Notices regarding the solicitation “National Missing and Unidentified 

Persons System (NamUs)”

March 31, 2016: This solicitation was modified to impose a page limit to program narratives 

submitted by applicants to 25 double-spaced pages in 12-point font with 1-inch margins. See 

page 13 of the original solicitation document.

The original solicitation document begins on the next page.
U.S. Department of Justice OMB No. 1121-0329

Office of Justice Programs Approval Expires 07/31/2016

National Institute of Justice

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

Justice (NIJ) is pleased to announce that it is seeking applications for funding under the 

National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) program. NamUs responds to the 

need to provide national centralized technology and resources to assist State and local law

enforcement, medical examiners and coroners, allied professionals, and the general public with 

resolving missing and unidentified persons cases. This program furthers the Department’s 

mission to ensure the fair and impartial administration of criminal justice for all Americans.

National Missing and Unidentified 

Persons System (NamUs)

Eligibility

Eligible applicants include States (including territories), units of local government (including 

federally recognized Indian tribal governments as determined by the Secretary of the Interior), 

nonprofit organizations (including tribal nonprofit organizations), and institutions of higher 

education (including tribal institutions of higher education) to manage and expand the National 

Missing and Unidentified Persons System.

Deadline

Applicants must register with Grants.gov prior to submitting an application. All applications 

are due to be submitted and in receipt of a successful validation message in Grants.gov by 

11:59 p.m. eastern time on May 3, 2016.

All applicants are encouraged 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 or 606-545-5035, or via email to support@grants.gov.

The Grants.gov Support Hotline hours of operation are 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except 

federal holidays.

Applicants that experience unforeseen Grants.gov technical issues beyond their control that 

prevent them from submitting their application by the deadline must email the NIJ contact 

identified below within 24 hours after the application deadline and request approval to 

submit their application. Additional information on reporting technical issues is found 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 
2 NIJ-2016-9079

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 announcement: NIJ-2016-9079

Release date: March 4, 2016
3 NIJ-2016-9079

Contents

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

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

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

Goals, Objectives, and Deliverables....................................................................................... 6

Evidence-Based Programs or Practices ................................................................................. 8

B. Federal Award Information..................................................................................................... 9

Type of Award........................................................................................................................ 9

Financial Management and System of Internal Controls......................................................... 9

Budget Information................................................................................................................10

Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement.................................................................................10

Pre-Agreement Cost (also known as Pre-award Cost) Approvals..........................................10

Limitation on Use of Award Funds for Employee Compensation; Waiver ..............................10

Prior Approval, Planning, and Reporting of Conference/Meeting/Training Costs ...................11

Costs Associated with Language Assistance (if applicable) ..................................................11

C. Eligibility Information.............................................................................................................11

Limit on Number of Application Submissions.........................................................................12

D. Application and Submission Information...............................................................................12

What an Application Should Include......................................................................................12

How to Apply.........................................................................................................................21

E. Application Review Information.............................................................................................24

Selection Criteria...................................................................................................................24

Review Process ....................................................................................................................25

F. Federal Award Administration Information ............................................................................27

Federal Award Notices..........................................................................................................27

Administrative, National Policy, and other Legal Requirements.............................................27

General Information about Post-Federal Award Reporting Requirements .............................28

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s) ...................................................................................28

H. Other Information..................................................................................................................28

Provide Feedback to OJP .....................................................................................................28

Application Checklist .............................................................................................................30
4 NIJ-2016-9079

National Missing and Unidentified Persons 

System (NamUs)

CFDA No. 16.741

A. Program Description

Overview

With this solicitation, NIJ seeks applications for funding for the National Missing and Unidentified 

Persons System (NamUs) program. This program furthers the Department’s mission by 

responding to the need to assist State and local law enforcement, medical examiners and 

coroners, allied professionals, and the general public with resolving missing and unidentified 

persons cases.

Currently in the United States, thousands of people are searching for those who are missing. 

NamUs was developed to provide national assistance in this search, for those living and 

deceased, in hopes of resolving these cases. Many of the nation’s unidentified persons fell 

victim to foul play. Identifying a victim is the first step in a criminal investigation. NamUs 

assists law enforcement agencies, as well as medical examiners and coroners, in meeting 

their missions in support of public health and public safety. NIJ seeks proposals from eligible 

candidates to partner with NIJ to manage the day-to-day operations of NamUs; support 

ongoing NamUs programs; continue national outreach efforts; provide and manage free 

forensic services (DNA, dental, fingerprint and anthropology); provide national technical 

assistance; and collaborate with NIJ scientists to evaluate the impact of NamUs to aid 

medicolegal investigative efforts.

Authorizing Legislation: Title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 

(sections 201 and 202); Homeland Security Act of 2002 (section 232); and 28 U.S.C. 530C.

Program-Specific Information

NamUs was created in response to an overwhelming need for a centralized reporting system 

and resource center for unidentified human remains cases, and to aid in the resolution of 

missing persons cases. In 2007, NIJ began its work to coordinate, develop and implement 

NamUs with a multidisciplinary community of criminal justice stakeholders whose work 

continues to evolve today.

NamUs (trademark pending) is wholly owned by the Department of Justice, and is the first 

nationally centralized online repository, technical assistance service provider, and resource 

center for missing persons and unidentified human remains cases available to both criminal 

justice providers and the public. NamUs harnesses technology and provides personnel to 

provide support and resources for unidentified persons cases, missing persons cases, 

unclaimed persons cases, and victims of disasters. NamUs is searchable and accessible by 

the general public, the law enforcement community, medical examiners and coroners, victim 

advocates, allied forensic professionals, and others. NamUs combines a powerful tool with 

subject matter experts to assist the criminal justice community.
5 NIJ-2016-9079

Primary services allow criminal justice stakeholders and other users to upload cases to one 

centralized location; search and compare cases; locate regional and national resources; print 

missing persons posters; locate law enforcement and medical examiner/coroner offices;

access free forensic testing and analysis; access analytical investigative resources and allow 

stakeholder communities to share information across jurisdictions for both day-to-day 

investigations, as well as critical incident events. NamUs also provides access to free DNA 

testing and other forensic science service providers such as anthropologists, odontologists 

and fingerprint examiners to support the medicolegal and law enforcement communities in 

their work to resolve cases and reunify families.

