BJA FY 20 Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence - Inventory, Tracking, and Reporting Program | BJA 2020 18439

Opportunity Information: Apply for BJA 2020 18439

The BJA FY 20 Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence - Inventory, Tracking, and Reporting Program is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), focused on helping jurisdictions get a clear, accountable handle on sexual assault kits (SAKs). The central purpose is not to pay for laboratory testing, but to support the foundational work that makes testing decisions timely, transparent, and defensible: building or strengthening an inventory of kits, creating reliable tracking practices, and reporting out the status of kits in a way that helps decision-makers understand what exists, where it is, and what is happening with it.

A core expectation of this program is that applicants do more than just count kits. Jurisdictions are expected to identify and prioritize kits connected to cases where prosecution could soon be blocked by the expiration of the applicable statute(s) of limitations. In practical terms, the program is pushing applicants to put a method in place to flag time-sensitive cases, document why they are time-sensitive, and ensure those kits rise to the top of the list for downstream actions such as testing through other funding sources. Because the Office of Justice Programs offers separate programs (through BJA and NIJ) that can fund testing, this specific program is designed to strengthen the intake, management, and decision workflow that surrounds the evidence, rather than covering the cost of the actual forensic analysis.

Applications are expected to include detailed plans describing how the applicant will clearly identify potentially time-limited cases within its SAK inventory, what systems or procedures will be used to track those cases over time, and how the jurisdiction will report on what happens to them during the award period. That reporting emphasis signals an accountability framework: the grant is meant to produce measurable improvements in how evidence is documented and monitored, and to show the disposition of prioritized, statute-of-limitations-sensitive cases as work progresses. In other words, the program is not just about setting up a spreadsheet or database; it is about implementing a process that can support consistent decision-making and public stewardship of evidence.

Eligible applicants include state governments and units of local government such as counties, cities or townships, and special district governments, with additional eligibility details referenced in the opportunity materials. The funding instrument is a grant, and the opportunity is categorized as discretionary. The CFDA number associated with the program is 16.741, and activity categories span areas such as law and justice, information and statistics, and science and technology-related research and development, reflecting the mix of criminal justice administration and evidence-management infrastructure involved.

From an award structure standpoint, the listed maximum award amount is $1,000,000, with an expectation of around five awards. The opportunity was created on April 16, 2020, and the original application closing date was June 15, 2020. The opportunity number is BJA 2020 18439. Overall, the program is best understood as an evidence-management and case-prioritization initiative aimed at improving visibility and accountability around sexual assault kits, with a specific emphasis on preventing cases from becoming non-prosecutable simply because key evidence was not identified and prioritized before legal time limits ran out.

• The Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance in the humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda), information and statistics, law, justice and legal services, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BJA FY 20 Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence - Inventory, Tracking, and Reporting Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.741.
• This funding opportunity was created on Apr 16, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 15, 2020. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for BJA 2020 18439

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