NIJ-2017-11605.pdf

OMB No. 1121-0329 Approval Expires 12/31/2018

U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs National Institute of Justice

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), National Institute of Justice (NIJ) is seeking applications for the Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence-Inventory, Tracking, and Reporting (SAFE-ITR) program. The program will fund States, units of local government, and tribal governments to implement an evidence management program to inventory, track, and report untested and unsubmitted sexual assault kits (SAKs). From the time an evidence SAK is collected to the time it leaves the laboratory and the case receives final disposition in court, the status and location of the SAK will be known. This program furthers the Department’s mission to seek just punishment for those guilty of unlawful behavior, and to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans.

FY 2017 Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence-Inventory, Tracking, and Reporting Program (SAFE-ITR)

Applications Due: April 28, 2017

Eligibility

Eligible applicants are States1, units of local government, and federally recognized Indian tribal governments (as determined by the Secretary of the Interior)2 that collect, store, maintain, and/or send forensic DNA evidence to an existing and accredited crime laboratory that complies with the DNA Quality Assurance Standards and participates in the National DNA Index System

(NDIS).3

Evidence-based initiatives, such as the NIJ action research projects performed in Detroit and Houston,4 have shown that collaboration and coordinated agency responses between primary stakeholders can aid in communication and overall project success. NIJ welcomes applications under which two or more entities would carry out the federal award; however, only one entity may be the applicant. Any others must be proposed as subrecipients (“subgrantees").5 The applicant must be the entity that would have primary responsibility for carrying out the award, 1 For purposes of this announcement, the term “State” includes the District of Columbia and all U.S. territories.

2 For purposes of this announcement, “Indian tribe,” as defined at 25 U.S.C. 5304, “means any Indian tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community, including any Alaska Native village or regional or village corporation as defined in or established pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (85 Stat. 688) [43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.], which is recognized as eligible for the special programs and services provided by the United States to Indians because of their status as Indians.”

3 See https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/about-us/lab/forensic-science-communications/fsc/july2000/quality-assurance-standards-for-forensic-dna-testing-laboratories and https://www.nij.gov/topics/law-enforcement/investigations/sexual-assault/Pages/untested-sexual-assault.aspx for more information.

4 http://www.nij.gov/topics/law-enforcement/investigations/sexual-assault/Pages/untested-sexual-assault.aspx.

5 For additional information on subawards, see "Budget and Associated Documentation" under Section D. Application and Submission Information.

http://www.usdoj.gov/ http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ http://www.nij.gov/Pages/welcome.aspx http://www.nij.gov/Pages/welcome.aspx https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/about-us/lab/forensic-science-communications/fsc/july2000/quality-assurance-standards-for-forensic-dna-testing-laboratories https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/about-us/lab/forensic-science-communications/fsc/july2000/quality-assurance-standards-for-forensic-dna-testing-laboratories https://www.nij.gov/topics/law-enforcement/investigations/sexual-assault/Pages/untested-sexual-assault.aspx https://www.nij.gov/topics/law-enforcement/investigations/sexual-assault/Pages/untested-sexual-assault.aspx http://www.nij.gov/topics/law-enforcement/investigations/sexual-assault/Pages/untested-sexual-assault.aspx#actionresearch

NIJ-2017-11605

including administering the funding and managing the entire program. Under this solicitation, only one application by any particular applicant entity will be considered. An entity may, however, be proposed as a subrecipient (“subgrantee”) in more than one application.

NIJ may elect to fund applications submitted under this FY 2017 solicitation in future fiscal years, dependent on, among other considerations, the merit of the applications and on the availability of appropriations.

Deadline

Applicants must register with Grants.gov prior to submitting an application. All applications are due by 11:59 p.m. eastern time on April 28, 2017.

To be considered timely, an application must be submitted by the application deadline using Grants.gov, and the applicant must have received a validation message from Grants.gov that indicates successful and timely submission. OJP urges applicants to submit applications at least 72 hours prior to the application due date, in order to allow time for the applicant to receive validation messages or rejection notifications from Grants.gov, and to correct in a timely fashion any problems that may have caused a rejection notification.

