Opportunity Information: Apply for O BJA 2024 172061
The BJA FY24 Competitive DNA Capacity Enhancement for Backlog Reduction (CEBR) Program is a discretionary federal grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs (OJP), administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). The program is designed to strengthen public safety and improve the criminal justice system's effectiveness by helping jurisdictions expand and optimize their DNA analysis capacity, with a specific emphasis on reducing DNA backlogs and increasing the number of qualifying DNA profiles that can be processed and uploaded into the FBI's Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). In practical terms, the funding is meant to help crime laboratories handle more cases, process more samples, and move evidence through the DNA workflow faster so investigative leads can be generated sooner and cases can be resolved more efficiently.
This solicitation aligns with broader OJP priorities that go beyond technology alone. OJP frames the work as part of a larger commitment to advancing civil rights and racial equity, increasing access to justice, supporting crime victims and people impacted by the justice system, strengthening community safety, protecting the public from evolving threats, and building trust between law enforcement and the community. While the core of the program is technical and operational (boosting DNA throughput and reducing backlogs), the way it is presented emphasizes fair and effective justice outcomes, including timely processing that can help both identify perpetrators and exclude innocent individuals, and faster resolution that can reduce the strain on victims and communities waiting for answers.
Eligible applicants are governments and public institutions that are positioned to directly operate or support existing crime laboratory capacity for DNA analysis. Specifically, eligibility includes state governments and units of local government such as counties and cities or townships, as well as public and state-controlled institutions of higher education. A key qualifier in the description is that applicants must have existing crime laboratories that conduct DNA analysis; this program is not framed as a start-up grant for building entirely new lab capability from scratch, but rather as targeted support to enhance capacity, efficiency, and utilization of DNA technology within labs that already perform this work.
The opportunity is categorized under science and technology and other research and development as the funding activity area, reflecting the program's focus on laboratory methods, technical capacity, and system performance improvements tied to DNA technology. The assistance listing is associated with CFDA number 16.036, and the award instrument is a grant. The federal opportunity number is O-BJA-2024-172061, with an original application closing date of May 22, 2024, and a posting/creation date of March 27, 2024. BJA anticipated making about 10 awards under this solicitation, with an award ceiling of up to $1,000,000 per award, indicating moderate-sized investments aimed at measurable operational improvements rather than very large infrastructure builds.
Overall, the CEBR Program can be understood as a capacity-building and backlog-reduction initiative focused on maximizing the effective use of DNA technology to support criminal investigations and public safety. By targeting the processing of DNA samples intended for CODIS entry, the program is oriented toward generating actionable investigative leads across jurisdictions, improving the speed and reliability of forensic workflows, and reinforcing confidence in the justice process through more timely and consistent DNA casework outcomes.Apply for O BJA 2024 172061
- The Bureau of Justice Assistance in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BJA FY24 Competitive DNA Capacity Enhancement for Backlog Reduction (CEBR) Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.036.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2024-03-27.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-05-22. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.
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FAQs: BJA FY24 Competitive DNA Capacity Enhancement for Backlog Reduction (CEBR) Program
What is the BJA FY24 Competitive DNA Capacity Enhancement for Backlog Reduction (CEBR) Program?
The CEBR Program is a discretionary federal grant opportunity administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) within the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs (OJP). It is intended to strengthen public safety and improve the effectiveness of the criminal justice system by expanding and optimizing DNA analysis capacity, with a specific focus on reducing DNA backlogs and increasing the number of qualifying DNA profiles that can be processed and uploaded to the FBI's Combined DNA Index System (CODIS).
What problem is this grant designed to address?
This program targets DNA backlogs and capacity constraints that slow down the DNA workflow in crime laboratories. By improving throughput and efficiency, labs can process more cases and samples, generate investigative leads sooner, and support more timely case resolution.
What is the main goal of the program?
