U.S. Department of Justice 

Office of Justice Programs 

National Institute of Justice 

The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice 

is seeking applications for improving the efficiency and capacity of public forensic DNA 

laboratories. This furthers the Department’s mission to seek new means and techniques 

of increasing the capacity of the Nation’s DNA laboratories. These improvements are 

critical to preventing future DNA backlogs and to helping the criminal justice system 

realize the full potential of DNA technology. 

Solicitation: 

Forensic DNA Unit Efficiency Improvement 

Eligibility 

 (See “Eligibility,” page 5) 

Deadline 

Registration with Grants.gov is required prior to application submission. 

(See “Registration,” page 4) 

DUE DATE EXTENDED 

All applications are now due March 26, 2009, 11:59 p.m. eastern time, extended from 

March 23, 2009. 

Contact Information 

For assistance with the requirements of this solicitation, contact Mark S. Nelson, Senior 

Program Manager, at 202–616–1960 or Mark.S.Nelson@usdoj.gov or Minh Nguyen, 

Program Manager, at 202–305–2664 or Minh.Nguyen@usdoj.gov. 

This application must be submitted through Grants.gov. For technical assistance with 

submitting the application, call the Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline at 

1–800–518–4726 or send an e-mail to support@grants.gov. 

Note: The Grants.gov Support Hotline hours of operation are Monday–Friday from 

7 a.m. to 9 p.m. eastern time. 

Grants.gov Funding Opportunity No. NIJ–2009–2005 

SL# 000867 
CONTENTS 

Overview ........................................................................................................................... 3
 

Deadline: Registration....................................................................................................... 4 

Deadline: Application ........................................................................................................ 4 

Eligibility ............................................................................................................................ 5 

Specific Information ........................................................................................................... 5 

Performance Measures ..................................................................................................... 8 

How to Apply..................................................................................................................... 9 

What an Application Must Include................................................................................... 10 

Selection Criteria............................................................................................................. 12 

Review Process .............................................................................................................. 14 

Additional Requirements................................................................................................. 15 

2
 
Forensic DNA Unit Efficiency Improvement

CFDA No. 16.741 

Overview 

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) is the research, development, and evaluation 

agency of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and a component of the Office of 

Justice Programs (OJP). NIJ provides objective, independent, evidence-based 

knowledge and tools to enhance the administration of justice and public safety. NIJ 

solicits applications to inform its search for the knowledge and tools to guide policy and 

practice. 

Enhanced DNA laboratory capacity is critical for public crime laboratories to meet the 

increasing demand from the criminal justice community for DNA testing services. More 

law enforcement officers are realizing the importance of collecting, preserving, and 

submitting forensic evidence from both violent and nonviolent crime scenes, resulting in 

sharp increases in submissions of DNA evidence to the Nation’s public crime 

laboratories. In addition, the passage of State statutes expanding DNA sample 

collections from offenders convicted of violent crimes to all felons upon conviction and, in 

many jurisdictions, to all arrestees has further increased the workload of public forensic 

laboratories. Innovative ideas and programs are necessary in order to have significant 

impacts on the growing capacity needs of these laboratories. 

With this solicitation, NIJ is seeking proposals from States and units of local government 

for projects to improve the efficiency and capacity of public forensic DNA laboratories 

through the development and adoption of an improved laboratory process. Eligible public 

forensic DNA laboratories may submit proposals for projects that will increase capacity 

to meet the mission-critical needs of these laboratories within the scope of this 

solicitation. Priority consideration will be given to proposals that involve novel or 

innovative solutions and/or have the potential to affect the entire DNA forensic 

community. NIJ’s objective is to publish successful, carefully evaluated, and novel 

efficiency improvement methodologies as models to be considered by other public 

forensic laboratories. 

This solicitation will not fund proposals seeking to support efficiency and capacity 

enhancement projects that would duplicate projects eligible for support and planned to 

be supported under the FY2009 Forensic DNA Backlog Reduction Program. 