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

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

Contact Information

For technical assistance with submitting an application, contact the Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline at 800-518-4726 or 606-545-5035, or via email to support@grants.gov. The Grants.gov Support Hotline operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except on federal holidays.

An applicant that experiences unforeseen Grants.gov technical issues beyond its control that prevent it from submitting its application by the deadline must email the NIJ contact identified below within 24 hours after the application deadline in order to request approval to submit its application after the deadline. Additional information on reporting technical issues appears under “Experiencing Unforeseen Grants.gov Technical Issues” in the How to Apply section.

For assistance with any other requirements of this solicitation, contact the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) Response Center: toll-free at 1-800-851-3420; via TTY at 301-240-6310 (hearing impaired only); email grants@ncjrs.gov; fax to 301-240-5830; or web chat at https://webcontact.ncjrs.gov/ncjchat/chat.jsp. The NCJRS Response Center operates from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. eastern time, Monday through Friday, and from 10:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. eastern time on the solicitation close date. General information on applying for NIJ awards can be found at www.nij.gov/funding/Pages/welcome.aspx. Answers to frequently asked questions that may assist applicants are posted at www.nij.gov/funding/Pages/faqs.aspx.

Grants.gov number assigned to this solicitation: NIJ-2017-11605

Release date: March 13, 2017 http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html http://ojp.gov/funding/Apply/Grants-govInfo.htm mailto:support@grants.gov http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html mailto:responsecenter@ncjrs.gov https://webcontact.ncjrs.gov/ncjchat/chat.jsp http://www.nij.gov/funding/Pages/welcome.aspx http://www.nij.gov/funding/Pages/welcome.aspx http://www.nij.gov/funding/Pages/faqs.aspx

Contents A. Program Description

Overview

Goals, Objectives, and Deliverables

Evidence-Based Programs or Practices

B. Federal Award Information

Type of Award

Financial Management and System of Internal Controls

Budget Information

Cost Sharing or Match Requirement

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

Limitation on Use of Award Funds for Employee Compensation; Waiver

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

Costs Associated with Language Assistance (if applicable)

C. Eligibility Information

D. Application and Submission Information

What an Application Should Include

How to Apply

E. Application Review Information

Review Criteria

Review Process

F. Federal Award Administration Information

Federal Award Notices

Administrative, National Policy, and Other Legal Requirements

General Information about Post-Federal Award Reporting Requirements

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s)

H. Other Information

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

Provide Feedback to OJP

Application Checklist

Appendix I: Certification Template

FY 2017 Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence- Inventory, Tracking, and Reporting Program

(SAFE-ITR)

(CFDA # 16.741)

A. Program Description

Overview

According to the NIJ special report, “The Road Ahead: Unanalyzed Evidence in Sexual Assault Cases,” it is not known how many unanalyzed sexual assault kits (SAKs) there are nationwide.6 Evidence from sexual assaults like weapons, bedding, clothing, and SAKs can be used to corroborate that a crime occurred, identify or eliminate a possible perpetrator, and ascertain whether a suspect may have been involved in other crimes. SAKs contain biological and trace evidence along with other physical evidence collected from a victim. While all evidence from sexual assaults is important, this program focuses on SAKs. SAKs may be stored in a number of places such as crime laboratories, police department evidence storage units, hospitals and clinics. Many law enforcement agencies do not have computerized systems to track the processing of a SAK. This program will assist eligible States, units of local government, and tribal governments to inventory, track, and report all untested and unsubmitted SAKs and help these jurisdictions ensure accountability and transparency for the collection, processing ,and testing of SAKs.

NIJ seeks applications from eligible States, units of local government, and federally recognized Indian tribal governments (as determined by the Secretary of the Interior) that will inventory, track, and report the status of SAKs, in keeping with the purposes of certain provisions of Title X of Public Law 113-4, the Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence Reporting (SAFER) Act of 2013.

Since multiple grant programs for testing evidence related to sexual assault are offered through the Office of Justice Programs, including the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and NIJ, funding from this program will not be made available for testing evidence.

