Notice regarding the solicitation “Strengthening the Medical 

Examiner-Coroner System Program”

April 2, 2018: Item 9.c. titled “Disclosure of Process Related to Executive Compensation” under 

“What an Application Should Include” in Section D. Application and Submission Information was 

redacted.

March 12, 2018: Links directing to "Overview of Legal Requirements Generally Applicable to 

OJP Grants and Cooperative Agreements - FY 2017 Awards" have been updated to the FY 

2018 link throughout this funding opportunity document.

The original solicitation document begins on the next page
 

OMB No. 1121-0329 

Approval Expires 11/30/2020 

U.S. Department of Justice 

Office of Justice Programs 

National Institute of Justice 

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), National Institute of 

Justice (NIJ) is seeking applications to strengthen the medical examiner-coroner system. This 

program furthers the Department’s mission by providing resources to improve medicolegal 

death investigations (MDI) in the United States. 

Strengthening the Medical Examiner-Coroner 

System Program 

Applications Due: April 6, 2018 

Eligibility 

Eligible applicants are agencies directly involved in medicolegal death investigations as part of 

their normal business, such as medical examiner offices and coroner offices, States (including 

territories), units of local government, federally recognized Indian tribal governments (as 

determined by the Secretary of the Interior) that perform law enforcement functions, non-profit 

and for-profit organizations (including tribal non-profit and for-profit organizations), institutions of 

higher education (including tribal institutions of higher education), and certain qualified 

individuals. 

Eligible applicants for Purpose Area 1, Forensic Pathology Fellowships, are limited to 

entities with programs that should meet or exceed the Accreditation Council for Graduate 

Medical Education (ACGME).1 

Eligible applicants for Purpose Area 2, Medical Examiner-Coroner Office Accreditation, are 

limited to domestic medical examiner and coroner offices actively seeking accreditation 

through an independent accrediting organization, such as the National Association of Medical 

Examiners (NAME) and the International Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners 

(IACME), or other appropriate accrediting bodies. 

All recipients and subrecipients (including any for-profit organization) must forgo any profit or 

management fee. 

NIJ welcomes applications under which two or more entities would carry out the federal award; 

however, only one entity may be the applicant. Any others must be proposed as subrecipients 

(subgrantees).2 The applicant must be the entity that would have primary responsibility for 

1 ACGME Program Requirements for Graduate Medical Education in Forensic Pathology, 2017. 2 For additional information on subawards, see "Budget and Associated Documentation" under Section D. Application 

and Submission Information. 
 

carrying out the award, including administering the funding and managing the entire program. 

NIJ may elect to fund applications submitted under this FY 2018 solicitation in future fiscal 

years, dependent on, among other considerations, the merit of the applications and on the 

availability of appropriations. 

Deadline 

Applicants must register with Grants.gov at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html 

prior to submitting an application. All applications are due by 11:59 p.m. eastern time on April 6, 

2018. 

To be considered timely, an application must be submitted by the application deadline using 

Grants.gov, and the applicant must have received a validation message from Grants.gov that 

indicates successful and timely submission. OJP urges applicants to submit applications at least 

72 hours prior to the application due date, to allow time for the applicant to receive validation 

messages or rejection notifications from Grants.gov, and to correct in a timely fashion any 

problems that may have caused a rejection notification. 

OJP encourages all applicants to read this Important Notice: Applying for Grants in Grants.gov. 

For additional information, see How to Apply in Section D. Application and Submission 

Information. 

Contact Information 

For technical assistance with submitting an application, contact the Grants.gov Customer 

Support Hotline at 800-518-4726, 606-545-5035, at 

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html, or at support@grants.gov. The Grants.gov 

Support Hotline operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except on federal holidays. 

An applicant that experiences unforeseen Grants.gov technical issues beyond its control that 

prevent it from submitting its application by the deadline must email the NIJ contact identified 

below within 24 hours after the application deadline to request approval to submit its 

application after the deadline. Additional information on reporting technical issues appears 

under “Experiencing Unforeseen Grants.gov Technical Issues” in the How To Apply section. 

For assistance with any other requirements of this solicitation, contact the National Criminal 

Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) Response Center: toll-free at 1-800-851-3420; via TTY at 

301-240-6310 (hearing impaired only); email grants@ncjrs.gov; fax to 301-240-5830; or web 

chat at https://webcontact.ncjrs.gov/ncjchat/chat.jsp. The NCJRS Response Center hours of 

operation are 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. eastern time, Monday through Friday, and 10:00 a.m. to 

8:00 p.m. eastern time on the solicitation close date. General information on applying for NIJ 

awards can be found at www.nij.gov/funding/Pages/welcome.aspx. Answers to frequently asked 

questions that may assist applicants are posted at www.nij.gov/funding/Pages/faqs.aspx. 

Grants.gov number assigned to this solicitation: NIJ-2018-13743 

Release date: February 16, 2018 

NIJ-2018-13743 

2 
Contents 

A. Program Description .............................................................................................................. 4 

Overview................................................................................................................................ 4 

Program-Specific Information ................................................................................................. 4 

Goals, Objectives, and Deliverables....................................................................................... 5 

Information Regarding Potential Evaluation of Programs and Activities.................................. 7 

B. Federal Award Information..................................................................................................... 7 

Type of Award........................................................................................................................ 7 

Financial Management and System of Internal Controls......................................................... 8 

Budget Information................................................................................................................. 9 

Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement.................................................................................. 9 

Pre-agreement Costs (also known as Pre-award Costs) ........................................................ 9 

Limitation on Use of Award Funds for Employee Compensation; Waiver ............................... 9 

Prior Approval, Planning, and Reporting of Conference/Meeting/Training Costs ...................10 

Costs Associated With Language Assistance (if applicable)..................................................10 

C. Eligibility Information.............................................................................................................10 

D. Application and Submission Information ...............................................................................10 

What an Application Should Include......................................................................................10 

How To Apply........................................................................................................................25 

E. Application Review Information.............................................................................................29 

Review Criteria......................................................................................................................29 

Review Process ....................................................................................................................33 

F. Federal Award Administration Information ............................................................................35 

Federal Award Notices..........................................................................................................35 

Administrative, National Policy, and Other Legal Requirements ............................................35 

General Information about Post-Federal Award Reporting Requirements .............................36 

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s) ...................................................................................36 

H. Other Information..................................................................................................................36 

Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552 and 5 U.S.C. 552a) ....................36 

Provide Feedback to OJP .....................................................................................................37 

Appendix A: Performance Measures Tables .........................................................................38 

Appendix B: Application Checklist .........................................................................................42 

NIJ-2018-13743 

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Strengthening the Medical Examiner-Coroner 

System Program 

CFDA No. 16.560 

A. Program Description 

Overview 

With this solicitation, NIJ seeks proposals to strengthen the medical examiner/coroner (ME/C) 

system in the United States. Through this program, NIJ will support grants in two focus areas 

by: 

(1) Supporting forensic pathology fellowships; and 

(2) Providing resources necessary for medical examiner and coroner offices to achieve 

accreditation. 

Statutory Authority: Any awards under this solicitation would be made under statutory 

authority provided by a full-year appropriations act for FY 2018. As of the writing of this 

solicitation, the Department of Justice is operating under a short-term "Continuing Resolution"; 

no full-year appropriation for the Department has been enacted for FY 2018. 

Program-Specific Information 

The National Science and Technology Council’s Fast-Track Action Committee on 

Strengthening the Medicolegal-Death-Investigation System’s (FTAC-SMDIS) report titled 

Strengthening the Medicolegal-Death-Investigation System: Improving Data Systems notes 

that death investigations performed by ME/C offices are vital to criminal justice by investigating 

violent deaths. Of the estimated 2.6 million deaths annually, ME/C offices investigate nearly 

500,000 cases in approximately 2,400 jurisdictions. FTAC-SMDIS found that the ME/C 

community lacks adequate personnel and resources to address the country’s medicolegal

death investigation (MDI) needs. In addition, FTAC-SMDIS reports that there are systemic 

issues with death investigation data quality and infrastructure, inadequate facilities, and 

inconsistent expertise levels.3 Other reports such as the 2009 National Academy of Sciences 

Report, Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward have also 

asserted a need to address deficient facilities, equipment, staffing, education, and training for 

MDI.4 

NIJ’s Strengthening the Medical Examiner-Coroner System is a competitive program 

designed to support the enhancement of MDI services and increase the supply of forensic 

pathologists nationwide. NIJ is seeking proposals in two purpose areas: 

3 White House National Science and Technology Council report on Strengthening the Medicolegal Death 

Investigation System: Improving Data Systems. September 2016. 

https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/NSTC/strengthening_the_medicolegal_death 

_investigation_system_final.pdf. 4 National Research Council. Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward. Washington, DC: 

The National Academies Press, 2009. doi:10.17226/12589. https://www.nap.edu/catalog/12589/strengthening

forensic-science-in-the-united-states-a-path-forward. 

NIJ-2018-13743 

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 Purpose Area 1: Forensic Pathology Fellowships. 

 Purpose Area 2: Medical Examiner-Coroner Office Accreditation. 

Goals, Objectives, and Deliverables 

The goals of the Strengthening the Medical Examiner-Coroner System program are to: 

1. Increase the supply of qualified forensic pathology practitioners; and 

2. Strengthen the quality and consistency of ME/C services. 

Proposals are expected to clearly identify the purpose area to which they are applying. 

The Goals, Objectives and Deliverables are directly related to the performance measures that 

demonstrate the results of the work completed, as discussed in Section D. Application and 

Submission Information, under Program Narrative. 

Purpose Area 1: Forensic Pathology Fellowships 

Competition ID: NIJ-2018-13744 

Background: There is an extreme shortage of board-certified forensic pathologists in the 

United States,5 as underscored in the 2009 report by the National Academies of Sciences on 

strengthening forensic science in the United States.6 This call was reaffirmed by several 

recent reports developed through national initiatives dedicated to improve the quality and 

practice of forensic sciences. Both the National Commission on Forensic Science7 and the 

Office of Science and Technology Policy, Fast-Track Action Committee on Strengthening the 

Medicolegal Death Investigation System8 recommended investments in workforce 

development initiatives for forensic pathologists in order to increase their quantity and thereby 

support the medicolegal death investigation needs of our nation.9 

Board-certified forensic pathologists are physicians who have completed, at a minimum, four 

years of medical school and three to four years of medical specialty training in anatomical 

pathology or anatomical and clinical pathology, followed by an accredited fellowship year in 

forensic pathology. Forensic pathology fellowships provide specialized training in autopsies 

and death scene investigations under direct supervision by a board-certified forensic 

5 National Commission on Forensic Science Increasing the Number, Retention, and Quality of Board-Certified 

Forensic Pathologists, August 2015. https://www.justice.gov/ncfs/file/641646/download. 6 National Research Council. 

7 DOJ National Commission on Forensic Science. https://www.justice.gov/ncfs. (last accessed October 25, 2017). 8 Views on Increasing the Number, Retention, and Quality of Board-Certified Forensic Pathologists. DOJ National 

Commission on Forensic Science. August 11, 2015. https://www.justice.gov/ncfs/file/787356/download. 9 White House National Science and Technology Council report on Strengthening the Medicolegal Death 

Investigation System: Improving Data Systems. September 2016. 

https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/NSTC/strengthening_the_medicolegal_death 

_investigation_system_final.pdf. 