Applications must include a detailed plan that clearly describes how FY 2009 Forensic 

DNA Unit Efficiency Improvement Program funds will be used to meet the goals of this 

solicitation. Highest priority will be given to proposals that focus on the implementation of 

an innovative approach suitable for publication by NIJ as a model program for the 

forensic community. 

3
 
Deadline: Registration 

Registering with Grants.gov is a one-time process; however, processing delays may 

occur and it can take up to several weeks for first-time registrants to receive 

confirmations/user passwords. OJP highly recommends that applicants start the 

registration process as early as possible to prevent delays in submitting an application 

package to our agency by the application deadline specified. The registration process for 

organizations involves these steps: (1) Obtain a Data Universal Numbering System 

(DUNS) number; (2) Register your organization with the Central Contractor Registration 

(CCR) database; (3) Register with Grants.gov’s Credential Provider and obtain a 

username and password; (4) Register with Grants.gov to establish yourself as an 

Authorized Organization Representative (AOR); and (5) The E-Business Point of 

Contact (POC) assigns the “Authorized Applicant Role” to you. For more information 

about the registration process, go to www.grants.gov. Note: Your CCR must be 

renewed once a year. Failure to renew the CCR may prohibit submission of a grant 

application through Grants.gov. 

Deadline: Application 

The due date for applying for funding under this announcement is March 26, 2009, 

11:59 p.m. eastern time. 

Within 24 to 48 hours after submitting your electronic application, you should receive an 

e-mail validation message from Grants.gov. The validation message will tell you whether 

the application has been received and validated or has been rejected, and why. 

Important: You are urged to submit your application at least 72 hours prior to the due 

date of the application to allow time to receive the validation message and to correct any 

problems that may have caused the rejection notification. 

If you experience unforeseen Grants.gov technical issues beyond your control, you must 

contact OJP staff within 24 hours after the due date and request approval to submit 

your application. At that time, OJP staff will require you to e-mail the complete grant 

application along with your DUNS number and provide a Grants.gov Help Desk tracking 

number(s). After OJP reviews all of the information submitted and contacts Grants.gov to 

validate the technical issues reported by the applicant, OJP will contact you to either 

approve or deny the request. 

To ensure a fair competition for limited discretionary funds, the following conditions are 

not valid reasons to permit late submissions: (1) failure to begin the registration process 

in sufficient time; (2) failure to follow Grants.gov instructions on how to register and apply 

as posted on its Web site; (3) failure to follow all of the instructions in the OJP 

solicitation; and (4) technical issues experienced with the applicant’s computer or 

information technology (IT) environment. 

Notifications regarding known technical problems with Grants.gov are posted on the OJP 

funding web page, www.ojp.gov/funding/solicitations.htm. 

4
 
Eligibility 

Eligible applicants for funding are States1

 and units of local government with existing 

crime laboratories that conduct DNA analysis that: 

•	 Undergo external audits not less than once every 2 years to demonstrate 

compliance with DNA Quality Assurance Standards established by the Director of 

the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and 

•	 Are accredited by a nonprofit professional association of persons actively 

involved in forensic science that is nationally recognized within the forensic 

science community. 

Each eligible applicant must satisfy the specific application requirements outlined in this 

announcement (including those concerning permissible expenses), the general 

requirements for NIJ and OJP grants, and all other applicable legal requirements. 

Specific Information—Forensic DNA Unit Efficiency 

Improvement 

Award Purposes, Goals and Objectives, and Deliverables 

The purpose of the FY 2009 Forensic DNA Unit Efficiency Improvement Program is to 

provide a unique opportunity for States and units of local government to develop and 

implement a program to improve the capacity and efficiency of applicants’ DNA units. 

Public crime laboratories that have mission-critical capacity needs that are not currently 

being met under Forensic DNA Backlog Reduction Program awards are encouraged to 

apply for assistance; however, priority consideration will be given to proposals that 

present novel or innovative approaches, with additional consideration given to projects 

that have the potential to affect the entire forensic DNA community. NIJ’s objective is to 

publish one or more successful, carefully evaluated, and novel efficiency improvement 

program awards as model programs. Such a publication would assist other State and 

local government forensic DNA laboratories to implement similar strategies and 

subsequently increase efficiency and capacity. 