The NamUs system currently has over 20,000 cases. A Special Report by the Bureau of 

Justice Statistics (BJS) entitled Medical Examiners and Coroners’ Offices, 20041 stated that 

over 4,000 unidentified human decedents are reported each year by medical examiners and 

coroners, and of those, an estimated 1,000 remain unidentified one year later and become 

“cold cases.” The true number may actually be higher, as this census did not include 

unidentified human remains that are stored in other locations, such as law enforcement 

agencies. In any case, the number of unidentified persons cases continues to grow with every 

passing year. (Also see the BJS Fact Sheet Unidentified Human Remains in the United States, 

1980–2004.

2

)

More detailed information about NamUs and the missing and unidentified persons databases 

can be viewed at www.namus.gov and www.namus.gov/about.htm.

Laboratories that conduct forensic DNA and/or DNA database sample analysis and:

• Participate in external audits, not less than once every two years, that demonstrate 

compliance with the requirements of the Quality Assurance Standards established by the 

Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

• Are accredited by a nonprofit professional organization actively involved in forensic 

science that is nationally recognized within the forensic science community.

• Participate in the National DNA Index System (NDIS), or have an agreement with an 

NDIS participating laboratory to upload their data.

The following requirements apply to all DNA analyses conducted under this program:

• Applicants or designated DNA lab must enter all eligible DNA profiles obtained with 

funding from this program into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) and, where 

applicable, upload these profiles into NDIS. No profiles generated with funding from this 

program may be entered into any non-governmental DNA database without prior 

express written approval from NIJ.

• Applicants or designated DNA lab must follow NDIS DNA Data Acceptance Standards 

for all profiles uploaded to NDIS.

 1 http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/meco04.pdf. 2 http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/uhrus04.pdf.
6 NIJ-2016-9079

• Applicants or designated DNA lab must maintain DNA analyses and resulting profiles 

conducted under this program pursuant to all applicable federal privacy requirements, 

including those described in 42 U.S.C. § 14132(b)(3).

Important Note:

All applications to the NamUs solicitation should include in-house or contract system developer 

support for any system developments or system upgrades to NamUs that may be needed 

during the period of performance.

The NamUs system is currently supported utilizing: Cisco ASA 5505 Adaptive Security 

Appliance, Red Hat Web server, Ruby on Rails, MySQL, Apache, and the Internet. Note: The 

NamUs system is currently going through an enterprise technology upgrade and system 

requirements and supported software may change by the time the awardee of this solicitation 

has been announced.

Please see: http://www.nij.gov/funding/Pages/fy11-namus-faqs.aspx for frequently asked 

questions and additional NamUs solicitation information.

Goals, Objectives, and Deliverables

The goal of the NamUs project is to assist State and local law enforcement, medical examiners 

and coroners, allied professionals, and the general public with resolving missing and 

unidentified persons cases. The objectives to obtain this goal are to:

1) Manage NamUs by working with NIJ and relevant stakeholders to identify, review, and 

enter missing and unidentified persons cases and other relevant cases (i.e., unclaimed 

persons) into the NamUs system.

2) Provide and maximize the use of forensic services to assist in solving these cases.

3) Provide national outreach to maximize potential user awareness.

The application should include a description of how the below activities will achieve the above 

goal and objectives:

1. Assist stakeholders within the missing persons and/or unidentified human remains 

communities by entering data, locating data, and upgrading existing data in the NamUs 

system in support of the efforts of States and units of local government to identify 

missing persons and unidentified remains. Serve as a coordinated centralized resource 

responsive to all stakeholders.

2. Provide free forensic services to eligible stakeholders, including but not limited to: 

acquisition and analysis of DNA (i.e., STR, Y-STR and mtDNA), 

coordination/collection/testing of family reference samples, anthropological 

assessments, odontological review, evaluation, and coding and fingerprint examinations 

and coding.

3. Ensure all allowable and appropriate DNA profiles are entered into the FBI’s National 

DNA Index System using the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) version 7.0.
7 NIJ-2016-9079

4. Provide ongoing day-to-day management of the NamUs system, its personnel, 

information technology services, and overall program activities. Ensure that all 

appropriate personnel are qualified to handle law enforcement/medically sensitive 

information.

5. Provide quality assurance and quality control over the NamUs system data.

6. Develop and sustain national outreach and training efforts by:

a. Coordinating training and outreach presentations at national and regional 

conferences.

b. Performing outreach to the law enforcement, medical examiners, and coroners 

communities to increase user awareness and support and reinforce program

initiatives.

c. Performing outreach to the general public to increase awareness of the NamUs 

system.

d. Providing various support services for members of the general public attempting to 

use the NamUs system. Such support may include, among other things, assisting 

with the filing of missing persons reports, collecting family reference samples, or 

providing translators for families requiring such assistance with the system.

7. Track and analyze quantitative metrics to demonstrate the national impact of NamUs by 

providing summaries of the collected analytics and success stories.

8. Assess technology needs and suite of service options for the enhancement of NamUs. 

The system should effectively gather data and perform analytical and biometric 

comparisons.

9. Work with NIJ to perform intramural research activities based on NamUs' priorities, 

system-driven data and/or medicolegal topics of interest.

10. Provide day-to day information technology support services to stakeholders and work 

closely with NIJ and OJP’s Office of Chief Information Officer (OCIO) to maintain, modify 

and support the technology needs of the NamUs system within the Amazon Government 

Cloud.

11. Work with NIJ to advance the new NamUs emergency management component called 

“NamUs-Critical Incident” to assist State and local agencies with collection of missing 

and unidentified persons data and the reconciliation and reunification of these persons. 

The system will harness innovative technology to support and assist the nation, as 

needed, in dealing with missing persons and unidentified remains issues as a result of 

critical incidents; to include accidents, mass disasters, acts of nature and/or acts of 

terrorism. Support State and local agencies, as needed, during critical incidents. Work 

done under this objective should be submitted to NIJ via semi-annual progress reports or 

via other regular communication as approved by NIJ.