NIJ-2018-13743 

5 
pathologist, as well as general training in courtroom testimony, criminalistics, anthropology, 

odontology, toxicology, research techniques, and other forensic science-related specialties.10 

Through this funding opportunity, applications are being solicited from institutions with 

current ACGME accredited forensic pathology fellowship programs to recruit quality 

candidates who have completed all necessary medical education and pathology 

residency requirements. This program will strengthen the ME/C system by increasing 

the number and quality of board-certified forensic pathologists. 

Agencies that are awarded funds under this purpose area will be required to provide 

information to NIJ, generally in the form of semi-annual progress reports, throughout the 

duration of the award. These reports should describe all relevant progress, including any 

issues encountered and/or successes achieved. Awardees are encouraged to report to NIJ 

any additional information about the fellowship program that may assist NIJ to better serve the 

MDI community. 

Purpose Area 2: Medical Examiner-Coroner Office Accreditation 

Competition ID: Competition ID: NIJ-2018-13745 

Background: Accreditation provides an independent measure of quality assurance by 

assessing that an office maintains written policies and procedures, and adequate staff, 

equipment, training, and suitable physical facilities to produce a forensically documented, 

accurate, and credible death investigation product.11,

12 Examples of accrediting bodies that 

publish professional standards on procedures for conducting autopsies and medicolegal death 

investigations are the National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME)13 and the 

International Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners (IACME).14 

Through this funding opportunity, applications are being solicited from ME/C agencies seeking 

accreditation through an appropriate ME/C accrediting agency such as, but not limited to, 

those listed above. Final determination of the appropriateness of an accrediting body for the 

purposes of this solicitation will be made by NIJ. This program will strengthen the quality of 

ME/C services in the United States by ensuring that agencies performing postmortem 

examinations are in compliance with industry and professional standards and performance 

criteria. Funds may not be used to maintain existing accreditation. 

Agencies that are awarded funds under this purpose area will be required to provide 

information to NIJ, generally in the form of semi-annual progress reports, throughout the 

duration of the award. NIJ is interested in, among other things, understanding the advantages 

and challenges that arise with implementing an accreditation program, especially when 

resources and policies vary among jurisdictions. Reports should address progress made in 

10 National Research Council, 256. 11 Recommendation on the Accreditation of Medicolegal Death Investigation Offices. DOJ National Commission on 

Forensic Science. January 30, 2015. https://www.justice.gov/archives/ncfs/page/file/787236/download. 12 National Research Council. p. 258. 13 National Association of Medical Examiners. Inspection and Accreditation. 

https://netforum.avectra.com/eweb/DynamicPage.aspx?Site=name&WebCode=Accred (last accessed October 25 

2017). 

14 International Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners. Accreditation. 

http://www.theiacme.com/accreditation. (last accessed October 25, 2017). 

NIJ-2018-13743 

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achieving accreditation and, for example, costs, benefits, and other technical, administrative, 

policy, or legal gaps that support, sustain, or limit the achievement of accreditation. 

Information Regarding Potential Evaluation of Programs and Activities 

The Department of Justice has prioritized the use of evidence-based programming and deems it 

critical to continue to build and expand the evidence informing criminal and juvenile justice 

programs to reach the highest level of rigor possible. Therefore, applicants should note that the 

Office of Justice Programs may conduct or support an evaluation of the programs and activities 

funded under this solicitation. Recipients and sub-recipients will be expected to cooperate with 

program-related assessments or evaluation efforts, including through the collection and 

provision of information or data requested by OJP (or its designee) for the assessment or 

evaluation of any activities and/or outcomes of those activities funded under this solicitation. 

The information or data requested may be in addition to any other financial or performance data 

already required under this program. 

B. Federal Award Information 

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. NIJ expects to 

award up to $4 million under the Strengthening the Medical Examiner-Coroner System 

Program to institutions that administer an accredited forensic pathology fellowship program, 

and to state and local ME/C offices actively seeking accreditation. NIJ expects to make up to 

ten (10) one-year forensic pathology fellowship awards of $100,000 each under Purpose 

Area 1 of this solicitation. Funds may be used toward a salary/stipend for the fellow and 

related costs that may include fringe benefits (if applicable), at the applicant institution’s 

discretion. Up to $25,000, of the $100,000, may be used for other related direct or indirect 

costs. Related costs may include any combination of the fellow’s fees, project costs,

professional society membership fees, or conference travel, among other allowable expenses 

incurred during the award period of performance. Under Purpose Area 2, NIJ expects to 

make awards to support ME/C office accreditation with an estimated total amount awarded up 

to $3,000,000. NIJ expects to make awards for a 24-month period of performance, to begin 

on January 1, 2019. 

All awards are subject to the availability of appropriated funds and to any modifications or 

additional requirements that may be imposed by law. 

Type of Award 

NIJ expects to make any award under this solicitation in the form of a grant. See Administrative, 

National Policy, and Other Legal Requirements, under Section F. Federal Award Administration 

Information, for a brief discussion of important statutes, regulations, and award conditions that 

apply to many (or in some cases, all) OJP grants. 

NIJ-2018-13743 

7 
 

 

 

 

Financial Management and System of Internal Controls 

Award recipients and subrecipients (including recipients or subrecipients that are pass-through 

entities15) must, as described in the Part 200 Uniform Requirements16 as set out at 2 C.F.R. 

200.303: 

(a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that 

provides reasonable assurance that [the recipient (and any subrecipient)] is 

managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, 

and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls 

should be in compliance with guidance in “Standards for Internal Control in the

Federal Government” issued by the Comptroller General of the United States and

the “Internal Control Integrated Framework”, issued by the Committee of

Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). 

(b) Comply with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the 

Federal awards. 

(c) Evaluate and monitor [the recipient’s (and any subrecipient’s)] compliance with 

statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of Federal awards. 

(d) Take prompt action when instances of noncompliance are identified including 

noncompliance identified in audit findings. 

(e) Take reasonable measures to safeguard protected personally identifiable 

information and other information the Federal awarding agency or pass-through 

entity designates as sensitive or [the recipient (or any subrecipient)] considers 

sensitive consistent with applicable Federal, state, local, and tribal laws regarding 

privacy and obligations of confidentiality. 

To help ensure that applicants understand the applicable administrative requirements and cost 

principles, OJP encourages prospective applicants to enroll, at no charge, in the DOJ Grants 

Financial Management Online Training, available at https://ojpfgm.webfirst.com/. (This training 

is required for all OJP award recipients.) 

Also, applicants should be aware that OJP collects information from applicants on their financial 

management and systems of internal controls (among other information) which is used to make 

award decisions. Under Section D. Application and Submission Information, applicants may 

access and review a questionnaire – the OJP Financial Management and System of Internal 

Controls Questionnaire – that OJP requires all applicants (other than an individual applying in 

his/her personal capacity) to download, complete, and submit as part of the application. 

15 For purposes of this solicitation, the phrase “pass-through entity” includes any recipient or subrecipient that 

provides a subaward ("subgrant”) to a subrecipient (subgrantee) to carry out part of the funded award or program. 

Additional information on proposed subawards is listed under What an Application Should Include, Section 4c of this 

solicitation. 

16 The "Part 200 Uniform Requirements” means the DOJ regulation at 2 C.F.R Part 2800, which adopts (with certain 

modifications) the provisions of 2 C.F.R. Part 200. 

NIJ-2018-13743 

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Budget Information 

Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement 

This solicitation does not require a match. However, if a successful application proposes a 

voluntary match amount, and OJP approves the budget, the total match amount incorporated 

into the approved budget becomes mandatory and subject to audit. 

Pre-agreement Costs (also known as Pre-award Costs) 

Pre-agreement costs are costs incurred by the applicant prior to the start date of the period of 

performance of the federal award. 

OJP does not typically approve pre-agreement costs; an applicant must request and obtain the 

prior written approval of OJP for all such costs. All such costs incurred prior to award and prior 

to approval of the costs are incurred at the sole risk of the applicant. (Generally, no applicant 

should incur project costs before submitting an application requesting federal funding for those 

costs.) Should there be extenuating circumstances that make it appropriate for OJP to consider 

approving pre-agreement costs, the applicant may contact the point of contact listed on the title 

page of this solicitation for the requirements concerning written requests for approval. If 

approved in advance by OJP, award funds may be used for pre-agreement costs, consistent 

with the recipient’s approved budget and applicable cost principles. See the section on Costs 

Requiring Prior Approval in the DOJ Grants Financial Guide at 

https://ojp.gov/financialguide/DOJ/index.htm for more information. 

Limitation on Use of Award Funds for Employee Compensation; Waiver 

With respect to any award of more than $250,000 made under this solicitation, a recipient may 

not use federal funds to pay total cash compensation (salary plus cash bonuses) to any 

employee of the recipient at a rate that 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.17 The 2018 salary table for 

SES employees is available on the Office of Personnel Management website at 

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salarytables/18Tables/exec/html/ES.aspx. Note: A recipient may compensate an employee at a 

greater rate, provided the amount in excess of this compensation limitation is paid with nonfederal funds. (Non-federal funds used for any such additional compensation will not be 

considered matching funds, where match requirements apply.) If only a portion of an 

employee's time is charged to an OJP award, the maximum allowable compensation is equal to 

the percentage of time worked times the maximum salary limitation. 

The Assistant Attorney General for OJP may exercise discretion to waive, on an individual 

basis, this limitation on compensation rates allowable under an award. An applicant that 

requests a waiver should include a detailed justification in the budget narrative of its application. 

An applicant that does not submit a waiver request and justification with its application should 

anticipate that OJP will require the applicant to adjust and resubmit the budget. 

17 OJP does not apply this limitation on the use of award funds to the nonprofit organizations listed in Appendix VIII to 

2 C.F.R. Part 200. 

NIJ-2018-13743 

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The justification should address, in the context of the work the individual would do under the 

award, the particular qualifications and expertise of the individual, the uniqueness of a service 

the individual will provide, the individual’s specific knowledge of the proposed program or 

project, and a statement that explains whether and how the individual’s salary under the award 

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

qualifications and expertise, and for the work he/she would do under the award. 

Prior Approval, Planning, and Reporting of Conference/Meeting/Training Costs 

OJP strongly encourages every applicant that proposes to use award funds for any conference-, 

meeting-, or training-related activity (or similar event) to review carefully—before submitting an 

application—the OJP and DOJ policy and guidance on approval, planning, and reporting of such 

events, available at 

https://www.ojp.gov/financialguide/DOJ/PostawardRequirements/chapter3.10a.htm. OJP policy 

and guidance (1) encourage minimization of conference, meeting, and training costs; (2) require 

prior written approval (which may affect project timelines) of most conference, meeting, and 

training costs for cooperative agreement recipients, as well as some conference, meeting, and 

training costs for grant recipients; and (3) set cost limits, which include a general prohibition of 

all food and beverage costs. 

Costs Associated With Language Assistance (if applicable) 

If an applicant proposes a program or activity that would deliver services or benefits to 

individuals, the costs of taking reasonable steps to provide meaningful access to those services 

or benefits for individuals with limited English proficiency may be allowable. Reasonable steps 

to provide meaningful access to services or benefits may include interpretation or translation 

services, where appropriate. 

