Introduction

BJA Forensic Grants 101 – Forensic Grant Opportunities

BJA Forensic Grants 101 – Forensic Grant Opportunities

← Back to ASCLD Train the Director Series

This webinar originally occurred on March 10, 2022
Duration: 1 hour

Overview

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) is part of the U.S. Department of Justice's (DOJ) Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and helps to make American communities safer by strengthening the nation's criminal justice system. BJA is the DOJ agency dedicated to supporting forensic sciences by funding states, units of local government, and other forensic service providers to increase capacity and efficiency, improve services, obtain the necessary resources to meet workload demands, and ultimately better serve justice.

This presentation will outline over $100 million in forensic science grant opportunities funded by BJA including:

  • DNA Capacity Enhancement for Backlog Reduction (CEBR) Program
      • Assists eligible states and units of local government to process, record, screen, and analyze forensic DNA and/or DNA database samples and increases the capacity of public forensic DNA and DNA database laboratories to process more samples.
  • Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grants Program (Competitive and Formula)
      • Seeks to improve forensic science and medical examiner/coroner services, including services provided by laboratories operated by states and units of local government.
  • Postconviction Testing of DNA Evidence
      • Assists in defraying the costs associated with postconviction case review, evidence location, and DNA testing in violent felony cases (as defined by state law) where the results of such testing might show actual innocence.
  • Prosecuting Cold Cases using DNA Technology
      • Provides funds to prosecute violent crime cold cases and decrease the number of violent crime cold cases awaiting prosecution.
  • Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence - Inventory, Tracking, and Reporting Program (SAFE-ITR)
      • Funds states and units of local government to implement an evidence management program to inventory, track, and report untested and unsubmitted sexual assault kits.
  • Strengthening the Medical Examiner-Coroner System Program
      • Funding through this program is designed to increase the supply of forensic pathologists and support the enhancement of medicolegal death investigations nationwide.
  • The National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI)
      • Provides jurisdictions with resources to address their cold case sexual assaults/homicides.

Together, this forensic suite of programs is managed collectively by the BJA Programs and Policy offices to ensure funds are distributed and used in accordance with applicable law. This webinar is the first in a three-part BJA Forensic Grants 101 series about BJA’s forensic grant opportunities. See subsequent webinars Grant Application and Award Acceptance and Award Management for more information on how to apply for funding and how to manage a grant if awarded funding.

Detailed Learning Objectives

  1. Attendees will gain insight into the various forensic science programs available at BJA.
  2. Attendees will learn a brief history of each forensic science program at BJA.
  3. Attendees will review examples of relevant funded projects offered by BJA.

Presenter

  • Andrea Borchardt, M.S. | Senior Forensics Policy Advisor, Bureau of Justice Assistance

Funding for this Forensic Technology Center of Excellence webinar has been provided by the National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice.

The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this webinar are those of the presenter(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Contact us at ForensicCOE@rti.org with any questions and subscribe to our newsletter for notifications.


Related Content

Drug Surveillance Initiatives: An FTCOE Repository of Resources

Date December 2023 Overview In the realm of drug surveillance, a multitude of data sources originate from diverse funding agencies, including but not limited to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Centers for Disease Control…

Discussion of the FTCOE’s Guidance Document on Considerations for Photographic Documentation in Sexual Assault Cases

Publication Sexual Assault Report, January/February 2024 Author Mikalaa Martin | RTI International Overview In August 2022, the FTCOE published a report, Guidance Document on Considerations for Photographic Documentation in Sexual Assault Cases, which presents photographic documentation practices and techniques for…