12. Work closely with NIJ to further expand the offerings that NamUs can provide, through 

both science and technology, and explore expansion of applications, research and 
8 NIJ-2016-9079

evaluation opportunities and strategies for system services to grow as NamUs continues 

to mature and expand. NIJ encourages applicants to include in their program narrative 

strategies on how to assess the impact of NamUs. Work done under this objective 

should be submitted to NIJ via semi-annual progress reports or via other regular 

communication as approved by NIJ.

NOTE: Copyright and Intellectual Property Assignment

NIJ expects to negotiate and execute a Copyright Assignment agreement with the awardee 

whereby NIJ and the awardee will agree, among other things, that to the extent that the 

awardee has a right, title, or interest in any computer code and related material created, 

delivered, compiled or integrated with the NamUs database programs, the awardee will 

exclusively and irrevocably assign and transfer such right, title, or interest to NIJ. NIJ expects 

that this assignment will also include, without limitation, the right to register copyrights in the 

name of NIJ for the work performed under this award, and to enforce against third parties any 

copyright interest in the work performed. NIJ expects that the awardee will retain a nonexclusive, non-transferable right to use the computer code and related material for noncommercial purposes.

The application should also address performance measures for the proposed project. The 

relevant performance measures are listed below (See Section D.). Submission of performance 

measures data is not required for the application. Instead, applicants should discuss in their 

application their proposed methods for collecting data for performance measures.

Evidence-Based Programs or Practices

OJP strongly emphasizes the use of data and evidence in policy making and program 

development in criminal justice, juvenile justice, and crime victim services. OJP is committed to:

• Improving the quantity and quality of evidence OJP generates.

• Integrating evidence into program, practice, and policy decisions within OJP and the 

field.

• Improving the translation of evidence into practice.

OJP considers programs and practices to be evidence-based when their effectiveness has been 

demonstrated by causal evidence, generally obtained through one or more outcome 

evaluations. Causal evidence documents a relationship between an activity or intervention 

(including technology) and its intended outcome, including measuring the direction and size of a 

change, and the extent to which a change may be attributed to the activity or 

intervention. Causal evidence depends on the use of scientific methods to rule out, to the extent 

possible, alternative explanations for the documented change. The strength of causal evidence, 

based on the factors described above, will influence the degree to which OJP considers a 

program or practice to be evidence-based. The OJP CrimeSolutions.gov website is one 

resource that applicants may use to find information about evidence-based programs in criminal 

justice, juvenile justice, and crime victim services.
9 NIJ-2016-9079

B. Federal Award Information

NIJ estimates that it will make one award of up to $5,000,000 for a 12-month project period, 

beginning on October 1, 2016.

NIJ may, in certain cases, provide supplemental funding in future years to awards under its 

research, development, and evaluation solicitations. Under this solicitation, NIJ expects that it 

may provide supplemental funding for up to four years. Important considerations in decisions 

regarding supplemental funding include, among other factors, the availability of funding, 

strategic priorities, NIJ’s assessment of the quality of the management of the award (for 

example, timeliness and quality of progress reports), and NIJ’s assessment of the progress of 

the work funded under the award.

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 Award3

NIJ expects that it will make any award from this solicitation in the form of a cooperative 

agreement, which is a particular type of grant used if NIJ expects to have ongoing substantial 

involvement in award activities. Substantial involvement includes direct oversight and 

involvement with the grantee organization in implementation of the grant, but does not involve 

day-to-day project management. See Administrative, National Policy, and other Legal 

Requirements, under Section F. Federal Award Administration Information, for details regarding 

the federal involvement anticipated under an award from this solicitation.

Financial Management and System of Internal Controls

Award recipients and subrecipients (including any recipient or subrecipient funded in response 

to this solicitation that is a pass-through entity4

) must, as described in the Part 200 Uniform 

Requirements 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.

 3 See generally 31 U.S.C. §§ 6301-6305 (defines and describes various forms of federal assistance relationships, 

including grants and cooperative agreements (a type of grant)). 

4 For purposes of this solicitation (or program announcement), “pass-through entity” includes any entity eligible to 

receive funding as a recipient or subrecipient under this solicitation (or program announcement) that, if funded, may 

make a subaward(s) to a subrecipient(s) to carry out part of the funded program.
10 NIJ-2016-9079

(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.

In order to better understand administrative requirements and cost principles, applicants are 

encouraged to enroll, at no charge, in the Department of Justice Grants Financial Management 

Online Training available here.

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 Cost (also known as Pre-award Cost) Approvals

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

performance of the grant 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. If approved, pre-agreement costs could be paid 

from grant funds consistent with a grantee’s approved budget, and under applicable cost 

standards. However, all such costs prior to award and prior to approval of the costs are incurred 

at the sole risk of an applicant. Generally, no applicant should incur project costs before

submitting an application requesting federal funding for those costs. Should there be 

extenuating circumstances that appear to be appropriate for OJP’s consideration as preagreement costs, the applicant should contact the point of contact listed on the title page of this 

announcement for details on the requirements for submitting a written request for approval. See 

the section on Costs Requiring Prior Approval in the Financial Guide, 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, recipients may 

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

employee of the award recipient at a rate that exceeds 110% 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.5 The 2016 salary table for 

SES employees is available at the Office of Personnel Management website. Note: A recipient 

 5 This limitation on use of award funds does not apply to the non-profit organizations specifically named at Appendix 

VIII to 2 C.F.R. part 200.
11 NIJ-2016-9079

may compensate an employee at a greater rate, provided the amount in excess of this 

compensation limitation is paid with non-federal funds. (Any such additional compensation will 

not be considered matching funds where match requirements apply.) For employees who 

charge only a portion of their time to an award, the allowable amount to be charged 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, the limitation on compensation rates allowable under an award. An applicant requesting a

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

the applicant submits a waiver request and justification with the application, the applicant should 

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

The justification should include the particular qualifications and expertise of the individual, the 

uniqueness of the service the individual will provide, the individual’s specific knowledge of the 

program or project being undertaken with award funds, and a statement explaining that the 

individual’s salary is commensurate with the regular and customary rate for an individual with 

his/her qualifications and expertise, and for the work to be done.