Statutory Authority: Any awards under this solicitation would be made under statutory authority provided by a full-year appropriations act for FY 2017. As of the writing of this solicitation, the Department of Justice is operating under a short-term “Continuing Resolution”;

no full-year appropriation for the Department has been enacted for FY 2017.

Program-Specific Information

This SAFE-ITR program will help defray costs associated with the following three tasks, defined for purposes of this program as set out immediately below:

• Task 1: Inventory. The term “inventory” refers to a detailed and descriptive list of articles or items (for purposes of this solicitation, SAKs) containing information such as, but not limited to: item identifiers, quantity, and location of the item.

6 https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/233279.pdf.

https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/233279.pdf

• Task 2: Tracking. The term “tracking” refers to the monitoring and accounting of SAKs through the course, or path, of their movement from collection through final disposition.

• Task 3: Reporting. The term “reporting” refers to the task of delivering a written report to the appropriate entity within the prescribed time period and with the applicable data provided. See pages 7-8 for reporting requirements.

Funds may be requested for all three Tasks, or, if an inventory has already been completed, for Tasks 2 and 3 only. For applicants funded under this program, upon completion of the inventory, whether completed using the federal grant funds from this program or other applicant funding sources, the applicant must submit a certification of inventory completion to NIJ; see below for additional information. Program narratives should address all three of the aforementioned tasks, even if funding is not requested for all tasks. For example, if an inventory has already been completed, the applicant should provide information regarding the results of the inventory.

Applicants may design project plans (or strategies) to include concurrent tasks; however, the inventory task is a priority.

All three tasks are applicable to all SAKs within the possession of an applicant.

Task 1: Inventory of all existing SAKs in the possession of an applicant

Applicants must inventory all existing SAKs in the applicant’s possession. If an eligible applicant has completed an inventory of all SAKs in its possession, then the applicant must submit a certification from the applicant jurisdiction’s chief law enforcement officer indicating the inventory is complete and accurate, and how many SAKs are currently (as of the date of the certification) in the applicant’s possession. For an award that includes funds to complete Task 1 (inventory), this certification must be submitted prior to the initiation of any other tasks, as outlined in the application.

• Regarding the inventory task, an applicant should address in its project plan how it will handle SAKs in its possession for which a statute(s) of limitations will expire.

Required Certification: A certification is required for this program.

• If an applicant is requesting funds for all three Tasks under the SAFE-ITR program, a certification must be submitted upon completion of Task 1 (Inventory-as described above).

• If the applicant is requesting funding to begin at Task 2 (tracking-as described above), then an applicant, prior to the award start date, should submit a certification with the application asserting completion of its inventory. Access to award funds may be withheld until NIJ receives a properly executed certification from the applicant (see details Appendix page 31).

• The certification must be signed by the applicant jurisdiction’s chief law enforcement officer.

Task 2: Track SAK movement for a period not less than 12 months

For 12 months or more, an applicant must track SAKs from the time the applicant takes possession of the SAK through disposition of the case. Project plans should be designed to allow Task 2 (tracking) and Task 3 (reporting) activities to occur concurrently.

Tracking Requirements:

• The chief law enforcement officer of the applicant State, unit of local government, or Indian tribe must be the identified individual accountable for compliance and reporting within the applicant jurisdiction.

o The chief law enforcement officer can appoint a designee as long as the designee is not an employee of any governmental laboratory or vendor laboratory.

If funded, the applicant must track SAKs in accordance with the following requirements:

• For each SAK, a unique identifier must be assigned.

• The applicant must identify the date upon which the State, unit of local government, or Indian tribe would be barred by an applicable statute(s) of limitations from prosecuting the person(s) to whom the SAK relates.

• For SAKs not in the possession of the applicant at the initiation of the program, within 90 days of possession, the applicant must incorporate the new SAKs into the inventory, tracking, and reporting protocol and gather all required reporting information as described in Task 3.

