate crimes and as it becomes more prevalent in its use, a deterrent to such criminal activities.
• FY 2023 Emmett Till Cold Case Investigations and Prosecution Program. Grants.gov deadline is May 17, 2023, 8:59 pm Eastern; JustGrants deadline is May 24, 2023, 8:59 pm Eastern. The Bureau of Justice Assistance provides funds through this grant to help "bring justice and reconciliation to the hundreds of cold case murder victims associated with civil rights violations by identifying, investigating, prosecuting, and resolving these cases. In addition, to bring justice and support to the families and stakeholders impacted by these murders." Purchasing and using the M-Vac^® would help fulfill several of the grant's objectives.
• FY 2023 Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grants Program - Competitive. Grants.gov deadline is May 24, 2023, 8:59 pm Eastern. JustGrants deadline is May 31, 2023, 8:59 pm Eastern. The Competitive grant is open to state and local government units. This is a grant that has been successfully used for M-Vac^® purchases several times (see the link at the bottom of this Grants page to a successful grant awarded in 2020.) "This program seeks to improve forensic science...services, including services provided by forensic science laboratories."
• FY 2023 Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grants Program - Formula. Grants.gov deadline is May 24, 2023, 8:59 pm Eastern. JustGrants deadline is May 31, 2023, 8:59 Eastern. The Formula program is only for state governments to apply, but the funding can be used by state and local units. The program provides "funding to improve forensic science and medical examiner/coroner services, including services provided by forensic science laboratories operated by states and units of local government."
  
• FY 2023 Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Program. Grants.gov deadline is May 25, 2023, 8:59 pm Eastern; JustGrants deadline is May 30, 2023, 8:59 pm Eastern. The funding for this grant includes efforts in investigating and prosecuting hate crimes. One of its objectives states, "Expand and enhance strategies — including tools, policies, and procedures — to increase the reporting, identification, and charging of hate crimes, including victim reporting." The purchase of, training on and use of an M-Vac^® would definitely fill this objective if your unit deals with hate crimes. This program also has a solicitation seminar: "On April 11, 2023, at 1 p.m. ET, BJA will host a webinar to provide a detailed overview of this opportunity and allow participants to ask questions." You can click to register from their page linked above.

Here are some key places to look often for new postings. Several of these have the option to subscribe to a periodic email update service that helps you stay apprised of new openings.

• NIJ (National Institute of Justice) Forthcoming Funding Opportunities
• BJA (Bureau of Justice Assistance) Available Funding
• OJP (Office of Justice Programs) Opportunities and Awards
• DOJ (Department of Justice) Open Solicitations for the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW)
• BJA - Forensic Science Programs
  

Here are some websites that help explain the various government agencies' processes:

• DOJ Grants Financial Guide - This Guide gives a lot of definitions and tips for all parts of the DOJ's grant process. Don't miss the first Appendix, which is a guide to all the government's acronyms, so you can keep your DHS apart from your HHS or know your BJA from your JABG!
• OJP Grant Application Resource Guide - This explains a lot of the rules and regulations for applying for OJP Grants and even goes through the process step by step.The OJP is the first of three subsets for grants under the DOJ.
• OVW Grants - A page that explains the process for applying for OVW grants. The OVW is the second of three subsets for grants under the DOJ.
• COPS Grants - A basic page that explains the process for applying for COPS (Office of Community Oriented Policing Services) grants. COPS is the third of three subsets for grants under the DOJ.
• Grants.gov - This robust site leads to several helpful blogs (linked on the Home tab) with articles of interest to those applying for government grants as well as to the Grants Learning Center (Learn Grants tab) and several other helpful webpages (various other tabs.)
• Just Grants (Justice Grants System) - This is a new website which combines the resources for all three grant making branches of the DOJ mentioned above.