BJA FY 2026 Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement- Competitive Grants Program

Under the Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvements Grant Program, state administering agencies (SAAs) may be eligible and apply for both formula and competitive funds. This NOFO is ONLY for formula funds. An applicant seeking to apply for Coverdell competitive funds (consistent with 34 U.S.C. § 10563(a)(2)) that are available to eligible states and units of local government would need to apply separately under BJA’s FY 2026 Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement—Competitive Grants Program NOFO.

This is a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for the BJA FY 2026 DNA Capacity Enhancement for Backlog Reduction (CEBR) — Competitive Grants Program. This opportunity will increase capacity of states and units of local government with existing crime laboratories to process DNA samples for entry into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). The purpose of the CEBR Competitive Program is to maximize the effective utilization of DNA technology to strengthen evidence-based criminal justice responses. The priorities of the CEBR Competitive Program are (1) to use DNA technology to increase the capacity and/or efficiency of publicly funded forensic DNA laboratories to conduct analysis of DNA samples for entry into CODIS and (2) implementing Rapid DNA in the booking station(s) in eligible jurisdictions. The program is designed to fairly and efficiently prioritize jurisdictions facing operational challenges by considering key performance measures reported by publicly funded forensic DNA laboratories. This program is for Competitive funding only. The BJA FY 2026 DNA Capacity Enhancement for Backlog Reduction (CEBR) — Formula Grants Program for formula funding will post at a later date. Eligible agencies may apply for both Competitive and Formula CEBR Funding.

This is a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for the FY26 Technology and Equipment Program (TEP). This noncompetitive, invitational, funding opportunity provides funding to state, territorial, local, Tribal, and other entities designated under the heading “Community Oriented Policing Services, Technology and Equipment Community Projects / COPS Law Enforcement Technology and Equipment” in the Congressional Joint Explanatory Statement – Division C, which is incorporated by reference into Public Law 119-74, to develop and acquire effective law enforcement equipment, technologies and interoperable communications that assist in responding to and preventing crime and expand the implementation of community policing. Equipment funded under this program should meet any applicable requirements of the National Institute of Standards and Technology's Office of Law Enforcement Standards.

This is a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for the BJA FY 2026 National Center for Veterans Justice. This opportunity will establish a national center to provide specialized support to state, local, and tribal criminal justice agencies; treatment and service providers; courts; corrections systems; and community supervision agencies to effectively support and respond to the needs of veterans across the justice system, improve outcomes, and strengthen public safety. The Center will serve as a one stop shop to address critical gaps in veteran identification, cross-system coordination, and implementation of evidence-based interventions by providing criminal justice professionals with specialized tools, training, and technical assistance on military culture, combat trauma, military sexual trauma (MST), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI), and other veteran-specific considerations. Providing resources and specialized technical assistance through a centralized location and entity is essential to effectively supporting veterans whose needs require coordination across multiple systems, including criminal justice, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), behavioral health, and social service systems that operate under distinct legal frameworks and institutional priorities.

The Office of Justice Programs (OJP) is committed to advancing work that furthers the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) mission to keep our country safe and secure and uphold the rule of law and protect the rights of American citizens. OJP provides federal leadership, funding, and other critical resources to directly support law enforcement, combat violent crime, protect American children, provide services to American crime victims, and address public safety challenges, including human trafficking and the opioid crisis. This NOFO, as authorized by the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act of 2022, will provide funding for the creation or enhancement of state crisis intervention court proceedings and related programs or initiatives, including extreme risk protection order (ERPO) programs, as well as mental health courts, drug courts, and veterans treatment courts.

This is a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for the OJJDP FY 2026 Multistate Mentoring Programs. This opportunity supports the implementation and delivery of mentoring services to youth populations that are at risk or high risk for delinquency, victimization, and going into the juvenile justice system. Mentoring services can be one-on-one, group, peer, or a combination of these types.

This is a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for the BJA FY 2026 Daniel Anderl Judicial Security and Privacy Program. This opportunity supports states and units of local government, including tribal governments that perform law enforcement functions, in creating and expanding efforts to protect the safety and security of federal judges by preventing the release of covered information about at-risk individuals and their immediate family members to ensure federal judges are able to administer justice fairly without fear of personal reprisal from individuals affected by the decisions they make in the course of carrying out their public duties. Many federal judges' personal information resides in state and local government records, databases, and registries that are publicly accessible and searchable and outside federal control. Grants to state and local entities support federal-state-local partnerships to protect federal judicial officers and their families. Funds awarded under this grant program must be used exclusively for protecting federal judges and their immediate family members as defined in statute. Applicants that have existing judicial protection programs should clearly delineate how grant funds will be used solely for federal judges and describe cost allocation methodologies to ensure appropriate separation of expenses. Expenses that also benefit other judges are acceptable, provided that any costs specific to state, local, or tribal judges are separately tracked and are not charged to this grant.