For additional information, see the "Civil Rights Compliance" section under “Overview of Legal 

Requirements Generally Applicable to OJP Grants and Cooperative Agreements - FY 2018

Awards” in the OJP Funding Resource Center at https://ojp.gov/funding/index.htm. 

C. Eligibility Information

For eligibility information, see title page. 

For information on cost sharing or match requirements, see Section B. Federal Award 

Information. 

D. Application and Submission Information

What an Application Should Include 

This section describes in detail what an application should include. An applicant should 

anticipate that if it fails to submit an application that contains all of the specified elements, it may 

negatively affect the review of its application; and, should a decision be made to make an 

award, it may result in the inclusion of award conditions that preclude the recipient from 

accessing or using award funds until the recipient satisfies the conditions and OJP makes the 

funds available. 

NIJ-2018-13743 

10 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Moreover, an applicant should anticipate that an application that OJP determines is 

nonresponsive to the scope of the solicitation, or that OJP determines does not include the 

application elements that NIJ has designated to be critical, will neither proceed to peer review, 

nor receive further consideration. For this solicitation, NIJ has designated the following 

application elements as critical: Program Narrative, Budget Detail Worksheet and Budget 

Narrative, and résumés/curriculum vitae of key personnel. 

NOTE: OJP has combined the Budget Detail Worksheet and Budget Narrative in a single 

document collectively referred to as the Budget Detail Worksheet. See “Budget Information and

Associated Documentation” below for more information about the Budget Detail Worksheet and 

where it can be accessed. 

OJP strongly recommends that applicants use appropriately descriptive file names (e.g., 

“Program Narrative,” “Budget Detail Worksheet and Budget Narrative,” “Timelines,”

“Memoranda of Understanding,” “Resumes”) for all attachments. Also, OJP recommends that 

applicants include résumés in a single file. 

Please review the “Note on File Names and File Types” under How To Apply to be sure 

applications are submitted in permitted formats. 

1. Information to Complete the Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424) 

The SF-424 is a required standard form used as a cover sheet for submission of preapplications, applications, and related information. Grants.gov and the OJP Grants 

Management System (GMS) take information from the applicant’s profile to populate the

fields on this form. When selecting "type of applicant," if the applicant is a for-profit entity, 

select "For-Profit Organization" or "Small Business" (as applicable). 

To avoid processing delays, an applicant must include an accurate legal name on its SF424. On the SF-424, current OJP award recipients, when completing the field for “Legal

Name” (box 8a), should use the same legal name that appears on the prior year award 

document (which is also the legal name stored in OJP’s financial system.) Also, these 

recipients should enter the Employer Identification Number (EIN) in box 8c exactly as it 

appears on the prior year award document. An applicant with a current, active award(s) 

must ensure that its GMS profile is current. If the profile is not current, the applicant should 

submit a Grant Adjustment Notice updating the information on its GMS profile prior to 

applying under this solicitation. 

A new applicant entity should enter its official legal name in box 8a, its address in box 8d, its 

EIN in box 8b, and its Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number in box 8c of the 

SF-424. A new applicant entity should attach official legal documents to its application (e.g., 

articles of incorporation, 501(c)(3) status documentation, organizational letterhead, etc.) to 

confirm the legal name, address, and EIN entered into the SF-424. OJP will use the System 

for Award Management (SAM) to confirm the legal name and DUNS number entered in the 

SF-424; therefore, an applicant should ensure that the information entered in the SF-424 

matches its current registration in SAM. See the How to Apply section for more information 

on SAM and DUNS numbers. 

Intergovernmental Review: This solicitation ("funding opportunity") is not subject to 

Executive Order 12372. (In completing the SF-424, an applicant is to answer question 19 by 

selecting the response that the “Program is not covered by E.O. 12372.”)

NIJ-2018-13743 

11 
2. Project Abstract 

Applications should include a high-quality project abstract that summarizes the proposed 

project in 400 words or less. Project abstracts should be—

 Written for a general public audience. 

 Submitted as a separate attachment with “Project Abstract” as part of its file name. 

 Single-spaced, using a standard 12-point font (such as Times New Roman) with 1-inch 

margins. 

The project abstract is an important part of the application and serves as an introduction to 

the proposed project. If the application is funded, the project abstract typically will become 

public information and be used to describe the project. 

As a separate attachment, the project abstract will not count against the page limit for the 

program narrative. 

3. Program Narrative 

The program narrative section of the application should not exceed 15 double-spaced pages 

in 12-point font with 1-inch margins. If included in the main body of the program narrative, 

tables, charts, figures, and other illustrations count toward the 15-page limit for the narrative 

section. The project abstract, table of contents, appendices, and government forms do not 

count toward the 15-page limit. 

If the program narrative fails to comply with these length-related restrictions, NIJ may 

consider such noncompliance in peer review and in final award decisions. 

The following sections should be included as part of the program narrative:18 

a. Title Page (not counted against the 15-page program narrative limit) 

The title page should include the title of the project, submission date, funding 

opportunity number, name and complete contact information (that is, address, 

telephone number, and e-mail address) for the applicant organization and purpose 

area (Purpose Area 1: Forensic Pathology Fellowships or Purpose Area 2: Medical 

Examiner-Coroner Office Accreditation). 

b. Main Body. 

The main body of the program narrative should describe the proposed project in 

depth, and how funds will be used to improve ME/C services and strengthen the 

ME/C system in the United States. The following sections should be included as part 

of the program narrative: 

18 For information on subawards (including the details on proposed subawards that should be included in the 

application), see "Budget and Associated Documentation" under Section D. Application and Submission Information. 

NIJ-2018-13743 

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 Statement of the Problem. 

o Explain the importance of the problem or critical barrier to progress in 

the field that the proposed project addresses. 

o Explain the criminal justice significance of the problem. 

 Project Design and Implementation. 

o Describe the overall strategy, methodology, and plan of activities to 

accomplish the specific aims of the project. 

 Potential Impact. 

o Explain the criminal justice significance of the proposed project. 

o Explain how the application will strengthen the ME/C system and improve 

ME/C services. 

 Capabilities and Competencies. 

o Describe each senior/key personnel’s’ role in the project and why the

individual is well-suited for that role. 

Within these sections, the narrative should also address: 

o Purpose, goals, and objectives. 

o Review of relevant literature. 

o Any planned products (e.g., guidelines, protocols, and operational 

documents). 

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

o Management plan and organization. 

o Any plans for disseminating information to broader audiences (if applicable to 

the proposed project). 

 Plan for Collecting the Data Required for this Solicitation’s Performance

Measures. 

OJP will require each successful applicant to submit regular performance data 

that demonstrate the results of the work carried out under the award (see 

“General Information about Post-Federal Award Reporting Requirements” in

Section F. Federal Award Administration Information). The performance data 

directly relate to the goals, objectives, and deliverables identified under "Goals, 

Objectives, and Deliverables" in Section A. Program Description. 

NIJ-2018-13743 

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Applicants should visit OJP’s performance measurement page at

www.ojp.gov/performance to view the specific reporting requirements for this 

grant program. 

Performance measures for this solicitation are listed in Appendix A: Performance 

Measures Tables. 

The application should demonstrate the applicant’s understanding of the

performance data reporting requirements for this grant program and detail how 

the applicant will gather the required data should it receive funding. 

Please note that applicants are not required to submit performance data with the 

application. Performance measures information is included as an alert that 

successful applicants will be required to submit performance data as part of the 

reporting requirements under an award. 

In addition to the performance metrics, awardees for Purpose Area 1 will be 

required to provide to NIJ details about the impact and progress of the 

fellowship program in a narrative report. The agency should include any details 

about the number of fellowship applications prior to implementing the NIJ 

program and any changes noted in the number of fellowship applications 

received. Outreach efforts to increase the fellowship applicant pool as well as 

the results of these efforts should also be described. 

Awardees for Purpose Area 2 will be required to provide to NIJ details about 

the impact and progress of the accreditation efforts in a narrative report in 

addition to the performance metrics. The report should include information on 

the level of effort provided towards accreditation processes and the progress 

made including the level of staffing and amount of time provided. Successes 

and pitfalls as well as any information NIJ can use towards the learning of 

ME/C accreditation processes, issues, and results should also be provided. 

Award recipients will be required to provide the relevant data by submitting semiannual performance metrics through semi-annual reports in GMS. 

Note on Project Evaluations 

An applicant that proposes to use award funds through this solicitation to conduct project 

evaluations should be aware that certain project evaluations (such as systematic investigations 

designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge) may constitute “research” for 

purposes of applicable DOJ human subjects protection regulations. However, project 

evaluations that are intended only to generate internal improvements to a program or service, or 

are conducted only to meet OJP’s performance measure data reporting requirements, likely do 

not constitute “research.” Each applicant should provide sufficient information for OJP to 

determine whether the particular project it proposes would either intentionally or unintentionally 

collect and/or use information in such a way that it meets the DOJ definition of research that 

appears at 28 C.F.R. Part 46 (“Protection of Human Subjects”). 

“Research,” for purposes of human subjects protection for OJP-funded programs, is defined as 

“a systematic investigation, including research development, testing and evaluation, designed to

develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge.” 28 C.F.R. 46.102(d). 

NIJ-2018-13743 

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For additional information on determining whether a proposed activity would constitute research 

for purposes of human subjects protection, applicants should consult the decision tree in the 

“Research and the protection of human subjects” section of the “Requirements related to 

Research” webpage of the "Overview of Legal Requirements Generally Applicable to OJP 

Grants and Cooperative Agreements - FY 2018 Awards," available through the OJP Funding 

Resource Center at https://ojp.gov/funding/Explore/SolicitationRequirements/index.htm. 

Every prospective applicant whose application may propose a research or statistical component 

also should review the “Data Privacy and Confidentiality Requirements” section on that

webpage. 

c. Appendices (not counted against the 15-page program narrative limit) include:

i. Bibliography/references.

ii. Timelines and project plans with milestones.

iii. Any tools/instruments, questionnaires, tables/charts/graphs, or maps

pertaining to the proposed project that are supplemental to such items

included in the main body of the narrative.

iv. For Purpose Area 1: Forensic Pathology Fellowships: Forensic Pathology

Fellowship Program Accreditation Documentation:

o Acceptable types of documentation of current accreditation include: an

electronic (scanned) copy of the current accreditation certificate(s), a digital

photograph of the current accreditation certificate(s), or a letter from the

accrediting body that includes the certificate number. Additionally, if a

certificate references another document that contains key information on

the type or scope of the accreditation, provide a copy of that supplemental

documentation. Independent accrediting or certifying organizations may

include the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education or other

appropriate accrediting bodies.

v. For Purpose Area 2: Medical Examiner-Coroner Office

Accreditation: Forensic Laboratory Accreditation Documentation, if

applicable:

o Acceptable types of documentation of current accreditation include: an

electronic (scanned) copy of the current accreditation certificate(s), a digital

photograph of the current accreditation certificate(s), or a letter from the

accrediting body that includes the certificate number. Additionally, if a

certificate references another document that contains key information on

the type or scope of the accreditation, provide a copy of that supplemental

documentation. Independent accrediting or certifying organizations may

include the National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME) and the

International Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners (IACME), or

other appropriate accrediting bodies. If the office is not currently accredited,

applicants may provide supporting documentation that demonstrate

activities seeking achievement of accreditation.