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

OJP strongly encourages applicants that propose to use award funds for any conference-, 

meeting-, or training-related activity to review carefully—before submitting an application—the 

OJP policy and guidance on conference approval, planning, and reporting available 

at 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 and of some conference, meeting, and 

training costs for grant recipients; and (3) set cost limits, including 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 “Solicitation 

Requirements” in OJP's Funding Resource Center.

C. Eligibility Information

For additional eligibility information, see title page.

For additional information on cost sharing or matching requirements, see Section B. Federal 

Award Information.
12 NIJ-2016-9079

Limit on Number of Application Submissions

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

recent system-validated version submitted. For more information on system-validated versions, 

see How to Apply.

D. Application and Submission Information

What an Application Should Include

Applicants should anticipate that if they fail to submit an application that contains all of the 

specified elements, it may negatively affect the review of their application; and, should a 

decision be made to make an award, it may result in the inclusion of special conditions that 

preclude the recipient from accessing or using award funds pending satisfaction of the 

conditions.

Moreover, applicants should anticipate that applications that are determined to be 

nonresponsive to the scope of the solicitation, or that do not include the application elements 

that NIJ has designated to be critical, will neither proceed to peer review nor receive further 

consideration. Under this solicitation, NIJ has designated the following application elements as 

critical: Program Narrative, Budget Detail Worksheet, and Budget Narrative. Applicants may 

combine the Budget Narrative and the Budget Detail Worksheet in one document. However, if 

an applicant submits only one budget document, it must contain both narrative and detail 

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

sure applications are submitted in permitted formats.

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

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

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

applicants include résumés in a single file.

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 OJP’s 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).

Intergovernmental Review: This funding opportunity is subject to Executive Order 12372. 

Applicants may find the names and addresses of their State’s Single Point of Contact 

(SPOC) at the following website: www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_spoc/. Applicants whose 

State appears on the SPOC list must contact their state’s SPOC to find out about, and 

comply with, the State’s process under Executive Order 12372. In completing the SF-424, 

applicants whose State appears on the SPOC list are to make the appropriate selection in 

response to question 19 once the applicant has complied with their State’s E.O. 12372 

process. (Applicants whose State does not appear on the SPOC list are to make the 

appropriate selection in response to question 19 to indicate that the “Program is subject to 

E.O. 12372 but has not been selected by the State for review.”)
13 NIJ-2016-9079

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 (Times New Roman) with 1-inch margins.

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

program narrative.

All project abstracts should follow the detailed template available 

at ojp.gov/funding/Apply/Resources/ProjectAbstractTemplate.pdf.

Permission to Share Project Abstract with the Public: It is unlikely that NIJ will be able to 

fund all promising applications submitted under this solicitation, but it may have the 

opportunity to share information with the public regarding unfunded applications, for 

example, through a listing on a web page available to the public. The intent of this public 

posting would be to allow other possible funders to become aware of such proposals. 

In the project abstract template, applicants are asked to indicate whether they give OJP 

permission to share their project abstract (including contact information) with the public. 

Granting (or failing to grant) this permission will not affect OJP’s funding decisions, and, if 

the application is not funded, granting permission will not guarantee that abstract information 

will be shared, nor will it guarantee funding from any other source.

Note: OJP may choose not to list a project that otherwise would have been included in a 

listing of unfunded applications, should the abstract fail to meet the format and content 

requirements noted above and outlined in the project abstract template.

3. Program Narrative

The program narrative section of the application should not exceed 25 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 25-page limit for the narrative 

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

count toward the 25-page limit.

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

a. Statement of the Problem.

b. Project Design and Implementation.

c. Capabilities and Competencies.

d. Plan for Collecting the Data Required for this Solicitation’s Performance Measures.
14 NIJ-2016-9079

To demonstrate program progress and success, as well as, to assist the Department with 

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,

applicants that receive funding under this solicitation must provide data that measure the results 

of their work done under this solicitation. OJP will require any award recipient, post award, to 

provide the data requested in the “Data Grantee Provides” column so that OJP can calculate 

values for the “Performance Measures” column. Performance measures for this solicitation are 

as follows:

Objective Performance 

Measure(s)

Data Grantee Provides

Manage NamUs, 

working with NIJ, to 

identify, review, and 

enter missing and 

unidentified persons 

cases into the 

NamUs system with 

relevant 

stakeholders;

Percent increase in the 

number of missing and 

unidentified persons 

cases entered into the 

NamUs system.

Number of existing missing persons cases in 

NamUs.

The number of new missing persons cases entered 

into NamUs.

Number of existing unidentified persons cases in 

NamUs.

The number of new unidentified persons cases 

entered into NamUs.

Description, on an annual basis, of all technologies 

(such as software, web platforms and content, 

source code, etc.) developed and/or fielded as a 

result (in whole or in part) of work funded under the 

NIJ award.

Delivery, before the end of the project period, of all 

technologies (such as software, web platforms and 

content, source code, etc.) developed and/or fielded 

as a result (in whole or in part) of work funded under 

the NIJ award.

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. 

Supplemental awards and fund drawdowns may be 

withheld if reports are delinquent.

Maximize the use of 

forensic services to 

assist in solving 

these cases; 

Percent increase in the 

number of users 

registered in the NamUs 

system.

Number of users currently registered in the NamUs 

system.

Number of new users registered in the NamUs 

system.

Percent of cases where 

forensic service 

information 

(anthropology, dental, 

DNA, and fingerprints) 

The number of cases where forensic services 

information (anthropology, dental, DNA, and 

fingerprint) was entered into the NamUs system.

The number of cases where forensic services were 

utilized or performed by NamUs.
15 NIJ-2016-9079

was entered into the 

system.

Percent increase in the 

number of DNA profiles 

and/or family reference 

samples entered into 

CODIS 7.0.

The number of new DNA profiles and/or family 

reference samples entered into CODIS 7.0.

Number of cases currently entered into CODIS 7.0.

Percent of analyzed 

cases analyzed that 

yielded a result using the 

NamUs system

The number of cases for which NamUs provided 

assistance.

Provide national

outreach to 

maximize potential 

user awareness.