This initiative seeks to protect American citizens from being victimized, harmed, or killed by criminal illegal aliens, and ensure that no additional families endure the trauma and life altering devastation experienced by our Angel Families. This funding opportunity will support state, local, and tribal government’s activities to identify, disrupt, and prevent violent crime committed by criminal illegal aliens and enhance public safety through coordinated, intelligence-led law enforcement operations. Awards from this program should be used to support significant participation in and support of Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) activities and other DOJ efforts to combat gangs, cartels, and other violent crime. Within the context described above, examples of permissible activities include but are not limited to the following: • Sworn and Non-Sworn Law Enforcement Personnel—Funding can be used to hire or rehire full-time sworn career law enforcement officers/deputies and civilian/non-sworn personnel as outlined below: o Hire new full-time officers/deputies and full-time civilian/non-sworn personnel, including by filling existing officer/deputy vacancies that are no longer funded in your agency’s budget. o Rehire full-time officers/deputies and full-time civilian/non-sworn personnel who have been laid off by any jurisdiction as a result of state, local, or Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) budget reductions. o Rehire full-time officers/deputies and full-time civilian/non-sworn personnel who are (at the time of application) currently scheduled to be laid off by your jurisdiction on a specific future date as a result of state, local, or BIA budget reductions. • Non-Law Enforcement Personnel—Funding can be used for the hiring, retention, and training of critical personnel for the purposes cited above. Examples of personnel could include but need not be limited to the following: forensic, investigative, analytical; prosecution and legal support. Funding may not be used for co-responders, interpreters, or translators. Funding will support salaries for up to three years of eligible positions to be expended within a five-year period of performance to accommodate time needed for recruitment and hiring. • Technology and Equipment—Funding can be used to purchase and support multi-year implementation, ongoing subscriptions, training, and maintenance of equipment and advanced technology to address critical resource gaps and enhance capacity to support criminal justice operations related to the purposes cited above. Examples of technology and equipment could include but need not be limited to the following o Surveillance, Intelligence, and Investigative Technology o Forensic and Analytical Equipment o Officer Safety and Tactical Equipment

This is a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for the BJA FY 2026 Kevin and Avonte Program: Reducing Injury and Death of Missing Individuals with Dementia and Developmental Disabilities. This opportunity supports public safety efforts to reduce deaths and injuries of individuals with forms of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease, or developmental disabilities, such as autism, who, due to their condition, wander from safe environments. This program provides funding to law enforcement, other public safety agencies, and health care agencies to implement locative technologies that track missing individuals. It also provides funding to such agencies and partnering nonprofit organizations to develop or operate programs to prevent wandering, increase safety for vulnerable individuals, and facilitate rescues.

This is a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for the BJA FY 2026 Rural Violent Crime Reduction Initiative. This opportunity supports local law enforcement in rural jurisdictions to prevent, respond to, and reduce violent crime. The goal is to equip rural law enforcement agencies and prosecutors’ offices with the resources necessary to implement a violent crime reduction strategy to solve a specific violent crime challenge utilizing one or more of the following approaches: • Personnel, Tactics, Training, and Equipment to Reduce Violent Crime. This includes updated technology and tools, including records management systems, vehicles, vests, and firearms that assist agencies in responding to and preventing violent crime. This also includes hiring additional personnel such as a prosecutor or criminologist to strategically address persistent crimes, early case management, and increased police training. • Technological Enhancements to Reduce Violent Crime. Technology takes the form of hardware, software, communications systems, intelligence centers, and equipment. Technology systems can create the infrastructure for actionable intelligence, enhance officer safety, support efficient operations, shorten case filing timelines, and manage risk. • Data Analytics and Intelligence. Enhance crime analysis capabilities through personnel, training, and software enhancements to identify crime hotspots, predict high-risk times and locations, and allocate resources more effectively to prevent violent incidents before they occur. • Other approaches that align with the Department’s priorities and provide a significant reduction in violent crime rates.