Forensic DNA analysis has played a crucial role in the investigation and resolution of 

thousands of violent crimes since the late 1980s. Since 2004, NIJ has provided 

hundreds of millions of dollars to State and local government forensic DNA laboratories. 

A principal goal of this funding has been to increase laboratories’ capacity to process 

forensic DNA samples and to eliminate or significantly reduce backlogs of DNA samples 

awaiting analysis. Recent trends are showing that although forensic laboratories are 

increasing sample throughput per analyst, many have not reduced turnaround times or 

backlogs of unanalyzed samples significantly because of the rapid increase in forensic 

DNA sample submissions. Through this solicitation, NIJ is seeking integrated and 

complete approaches to improve DNA laboratory efficiency that will result in laboratory 

throughput capabilities that will exceed current and future increases in the demand for 

DNA analysis. 

1

 For purposes of this announcement, the term “State” includes the District of Columbia, the 

Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, the 

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands. 

5
 
The applicant must, in the proposal narrative, clearly define the problem, the proposed 

solution, and performance measures (in addition to those specifically listed in this 

announcement) that will be collected in order to objectively evaluate the impact of the 

proposed project activities. As applicants develop their proposal, they should consider 

including a needs assessment and a process evaluation of their DNA workflow as part of 

their development plan, if they have not already done so—with the ultimate goal of 

improving their capacity to reach a 30-day turn around time. 

NIJ plans to use an external entity to evaluate and report on the efficacy of selected 

projects funded under this program, and applicants must commit to working with the 

chosen external evaluating entity. Award recipients must cooperate with NIJ and this 

external evaluator to ensure that deliverables such as performance measures, progress 

reports, and the final report will provide the necessary data and materials to meet NIJ’s 

objective to publish successful, carefully evaluated, and novel efficiency improvement 

methodologies as models to be considered and potentially replicated by other public 

forensic science laboratories. Examples of activities with which the recipient must 

cooperate may include, but are not limited to, site visits by NIJ officials and/or 

representatives of the external evaluator, submission of progress reports, requests for 

case studies, and responses to any assessments, evaluations, or data requests made 

by NIJ and/or the selected outside evaluator. It may be that, in order to demonstrate the 

true effectiveness of the proposed project, some requests for information may continue 

after the award has ended. Due to the nature of this solicitation, applicants can expect 

significant input from and communications with NIJ program managers and/or external 

evaluators throughout the award period and after the award period ends. 

Award Period 

All awards will start on the same date of October 1, 2009. In general, NIJ will limit its 

awards under this program to a maximum period of 18 months after the start of the 

award (from October 1, 2009 to March 31, 2011). If necessary, requests for no-cost 

extensions of award periods submitted through the Grants Management System will be 

considered. Applicants should be aware, however, that the total period of an award 

ordinarily will not exceed 3 years. 

Match Requirement (Cash Only) 

A grant made under this program may not cover more than 75% of the total costs of the 

project being funded. The applicant must identify the source of the 25% non-Federal 

portion of the budget and how match funds will be used. Applicants must satisfy this 

match requirement with cash only. The formula for calculating match funds is: 

Award Amount = Adjusted Project Costs X Recipient’s Share = Required Match 

Federal Share 

Example: 75/25% match requirement 

For a Federal award amount of $350,000, match funds would be calculated as 

follows:

 $350,000 = $466,667 X 25% = $116,667 match funds 

75% 

6
 
What will not be funded: 

This program is not meant to be a supplement to Forensic DNA Backlog Reduction 

Program awards made in the current or previous fiscal years and, in general, funding will 

not be provided for: 

•	 Handling, screening, and/or analysis of forensic DNA case or convicted offender 

and/or arrestee samples.* 

•	 Personnel costs (including hired, overtime, or contract labor) to handle, screen, or 

analyze forensic DNA case or convicted offender and/or arrestee samples.* 

•	 Laboratory instruments, computers, standard LIMS systems, or robotic 

workstations as standalone requests for which funding is available through another 

source.* 

•	 Continuing education costs and associated travel costs. 

