Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence - Inventory, Tracking, and Reporting, FY 2019 | NIJ 2019 15528

Opportunity Information: Apply for NIJ 2019 15528

The Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence - Inventory, Tracking, and Reporting (SAFE-ITR), FY 2019 opportunity is a discretionary grant program run by the Department of Justice's National Institute of Justice (NIJ). It is aimed at helping eligible states and units of local government build a clear, accurate picture of their sexual assault kit (SAK) holdings and case status by funding work to inventory SAKs, track them through relevant stages of handling and processing, and report their status in a consistent, documented way. The program is fundamentally about improving transparency and accountability around where kits are, what has happened to them, and what needs to happen next, rather than paying for laboratory testing itself.

A central requirement of this solicitation is that applicants do more than simply count kits. NIJ expects applicants to actively identify and prioritize those SAKs tied to cases where the ability to prosecute may soon be lost because the applicable statute or statutes of limitations are close to expiring. In practical terms, the grant is meant to support the development of processes that surface these time-sensitive cases from within the larger inventory, keep them visible through ongoing tracking, and ensure they are specifically addressed in reporting throughout the grant period. The goal is to help jurisdictions quickly recognize which cases may require urgent action so that other funding streams (or existing resources) can be used to move those kits toward testing and potential investigation before legal deadlines foreclose prosecution.

Because multiple other Office of Justice Programs funding streams support sexual assault evidence testing, NIJ makes it explicit that SAFE-ITR funds will not be awarded for the purpose of testing evidence. Instead, applicants must present detailed plans describing how they will (1) clearly identify potentially time-limited cases in their SAK inventory, (2) implement practical methods and approaches to track those cases once identified, and (3) report on the disposition of those cases during the award's period of performance. That emphasis on a detailed, operational plan indicates NIJ is looking for more than aspirational statements; it wants concrete steps, tools, and workflows that a jurisdiction will use to manage the inventory and ensure the most legally urgent cases do not get overlooked.

In terms of basic program logistics, the opportunity number is NIJ 2019 15528 and it is categorized under science and technology and other research and development activities, with CFDA number 16.741. Eligible applicants include state governments as well as county governments and city or township governments, with additional eligibility detail referenced in the solicitation. NIJ anticipated making about four awards, with an award ceiling of up to $1,000,000 per award. The solicitation was posted March 20, 2019, with an original application closing date of May 20, 2019. Overall, the opportunity is designed to help jurisdictions establish or strengthen the infrastructure for SAK inventory management and status reporting, while creating a clear mechanism to flag and monitor cases that are at risk of timing out under statutes of limitations so they can be prioritized for testing through other available resources.

• The Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence - Inventory, Tracking, and Reporting, FY 2019" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.741.
• This funding opportunity was created on Mar 20, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 20, 2019. (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 $1,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 4 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for NIJ 2019 15528

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: