BJA FY 21 Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grants Program (formula)

The Department of Justice is committed to advancing work that promotes civil rights, increases access to justice, supports crime victims, protects the public from crime and evolving threats, and builds trust between law enforcement and the community. BJA seeks proposals for formula funding under the Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grants Program (the Coverdell Program), which awards grants to states and units of local government to improve forensic science and medical examiner/coroner services. Under the Coverdell Program, State Administering Agencies (SAAs) may apply for both formula...

For purposes of this solicitation— A state/local government entity performing forensic science services is considered a “forensic science laboratory” if it employs one or more full-time scientists: With a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in a natural or formal science (e.g., chemistry, physics, biology, computer science, or a closely related field) and Whose principal function is to examine, analyze, and interpret physical and/or digital evidence in criminal matters and provide reports and testimony to courts of law regarding such evidence. Law enforcement units operating outside of the crime laboratory function, such as crime scene units and other entities that engage exclusively in evidence collection and documentation, are not forensic science laboratories for these purposes. Medical examiner and coroner offices are treated as forensic science laboratories.   State Administering Agencies (SAAs) apply on behalf of states, including any state government entity. For purposes of this solicitation, the term “state” means any state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virginia Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. All recipients and subrecipients (including any for-profit organization) must forgo any profit or management fee.

For technical assistance with submitting the SF-424 and SF-LLL in Grants.gov, contact the Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline at 800-518-4726, 606-545-5035, Grants.gov customer support webpage, or email at support@grants.gov. The Grants.gov Support Hotline operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except on federal holidays. For technical assistance with submitting the full application in DOJ's Justice Grants System (JustGrants), contact the JustGrants Service Desk at JustGrants.Support@usdoj.gov or 833-872-5175. The JustGrants Service Desk operates 5 a.m. to 9.p.m. eastern time, Monday-Friday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sunday, and federal holidays. An applicant that experiences unforeseen Grants.gov or JustGrants technical issues beyond its control that prevent it from submitting its application by the deadline must email the National Criminal Justice Reference Service Response Center (Response Center) at grants@ncjrs.gov within 24 hours after the application deadline to request approval to submit its application after the deadline. For assistance with any other requirements of this solicitation, contact the Response Center by telephone at 800-851-3420 or TTY: 301-240-6310 (hearing impaired only) or by email at grants@ncjrs.gov. Response Center hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. eastern time Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. eastern time on the solicitation close date. grants@ncjrs.gov