•	 Accreditation costs and fees. 

•	 Proposals that are nonresponsive to the general goals of this solicitation. 

*These activities may be considered for funding if they are presented as part of a project 

which, upon implementation, resolves a mission-critical need that is not currently being 

met by current local, State, or Federal funding sources. Additionally, if a proposed 

innovative or novel approach requires the implementation of any of the above identified 

activities, then the use of awarded funds for these activities may be approved. Above 

activities not identified by an asterisk (*) will not be considered for funding. 

Cost of proposed work: Total funding for this solicitation and the number of awards 

made will depend on the availability of funds, the quality of the applications, and other 

pertinent factors. All awards are subject to the availability of appropriated funds 

and to any modifications or additional requirements that may be imposed by law. 

If feasible, NIJ recommends that applicants divide the proposed work into discrete 

phases, with each phase resulting in the delivery of a measurable deliverable. Although 

NIJ cannot guarantee that subsequent phases, stages, or tasks will be funded, this 

approach will enable NIJ to fund the proposed work incrementally, depending on, among 

other things, the quality of the deliverable at the end of each phase, strategic priorities, 

and the availability of funds. However, applicants should not divide their work if it is not 

feasible to do so without impairing the technical and programmatic soundness of their 

approach. Note: Deliverables (e.g., technical reports, proof-of-concept demonstrations, 

prototypes, etc.) will be required at the end of each phase to enable NIJ to assess the 

progress of the work and assist NIJ in making reasoned determinations as to the 

suitability of funding the next phase of the work. 

Applicants should be aware that the total period of an award, including one that receives 

additional funding, ordinarily will not exceed 3 years. 

Limitation on use of award funds for employee compensation; waiver: No portion 

of any award of more than $250,000 made under this solicitation may be used to pay 

7
 
any portion of the total cash compensation (salary plus bonuses) of any employee of the 

award recipient whose total cash compensation exceeds 110 percent of the maximum 

annual salary payable to a member of the Federal Government’s Senior Executive 

Service (SES) at an agency with a Certified SES Performance Appraisal System for that 

year. (The salary table for SES employees is available at http://www.opm.gov.) 

This prohibition may be waived at the discretion of the Assistant Attorney General for the 

Office of Justice Programs. An applicant that wishes to request a waiver should include 

a detailed justification in the budget narrative for the application. The justification should 

include: the particular qualification and expertise of the individual, the uniqueness of the 

service being provided, the individual’s specific knowledge of the program or project 

undertaken with the grant funds and a statement explaining that the individual’s salary is 

commensurate with the regular and customary rate for an individual with her/his 

qualifications and expertise, and for the work that is to be done. 

Performance Measures 

To assist in fulfilling the Department’s responsibilities under the Government 

Performance and Results Act (GPRA), P.L. 103–62, applicants who receive funding 

under this solicitation must provide data that measure the results of their work. 

Additionally, applicants must discuss their data collection methods in the application. 

Performance measures for this solicitation are as follows: 

Objective Performance Measures Data Grantee Provides 

To improve DNA Reduction in the average number Average number of days between 

analysis capacity of of days between the submission the submission of a request for DNA 

existing State and local of a request for DNA analysis to analysis to the laboratory and the 

government crime the laboratory and the delivery of delivery of the test results at the 

laboratories that conduct the test results. beginning of the grant period. 

DNA analysis. Increase in DNA analysis Average number of days between 

To reduce backlogged throughput for the laboratory. the submission of a request for DNA 

requests for DNA 

analysis in State and 

local government crime 

Percent reduction in the backlog 

of requests for DNA analysis. 

analysis to a laboratory and the 

delivery of the test results at the end 

of the reporting period. 

laboratories. Average number of DNA samples 

analyzed per analyst at the 

beginning of the grant period. 