Number of outreach 

efforts to stakeholders

Number of outreach efforts to stakeholders

Number of presentation 

conducted 

Number of presentation conducted 

Number of individuals or 

households reached by 

public awareness 

campaign

Number of individuals or households reached by 

public awareness campaign.

Number of public 

awareness campaign 

activities 

Number of public awareness campaign activities 

Target population 

reached through training 

or public awareness

Target population reached through training or public 

awareness

NIJ does not require applicants to submit performance measures data with their application. 

Performance measures are included as an alert that NIJ will require successful applicants to 

submit specific data as part of their reporting requirements. For the application, applicants 

should indicate an understanding of these requirements and discuss how they will gather the 

required data, should they receive funding.

Note on Project Evaluations

Applicants that propose to use funds awarded 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.” Applicants should provide sufficient information for OJP to determine 

whether the particular project they propose would either intentionally or unintentionally collect 

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

Research, for the purposes of human subjects protections 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). For 

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

see the decision tree to assist applicants on the “Research and the Protection of Human 

Subjects” section of OJP's Funding Resource Center web page

(www.ojp.gov/funding/Explore/SolicitationRequirements/EvidenceResearchEvaluationRequirem
16 NIJ-2016-9079

ents.htm). Applicants whose proposals may involve a research or statistical component also 

should review the “Data Privacy and Confidentiality Requirements” section on that web page.

4. Budget Detail Worksheet and Budget Narrative

a. Budget Detail Worksheet 

A sample Budget Detail Worksheet can be found 

at www.ojp.gov/funding/Apply/Resources/BudgetDetailWorksheet.pdf. Applicants that 

submit their budget in a different format should include the budget categories listed in 

the sample budget worksheet. The Budget Detail Worksheet should be broken down by 

year.

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

see the Financial Guide at http://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).

Applicants should demonstrate in their budget narratives how they will maximize cost 

effectiveness of grant 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 narrative should be mathematically sound and correspond 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 they are relevant 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 be broken down by year.

c. Non-Competitive Procurement Contracts In Excess of Simplified Acquisition 

Threshold

If an applicant proposes to make one or more non-competitive procurements of products 

or services, where the non-competitive procurement will exceed the simplified 

acquisition threshold (also known as the small purchase threshold), which is currently 

set at $150,000, the application should address the considerations outlined in 

the Financial Guide.

d. Pre-Agreement Cost Approvals

For information on pre-agreement costs, see Section B. Federal Award Information.
17 NIJ-2016-9079

5. Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable)

Indirect costs are allowed only under the following circumstances:

a. The applicant has a current, federally approved indirect cost rate; or

b. The applicant is eligible 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).

Attach a copy of the federally approved indirect cost rate agreement to the application. 

Applicants that do not have an approved rate may request one through their cognizant 

federal agency, which will review all documentation and approve a rate for the applicant 

organization, or, if the applicant’s accounting system permits, costs may be allocated in the 

direct cost categories. For the definition of Cognizant Federal Agency, see the “Glossary of 

Terms” in the Financial Guide. For assistance with identifying your cognizant agency, please 

contact the 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 http://www.ojp.gov/funding/Apply/Resources/IndirectCosts.pdf.

In order to use the “de minimis” indirect rate, attach written documentation to the application 

that advises OJP of both the applicant’s eligibility (to use the “de minimis” rate) and its 

election. If the applicant elects the “de minimis” method, costs must be consistently charged 

as either indirect or direct costs, but may not be double charged or inconsistently charged as 

either indirect or direct costs, but may not be double charged or inconsistently charged as 

both. In addition, if this method is chosen then it must be used consistently for all federal 

awards until such time as you choose to negotiate a federally approved indirect cost rate.6

6. Tribal Authorizing Resolution (if applicable)

Tribes, tribal organizations, or third parties proposing to provide direct services or assistance 

to residents on tribal lands should include in their applications a resolution, a letter, affidavit, 

or other documentation, as appropriate, that certifies that the applicant has the legal 

authority from the tribe(s) to implement the proposed project on tribal lands. In those 

instances when an organization or consortium of tribes applies for a grant 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 grant. 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. Applicant Disclosure of High-Risk Status

Applicants are to disclose whether they are currently designated high-risk by another federal 

grant making agency. This includes any status requiring additional oversight by the federal 

agency due to past programmatic or financial concerns. If an applicant is designated highrisk by another federal grant making agency, you must email the following information 

to OJPComplianceReporting@usdoj.gov at the time of application submission:

 6 See 2 C.F.R. § 200.414(4).
18 NIJ-2016-9079

• The federal agency that currently designated the applicant as high-risk.

• Date the applicant was designated high-risk.

• The high-risk point of contact name, phone number, and email address, from that 

federal agency.

• Reasons for the high-risk status.

OJP seeks this information to ensure appropriate federal oversight of any grant award.

Disclosing this high-risk information does not disqualify any organization from receiving an 

OJP award. However, additional grant oversight may be included, if necessary, in award 

documentation.

8. Additional Attachments

a. Applicant Disclosure of Pending Applications

Applicants are to disclose whether they have pending applications for federally funded 

grants or subgrants (including cooperative agreements) that include requests for funding 

to support the same project being proposed under this solicitation and will cover the 

identical cost items outlined in the budget narrative and worksheet in the application 

under this solicitation. The disclosure should include both direct applications for federal 

funding (e.g., applications to federal agencies) and indirect applications for such funding 

(e.g., applications to State agencies that will subaward federal funds).

OJP seeks this information to help avoid any 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.

Applicants that have pending applications as described above are 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 funding agency.
19 NIJ-2016-9079

SAMPLE

Applicants should include the table as a separate attachment to their application. The file 

should be named “Disclosure of Pending Applications.” 