Task 3: Reporting the tracking results

Reporting requirements include reports to NIJ, as well as posting of required metrics, every 60 days on an applicant’s website. An applicant must report to NIJ during the 12-month period in which it tracks SAKs in its possession (see Task 2: Tracking). All 60-day reports captured by an applicant must be included in the semi-annual progress reports submitted to NIJ.

Every 60 days the applicant must post the following metrics (listed below) to an appropriate website hosted by the applicant and open to the public. Data must include:

a. The name of the applicant State, unit of local government, or Indian tribe.

b. The period covered by the report.

c. The cumulative total number of SAKs in the possession of the applicant.

d. With respect to the cumulative total number of SAKs in the possession of the applicant at the end of the reporting period:

i. The number of such SAKs that the applicant has determined should undergo DNA or other appropriate forensic analyses, but that the applicant has not submitted to a crime laboratory for testing.

ii. The number of such SAKs identified by the applicant since the previous reporting period that have not previously been counted.

iii. The number of such SAKs that the applicant has determined should not undergo DNA or other appropriate forensic analyses.

e. The cumulative total number of SAKs that have been submitted to a laboratory for DNA or other appropriate forensic analyses at the end of the reporting period.

f. The cumulative total number of SAKs identified by the inventory and tracking for which DNA or other appropriate forensic analysis has been completed at the end of the reporting period.

g. The cumulative total number of SAKs for which the applicant will be barred within 12 months by any applicable statute(s) of limitations from prosecuting a perpetrator of the sexual assault to which the sample relates.

h. The cumulative total number of SAKs for which the prosecution of a perpetrator(s) is barred by a statute of limitations.

Exceptions from reporting

• Reporting is not required for SAKs that are not considered criminal evidence, such as a SAK collected anonymously from a victim who is unwilling to make a criminal complaint.

Publication of reports

Reports submitted during the tracking and reporting tasks of this program must be published and disseminated on a website hosted by the applicant and open to the public. Such reports must not include personally identifiable information (PII)7 or any details about a sexual assault that might lead to the identification of the individuals involved.

Definitions for this solicitation

Sexual Assault Kit (SAK): A collection of items used by medical personnel for the preservation of biological and physical evidence collected from a person, living or deceased, following an allegation or suspicion of sexual assault.

Unsubmitted SAK: SAKs that have not been submitted to a forensic laboratory for testing and analysis, including SAKs that will undergo testing, but have not yet been sent to the laboratory, SAKs that are being stored in a laboratory but for which a request for analysis has not been made, SAKs for which a request for analysis will not be made, and SAKs for which the decision on whether to test has not been made.

Untested SAKs: SAKs that have been submitted to a forensic laboratory with a request for testing but have not yet been processed or tested.

7 Personally Identifiable Information is defined as: "information which either—(1) Is labelled by name or other personal identifiers, or (2) Can, by virtue of sample size or other factors, be reasonably interpreted as referring to a particular private person." 28 C.F.R. § 22.2(e)

Possession: With respect to SAKs, possession by a State or unit of local government includes the storage, control, or custody by an agency (or individual who is acting as an agent) of the State or unit of local government.

Final Disposition: With respect to a criminal case or investigation in which a SAK relates, the term final disposition refers to the conviction or acquittal of all suspected perpetrators of the crime; a determination by the State or unit of local government in possession of the SAK that the case is unfounded; or a declaration by the victim of the crime that the act constituting the basis of the crime was not committed.

DNA Analyses Conducted Over the Course of the Project

Expenses associated with DNA testing are not permissible under this program. See the “Budget Information” section under Section B. Award Information for details on expenses that may be funded under this program.

With respect to any DNA analyses that may be conducted over the course of the project, NIJ encourages applicants to give strong consideration to the following:

NIJ suggests that all DNA analyses conducted during the tracking and reporting tasks of this program be performed by a laboratory (government-owned or fee-for-service) that is accredited and currently undergoes external audits not less than once every two (2) years. These audits must demonstrate that the laboratory maintains compliance with the DNA Quality Assurance Standards established by the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

NIJ also suggests that no profiles generated during the tracking portion of this program be entered into any non-governmental DNA database. All DNA analyses conducted and profiles generated during the tracking portion of this program must be maintained pursuant to all applicable federal privacy requirements, including those described in 42 U.S.C. § 14132(b)(3).