Average number of DNA samples 

analyzed per analyst at the end of 

the reporting period. 

Number of backlogged requests for 

DNA analysis at the beginning of the 

award period. 

Number of backlogged requests for 

DNA analysis at the end of the 

award period. 

The applicant may also provide additional performance measures specifically targeted to 

demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed plan and the elimination of “bottlenecks” 

identified in their proposal. Applicants presenting mission-critical needs as part of a 

8 
proposed project must include, in the application program narrative, historical and 

baseline performance measures that provide evidence of an existing and/or growing 

capacity issue that, if left unaddressed, will impede the applicant laboratory’s ability to 

fulfill its mission to the forensic community. Semi-annual performance measures must be 

collected and submitted with the semi-annual progress reports. Additional performance 

measures may be requested by the external evaluator of the project and these will be 

submitted on a schedule determined by the external evaluator. 

How to Apply 

DOJ participates in Grants.gov—a “one-stop storefront” that provides a unified process 

for all customers of Federal grants to find funding opportunities and apply for funding. 

Grants.Gov Instructions: Complete instructions can be found at www.grants.gov. 

If you experience difficulties at any point during this process, please call the Grants.gov 

Customer Support Hotline at 1–800–518–4726, Monday–Friday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
 

eastern time. 

Funding Opportunities With Multiple Purpose Areas: Some OJP solicitations posted 

to Grants.gov contain multiple purpose areas, denoted by the individual Competition ID. 

If you are applying to a solicitation with multiple Competition IDs, you must select the 

appropriate Competition ID for the intended purpose area of your application. The 

application will be peer reviewed according to the requirements of the purpose area 

under which it is submitted. 

Note: OJP’s Grants Management System (GMS) does not support Microsoft Vista 

or Microsoft 2007. Therefore, OJP will not review any application whose 

attachments are in Microsoft Vista or Microsoft 2007 format. GMS downloads 

applications from Grants.gov and is the system in which OJP reviews applications and 

manages awarded grants. Applications submitted via GMS must be in the following 

formats: Microsoft Word (*.doc), Word Perfect (*.wpd), Microsoft Excel (*.xls), PDF files 

(*.pdf), or Text Documents (*.txt). GMS is not yet compatible with Vista and cannot yet 

process Microsoft Word 2007 documents saved in the new default format with the 

extensions of “.docx.” Please ensure the documents you are submitting in Grants.gov 

are saved using “Word 97–2003 Document (*.doc)” format. Additionally, GMS does not 

accept executable file types as application attachments. These disallowed file types 

include, but are not limited to, the following extensions: ".com," ".bat," ".exe," ".vbs," 

".cfg," ".dat," ".db," ".dbf," ".dll," ".ini," ".log," ".ora," ".sys," and ".zip." 

CFDA Number: The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number for this 

solicitation is 16.741 and the Grants.gov funding opportunity number is NIJ–2009–2005. 

A DUNS number is required: The Office of Management and Budget requires that all 

businesses and nonprofit applicants for Federal funds include a DUNS (Data Universal 

Numbering System) number in their application for a new award or renewal of an award. 

Applications without a DUNS number are incomplete. A DUNS number is a unique ninedigit sequence recognized as the universal standard for identifying and keeping track of 

entities receiving Federal funds. The identifier is used for tracking purposes and to 

validate address and point-of-contact information for Federal assistance applicants, 

9
 
recipients, and subrecipients. The DUNS number will be used throughout the grant life 

cycle. Obtaining a DUNS number is a free, simple, one-time activity. Obtain one by 

calling 1–866–705–5711 or by applying online at http://www.dnb.com/us. Individuals are 

exempt from this requirement. 

Central Contractor Registration (CCR) is required: In addition to the DUNS number 

requirement, OJP requires that all applicants (other than individuals) for Federal financial 

assistance maintain current registrations in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) 

database. The CCR database is the repository for standard information about Federal 

financial assistance applicants, recipients, and subrecipients. Organizations that have 

previously submitted applications via Grants.gov are already registered with CCR, as it 

is a requirement for Grants.gov registration. Please note, however, that applicants must 

update or renew their CCR at least once per year to maintain an active status. 