Applicants that do not have pending applications as described above are to include a 

statement to this effect in the separate attachment page (e.g., “[Applicant Name on SF424] does not have pending applications submitted within the last 12 months for 

federally funded grants or subgrants (including cooperative agreements) that include 

requests for funding to support the same project being proposed under this solicitation 

and will cover the identical cost items outlined in the budget narrative and worksheet in 

the application under this solicitation.”).

b. Research and Evaluation Independence and Integrity

If a proposal involves research and/or evaluation, regardless of the proposal’s other 

merits, in order to receive funds, the applicant must demonstrate research/evaluation 

independence, including appropriate safeguards to ensure research/evaluation 

objectivity and integrity, both in this proposal and as it may relate to the applicant’s other 

current or prior related projects. This documentation may be included as an attachment 

to the application which addresses BOTH i. and ii. below.

i. For purposes of this solicitation, applicants must document research and evaluation 

independence and integrity by including, at a minimum, one of the following two 

items:

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

research integrity issues (including all principal investigators and sub-recipients) 

and it has concluded that the design, conduct, or reporting of research and 

evaluation funded by NIJ grants, cooperative agreements, or contracts will not be 

biased by any personal or financial conflict of interest on the part of part of its 

staff, consultants, and/or sub-recipients responsible for the research and 

evaluation or on the part of the applicant organization;

OR

Federal or 

State 

Funding 

Agency 

Solicitation 

Name/Project 

Name

Name/Phone/Email for Point of Contact at 

Funding Agency

DOJ/COPS COPS Hiring 

Program

Jane Doe, 202/000-0000; jane.doe@usdoj.gov

HHS/ 

Substance 

Abuse & 

Mental Health 

Services 

Administration

Drug Free 

Communities 

Mentoring Program/ 

North County Youth 

Mentoring Program

John Doe, 202/000-0000; john.doe@hhs.gov
20 NIJ-2016-9079

b. A specific listing of actual or perceived conflicts of interest that the applicant has 

identified in relation to this proposal. These conflicts could be either personal 

(related to specific staff, consultants, and/or sub-recipients) or organizational 

(related to the applicant or any subgrantee organization). Examples of potential 

investigator (or other personal) conflict situations may include, but are not limited 

to, 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 could not be given a grant 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), as the organization in such an instance would 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 applicants must address the issue of 

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

the following two items:

a. If an applicant reasonably believes that no potential personal or organizational 

conflicts of interest exist, then the applicant should provide a brief narrative 

explanation of how and why it reached that conclusion. Applicants MUST also 

include an explanation of the specific processes and procedures that the 

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

potential personal or financial conflicts of interest on the part of its staff, 

consultants, and/or sub-recipients for this particular project, should that be 

necessary during the grant period. Documentation that may be helpful in this 

regard could include organizational codes of ethics/conduct or policies regarding 

organizational, personal, and financial conflicts of interest.

OR

b. If the applicant has identified specific personal or organizational conflicts of

interest in its proposal during this review, the applicant must propose a specific 

and robust mitigation plan to address conflicts noted above. At a minimum, the 

plan must include specific processes and procedures that the applicant will put in 

place to eliminate (or, at the very least, mitigate) potential personal or financial 

conflicts of interest on the part of its staff, consultants, and/or sub-recipients for 

this particular project, should that be necessary during the grant period. 

Documentation that may be helpful in this regard could include organizational 

codes of ethics/conduct or policies regarding organizational, personal, and 

financial conflicts of interest. There is no guarantee that the plan, if any, will be 

accepted as proposed.

Considerations in assessing research and evaluation independence and integrity will 

include, but are not be limited to, the adequacy of the applicant’s efforts to identify factors 
21 NIJ-2016-9079

that could affect the objectivity or integrity of the proposed staff and/or the organization 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. 

9. Financial Management and System of Internal Controls Questionnaire

In accordance with the Part 200 Uniform Requirements as set out at 2 C.F.R .200.205,

federal agencies must have in place a framework for evaluating the risks posed by 

applicants before they receive a federal award. To facilitate part of this risk evaluation, all

applicants (other than an individual) are to download, complete, and submit this form.

10. Disclosure of Lobbying Activities

All applicants must complete this information. Applicants that expend any funds for lobbying 

activities are to provide the detailed information requested on the form Disclosure of 

Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL). Applicants that do not expend any funds for lobbying activities 

are to enter “N/A” in the text boxes for item 10 (“a. Name and Address of Lobbying 

Registrant” and “b. Individuals Performing Services”).

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 www.Grants.gov. Applicants that experience technical 

difficulties during this process should call the Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline at 800-518-

4726 or 606–545–5035, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except federal holidays. 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 and a user password. OJP 

encourages applicants to register several weeks before the application submission deadline. 

In addition, OJP urges applicants to submit applications 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.

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

regarding this solicitation. If this solicitation is cancelled or modified, individuals who sign up with 

Grants.gov for updates will be automatically notified.

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

optional. OJP receives all files attached in both categories. Please insure all required 

documents are attached in the mandatory category.

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

characters in names of attachment files. Valid file names may include only the characters shown 

in the table below. Grants.gov is designed to reject any application that includes an 

attachment(s) with a file name that contains any characters not shown in the table below. 
22 NIJ-2016-9079

Characters Special Characters

Upper case (A – Z) Parenthesis ( ) Curly braces { } Square brackets [ ]

Lower case (a – z) Ampersand (&) Tilde (~) Exclamation point (!)

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

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

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

Period (.) When using the ampersand (&) in XML, applicants must use the 

“&” format.

Grants.gov is designed to forward successfully submitted applications to OJP’s Grants 

Management System (GMS).

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:

OJP may not make a federal award to an applicant organization until the applicant organization 

has complied with all applicable DUNS and SAM requirements. Individual applicants must 

comply with all Grants.gov requirements. If an applicant has not fully complied with the 

requirements by the time the federal awarding agency is ready to make a federal award, the 

federal awarding agency may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a federal 

award and use that determination as a basis for making a federal award to another applicant.

Individual applicants should search Grants.gov for a funding opportunity for which individuals 

are eligible to apply. Use the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) to register. Complete the 

registration form at https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/IndCPRegister to create a username and 

password. Individual applicants should complete all steps except 1, 2 and 4.

1. Acquire a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number. In general, the Office of 

Management and Budget requires that all applicants (other than individuals) for federal 

funds include a DUNS number in their applications for a new award or a supplement to an 

existing award. A DUNS number is a unique nine-digit sequence recognized as the 

universal standard for identifying and differentiating entities receiving federal funds. The 

identifier is used for tracking purposes and to validate address and point of contact 

information for federal assistance applicants, recipients, and subrecipients. The DUNS 

number will be used throughout the grant life cycle. 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 www.dnb.com. A DUNS number is usually received within 1-2 business days.