NIJ-2018-13743 

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vi. Organizational chart of the applicant agency and all proposed collaborators 

involved in the project. Include project-related staffing plans and narratives 

for each organizational chart, proposed new hires, and any anticipated 

staffing changes related to the Strengthening the Medical Examiner-Coroner 

System Program funding if received. 

vii. Curriculum vitae or resumes of the all key personnel. In addition, curriculum 

vitae, resumes, or biographical sketches of all known others who will be 

significantly involved in substantive aspects of the project. 

viii. List (to the extent known) of all proposed project staff members, including 

those affiliated with the applicant organization or any proposed subrecipients 

organization(s), any proposed consultant(s) and contractors (whether 

individuals or organizations), and any proposed members of an advisory board 

for the project (if applicable). The list should include, for each individual and 

organization: name, title (if applicable), employer or other organizational 

affiliation, and roles and responsibilities proposed for the project. 

Applicants should use the “Proposed Project Staff, Affiliation, and Roles” form

available at www.nij.gov/funding/documents/nij-project-stf$aff-template.xlsx to 

provide this listing. 

ix. List of any previous and current NIJ awards to applicant organization, 

including the NIJ- assigned award numbers and a brief description of any 

products that resulted in whole or in part from work funded under the NIJ 

award(s). 

x. Letters of cooperation/support or administrative agreements from 

organizations collaborating in the project, such as law enforcement and 

correctional agencies (if applicable). 

xi. List of other agencies, organizations, or funding sources to which this proposal 

has been submitted (if applicable). 

4. Budget and Associated Documentation 

The Budget Detail Worksheet and the Budget Narrative are now combined in a single 

document collectively referred to as the Budget Detail Worksheet. The Budget Detail 

Worksheet is a user-friendly, fillable, Microsoft Excel-based document designed to calculate 

totals. Additionally, the Excel workbook contains worksheets for multiple budget years that 

can be completed as necessary. All applicants should use the Excel version when 

completing the proposed budget in an application, except in cases where the 

applicant does not have access to Microsoft Excel or experiences technical 

difficulties. If an applicant does not have access to Microsoft Excel or experiences 

technical difficulties with the Excel version, then the applicant should use the 508-compliant 

accessible Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) version. 

Both versions of the Budget Detail Worksheet can be accessed at 

https://ojp.gov/funding/Apply/Forms/BudgetDetailWorksheet.htm. 

NIJ-2018-13743 

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a. Budget Detail Worksheet 

The Budget Detail Worksheet should provide the detailed computation for each budget 

line item, listing the total cost of each and showing how it was calculated by the 

applicant. For example, costs for personnel should show the annual salary rate and the 

percentage of time devoted to the project for each employee paid with grant funds. The 

Budget Detail Worksheet should present a complete itemization of all proposed costs. 

For questions pertaining to budget and examples of allowable and unallowable costs, 

see the DOJ Grants Financial Guide at https://ojp.gov/financialguide/DOJ/index.htm. 

b. Budget Narrative 

The budget narrative should thoroughly and clearly describe every category of expense 

listed in the Budget Detail Worksheet. OJP expects proposed budgets to be complete, 

cost effective, and allowable (e.g., reasonable, allocable, and necessary for project 

activities). 

An applicant should demonstrate in its budget narrative how it will maximize cost 

effectiveness of award expenditures. Budget narratives should generally describe cost 

effectiveness in relation to potential alternatives and the goals of the project. For 

example, a budget narrative should detail why planned in-person meetings are 

necessary, or how technology and collaboration with outside organizations could be 

used to reduce costs, without compromising quality. 

The budget narrative should be mathematically sound and correspond clearly with the 

information and figures provided in the Budget Detail Worksheet. The narrative should 

explain how the applicant estimated and calculated all costs, and how those costs are 

necessary to the completion of the proposed project. The narrative may include tables 

for clarification purposes, but need not be in a spreadsheet format. As with the Budget 

Detail Worksheet, the budget narrative should describe costs by year. 

c. Information on Proposed Subawards (if any), as well as on Proposed Procurement 

Contracts (if any) 

Applicants for OJP awards typically may propose to make subawards. Applicants also 

may propose to enter into procurement contracts under the award. 

Whether an action – for federal grants administrative purposes – is a subaward or 

procurement contract is a critical distinction as significantly different rules apply to 

subawards and procurement contracts. If a recipient enters into an agreement that is a 

subaward of an OJP award, specific rules apply – many of which are set by federal 

statutes and DOJ regulations; others by award conditions. These rules place particular 

responsibilities on an OJP recipient for any subawards the OJP recipient may make. The 

rules determine much of what the written subaward agreement itself must require or 

provide. The rules also determine much of what an OJP recipient must do both before 

and after it makes a subaward. If a recipient enters into an agreement that is a 

procurement contract under an OJP award, a substantially different set of federal rules 

applies. 

NIJ-2018-13743 

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OJP has developed the following guidance documents to help clarify the differences 

between subawards and procurement contracts under an OJP award and outline the 

compliance and reporting requirements for each. This information can be accessed 

online at https://ojp.gov/training/training.htm. 

 Subawards under OJP Awards and Procurement Contracts under Awards: A 

Toolkit for OJP Recipients. 

 Checklist to Determine Subrecipient or Contractor Classification. 

 Sole Source Justification Fact Sheet and Sole Source Review Checklist. 

In general, the central question is the relationship between what the third-party will do 

under its agreement with the recipient and what the recipient has committed (to OJP) to 

do under its award to further a public purpose (e.g., services the recipient will provide, 

products it will develop or modify, research or evaluation it will conduct). If a third party 

will provide some of the services the recipient has committed (to OJP) to provide, will 

develop or modify all or part of a product the recipient has committed (to OJP) to 

develop or modify, or will conduct part of the research or evaluation the recipient has 

committed (to OJP) to conduct, OJP will consider the agreement with the third party a 

subaward for purposes of federal grants administrative requirements. 

This will be true even if the recipient, for internal or other non-federal purposes, labels or 

treats its agreement as a procurement, a contract, or a procurement contract. Neither 

the title nor the structure of an agreement determines whether the agreement -- for 

purposes of federal grants administrative requirements -- is a subaward or is instead a 

procurement contract under an award. The substance of the relationship should be given 

greater consideration than the form of agreement between the recipient and the outside 

entity. 

1. Information on proposed subawards 

A recipient of an OJP award may not make subawards ("subgrants") unless the 

recipient has specific federal authorization to do so. Unless an applicable statute or 

DOJ regulation specifically authorizes (or requires) subawards, a recipient must have 

authorization from OJP before it may make a subaward. 

A particular subaward may be authorized by OJP because the recipient included a 

sufficiently-detailed description and justification of the proposed subaward in the 

Program Narrative, Budget Detail Worksheet, and Budget Narrative as approved by 

OJP. If, however, a particular subaward is not authorized by federal statute or 

regulation, and is not approved by OJP, the recipient will be required, post-award, to 

request and obtain written authorization from OJP before it may make the subaward. 

If an applicant proposes to make one or more subawards to carry out the federal 

award and program, the applicant should-- (1) identify (if known) the proposed 

subrecipient(s), (2) describe in detail what each subrecipient will do to carry out the 

federal award and federal program, and (3) provide a justification for the 

subaward(s), with details on pertinent matters such as special qualifications and 

areas of expertise. Pertinent information on subawards should appear not only in the 

Program Narrative, but also in the Budget Detail Worksheet and Budget Narrative. 

NIJ-2018-13743 

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2. Information on proposed procurement contracts (with specific justification for 

proposed noncompetitive contracts over $150,000) 

Unlike a recipient contemplating a subaward, a recipient of an OJP award generally 

does not need specific prior federal authorization to enter into an agreement that --

for purposes of federal grants administrative requirements -- is considered a 

procurement contract, provided that (1) the recipient uses its own documented 

procurement procedures and (2) those procedures conform to applicable federal law, 

including the Procurement Standards of the (DOJ) Part 200 Uniform Requirements 

(as set out at 2 C.F.R. 200.317 - 200.326). The Budget Detail Worksheet and Budget 

Narrative should identify proposed procurement contracts. (As discussed above, 

subawards must be identified and described separately from procurement contracts.) 

The Procurement Standards in the Part 200 Uniform Requirements, however, reflect 

a general expectation that agreements that (for purposes of federal grants 

administrative requirements) constitute procurement “contracts” under awards will be 

entered into on the basis of full and open competition. All noncompetitive (sole 

source) procurement contracts must meet the OJP requirements outlined at 

https://ojp.gov/training/subawards-procurement.htm. If a proposed procurement 

contract would exceed the simplified acquisition threshold -- currently, $150,000 -- a 

recipient of an OJP award may not proceed without competition unless and until the 

recipient receives specific advance authorization from OJP to use a non-competitive 

approach for the procurement. An applicant that (at the time of its application) 

intends – without competition – to enter into a procurement contract that would 

exceed $150,000 should include a detailed justification that explains to OJP why, in 

the particular circumstances, it is appropriate to proceed without competition. 

If the applicant receives an award, sole source procurements that do not exceed the 

Simplified Acquisition Threshold (currently $150,000) must have written justification 

for the noncompetitive procurement action maintained in the procurement file. If a 

procurement file does not have the documentation that meets the criteria outlined in 

2 C.F.R. 200, the procurement expenditures may not be allowable. Sole source 

procurement over the $150,000 Simplified Acquisition Threshold must have prior 

approval from OJP using a Sole Source Grant Adjustment Notice (GAN). Written 

documentation justifying the noncompetitive procurement must be submitted with the 

GAN and maintained in the procurement file. 

d. Pre-Agreement Costs 

For information on pre-agreement costs, see Section B. Federal Award Information. 

5. Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable) 

Indirect costs may be charged to an award only if: 

(a) The recipient has a current (unexpired), federally-approved indirect cost rate; or 

(b) The recipient is eligible to use, and elects to use, the “de minimis” indirect cost rate 

described in the Part 200 Uniform Requirements, as set out at 2 C.F.R. 200.414(f). 

NIJ-2018-13743 

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An applicant with a current (unexpired) federally-approved indirect cost rate is to attach a 

copy of the indirect cost rate agreement to the application. An applicant that does not have a 

current federally-approved rate may request one through its cognizant federal agency, which 

will review all documentation and approve a rate for the applicant entity, or, if the applicant’s 

accounting system permits, applicants may propose to allocate costs in the direct cost 

categories. 

For assistance with identifying the appropriate cognizant federal agency for indirect costs, 

please contact the Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO) Customer Service Center at 

1-800-458-0786 or at ask.ocfo@usdoj.gov. If DOJ is the cognizant federal agency, 

applicants may obtain information needed to submit an indirect cost rate proposal at 

https://www.ojp.gov/funding/Apply/Resources/IndirectCosts.pdf. 

Certain OJP recipients have the option of electing to use the “de minimis” indirect cost rate. 