Information about registration procedures can be accessed at www.ccr.gov. 

What an Application Must Include 

Those interested in submitting applications in response to this announcement must 

complete the required application forms and related documents. 

An application must include the following: 

Required Documents 

Standard Form 424 

•	 Item 8: Type of Application—“New.” 

•	 Item 9: Name of Federal Agency—“National Institute of Justice.” 

•	 Item 10: Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA)—For this 

Program, the number is 16.741. 

•	 Item 11: Descriptive Title of Applicant’s Project—“FY 2009 Forensic DNA 

Unit Efficiency Improvement Program—[YOUR AGENCY NAME].” 

•	 Item 13: Proposed Project Dates—For this program, the proposed project 

dates should be “October 1, 2009 to March 31, 2011.” 

•	 Item 16: Is Application Subject to Review by State Executive Order 12372 

Process?—A listing of States that have participated in this process can be 

found at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html. 

Program Narrative 

The Program Narrative includes: 

a. Abstract (not to exceed 600 words). 

• The proposal abstract should serve as a succinct and accurate 

description of the proposed work. Applicants should concisely describe 

project goals and objectives, project plans, and methods for achieving 

10
 
the goals. Once an award has been granted, the abstract is 

computerized and serves as a summary available to all interested parties 

for the duration of the grant. 

b. Table of contents. 

c. Main body, which includes: 

• Purpose, goals, and objectives. 

• Review of relevant literature. 

• Project design and methods. 

• Implications for criminal justice policy and practice in the United States. 

• Management plan and organization. 

• Dissemination strategy. 

d. Appendixes (not counted against program narrative page limit) include: 

• Bibliography/References (if applicable). 

• List of key personnel (required). 

• Résumés of key personnel (required). 

• List of previous and current NIJ awards (required). 

• Letters of cooperation/support or administrative agreements from 

organizations collaborating in the project (if applicable). 

• Chart for timeline, research calendar, or milestones (required). 

• Other materials required by the solicitation. 

- Baseline performance measures: A statement of (a) the current 

length of time it takes to handle, screen, or analyze a forensic 

DNA request from submission to delivery of forensic DNA test 

results; (b) the average number of DNA samples analyzed per 

analyst per month; and (c) the estimated number of forensic DNA 

requests in backlog as of the application date. If necessary to 

justify a mission critical need, historical performance measures 

must also be provided as appropriate. 

- Statement of eligibility: A statement that the applicant meets all 

eligibility requirements in this announcement and documentation 

of eligibility. Each eligibility requirement should be listed and 

addressed individually. Where possible, supporting evidence 

should be provided. 

- Statement of cooperation: A statement that the applicant will 

cooperate with the external reviewer for the purpose of evaluating 

the project as well as to disseminate information resulting from the 

project to the forensic community. 

Budget Detail Worksheet 

The Budget Detail Worksheet should address the full scope, duration, and cost of the 

project. The Budget Detail Worksheet should include a breakdown of costs associated 

with each budget category, including itemizations and calculations where necessary. 

Templates for filling out the Budget Detail Worksheet may be found online at 

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/funding/forms/budget_detail.pdf, OJP Standard Forms & 

Instructions. If you have any questions, please contact the Office of the Chief Financial 

Officer's Customer Service Center at 1–800–458–0786. To reduce the risk of math 

errors, NIJ encourages the use of the Microsoft Excel version of the detail budget 

worksheet. 

11
 
Budget Narrative 

The Budget Narrative is a plain-language description of each of the proposed 

expenditures listed in the Budget Detail Worksheet. It should clearly explain the purpose 

and reason for all expenditures in the budget. There should be no ambiguities about any 

budget item. The narrative should also include details for calculated rates or other 

figures. 

As with the Budget Detail Worksheet, the Budget Narrative must be broken down on a 

year-by-year basis. 