2. Acquire registration with the System for Award Management (SAM). SAM is the 

repository for standard information about federal financial assistance applicants, recipients, 

and subrecipients. OJP requires all applicants (other than individuals) for federal financial 

assistance to maintain current registrations in the SAM database. Applicants must be 

registered in SAM to successfully register in Grants.gov. Applicants must update or renew 

their SAM registration annually to maintain an active status. SAM registration and renewal 

can take as long as 10 business days to complete.
23 NIJ-2016-9079

Applications cannot be successfully submitted in Grants.gov until Grants.gov receives the 

SAM registration information. The information transfer from SAM to Grants.gov can take 

up to 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.

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. The applicant organization’s DUNS number must be used to complete this 

step. For more information about the registration process, go 

to www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html. Individuals registering with Grants.gov should 

go to http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/individual-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 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-2016-9079.

6. 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 and the second will state whether the application has been successfully

validated, or 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 well ahead of the deadline provides time to correct the 

problem(s) that caused the rejection. Important: OJP urges applicants to submit 

applications 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. All applications are due 

to be submitted and in receipt of a successful validation message in Grants.gov by 11:59 

p.m. eastern time on May 3, 2016.

Click here for further details on DUNS, SAM, and Grants.gov registration steps and 

timeframes.

Note: Duplicate Applications

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

recent system-validated version submitted. See Note on File Names and File Types under How 

to Apply.
24 NIJ-2016-9079

Experiencing Unforeseen Grants.gov Technical Issues

Applicants that experience unforeseen Grants.gov technical issues beyond their control that 

prevent them from submitting their application by the deadline must contact the 

Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline or the SAM Help Desk (Federal Service Desk) to report 

the technical issue and receive a tracking number. Then applicants must email the NIJ contact 

identified in the Contact Information section on page 1 within 24 hours after the application 

deadline and request approval to submit their application. The email must describe the 

technical difficulties, and 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: NIJ does not automatically approve requests. After the program 

office reviews the submission, and contacts the Grants.gov or SAM Help Desks to validate 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 applicant failed to follow all 

required procedures, which resulted in an untimely application submission, OJP will deny the 

applicant’s request to submit their application. 

The following conditions are generally 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, 

including firewalls.

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

the top of the OJP funding web page at http://ojp.gov/funding/index.htm.

E. Application Review Information

Selection Criteria

1. Statement of the Problem (5%)

• Demonstrate an understanding of the problem.

2. Project Design and Implementation (40%)

• Awareness of the state of current DNA technology and its application to solving cold 

cases.

• Organizational and management structure.

• Soundness of methods and analytic and technical approach.
25 NIJ-2016-9079

• Feasibility of proposed project and awareness of pitfalls.

• Innovation and creativity (when appropriate).

3. Capabilities and Competencies (35%)

• Qualifications and experience of proposed staff.

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

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

subdivided and resources are used.

4. Plan for Collecting the Data Required for this Solicitation’s Performance Measures (10%)

5. Budget: complete, cost effective, and allowable (e.g., reasonable, allocable, and 

necessary for project activities). Budget narratives should generally demonstrate how 

applicants will maximize cost effectiveness of grant expenditures. Budget narratives 

should demonstrate cost effectiveness in relation to potential alternatives and the goals 

of the project.

7 (10%)

• Total cost of the project relative to the perceived benefit (cost effectiveness).

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

• Use of existing resources to conserve costs.

Review Process

OJP is committed to ensuring a fair and open process for awarding grants. 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 applicants have met basic minimum 

requirements, OJP screens applications for compliance with specified program requirements to 

help determine which applications should proceed to further consideration for award. Although

program requirements may vary, the following are common requirements applicable to all 

solicitations for funding under OJP grant programs:

• Applications must be submitted by an eligible type of applicant.

• Applications must request funding within programmatic funding constraints (if 

applicable).

• Applications must be responsive to the scope of the solicitation.

 7 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.
26 NIJ-2016-9079

• Applications must include all items designated as “critical elements.”

• Applicants will be checked against the System for Award Management (SAM)

For a list of critical elements, see “What an Application Should Include” under Section D. 

Application and Submission Information.

NIJ may use internal peer reviewers, external peer reviewers, or a combination, to assess 

applications meeting basic minimum requirements on technical merit using the solicitation’s 

selection 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. A peer review panel 

will evaluate, score, and rate applications that meet basic minimum requirements. Peer 

reviewers’ ratings and any resulting recommendations are advisory only, although their views 

are considered carefully. In addition to peer review ratings, considerations for award 

recommendations and decisions may include, but are not limited to, underserved populations, 

geographic diversity, strategic priorities, past performance under prior NIJ and OJP awards, and 

available funding.

OJP reviews applications for potential discretionary awards to evaluate the risks posed by 

applicants before they receive an award. This review may include but is not limited to the 

following:

1. Financial stability and fiscal integrity.

2. Quality of management systems and ability to meet the management standards 

prescribed in the Financial Guide.

3. History of performance.

4. Reports and findings from audits.

5. The applicant's ability to effectively implement statutory, regulatory, or other 

requirements imposed on award recipients.

6. Proposed costs to determine if the Budget Detail Worksheet and Budget Narrative 

accurately explain project costs, and whether those costs are reasonable, necessary, 

and allowable under applicable federal cost principles and agency regulations.

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 consider factors 

including, but not limited to, peer review ratings, underserved populations, geographic diversity, 

strategic priorities, past performance under prior NIJ and OJP awards, and available funding 

when making awards.
27 NIJ-2016-9079

F. Federal Award Administration Information

Federal Award Notices

OJP sends award notification 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 how to 

accept the award in GMS. GMS automatically issues the notifications at 9:00 p.m. eastern time 

on the award date (by September 30, 2016). Recipients will be required to login; accept any 

outstanding assurances and certifications on the award; designate a financial point of contact; 

and review, sign, and accept the award. The award acceptance process involves physical 

signature of the award document by the authorized representative and the scanning of the fullyexecuted 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 

agency-approved project proposal and budget, the recipient must comply with award terms and 

conditions, and other legal requirements, including but not limited to OMB, DOJ or other federal 

regulations which will be included in the award, incorporated into the award by reference, or are 

otherwise applicable to the award. OJP strongly encourages prospective applicants to review 

the information pertaining to these requirements prior to submitting an application. To assist 

applicants and recipients in accessing and reviewing this information, OJP has placed pertinent 

information on its Solicitation Requirements page of OJP's Funding Resource Center.

