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 SF-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:

OVW Fiscal Year 2024 Grants to Reduce Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking on Campus Program - Solicitation. Grants.gov deadline is May 16, 2024, 11:59 PM Eastern. JustGrants deadline is May 21, 2024, 8:59 PM Eastern. The main purpose of this program is to provide "funding for institutions of higher education to develop and strengthen effective security and investigation strategies to combat domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking on campus..." The first purpose area states that funds are to be used "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."
FY24 Competitive DNA Capacity Enhancement for Backlog Reduction (CEBR) Program. Grants.gov deadline is May 22, 2024, 8:59 pm Eastern. JustGrants deadline is June 3, 2024, 8:59 pm Eastern. "Funding under this program is to increase the capacity of publicly funded forensic DNA laboratories to conduct analysis of crime scene samples for entry into CODIS." It specifies that purchasing "new and more efficient instruments" is allowable.
FY24 Formula DNA Capacity Enhancement for Backlog Reduction (CEBR) Program. Grants.gov deadline is May 22, 2024, 8:59 pm Eastern. JustGrants deadline is June 3, 2024, 8:59 pm Eastern. This program is to help state and local DNA-analyzing crime labs to process and increase their capacity to process DNA samples that can be entered into CODIS. Buying "newer and more efficient instruments" is one of their suggestions. This grant has previously been successfully used to purchase M-Vac™ systems.
FY24 Emmett Till Cold Case Investigations and Prosecution Program. Grants.gov deadline is May 28, 2024, 8:59 pm Eastern. JustGrants deadline is June 4, 2024, 8:59 pm Eastern. The BJA's first stated goal with this grant is "to facilitate accountability, justice, and reconciliation for the thousands of cold case murder victims associated with civil rights violations by identifying, investigating, prosecuting, and resolving these cases."
FY24 Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grants Program—Competitive. Grants.gov deadline is June 24, 2024, 8:59 pm Eastern. JustGrants deadline is July 1, 2024, 8:59 pm Eastern. The BJA offers this grant to help improve "forensic science and medical examiner/coroner services, including services provided by laboratories operated by states and units of local government." Another objective is to "eliminate a backlog in the analysis of forensic science evidence..." 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.)
FY24 Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grants Program—Formula. Grants.gov deadline is June 24, 2024, 8:59 pm Eastern. JustGrants deadline is July 1, 2024, 8:59 pm Eastern. The BJA offers this grant, as well as the Competitive grant, to help improve "forensic science and medical examiner/coroner services," but this grant can only be applied for by states. Another objective is also to "eliminate a backlog in the analysis of forensic science evidence..."
FY24 Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Program. Grants.gov deadline is July 18, 2024, 8:59 pm Eastern. JustGrants deadline is July 25, 2024, 8:59 pm Eastern. The BJA is supporting law enforcement efforts in "...investigating and prosecuting hate crimes committed on the basis of a victim's perceived or actual race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability." Their first stated goal is to "Support state, local, and tribal law enforcement and prosecution agencies in their efforts to increase reporting of hate crimes and identification of hate crimes and to increase agency capacity to investigate and prosecute hate crimes." And one of the objectives is to "Increase the capacity of agencies to identify, report, investigate, and prosecute hate crimes." There will be a Webinar with more details and where participants can get questions answered. Watch the page on the link above for a date to be announced.

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.OVW Fiscal Year 2024 Enhancing Investigation and Prosecution of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking (EIP) Initiative - Solicitation. Grants.gov deadline is April 30, 2024 at 11:59 PM Eastern. JustGrants deadline is May 2, 2024 at 8:59 PM Eastern. In their description of this program, the OVW says this solicitation "is designed to promote, and evaluate, effective policing and prosecution responses to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking." It "encourages law enforcement agencies and/or prosecutors' offices to expand and improve their capacity to effectively investigate and/or prosecute" the above-mentioned crimes.

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 website combines the resources for all three grant making branches of the DOJ mentioned above.

Here is an example of a recent grant that was awarded specifically for implementing the M-Vac™. We have the draft of the application and permission to share it, so it is available upon request.

BJA Paul Coverdell Grant for 2020.

We would appreciate feedback on your successes in getting grant monies awarded for purchasing the M-Vac™ System. Your tips could help others succeed as well.