An applicant that is eligible to use the “de minimis” rate that wishes to use the "de minimis" 

rate should attach written documentation to the application that advises OJP of both-- (1) the 

applicant’s eligibility to use the “de minimis” rate, and (2) its election to do so. If an eligible 

applicant elects the “de minimis” rate, costs must be consistently charged as either indirect 

or direct costs, but may not be double charged or inconsistently charged as both. The "de 

minimis" rate may no longer be used once an approved federally-negotiated indirect cost 

rate is in place. (No entity that ever has had a federally-approved negotiated indirect cost 

rate is eligible to use the "de minimis" rate.) For additional eligibility requirements please see 

Part 200 Uniform Requirements, as set out at https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/textidx?node=se2.1.200_1414&rgn=div8. 

6. Tribal Authorizing Resolution (if applicable) 

A tribe, tribal organization, or third party that proposes to provide direct services or 

assistance to residents on tribal lands should include in its application a resolution, letter, 

affidavit, or other documentation, as appropriate, that demonstrates (as a legal matter) that 

the applicant has the requisite authorization from the tribe(s) to implement the proposed 

project on tribal lands. In those instances when an organization or consortium of tribes 

applies for an award on behalf of a tribe or multiple specific tribes, the application should 

include appropriate legal documentation, as described above, from all tribes that would 

receive services or assistance under the award. A consortium of tribes for which existing 

consortium bylaws allow action without support from all tribes in the consortium (i.e., without 

an authorizing resolution or comparable legal documentation from each tribal governing 

body) may submit, instead, a copy of its consortium bylaws with the application. 

7. Financial Management and System of Internal Controls Questionnaire (including 

applicant disclosure of high-risk status) 

Every OJP applicant (other than an individual applying in his or her personal capacity) is 

required to download, complete, and submit the OJP Financial Management and System of 

Internal Controls Questionnaire (Questionnaire) at 

https://ojp.gov/funding/Apply/Resources/FinancialCapability.pdf as part of its application. 

The Questionnaire helps OJP assess the financial management and internal control 

systems, and the associated potential risks of an applicant as part of the pre-award risk 

assessment process. 

NIJ-2018-13743 

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The Questionnaire should only be completed by financial staff most familiar with the 

applicant's systems, policies, and procedures in order to ensure that the correct responses 

are recorded and submitted to OJP. The responses on the Questionnaire directly impact the 

pre-award risk assessment and should accurately reflect the applicant’s financial

management and internal control system at the time of the application. The pre-award risk 

assessment is only one of multiple factors and criteria used in determining funding. 

However, a pre-award risk assessment that indicates that an applicant poses a higher risk to 

OJP may affect the funding decision and/or result in additional reporting requirements, 

monitoring, special conditions, withholding of award funds, or other additional award 

requirements. 

Among other things, the form requires each applicant to disclose whether it currently is 

designated “high risk” by a federal grant-making agency outside of DOJ. For purposes of 

this disclosure, high risk includes any status under which a federal awarding agency 

provides additional oversight due to the applicant’s past performance, or other programmatic 

or financial concerns with the applicant. If an applicant is designated high risk by another 

federal awarding agency, the applicant must provide the following information: 

 The federal awarding agency that currently designates the applicant high risk. 

 The date the applicant was designated high risk. 

 The high-risk point of contact at that federal awarding agency (name, phone number, 

and email address). 

 The reasons for the high-risk status, as set out by the federal awarding agency. 

OJP seeks this information to help ensure appropriate federal oversight of OJP awards. An 

applicant that is considered “high-risk” by another federal awarding agency is not

automatically disqualified from receiving an OJP award. OJP may, however, consider the 

information in award decisions, and may impose additional OJP oversight of any award 

under this solicitation (including through the conditions that accompany the award 

document). 

8. Disclosure of Lobbying Activities 

Each applicant must complete and submit this information. An applicant that expends any 

funds for lobbying activities is to provide all of the information requested on the form 

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL) posted at 

https://ojp.gov/funding/Apply/Resources/Disclosure.pdf. An applicant that does not expend 

any funds for lobbying activities is to enter “N/A” in the text boxes for item 10 (“a. Name and 

Address of Lobbying Registrant” and “b. Individuals Performing Services”). 

9. Additional Attachments 

a. Applicant Disclosure of Pending Applications 

Each applicant is to disclose whether it has (or is proposed as a subrecipient under) any 

pending applications for federally-funded grants or cooperative agreements that (1) 

include requests for funding to support the same project being proposed in the 

NIJ-2018-13743 

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application under this solicitation, and (2) would cover any identical cost items outlined in 

the budget submitted to OJP as part of the application under this solicitation. The 

applicant is to disclose applications made directly to federal awarding agencies, and also 

applications for subawards of federal funds (e.g., applications to State agencies that will 

subaward (“subgrant”) federal funds). 

OJP seeks this information to help avoid inappropriate duplication of funding. Leveraging 

multiple funding sources in a complementary manner to implement comprehensive 

programs or projects is encouraged and is not seen as inappropriate duplication. 

Each applicant that has one or more pending applications as described above is to 

provide the following information about pending applications submitted within the last 12 

months: 

 The federal or State funding agency. 

 The solicitation name/project name. 

 The point of contact information at the applicable federal or State funding 

agency. 

Federal or State 

Funding Agency 

Solicitation 

Name/Project 

Name 

Name/Phone/Email for Point of Contact 

at Federal or State Funding Agency 

DOJ/Office of 

Community Oriented 

Policing Services 

(COPS) 

COPS Hiring 

Program SAJane Doe MPLE , 202/000-0000; jane.doe@usdoj.gov 

Health and Human 

Services/Substance 

Abuse and Mental 

Health Services 

Administration 

Drug-Free 

Communities 

Mentoring Program/ 

North County Youth 

Mentoring Program 

John Doe, 202/000-0000; 

john.doe@hhs.gov 

Each applicant should include the table as a separate attachment to its application. The 

file should be named “Disclosure of Pending Applications.” The applicant’s Legal Name 

on the application must match the entity named on the disclosure of pending 

applications statement. 

Any applicant that does not have any pending applications as described above is to 

submit, as a separate attachment, a statement to this effect: “[Applicant Name on SF424] does not have (and is not proposed as a subrecipient under) any pending 

applications submitted within the last 12 months for federally-funded grants or 

cooperative agreements (or for subawards under federal grants or cooperative 

agreements) that request funding to support the same project being proposed in this 

application to OJP and that would cover any identical cost items outlined in the budget 

submitted as part of this application.”

NIJ-2018-13743 

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b. Research and Evaluation Independence and Integrity 

If an application proposes research (including research and development) and/or 

evaluation, the applicant must demonstrate research/evaluation independence and 

integrity, including appropriate safeguards, before it may receive award funds. The 

applicant must demonstrate independence and integrity regarding both this proposed 

research and/or evaluation, and any current or prior related projects. 

Each application should include an attachment that addresses both i. and ii. below. 

i. For purposes of this solicitation, each applicant is to document research and 

evaluation independence and integrity by including one of the following two items: 

a. A specific assurance that the applicant has reviewed its application to identify 

any actual or potential apparent conflicts of interest (including through review 

of pertinent information on the principal investigator, any co-principal 

investigators, and any subrecipients), and that the applicant has identified no 

such conflicts of interest – whether personal or financial or organizational 

(including on the part of the applicant entity or on the part of staff, 

investigators, or subrecipients) – that could affect the independence or 

integrity of the research, including the design, conduct, and reporting of the 

research. 

OR 

b. A specific description of actual or potential apparent conflicts of interest that 

the applicant has identified – including through review of pertinent information 

on the principal investigator, any co-principal investigators, and any 

subrecipients – that could affect the independence or integrity of the 

research, including the design, conduct, or reporting of the research. These 

conflicts may be personal (e.g., on the part of investigators or other staff), 

financial, or organizational (related to the applicant or any subrecipient entity). 

Some examples of potential investigator (or other personal) conflict situations 

are those in which an investigator would be in a position to evaluate a 

spouse’s work product (actual conflict), or an investigator would be in a 

position to evaluate the work of a former or current colleague (potential 

apparent conflict). With regard to potential organizational conflicts of interest, 

as one example, generally an organization would not be given an award to 

evaluate a project, if that organization had itself provided substantial prior 

technical assistance to that specific project or a location implementing the 

project (whether funded by OJP or other sources), because the organization 

in such an instance might appear to be evaluating the effectiveness of its own 

prior work. The key is whether a reasonable person understanding all of the 

facts would be able to have confidence that the results of any research or 

evaluation project are objective and reliable. Any outside personal or financial 

interest that casts doubt on that objectivity and reliability of an evaluation or 

research product is a problem and must be disclosed. 

ii. In addition, for purposes of this solicitation, each applicant is to address possible 

mitigation of research integrity concerns by including, at a minimum, one of the 

following two items: 

NIJ-2018-13743 

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a. If an applicant reasonably believes that no actual or potential apparent 

conflicts of interest (personal, financial, or organizational) exist, then the 

applicant should provide a brief narrative explanation of how and why it 

reached that conclusion. The applicant also is to include an explanation of the 

specific processes and procedures that the applicant has in place, or will put 

in place, to identify and prevent (or, at the very least, mitigate) any such 

conflicts of interest pertinent to the funded project during the period of 

performance. Documentation that may be helpful in this regard may include 

organizational codes of ethics/conduct and policies regarding organizational, 

personal, and financial conflicts of interest. There is no guarantee that the 

plan, if any, will be accepted as proposed. 

OR 

b. If the applicant has identified actual or potential apparent conflicts of interest 

(personal, financial, or organizational) that could affect the independence and 

integrity of the research, including the design, conduct, or reporting of the 

research, the applicant is to provide a specific and robust mitigation plan to 

address each of those conflicts. At a minimum, the applicant is expected to 

explain the specific processes and procedures that the applicant has in place, 

or will put in place, to identify and eliminate (or, at the very least, mitigate) 

any such conflicts of interest pertinent to the funded project during the period 

of performance. Documentation that may be helpful in this regard may 

include organizational codes of ethics/conduct and policies regarding 

organizational, personal, and financial conflicts of interest. There is no 

guarantee that the plan, if any, will be accepted as proposed. 

OJP will assess research and evaluation independence and integrity based on 

considerations such as the adequacy of the applicant’s efforts to identify factors that

could affect the objectivity or integrity of the proposed staff and/or the applicant entity 

(and any subrecipients) in carrying out the research, development, or evaluation activity; 

and the adequacy of the applicant’s existing or proposed remedies to control any such

factors. 

 

 

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How To Apply 

Applicants must register in and submit applications through Grants.gov, a primary source to find 

federal funding opportunities and apply for funding. Find complete instructions on how to 

register and submit an application at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html. 

Applicants that experience technical difficulties during this process should call the Grants.gov 

Customer Support Hotline at 800-518-4726 or 606–545–5035, which operates 24 hours a day, 7 

days a week, except on federal holidays. 

Important Grants.gov update. Grants.gov has updated its application tool. The legacy PDF 

application package has been phased out and was retired on December 31, 2017. Grants.gov 

Workspace is now the standard application method for applying for grants. OJP applicants 

should familiarize themselves with the Workspace option now. For complete information and 

NIJ-2018-13743 

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instructions on using Workspace (and other changes), go to the Workspace Overview page at 

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html. 

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

and it can take several weeks for first-time registrants to receive confirmation of registration 

and a user password. OJP encourages applicants to register several weeks before the 

application submission deadline. In addition, OJP urges applicants to submit applications at 

least 72 hours prior to the application due date, in order to allow time for the applicant to receive 

validation messages or rejection notifications from Grants.gov, and to correct in a timely fashion 

any problems that may have caused a rejection notification. 