Please note in particular the following two forms, which applicants must accept in GMS prior to 

the receipt of any award funds, as each details legal requirements with which applicants must 

provide specific assurances and certifications of compliance. Applicants may view these forms 

in the Apply section of the OJP's Funding Resource Center and are strongly encouraged to 

review and consider them carefully prior to making an application for OJP grant funds.

• Certifications Regarding Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension and Other Responsibility 

Matters; and Drug-Free Workplace Requirements.

• Standard Assurances.

Upon grant approval, OJP electronically transmits (via GMS) the award document to the 

prospective award recipient. In addition to other award information, the award document 

contains award terms and conditions that specify national policy requirements8 with which 

recipients of federal funding must comply; uniform administrative requirements, cost principles,

and audit requirements; and program-specific terms and conditions required based on 

applicable program (statutory) authority or requirements set forth in OJP solicitations and 

program announcements, and other requirements which may be attached to appropriated 

funding. For example, certain efforts may call for special requirements, terms, or conditions 

relating to intellectual property, data/information-sharing or -access, or information security; or 

audit requirements, expenditures and milestones, or publications and/or press releases. OJP 

also may place additional terms and conditions on an award based on its risk assessment of the 

 8 See generally 2 C.F.R. 200.300 (provides a general description of national policy requirements typically applicable 

to recipients of federal awards, including the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (FFATA)).
28 NIJ-2016-9079

applicant, or for other reasons it determines necessary to fulfill the goals and objectives of the 

program.

Prospective applicants may access and review the text of mandatory conditions OJP includes in 

all OJP awards, as well as the text of certain other conditions, such as administrative conditions, 

via Mandatory Award Terms and Conditions page of OJP's Funding Resource Center.

As stated above, NIJ anticipates that it will make any award from this solicitation in the form of a 

cooperative agreement. Cooperative agreement awards include standard “federal involvement” 

conditions that describe the general allocation of responsibility for execution of the funded 

program. Generally stated, under cooperative agreement awards, responsibility for the day-today conduct of the funded project rests with the recipient in implementing the funded and 

approved proposal and budget, and the award terms and conditions. Responsibility for oversight 

and redirection of the project, if necessary, rests with NIJ.

In addition to any “federal involvement” condition(s), OJP cooperative agreement awards 

include a special condition specifying certain reporting requirements required in connection with 

conferences, meetings, retreats, seminars, symposium, training activities, or similar events 

funded under the award, consistent with OJP policy and guidance on conference approval, 

planning, and reporting.

General Information about Post-Federal Award Reporting Requirements

Recipients 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. Future awards and fund drawdowns may be withheld if reports are 

delinquent.

Special Reporting requirements may be required by OJP depending on the statutory, legislative 

or administrative obligations of the recipient or the program.

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s)

For Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s), see title page.

For contact information for Grants.gov, see title page.

H. Other Information

Provide Feedback to OJP

To assist OJP in improving its application and award processes, we encourage applicants to 

provide feedback on this solicitation, the application submission process, and/or the application 

review/peer review process. Provide feedback to OJPSolicitationFeedback@usdoj.gov.

IMPORTANT: This email is for feedback and suggestions only. Replies are not sent from this 

mailbox. If you have specific questions on any program or technical aspect of the solicitation, 

you must directly contact the appropriate number or email listed on the front of this solicitation 

document. These contacts are provided to help ensure that you can directly reach an individual 

who can address your specific questions in a timely manner.
29 NIJ-2016-9079

If you are interested in being a reviewer for other OJP grant applications, please email your 

résumé to ojppeerreview@lmsolas.com. The OJP Solicitation Feedback email account will not 

forward your résumé. Note: Neither you nor anyone else from your organization can be a peer 

reviewer in a competition in which you or your organization have submitted an application.
30 NIJ-2016-9079

Application Checklist

National Missing and Unidentified Persons System

This application checklist has been created to assist in developing an application.

What an Applicant Should Do:

Prior to Registering in Grants.gov:

_____ Acquire a DUNS Number (see page 22)

_____ Acquire or renew registration with SAM (see page 22)

To Register with Grants.gov: 

_____ Acquire AOR and Grants.gov username/password (see page 23)

_____ Acquire AOR confirmation from the E-Biz POC (see page 23)

To Find Funding Opportunity:

_____ Search for the Funding Opportunity on Grants.gov (see page 23)

_____ Download Funding Opportunity and Application Package

_____ Sign up for Grants.gov email notifications (optional) (see page 21)

_____ 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 11)

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 23)

If No Grants.gov Receipt, and Validation or Error Notifications are Received:

_____ Please refer to the section: Experiencing Unforeseen Grants.gov Technical Issues

(see page 24)

General Requirements:

_____ Review the Solicitation Requirements in OJP’s Funding Resource Center.

Scope Requirement:

_____ The federal amount requested is within the allowable limit(s) of $5,000,000 for a 12-

month project period.

Eligibility Requirement:

What an Application Should Include:

_____ Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424) (see page 12)

_____ Intergovernmental Review (see page 12)

_____ Project Abstract (see page 13)

_____ Program Narrative (see page 13)

_____ Budget Detail Worksheet (see page 16)

_____ Budget Narrative (see page 16)

_____ Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable) (see page 17)

_____ Tribal Authorizing Resolution (if applicable) (see page 17)

_____ Applicant Disclosure of High-Risk Status (see page 17)
31 NIJ-2016-9079

_____ Additional Attachments

_____ Applicant Disclosure of Pending Applications (see page 18)

_____ Research and Evaluation Independence and Integrity (see page 19) 

_____ Financial Management and System of Internal Controls Questionnaire (see page 21)

_____ Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL) (see page 21)

_____ Employee Compensation Waiver request and justification (if applicable) (see page 10)