Data Collection Plan 

The Data Collection Plan is a description of the applicant’s plan for the collection of the 

data required for performance measures. 

Proof of Accreditation (required): Submit an electronic (scanned) copy of the current 

accreditation certificate of the applicant’s DNA laboratory. 

Indirect Rate Agreement (if applicable) 

Applicants that do not have a federally negotiated indirect cost rate and wish to establish 

one can submit a proposal to their “cognizant” Federal agency. Generally, the cognizant 

Federal agency is the agency that provides the preponderance of direct Federal funding. 

This can be determined by reviewing an organization’s schedule of Federal financial 

assistance. If DOJ is your cognizant Federal agency, obtain information needed to 

submit an indirect cost rate proposal at 

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/financialguide/part3/part3chap17.htm. 

Other Program Attachments 

These include several forms, available on OJP’s funding page at 

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/funding/forms.htm. 

Page limit: The program narrative section of your proposal must not exceed 25 doublespaced pages in 12-point font with 1-inch margins. Abstracts, tables of contents, charts, 

figures, appendixes, and government forms do not count toward the 25-page limit for the 

narrative section. 

Selection Criteria 

Successful applicants must demonstrate the following: 

Statement of the Problem/Program Narrative (Understanding of the problem and its 

importance)—10% 

Include appropriate citations and other information to demonstrate an understanding 

of the problem, both within the areas affected by the applicant laboratory and 

throughout the Nation’s forensic community. This statement should also address the 

importance of the problem and include a discussion on the need for resolution for the 

overall forensic community. 

12
 
Project/Program Design and Implementation (Quality and technical merit)—25% 

1. Awareness of the state of current research or technology. 

2. Soundness of methodology and analytic and technical approach. 

3. Feasibility of proposed project and awareness of pitfalls. 

4. Innovation and creativity (when appropriate). 

Capabilities/Competencies (Capabilities, demonstrated productivity, and experience of 

applicants)—10% 

1. Qualifications and experience of proposed staff. 

2. Demonstrated ability of proposed staff and organization to manage the effort. 

3. Adequacy of the plan to manage the project, including how various tasks are 

subdivided and resources are used. 

4. Successful past performance on NIJ grants and contracts. 

Budget—10% 

1. Total cost of the project relative to the perceived benefit. 

2. Appropriateness of the budget relative to the level of effort. 

3. Use of existing resources to conserve costs. 

Impact/Outcomes and Evaluation/Plan for Collecting Data for Performance 

Measures (Relevance to policy and practice)—25% 

1. Potential for significant advances in scientific or technical understanding of the 

problem. 

2. Potential for significant advances in the field; specifically, increasing capacity and 

efficiencies of DNA forensic unit operations. 

3. Relevance for improving the policy and practice of criminal justice and related 

agencies and improving public safety, security, and quality of life. 

4. Affordability and cost-effectiveness of proposed end products, when applicable 

(e.g., purchase price and maintenance costs for a new technology, or cost of 

training to use the technology). 

5. Perceived potential for implementation of a new technology (when applicable). 

Dissemination Strategy—5% 

1. Well-defined plan for the grant recipient to disseminate results to appropriate 

audiences, including researchers, practitioners, and policymakers. 

2. Suggestions for print and electronic products NIJ might develop for practitioners 

and policymakers. 

Relevance of the project for policy and practice—15% 

Higher quality applications clearly explain the practical implications of the project. They 

connect technical expertise with criminal justice policy and practice. To ensure that the 

project has strong relevance for policy and practice, some applicants may collaborate 

with researchers and other external organizations. You may include letters showing 

support from these researchers or external organizations, but they carry less weight than 

clear evidence that you understand why the field would benefit from the work and how 

beneficiaries would use it. While a partnership may affect State or local activities, it 

should also have broader implications for others across the country. 

13
 
Review Process 

OJP is committed to ensuring a standardized process for awarding grants. NIJ reviews 

the application to make sure that the information presented is reasonable, 

understandable, measurable, achievable, and consistent with program or legislative 

requirements as stated in the solicitation. 