OJP strongly encourages all prospective applicants to sign up for Grants.gov email notifications 

regarding this solicitation at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/manage-subscriptions.html. If 

this solicitation is cancelled or modified, individuals who sign up with Grants.gov for updates will 

be automatically notified. 

Browser Information: Grants.gov was built to be compatible with Internet Explorer. For 

technical assistance with Google Chrome, or another browser, contact Grants.gov Customer 

Support. 

Note on Attachments: Grants.gov has two categories of files for attachments: “mandatory” and 

“optional.” OJP receives all files attached in both categories. Attachments are also labeled to 

describe the file being attached (e.g., Project Narrative, Budget Narrative, Other, etc.) Please 

ensure that all required documents are attached in the correct Grants.gov category and are 

labeled correctly. Do not embed “mandatory” attachments within another file. 

Note on File Names and File Types: Grants.gov only permits the use of certain specific 

characters in the file names of attachments. Valid file names may include only the characters 

shown in the table below. Grants.gov rejects any application that includes an attachment(s) with 

a file name that contains any characters not shown in the table below. Grants.gov forwards 

successfully-submitted applications to the OJP Grants Management System (GMS). 

Characters 

Upper case (A – Z) 

Lower case (a – z) 

Underscore (__) 

Hyphen ( - ) 

Space 

Period (.) 

Special Characters Special Characters Special Characters 

Parenthesis ( ) Curly braces { } Square brackets [ ] 

Ampersand (&)* Tilde (~) Exclamation point (!) 

Comma ( , ) Semicolon ( ; ) Apostrophe ( ‘ )

At sign (@) Number sign (#) Dollar sign ($) 

Percent sign (%) Plus sign (+) Equal sign (=) 

*When using the ampersand (&) in XML, applicants must use the “&” format.

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.” GMS may reject applications 

with files that use these extensions. It is important to allow time to change the type of file(s) if 

the application is rejected. 

All applicants are required to complete the following steps: 

NIJ-2018-13743 

26 
Unique Entity Identifier (DUNS Number) and System for Award Management (SAM) 

Every applicant entity must comply with all applicable System for Award Management (SAM) 

and unique entity identifier (currently, a Data Universal Numbering System [DUNS] number) 

requirements. SAM is the repository for certain standard information about federal financial 

assistance applicants, recipients, and subrecipients. A DUNS number is a unique nine-digit 

identification number provided by the commercial company Dun and Bradstreet. More detailed 

information about SAM and the DUNS number is in the numbered sections below. 

If an applicant entity has not fully complied with the applicable SAM and unique identifier 

requirements by the time OJP makes award decisions, OJP may determine that the applicant is 

not qualified to receive an award and may use that determination as a basis for making the 

award to a different applicant. 

Applying as an Individual 

An individual who wishes to apply in his/her personal capacity should search Grants.gov for 

funding opportunities for which individuals are eligible to apply. Use the Funding Opportunity 

Number (FON) to register. (An applicant applying as an individual must comply with all 

applicable Grants.gov individual registration requirements.) 

Enter the FON at https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/IndCPRegister to complete the registration 

form and create a username and password for Grants.gov. (An applicant applying as an 

individual should complete all steps below except 1, 2, and 4.) 

Registration and Submission Steps 

1. Acquire a unique entity identifier (currently, a DUNS number). In general, the Office of 

Management and Budget requires every applicant for a federal award (other than an 

individual) to include a "unique entity identifier" in each application, including an application 

for a supplemental award. Currently, a DUNS number is the required unique entity identifier. 

This unique entity identifier is used for tracking purposes, and to validate address and point 

of contact information for applicants, recipients, and subrecipients. It will be used throughout 

the life cycle of an OJP award. Obtaining a DUNS number is a free, one-time activity. Call 

Dun and Bradstreet at 866–705–5711 to obtain a DUNS number or apply online at 

https://www.dnb.com/. A DUNS number is usually received within 1-2 business days. 

2. Acquire or maintain registration with SAM. All applicants for OJP awards (other than 

individuals) must maintain current registrations in the SAM database. Applicants will need 

the authorizing official of the organization and an Employer Identification Number (EIN). An 

applicant must be registered in SAM to successfully register in Grants.gov. Each applicant 

must update or renew its SAM registration at least annually to maintain an active status. 

SAM registration and renewal can take as long as 10 business days to complete (2 more 

weeks to acquire an EIN). 

An application cannot be successfully submitted in Grants.gov until Grants.gov receives the 

SAM registration information. Once the SAM registration/renewal is complete, the 

information transfer from SAM to Grants.gov can take as long as 48 hours. OJP 

recommends that the applicant register or renew registration with SAM as early as possible. 

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

NIJ-2018-13743 

27 
3. Acquire an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) and a Grants.gov 

username and password. Complete the AOR profile on Grants.gov and create a username 

and password. An applicant entity’s "unique entity identifier" (DUNS number) must be used 

to complete this step. For more information about the registration process for organizations 

and other entities, go to https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organizationregistration.html. Individuals registering with Grants.gov should go to 

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration.html. 

4. Acquire confirmation for the AOR from the E-Business Point of Contact (E-Biz POC). 

The E-Biz POC at the applicant organization must log into Grants.gov to confirm the 

applicant organization’s AOR. The E-Biz POC will need the Marketing Partner Identification 

Number (MPIN) password obtained when registering with SAM to complete this step. Note 

that an organization can have more than one AOR. 

5. Search for the funding opportunity on Grants.gov. Use the following identifying 

information when searching for the funding opportunity on Grants.gov. The Catalog of 

Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number for this solicitation is 16.560, titled “National

Institute of Justice Research, Evaluation, and Development Project Grants,” and the funding 

opportunity number is NIJ-2018-13743. 

6. Select the correct Competition ID. Some OJP solicitations posted to Grants.gov contain 

multiple purpose areas, denoted by the individual Competition ID. If applying to a solicitation 

with multiple Competition IDs, select the appropriate Competition ID for the intended 

purpose area of the application. 

 Purpose Area 1: Forensic Pathology Fellowships —NIJ-2018-13744 

 Purpose Area 2: Medical Examiner-Coroner Office Accreditation —NIJ-2018-13745 

7. Access Funding Opportunity and Application Package from Grants.gov. Select “Apply”

under the “Actions” column. Enter your email address to be notified of any changes to the

opportunity package before the closing date. Click the Workspace icon to use Grants.gov 

Workspace. 

8. Submit a valid application consistent with this solicitation by following the directions 

in Grants.gov. Within 24-48 hours after submitting the electronic application, the applicant 

should receive two notifications from Grants.gov. The first will confirm the receipt of the 

application. The second will state whether the application has been validated and 

successfully submitted, or whether it has been rejected due to errors, with an explanation. It 

is possible to first receive a message indicating that the application is received, and then 

receive a rejection notice a few minutes or hours later. Submitting an application well ahead 

of the deadline provides time to correct the problem(s) that caused the rejection. Important: 

OJP urges each applicant to submit its application at least 72 hours prior to the application 

due date, to allow time to receive validation messages or rejection notifications from 

Grants.gov, and to correct in a timely fashion any problems that may have caused a 

rejection notification. Applications must be successfully submitted through Grants.gov by 

11:59 p.m. eastern time on April 6, 2018. 

Go to https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html for further 

details on DUNS numbers, SAM, and Grants.gov registration steps and timeframes. 

NIJ-2018-13743 

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Note: Application Versions 

If an applicant submits multiple versions of the same application, OJP will review only the most 

recent system-validated version submitted. 

Experiencing Unforeseen Grants.gov Technical Issues 

An applicant that experiences unforeseen Grants.gov technical issues beyond its control that 

prevent it from submitting its application by the deadline must contact the Grants.gov Customer 

Support Hotline at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html or the SAM Help Desk 

(Federal Service Desk) at https://www.fsd.gov/fsd-gov/home.do to report the technical issue and 

receive a tracking number. The applicant must email the NIJ contact identified in the Contact 

Information section on the title page within 24 hours after the application deadline to request 

approval to submit its application after the deadline. The applicant's email must describe the 

technical difficulties, and must include a timeline of the applicant’s submission efforts, the

complete grant application, the applicant’s DUNS number, and any Grants.gov Help Desk or 

SAM tracking number(s). 

Note: OJP does not automatically approve requests to submit a late application. After 

OJP reviews the applicant's request, and contacts the Grants.gov or SAM Help Desks to verify 

the reported technical issues, OJP will inform the applicant whether the request to submit a late 

application has been approved or denied. If OJP determines that the untimely application 

submission was due to the applicant's failure to follow all required procedures, OJP will deny the 

applicant’s request to submit its application. 

The following conditions generally are insufficient to justify late submissions: 

 Failure to register in SAM or Grants.gov in sufficient time (SAM registration and renewal 

can take as long as 10 business days to complete. The information transfer from SAM to 

Grants.gov can take up to 48 hours.) 

 Failure to follow Grants.gov instructions on how to register and apply as posted on its 

website. 

 Failure to follow each instruction in the OJP solicitation. 

 Technical issues with the applicant’s computer or information technology environment, 

such as issues with firewalls or browser incompatibility. 

Notifications regarding known technical problems with Grants.gov, if any, are posted at 

the top of the OJP Funding Resource Center at https://ojp.gov/funding/index.htm. 

E. Application Review Information 

Review Criteria 

Applications that meet basic minimum requirements will be evaluated by peer reviewers using 

the following review criteria. 

NIJ-2018-13743 

29 
Review Criteria for Purpose Area 1 – Forensic Pathology Fellowships 

1. Statement of the Problem (Understanding of the problem and its importance) (15%) 

a. Demonstrated understanding of the problem that exists in the ME/C system in the 

United States. 

b. Demonstrated awareness of the current state of ME/C issues. 

c. Impact of funding on the ME/C system and ME/C services in the United States. 

2. Project Design and Implementation (Quality and technical merit) (15%) 

a. Awareness of the state of ME/C system and ME/C services in the United States. 

b. Soundness of methods and approach to addressing the stated objectives of the 

proposed project. The overall strategy should be well reasoned and appropriate 

to accomplish the goals of the project. 

c. Feasibility of proposed project. 

d. Awareness of pitfalls of the proposed project design and actions to minimize and/or 

mitigate them. 

e. Innovation and creativity (when appropriate). 

3. Expected Outcomes/Potential Impact (30%) 

a. Description of the expected outcome(s) of the project. Anticipated forensic pathology 

fellowships to be completed and anticipated forensic pathology fellowship processes 

to be initiated and/or assisted through the program. 

b. Potential for significantly improved understanding of the stated problem. If the goals 

of the project are achieved, how will scientific knowledge, technical capability, and/or 

MDI practice in the criminal justice system be improved? 

c. What is the likelihood that the project will exert a sustained, powerful influence on 

the MDI field(s) as related to criminal justice? 

d. Potential for innovative solution to address (all or a significant part of) the stated 

criminal/justice problem. How will successful completion of the project change the 

concepts, methods, technologies, treatments, or services that drive MDI as it relates to 

criminal justice? How will a successful project address the identified ME/C problem 

and associated critical barriers to progress? 

e. Potential to increase the awareness of best practices for the ME/C community. 