The core goal is to help jurisdictions expand and optimize existing DNA analysis capacity to reduce DNA backlogs and increase CODIS-eligible profile processing and uploads. In practice, that means moving evidence through the DNA workflow faster and improving the number and speed of usable outcomes from DNA casework.
How does CODIS fit into this opportunity?
A specific emphasis of the solicitation is increasing the number of qualifying DNA profiles that can be processed and uploaded into CODIS. CODIS is positioned as a key mechanism for generating actionable investigative leads across jurisdictions by enabling comparisons of DNA profiles.
What kinds of outcomes is the funding meant to support for crime laboratories?
Based on the description, funding is meant to help crime laboratories handle more cases, process more samples, and speed up the DNA workflow so investigative leads can be generated sooner and cases can be resolved more efficiently.
Does this program only focus on technology and lab operations?
No. While the core focus is technical and operational (boosting DNA throughput and reducing backlogs), OJP frames the work within broader priorities such as advancing civil rights and racial equity, increasing access to justice, supporting crime victims and people impacted by the justice system, strengthening community safety, protecting the public from evolving threats, and building trust between law enforcement and the community.
How can backlog reduction support justice outcomes?
The solicitation highlights that timely DNA processing can support fair and effective justice outcomes. Faster and more consistent processing can help identify perpetrators, exclude innocent individuals, and reduce the strain on victims and communities waiting for answers.
Who is eligible to apply for this grant?
Eligible applicants include state governments and units of local government (such as counties and cities or townships), as well as public and state-controlled institutions of higher education.
Is having an existing crime laboratory required for eligibility?
Yes, the description includes a key qualifier that applicants must have existing crime laboratories that conduct DNA analysis. The program is presented as support to enhance and optimize existing capacity rather than as start-up funding to create new DNA laboratory capability from scratch.
Can this grant be used to build a brand-new DNA laboratory from the ground up?
The opportunity is not framed as a start-up grant for establishing entirely new DNA analysis capability. It is described as targeted support to enhance capacity, efficiency, and the use of DNA technology within laboratories that already perform DNA analysis.
What federal agency is offering and administering the opportunity?
The opportunity is from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs (OJP), and it is administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA).
What is the award type (funding instrument)?
The award instrument listed for this opportunity is a grant.
What is the funding activity area for this solicitation?
The opportunity is categorized under science and technology and other research and development, reflecting its focus on laboratory methods, technical capacity, and performance improvements tied to DNA technology.
What is the CFDA number (Assistance Listing) for this program?
The assistance listing is associated with CFDA number 16.036.
What is the federal opportunity number?
The federal opportunity number is O-BJA-2024-172061.
When was this opportunity posted, and what was the application closing date?
The posting/creation date is March 27, 2024, and the original application closing date is May 22, 2024.
How many awards did BJA anticipate making?
BJA anticipated making about 10 awards under this solicitation.
What is the maximum award amount?
The award ceiling is up to $1,000,000 per award.
What does the award ceiling suggest about the scale of supported projects?
With an award ceiling of up to $1,000,000 and an anticipated total of about 10 awards, the solicitation suggests moderate-sized investments aimed at measurable operational improvements in DNA capacity and backlog reduction, rather than very large infrastructure builds.
What does "capacity enhancement" mean in the context of this program?
In this context, capacity enhancement refers to expanding and optimizing DNA analysis capability so laboratories can process more samples and cases, improve workflow speed, reduce backlogs, and increase the number of qualifying DNA profiles that are processed for CODIS upload.
How does this program support public safety?
The program is designed to support public safety by enabling crime laboratories to produce DNA results more quickly and consistently, which can generate investigative leads sooner and help cases move toward resolution more efficiently.
What is the overarching purpose of the CEBR Program?
Overall, the CEBR Program is a capacity-building and backlog-reduction initiative that aims to maximize the effective use of DNA technology to support criminal investigations and public safety, improve the speed and reliability of forensic workflows, and reinforce confidence in the justice process through more timely DNA casework outcomes.
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