16.742: Paul Coverdell Forensic Sciences Improvement Grant Program

16.742

Active

Office of Justice Programs (OJP) [DOJ]

Aug. 31, 2022

Aug. 31, 2022

Goals: To improve the quality and timeliness of forensic science and medical examiner services. Among other things, funds may be used to eliminate a backlog in the analysis of forensic evidence and to train and employ forensic laboratory personnel and medicolegal death investigators, as needed, to eliminate such a backlog. Objectives: A State or unit of local government that receives a Coverdell grant must use the grant for one or more of these six purposes: 1. To carry out all or a substantial part of a program intended to improve the quality and timeliness of forensic science or medical examiner/coroner’s office services in the State, including those services provided by laboratories operated by the State and those operated by units of local government within the State. 2. To eliminate a backlog in the analysis of forensic science evidence, including, among other things, a backlog with respect to firearms examination, latent prints, impression evidence, toxicology, digital evidence, fire evidence, controlled substances, forensic pathology, questioned documents, and trace evidence. 3. To train, assist, and employ forensic laboratory personnel and medicolegal death investigators, as needed to eliminate such a backlog. 4. To address emerging forensic science issues (such as statistics, contextual bias, and uncertainty of measurement) and emerging forensic science technology (such as high throughput automation, statistical software, and new types of instrumentation). 5. To educate and train forensic pathologists. 6. To fund medicolegal death investigation systems to facilitate accreditation of medical examiner and coroner offices and certification of medicolegal death investigators.

A - Formula Grants

Under the Coverdell program, SAAs may apply for both “base” (formula) and competitive funds. Units of local government may apply for competitive funds. Coverdell SAAs and units of local government may apply directly to BJA for funding. The Coverdell law (at 34 USC 10562) requires that, to request a grant, an applicant for Coverdell funds must submit: 1. A certification and description regarding a plan for forensic science laboratories. Each applicant must submit a certification that the State or unit of local government has developed a plan for forensic science laboratories under a program intended to improve the quality and timeliness of forensic science or medical examiner services in the State, including such services provided by the laboratories operated by the State and those operated by units of local government within the State. Applicants must also specifically describe the manner in which the grant will be used to carry out that plan. 2. A certification regarding use of generally accepted laboratory practices. Each applicant must submit a certification that any forensic laboratory system, medical examiner’s office, or coroner’s office in the State, including any laboratory operated by a unit of local government within the State, that will receive any portion of the grant amount (whether directly or through a subgrant) uses generally accepted laboratory practices and procedures established by accrediting organizations or appropriate certifying bodies. 3. A certification regarding forensic science laboratory accreditation. Each applicant must submit a certification that any forensic science laboratory system in the State (except with regard to any medical examiner’s office, or coroner’s office in the State), including any laboratory operated by a unit of local government within the State, that will receive any portion of the grant amount (whether directly or through a subgrant) either is accredited, or, is not so accredited, but will (or will be required in a legally binding and enforceable writing to) use a portion of the grant amount to prepare and apply for such accreditation not more than two (2) years after the date on which a grant is awarded under a fiscal year’s grant solicitation for the Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grants Program. 4. A certification and description regarding costs of new facilities. Each applicant must submit a certification that the amount of the grant used for the costs of any new facility constructed as part of a program to improve the quality and timeliness of forensic science or medical examiner services will not exceed certain limitations set forth in the Coverdell law at 34 USC 10562. (See information on “permissible expenses” in the solicitation.) Applicants must also specifically describe any new facility to be constructed as well as the estimated costs of the facility. 5. A certification regarding external investigations into allegations of serious negligence or misconduct. Each applicant must submit a certification that “a government entity exists and an appropriate process is in place to conduct independent external investigations into allegations of serious negligence or misconduct substantially affecting the integrity of the forensic results committed by employees or contractors of any forensic laboratory system, medical examiner office, coroner’s office, law enforcement storage facility, or medical facility in the State that will receive a portion of the grant amount.”

Eligible applicants must be State or local (i.e., county and municipal) governments. The purpose of this solicitation is to request applications for grants from State and units of local government to improve the quality and timeliness of forensic science and medical examiner services and/or to eliminate backlogs in the analysis of forensic evidence, including firearms examination, latent prints, impression evidence, toxicology, digital evidence, fire evidence, controlled substances, forensic pathology, questioned documents, and trace evidence for criminal justice purposes in State and local forensic laboratories. For the purposes of this solicitation — • A State/local government entity performing forensic science services is considered a “forensic science laboratory” if it: • Employs one or more full-time scientists (with a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in a natural science [e.g., chemistry, physics, biology, or a closely-related natural-science field]), and o Whose principal function is to examine physical evidence in criminal matters and provide reports and testimony to courts of law regarding such evidence. • “Police identification units” (units operating outside of the crime laboratory function), or entities that engage exclusively in evidence collection and documentation, are not forensic science laboratories for these purposes. • Medical examiner and coroner offices are treated as forensic science laboratories.

https://sam.gov/fal/73bf1204299b4cecb95779f437efe663/view