4. Capabilities and Competencies (15%) 

a. Qualifications and experience of proposed project staff (including all individuals and 

organizations identified in the application who will be significantly involved in 

NIJ-2018-13743 

30 
substantive aspects of the proposal). 

b. Demonstrated ability of the applicant organization to manage the effort. 

c. Relationship between the capabilities/competencies of the proposed project 

staff (including the applicant organization) and the scope of the proposed 

project. 

d. Strength of the environment (e.g., institutional and jurisdictional support, equipment 

and other physical resources, or collaborative arrangements) in which the work will be 

done and its contribution to the probability of success. Does the program meet or 

exceed ACGME-accredited forensic pathology fellowship requirements? 

e. Affordability and cost-effectiveness of proposed approach. 

5. Plan for Collecting the Data Required for this Solicitation’s Performance Measures

(Relevance to policy and practice) (15%) 

a. Demonstrated plan for collection of the performance measure data as described in the 

solicitation. 

6. Budget: Complete, Cost Effective, and Allowable (e.g., reasonable, allocable, and 

necessary for project activities). Budget narratives should demonstrate generally how 

applicants would maximize cost effectiveness of grant expenditures. Budget narratives 

should demonstrate cost effectiveness in relation to potential alternatives and the goals of 

the project.19 (10%) 

a. Total cost of the project relative to the perceived benefit (cost effectiveness). 

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

c. Use of existing resources to conserve costs. 

d. Proposed budget alignment with proposed project activities. 

Review Criteria for Purpose Area 2 – Medical Examiner-Coroner Office Accreditation 

1. Statement of the Problem/Description of the Issue (Understanding of the problem 

and its importance) (15%). 

a. Demonstrated understanding of the problem that exists in the ME/C system in the 

United States. 

b. Demonstrated awareness of the current state of ME/C issues. 

c. Impact of funding ME/C accreditation activities on the ME/C system and ME/C 

services in the United States. 

19 Generally speaking, a reasonable cost is a cost that, in its nature or amount, does not exceed that which would be 

incurred by a prudent person under the circumstances prevailing at the time the decision was made to incur the 

costs. 

NIJ-2018-13743 

31 
2. Project Design and Implementation (Quality and technical merit) (15%) 

a. Awareness of the state of ME/C accreditation on the ME/C system and ME/C services 

in the United States. 

b. Soundness of methods and approach to addressing the stated objectives of the 

proposed project. The overall strategy should be well reasoned and appropriate 

to accomplish the goals of the project. 

c. Feasibility of proposed project. 

d. Awareness of pitfalls of the proposed project design and actions to minimize 

and/or mitigate them. 

e. Innovation and creativity (when appropriate). 

3. Expected Outcomes/Potential Impact (30%) 

a. Description of the expected outcome(s) of the project. Anticipated accreditation 

processes to be completed and anticipated accreditation processes to be initiated or 

assisted through the program. 

b. Potential for significantly improved understanding of the stated problem. If the goals 

of the project are achieved, how will scientific knowledge, technical capability, 

and/or MDI practice be improved? 

c. What is the likelihood that the project will exert a sustained, powerful influence on the 

MDI field(s) as related to criminal justice? 

d. Potential for innovative solution to address (all or a significant part of) the stated 

criminal justice problem. How will successful completion change the concepts, 

methods, technologies, treatments, or services that drive MDI as it relates to criminal 

justice? How will a successful project address the identified ME/C problem and 

associated critical barriers to progress? 

e. Potential to increase the awareness of best practices for the ME/C community. 

f. Potential to improve the understanding of scientific rationale underpinning existing 

ME/C practices. 

g. Potential for innovative protocols to increase the efficiency, accuracy, reliability or 

cost- effectiveness of medicolegal death investigations. 

4. Capabilities and Competencies (15%) 

a. Qualifications and experience of proposed project staff (including all individuals and 

organizations identified in the application who will be significantly involved in 

substantive aspects of the proposal). 

b. Demonstrated ability of the applicant organization to manage the effort. 

NIJ-2018-13743 

32 
 

c. Relationship between the capabilities/competencies of the proposed project staff 

(including the applicant organization) and the scope of the proposed project. 

d. Strength of the environment (e.g., institutional and jurisdictional support, equipment 

and other physical resources, or collaborative arrangements) in which the work will be 

done and its contribution to the probability of success. 

e. Affordability and cost-effectiveness of proposed approach. 

5. Plan for Collecting the Data Required for this Solicitation’s Performance Measures

(Relevance to policy and practice) (15%) 

a. Demonstrated plan for collection of the performance measure data as described in the 

solicitation. 

6. Budget: Complete, Cost Effective, and Allowable (e.g., reasonable, allocable, and 

necessary for project activities). Budget narratives should demonstrate generally how 

applicants would maximize cost effectiveness of grant expenditures. Budget narratives 

should demonstrate cost effectiveness in relation to potential alternatives and the goals of 

the project.20 (10%) 

a. Total cost of the project relative to the perceived benefit (cost effectiveness). 

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

c. Use of existing resources to conserve costs. 

d. Proposed budget alignment with proposed project activities. 

Review Process 

OJP is committed to ensuring a fair and open process for making awards. NIJ reviews the 

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

measurable, and achievable, as well as consistent with the solicitation. 

Peer reviewers will review the applications submitted under this solicitation that meet basic 

minimum requirements. For purposes of assessing whether an application meets basic 

minimum requirements and should proceed to further consideration, OJP screens applications 

for compliance with those requirements. Although specific requirements may vary, the following 

are common requirements applicable to all solicitations for funding under OJP programs: 

 The application must be submitted by an eligible type of applicant. 

 The application must request funding within programmatic funding constraints (if 

applicable). 

20 Generally speaking, a reasonable cost is a cost that, in its nature or amount, does not exceed that which would be 

incurred by a prudent person under the circumstances prevailing at the time the decision was made to incur the 

costs. 

NIJ-2018-13743 

33 
 

 

 

 

 The application must be responsive to the scope of the solicitation. 

 The application must include all items designated as “critical elements.”

 The applicant must not be identified in SAM as excluded from receiving federal awards. 

For a list of the critical elements for this solicitation, see “What an Application Should Include”

under Section D. Application and Submission Information. 

Peer review panels will evaluate, score, and rate applications that meet basic minimum 

requirements. NIJ may use internal peer reviewers, external peer reviewers, or a combination, 

to assess applications on technical merit using the solicitation’s review criteria. An external peer 

reviewer is an expert in the subject matter of a given solicitation who is not a current DOJ 

employee. An internal reviewer is a current DOJ employee who is well-versed or has expertise 

in the subject matter of this solicitation. Peer reviewers’ ratings and any resulting

recommendations are advisory only, although reviewer views are considered carefully. Other 

important considerations for NIJ include underserved populations, geographic diversity, 

strategic priorities, and available funding, as well as the extent to which the Budget Detail 

Worksheet and Budget Narrative accurately explain project costs that are reasonable, 

necessary, and otherwise allowable under federal law and applicable federal cost principles. 

Pursuant to the Part 200 Uniform Requirements, before award decisions are made, OJP also 

reviews information related to the degree of risk posed by the applicant. Among other things to 

help assess whether an applicant that has one or more prior federal awards has a satisfactory 

record with respect to performance, integrity, and business ethics, OJP checks whether the 

applicant is listed in SAM as excluded from receiving a federal award. 

In addition, if OJP anticipates that an award will exceed $150,000 in federal funds, OJP also 

must review and consider any information about the applicant that appears in the non-public 

segment of the integrity and performance system accessible through SAM (currently, the 

Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System, (FAPIIS)). 

Important note on FAPIIS: An applicant, at its option, may review and comment on any 

information about itself that currently appears in FAPIIS and was entered by a federal awarding 

agency. OJP will consider any such comments by the applicant, in addition to the other 

information in FAPIIS, in its assessment of the risk posed by the applicant. 

The evaluation of risks goes beyond information in SAM, however. OJP itself has in place a 

framework for evaluating risks posed by applicants for competitive awards. OJP takes into 

account information pertinent to matters such as—

1. Applicant financial stability and fiscal integrity. 

2. Quality of the applicant’s management systems, and the applicant’s ability to meet 

prescribed management standards, including those outlined in the DOJ Grants Financial 

Guide. 

3. Applicant's history of performance under OJP and other DOJ awards (including 

compliance with reporting requirements and award conditions), as well as awards from 

other federal agencies. 

NIJ-2018-13743 

34 
4. Reports and findings from audits of the applicant, including audits under the Part 200

Uniform Requirements.

5. Applicant's ability to comply with statutory and regulatory requirements, and to effectively

implement other award requirements.

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

award decisions will be made by the Assistant Attorney General, who may take into account not 

only peer review ratings and NIJ recommendations, but also other factors as indicated in this 

section. 

F. Federal Award Administration Information

Federal Award Notices 

Award notifications will be made by September 30, 2018. OJP sends award notifications by 

email through GMS to the individuals listed in the application as the point of contact and the 

authorizing official (E-Biz POC and AOR). The email notification includes detailed instructions 

on how to access and view the award documents, and steps to take in GMS to start the award 

acceptance process. GMS automatically issues the notifications at 9:00 p.m. eastern time on 

the award date. 

For each successful applicant, an individual with the necessary authority to bind the applicant 

will be required to log in; execute a set of legal certifications and a set of legal assurances; 

designate a financial point of contact; thoroughly review the award, including all award 

conditions; and sign and accept the award. The award acceptance process requires physical 

signature of the award document by the authorized representative and the scanning and 

submission of the fully-executed award document to OJP. 

Administrative, National Policy, and Other Legal Requirements 

If selected for funding, in addition to implementing the funded project consistent with the OJPapproved application, the recipient must comply with all award conditions, as well as all 

applicable requirements of federal statutes and regulations (including applicable requirements 

referred to in the assurances and certifications executed in connection with award acceptance). 

OJP strongly encourages prospective applicants to review information on post-award legal 

requirements and common OJP award conditions prior to submitting an application. 

Applicants should consult the “Overview of Legal Requirements Generally Applicable to OJP 

Grants and Cooperative Agreements - FY 2018 Awards,” available in the OJP Funding 

Resource Center at https://ojp.gov/funding/index.htm. In addition, applicants should examine the 

following two legal documents, as each successful applicant must execute both documents 

before it may receive any award funds. (An applicant is not required to submit these documents 

as part of an application.) 

 Certifications Regarding Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension and Other Responsibility

Matters; and Drug-Free Workplace Requirements.

 Certified Standard Assurances.

NIJ-2018-13743 

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The webpages accessible through the “Overview of Legal Requirements Generally Applicable 

to OJP Grants and Cooperative Agreements - FY 2018 Awards” are intended to give applicants 

for OJP awards a general overview of important statutes, regulations, and award conditions that 

apply to many (or in some cases, all) OJP grants and cooperative agreements awarded in FY 

2018. Individual OJP awards typically also will include additional award conditions. Those 

additional conditions may relate to the particular statute, program, or solicitation under which 

the award is made; to the substance of the funded application; to the recipient's performance 

under other federal awards; to the recipient's legal status (e.g., as a for-profit entity); or to other 

pertinent considerations. 

General Information about Post-Federal Award Reporting Requirements 

In addition to the deliverables described in Section A. Program Description, any recipient of an 

award under this solicitation will be required to submit the following reports and data. 

