With this solicitation, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) seeks to fund applications to the FY 2024 Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grants Program – Competitive (Coverdell Competitive Program) to improve forensic science and medical examiner/coroner services, including services provided by laboratories operated by states and units of local government.
Donor Name: Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)
State: All States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 06/24/2024
Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: 3 Years
Details:
The goal of Coverdell grants to applicant states is to demonstrate improvement over current operations in forensic science or medical examiner/coroner services provided in the state, including services provided by laboratories operated by the state and services provided by laboratories operated by units of local government within the state. Reduction in forensic analysis backlogs is considered an improvement in timeliness of services.
The goal of Coverdell grants made directly to units of local government is to demonstrate improvement over current operations in forensic science or medical examiner/coroner services provided by the local jurisdiction.
Objectives
A state or unit of local government that receives a Coverdell grant must use the grant for one or more of the following six objectives:
- To carry out all or a substantial part of a program intended to improve the quality and timeliness of forensic science or medical examiner/coroner services in the state, including those services provided by laboratories operated by the state and those operated by units of local government within the state.
- To eliminate a backlog in the analysis of forensic science evidence, including, among other things, a backlog with respect to firearms examination, latent prints, impression evidence, toxicology, digital evidence, fire evidence, controlled substances, forensic pathology, questioned documents, and trace evidence.
- To train, assist, and employ forensic laboratory personnel and medicolegal death investigators, as needed, to eliminate such a backlog.
- To address emerging forensic science issues (such as statistics, contextual bias, and uncertainty of measurement) and emerging forensic science technology (such as high throughput automation, statistical software, and new types of instrumentation).
- To educate and train forensic pathologists.
- To fund medicolegal death investigation systems to facilitate accreditation of medical examiner and coroner offices and certification of medicolegal death investigators.
Funding Information
- Anticipated Total Amount to Be Awarded Under This Solicitation: $4,547,937.
- Anticipated Maximum Dollar Amount per Award: up to $500,000.
Project Period
36 months
Eligibility Criteria
- State governments
- City or township governments
- County governments
For the purposes of this notice of funding opportunity, “state” means any state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
