The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) is seeking applications for its Strengthening the Medical Examiner-Coroner System Program.
Donor Name: Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)
State: All States
County: All Counties
Territory: Puerto Rico, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 10/06/2025
Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: 3 Years
Details:
This NOFO addresses capacity challenges within the Medical Examiner/Coroner (ME/C) system brought on by strict industry caps on the number of autopsies that certified pathologists can perform in a calendar year. This perennial challenge has been exacerbated by extraordinary spikes in opioid-related fatalities and the COVID pandemic. This funding will strengthen the ME/C system by increasing the number of certified forensic pathologists and enhancing the quality of medicolegal death investigations nationwide.
Specifically, through this program, BJA will award funding for:
- Category 1: Forensic pathology fellowships
- This category will increase the number of qualified forensic pathology practitioners by recruiting candidates who have completed the necessary medical education and pathology residency requirements.
- Category 2: Resources necessary for ME/C offices to achieve and maintain accreditation
- This category will strengthen the quality and consistency of ME/C services by ensuring agencies performing postmortem examinations are following industry and professional standards and performance criteria, thereby increasing public trust in these services.
Funding Information
Total Amount To Be Awarded Under This Funding Opportunity: $1,750,000
- Category 1: Forensic Pathology Fellowships
- Anticipated Award Ceiling: Up to $150,000 for 1 Fellow; Up to $300,000 for 2 Fellows
- Anticipated Period of Performance Start Date: October 1, 2025
- Anticipated Period of Performance Duration: 36 months
- Category 2: Medical Examiner Coroner Office Accreditation
- Anticipated Award Ceiling: Up to $100,000
- Anticipated Period of Performance Duration: 36 months
Eligibility Criteria
The types of entities that are eligible to apply for this funding opportunity are listed below:
- Government Entities
- State governments
- County governments
- City or township governments
- Special district governments
- Native American Tribal governments (federally recognized)
- Native American Tribal governments (other than federally recognized)
- Educational Organizations
- Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education
- Private institutions of higher education
- Nonprofit Organizations
- Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), other than institutions of higher education
- Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
- For-Profit Organizations
- Organizations other than small businesses
Other units of local government State Government Entities:
For the purposes of this NOFO, “state” means any state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