Required reports. Recipients typically must submit quarterly financial reports, semi-annual 

progress reports, final financial and progress reports, and, if applicable, an annual audit report in 

accordance with the Part 200 Uniform Requirements or specific award conditions. Future 

awards and fund drawdowns may be withheld if reports are delinquent. (In appropriate cases, 

OJP may require additional reports.) 

Awards that exceed $500,000 will include an additional condition that, under specific 

circumstances, will require the recipient to report (to FAPIIS) information on civil, criminal, and 

administrative proceedings connected with (or connected to the performance of) either the OJP 

award or any other grant, cooperative agreement, or procurement contract from the federal 

government. Additional information on this reporting requirement appears in the text of the 

award condition posted on the OJP webpage at https://ojp.gov/funding/FAPIIS.htm. 

Data on performance measures. In addition to required reports, each award recipient also must 

provide data that measure the results of the work done under the award. To demonstrate 

program progress and success, as well as to assist DOJ in fulfilling its responsibilities under the 

Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA), Public Law 103-62, and the GPRA 

Modernization Act of 2010, Public Law 111–352, OJP will require any award recipient, post 

award, to provide performance data as part of regular progress reporting. Successful applicants 

will be required to access OJP’s performance measurement page at www.ojp.gov/performance 

to view the specific reporting requirements for this grant program. Performance measures are 

also listed as an appendix.] 

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s)

For OJP contact(s), see the title page. 

For contact information for Grants.gov, see the title page. 

H. Other Information

Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552 and 5 U.S.C. 552a) 

All applications submitted to OJP (including all attachments to applications) are subject to the 

federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and to the Privacy Act. By law, DOJ may withhold 

NIJ-2018-13743 

36 
information that is responsive to a request pursuant to FOIA if DOJ determines that the 

responsive information either is protected under the Privacy Act or falls within the scope of one 

of nine statutory exemptions under FOIA. DOJ cannot agree in advance of a request pursuant 

to FOIA not to release some or all portions of an application. 

In its review of records that are responsive to a FOIA request, OJP will withhold information in 

those records that plainly falls within the scope of the Privacy Act or one of the statutory 

exemptions under FOIA. (Some examples include certain types of information in budgets, and 

names and contact information for project staff other than certain key personnel.) In appropriate 

circumstances, OJP will request the views of the applicant/recipient that submitted a responsive 

document. 

For example, if OJP receives a request pursuant to FOIA for an application submitted by a 

nonprofit or for-profit organization or an institution of higher education, or for an application that 

involves research, OJP typically will contact the applicant/recipient that submitted the 

application and ask it to identify -- quite precisely -- any particular information in the application 

that the applicant/recipient believes falls under a FOIA exemption, the specific exemption it 

believes applies, and why. After considering the submission by the applicant/recipient, OJP 

makes an independent assessment regarding withholding information. OJP generally follows a 

similar process for requests pursuant to FOIA for applications that may contain law-enforcement 

sensitive information. 

Provide Feedback to OJP 

To assist OJP in improving its application and award processes, OJP encourages applicants to 

provide feedback on this solicitation, the application submission process, and/or the application 

review process. Provide feedback to OJPSolicitationFeedback@usdoj.gov. 

IMPORTANT: This email is for feedback and suggestions only. OJP does not reply from this 

mailbox to messages it receives in this mailbox. Any prospective applicant that has specific 

questions on any program or technical aspect of the solicitation must use the appropriate 

telephone number or email listed on the front of this document to obtain information. These 

contacts are provided to help ensure that prospective applicants can directly reach an individual 

who can address specific questions in a timely manner. 

If you are interested in being a reviewer for other OJP grant applications, please email your 

résumé to ojppeerreview@l-secb.com. (Do not send your résumé to the OJP Solicitation 

Feedback email account.) Note: Neither you nor anyone else from your organization or entity 

can be a peer reviewer in a competition in which you or your organization/entity has submitted 

an application. 

NIJ-2018-13743 

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Appendix A: Performance Measures Tables 

Performance Measures for Purpose Area 1: NIJ Forensic Pathology Fellowships: 

Objective Performance 

Measure(s) Description Data Recipient Provides 

Increase the 

capacity of ME/C 

services through the 

addition of qualified 

forensic 

pathologists 

The number of 

forensic pathology 

fellowship 

participants who 

completed 

fellowship training. 

The number of participants who 

completed forensic pathology fellowship 

training under the Strengthening the 

Medical Examiner- Coroner System 

Program. 

The number of forensic pathology fellowship 

participants funded through NIJ’s

Strengthening the Medical Examiner- Coroner 

System Program. 

The number of overall forensic pathology 

fellowship participants. 

Percentage of death 

investigations 

performed by forensic 

pathology fellows 

through Strengthening 

the Medical ExaminerCoroner System 

Program grant funds 

Number of deaths investigated six (6) 

months prior to award start date. 

Number of deaths investigated during the 

reporting period. 

Total number of deaths investigated 

during the entire project. 

Percentage of 

autopsies performed 

by forensic pathology 

fellows through 

Strengthening the 

Medical ExaminerCoroner System 

Program grant funds. 

Number of autopsies performed during the 

six (6) month period prior to the award start 

date. 

Number of autopsies performed during 

each reporting period. 

Total number of autopsies performed during 

the entire project. 

Percent decrease in Reduction in the Average number of days to produce a final 

death investigation number of death investigation report prior to award start 

cases backlog backlogged death 

investigation 

cases. 

date. 

Average number of days to produce a 

final death investigation report during 

each reporting period. 

Average number of days to produce a final 

death investigation report at the end of the 

project period. 

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Percent decrease in 

autopsy cases 

backlog 

Reduction in the 

average number 

of days from date 

of death to the 

delivery of an 

autopsy report. 

Average number of days to produce a final 

autopsy report prior to award start date. 

Average number of days to produce a 

final autopsy report during each 

reporting period. 

Average number of days to produce a final 

autopsy report at the end of the project 

period. 

Performance Measures for Purpose Area 2: Medical Examiner-Coroner 

Office Accreditation: 

Objective Performance Measure(s) Description Data Recipient Provides 

Increase the 

quality of 

ME/C 

services in 

the United 

States 

through 

accreditation 

and 

certification. 

Provide accreditation 

documentation that meets 

expectations. 

Provide accreditation documentation for each 

agency/organization that applied from 

appropriate accrediting body. 

Percent increase in the 

number of certified individuals 

in ME/C agencies. 

Number of individuals at ME/C agency or 

organization in medicolegal death investigation 

supporting positions. 

Number of certified individuals at ME/C 

agency or organization in medicolegal 

death investigation supporting positions. 

Number of individuals seeking certification 

with Strengthening the Medical ExaminerCoroner System Program funding. 

Percentage of death 

investigations performed by 

forensic pathology fellows 

through Strengthening the 

Medical Examiner- Coroner 

System Program grant 

funds 

Number of deaths investigated six (6) 

months prior to award start date. 

Number of deaths investigated during the 

reporting period. 

Total number of deaths investigated during 

the entire project. 

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Percentage of autopsies 

performed by forensic 

pathology fellows through 

Strengthening the Medical 

Examiner- Coroner System 

Program grant funds. 

Number of autopsies performed during the 

six (6) month period prior to the award start 

date. 

Number of autopsies performed during 

each reporting period. 

Total number of autopsies performed during 

the entire project. 

Percent decrease in death Reduction in Average number of days to produce a final 

investigation cases backlog. the number 

of 

backlogged 

death 

investigation 

cases. 

death investigation report prior to award start 

date. 

Average number of days to produce a 

final death investigation report during 

each reporting period. 

Average number of days to produce a 

final death investigation report at the end 

of the project period. 

Percent decrease in autopsy 

cases backlog 

Reduction in the 

average number of 

days from date of 

death to the 

delivery of an 

autopsy report. 

Average number of days to produce a final 

autopsy report prior to award start date. 

Average number of days to produce a 

final autopsy report during each 

reporting period. 

Average number of days to produce a final 

autopsy report at the end of the project 

period. 

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Provide 

quality 

project 

manageme

through 

effective 

reporting 

nt

Quality of management as Quarterly financial reports, semi-annual 

measured by such factors and final progress reports of the work 

as whether significant performed under the NIJ award, and, if 

project milestones were applicable, an annual audit report. 

achieved, reporting and 

other deadlines were met, 

and costs remained within 

approved limits. 

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Appendix B: Application Checklist 

Strengthening the Medical Examiner-Coroner System Program 

This application checklist has been created as an aid in developing an application. 

What an Applicant Should Do: 

Prior to Registering in Grants.gov: 

_____ Acquire a DUNS Number (see page 27) 

_____ Acquire or renew registration with SAM (see page 27) 

To Register with Grants.gov: 

_____ Acquire AOR and Grants.gov username/password (see page 28) 

_____ Acquire AOR confirmation from the E-Biz POC (see page 28) 

To Find Funding Opportunity: 

_____ Search for the Funding Opportunity on Grants.gov (see page 28) 

_____ Select the correct Competition ID (see page 28) 

_____ Access Funding Opportunity and Application Package (see page 28) 

_____ Sign up for Grants.gov email notifications (optional) (see page 26) 

_____ Read Important Notice: Applying for Grants in Grants.gov 

_____ Read OJP policy and guidance on conference approval, planning, and reporting 

available at ojp.gov/financialguide/DOJ/PostawardRequirements/chapter3.10a.htm 

(see page 10) 

After Application Submission, Receive Grants.gov Email Notifications That: 

_____ (1) application has been received, 

_____ (2) application has either been successfully validated or rejected with errors 

(see page 28) 

If No Grants.gov Receipt, and Validation or Error Notifications are Received: 

_____ Contact NIJ regarding experiencing technical difficulties (see page 29) 

Overview of Post-Award Legal Requirements: 

_____ Review the "Overview of Legal Requirements Generally Applicable to OJP Grants and 

Cooperative Agreements - FY 2018 Awards" in the OJP Funding Resource Center at 

https://ojp.gov/funding/index.htm. 

Scope Requirement: 

_____ The federal amount requested is within the allowable limit(s). 

Eligibility Requirement: Eligible applicants are States (including territories), units of local 

government, federally recognized Indian tribal governments (as determined by the Secretary of 

the Interior) that perform law enforcement functions, non-profit and for-profit organizations 

(including tribal non-profit and for-profit organizations), institutions of higher education (including 

tribal institutions of higher education), and certain qualified individuals. For further details on 

eligibility to apply for each purpose area, please see page title page. 

What an Application Should Include: 

_____ Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424) (see page 11) 

_____ Project Abstract (see page 12) 

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_____ Program Narrative (critical element) (see page 12) 

_____ Budget Detail Worksheet (critical element) (see page 17) 

_____ Budget Narrative (critical element) (see page 17) 

_____ CVs/Resumes (critical element) (see page 16) 

_____ Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable) (see page 19) 

_____ Tribal Authorizing Resolution (if applicable) (see page 20) 

_____ Financial Management and System of Internal Controls Questionnaire (see page 20) 

_____ Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL) (see page 21) 

_____ Additional Attachments 

_____ Applicant Disclosure of Pending Applications (see page 21) 

_____ Research and Evaluation Independence and Integrity (see page 23) 

_____ Request and Justification for Employee Compensation; Waiver (if applicable) 

(see page 9) 

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