Peer reviewers will be reviewing the applications submitted under this solicitation as 

well. NIJ may use either internal peer reviewers, external peer reviewers, or a 

combination of both to review the applications under this solicitation. An external peer 

reviewer is an expert in the field of the subject matter of a given solicitation who is NOT 

a current U.S. Department of Justice employee. An internal reviewer is an expert in the 

field of the subject matter of a given solicitation who is a current U.S. Department of 

Justice employee. Applications will be screened initially to determine whether the 

applicant meets all eligibility requirements. Only applications submitted by eligible 

applicants that meet all other requirements (such as timeliness, proper format, and 

responsiveness to the scope of the solicitation) will be evaluated, scored, and rated by a 

peer review panel. Peer reviewers’ ratings and any resulting recommendations are 

advisory only. In addition to peer review ratings, considerations may include, but are not 

limited to, underserved populations, strategic priorities, past performance, and available 

funding. 

After the peer review is finalized, the Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO), in 

consultation with NIJ, conducts a financial review of all potential discretionary awards 

and cooperative agreements to evaluate the fiscal integrity and financial capability of 

applicants; examines proposed costs to determine if the budget and budget narrative 

accurately explain project costs; and determines whether costs are reasonable, 

necessary, and allowable under applicable Federal cost principles and agency 

regulations. OCFO also reviews the award document and verifies the OJP Vendor 

Number. 

When awards will be made: All applicants, whether they are accepted or rejected, will 

be notified. The review and approval process takes about 8 months. You should not 

propose to begin work until at least 8 months after the application deadline on the cover 

of this solicitation. Also, you should not expect to receive notification of a decision for at 

least 8 months after that date. Lists of awards are updated regularly on NIJ’s Web site at 

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/funding/welcome.htm. 

Absent explicit statutory authorization or written delegation of authority to the contrary, 

all final grant award decisions will be made by the Assistant Attorney General (AAG), 

who may also give consideration to factors including, but not limited to, underserved 

populations, strategic priorities, past performance, and available funding when making 

awards. 

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Additional Requirements 

Successful applicants selected for an award must agree to comply with additional 

applicable requirements prior to receiving grant funding. We strongly encourage you to 

review the list below pertaining to these additional requirements prior to submitting your 

application. Additional information for each can be found at 

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/funding/other_requirements.htm. 

• Civil Rights Compliance 

• Confidentiality and Human Subjects Protection 

• Anti-Lobbying Act 

• Financial and Government Audit Requirements 

• National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 

• DOJ Information Technology Standards 

• Single Point of Contact Review 

• Nonsupplanting of State and Local Funds 

• Criminal Penalty for False Statements 

• Compliance With Office of Justice Programs Financial Guide 

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/financialguide/ 

• Suspension or Termination of Funding 

• Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) 

• Rights in Intellectual Property 

• Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) of 2006 

If your proposal is funded, you will be required to submit several reports and other 

materials, including the following: 

Final substantive report: The final report should be a comprehensive overview of the 

project and should include, among other things, a detailed description of the project 

design, data, and methods; a full presentation of scientific findings; and a thorough 

discussion of the implications of the project findings for criminal justice practice and 

policy. It must contain an abstract of no more than 600 words and an executive summary 

of no more than 2,500 to 4,000 words. 

A draft of the final report, abstract, and executive summary must be submitted 90 days 

before the end date of the grant. The reviews will be forwarded to the author with 

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suggestions for revisions. The author must then submit the revised final report, abstract, 

and executive summary by the end date of the grant. The abstract, executive summary, 

and final report must be submitted in both paper and electronic formats. 

Interim reports: Grantees must submit quarterly financial reports, semi-annual progress 

reports, performance measures (collected by quarter but submitted semi-annually with 

the progress report), a final progress report and, if applicable, an annual audit report in 

accordance with Office of Management and Budget Circular A–133. Future awards and 

fund drawdowns may be withheld if reports are delinquent. 

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