The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) is accepting applications for its Postconviction Testing of DNA Evidence Program.
Donor Name: Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)
State: All States
County: All Counties
U.S. Territory: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 10/10/2025
Size of the Grant: $500,000 to $1 million
Grant Duration: 3 Years
Details:
This funding opportunity assists in defraying the costs associated with postconviction case review, evidence location, and DNA testing in violent felony cases where the results of such testing might show actual innocence.
This program’s primary goal is to assist states and units of local government with postconviction DNA testing in cases of violent felony offenses where actual innocence might be demonstrated.
Under Category 1, funds help to defray the costs (e.g., additional personnel, overtime, testing supplies, and services) associated with postconviction DNA testing for violent felony offenses in which actual innocence might be demonstrated. Funds may be used to review suitable postconviction cases and locate and analyze biological evidence.
Under Category 2, funds assist entities to improve the preservation of biological evidence and/or modernize record retention for postconviction violent felony offenses in which actual innocence might be demonstrated.
Goal 1 (Category 1): Conduct review of cases involving violent felony offenses where actual innocence might be demonstrated through the use of DNA testing.
- Objective 1: Identify potential postconviction DNA testing cases.
- Objective 2: Review appropriate postconviction cases to identify those in which DNA testing could prove the actual innocence of a person convicted of a violent felony offense as defined by state law.
- Objective 3: Locate biological evidence associated with such postconviction cases.
- Objective 4: Perform DNA analysis of appropriate biological evidence and report and review the DNA test results.
Goal 2 (Category 2): Improve practices involving preservation of biological evidence and/or modernization of record retention in adjudicated cases.
- Objective 1: Locate, record, store, and retain biological evidence in adjudicated cases in accordance with best practices.
- Objective 2: Modernize evidence retention practices for biological evidence in accordance with best practices.
- Objective 3: Modernize and digitize the storage of existing files and records in adjudicated cases.
- Objective 4: Implement modern, digitized file and record retention systems.
Funding Information
Category 1: Case reviews and DNA testing
- Total Amount To Be Awarded Under This Funding Opportunity: $8,832,940
- Anticipated Award Ceiling: Up to $1,000,000
- Period of Performance Duration: 36 months
Category 2: Improve preservation of biological evidence and/or modernization of record storage systems
- Anticipated Award Ceiling: Up to $1,000,000
- 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
- Educational Organizations
- Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education
- Other
- 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.