Goals, Objectives, and Deliverables

The goal of NIJ's SAFE-ITR program is to establish and maintain accountability for participants in the criminal justice system as it relates to sexual assaults and sexual assault evidence collection and analysis. Establishing and maintaining accountability for law enforcement and laboratories will help ensure that evidence is promptly submitted to and analyzed by an accredited laboratory. Once analyzed, sexual assault evidence can provide investigative leads to the law enforcement agency, allowing the perpetrator to be apprehended before more crimes are committed.

Additional goals include:

• To gain an understanding of the number of SAKs that remain in possession of law enforcement agencies.

• To understand the movement of SAKs through the criminal justice system.

The Goals, Objectives and Deliverables are directly related to the performance measures set out in the table in Section D. Application and Submission Information, under "Program Narrative."

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 NIJ 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.

B. Federal Award Information

Total funding for this solicitation and the number of awards made will depend on the availability of funds, the quality of the applications, and other pertinent factors.

Applicants should propose a performance period of no longer than 36 months beginning January 1, 2018.

All awards are subject to the availability of appropriated funds, and to any modifications or additional requirements that may be imposed by law.

Type of Award

NIJ expects that any award under this solicitation will be made in the form of a cooperative agreement, which is a type of award that provides for OJP to have substantial involvement in carrying out award activities. See Administrative, National Policy, and Other Legal Requirements, under Section F. Federal Award Administration Information, for a brief discussion of what may constitute substantial federal involvement.

http://www.crimesolutions.gov/

Financial Management and System of Internal Controls

Award recipients and subrecipients (including recipients or subrecipients that are pass-through entities8) must, as described in the Part 200 Uniform Requirements9 as set out at 2 C.F.R.

200.303:

(a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that [the recipient (and any subrecipient)] is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in “Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government” issued by the Comptroller General of the United States and the “Internal Control Integrated Framework”, issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).

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

(c) Evaluate and monitor [the recipient’s (and any subrecipient’s)] compliance with statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of Federal awards.

(d) Take prompt action when instances of noncompliance are identified including noncompliance identified in audit findings.

(e) Take reasonable measures to safeguard protected personally identifiable information and other information the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity designates as sensitive or [the recipient (or any subrecipient)] considers sensitive consistent with applicable Federal, state, local, and tribal laws regarding privacy and obligations of confidentiality.

To help ensure that applicants understand applicable administrative requirements and cost principles, OJP encourages prospective applicants to enroll, at no charge, in the DOJ Grants Financial Management Online Training, available here.

Budget Information

Permissible uses of funds provided under this program may include:

1. Salary and benefits of additional employees

Funds may be used to hire additional full-time or part-time employees for the applicant or proposed subrecipient(s) to directly inventory, track and/or report on the SAKs as a part of this project. Funds may also be used to hire additional full-time or part-time employees for the applicant or subrecipient(s) to implement information technology solutions for the inventory, tracking, and reporting of the status of SAKs through the

8 For purposes of this solicitation, the phrase “pass-through entity” includes any recipient or subrecipient that provides a subaward ("subgrant”) to a subrecipient (“subgrantee”) to carry out part of the funded award or program.

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

http://ojpfgm.webfirst.com/ criminal justice process. Applicants should demonstrate that additional full-time/part-time employee(s) would be directly engaged in these activities. Supplanting is not permitted.

2. Overtime for existing employees

Funds may be used to pay overtime to existing employees of the applicant or proposed subrecipient(s) to directly inventory, track and/or report on the SAKs as a part of this project. Funds may also be used to pay overtime to existing employees of the applicant or subrecipient(s) to implement information technology solutions for the inventory, tracking, and reporting of the status of SAKs through the criminal justice process of the applicant jurisdiction (or, subrecipient(s) jurisdiction(s), as applicable). Any payments for overtime must be in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Financial Guide, available at http://ojp.gov/financialguide/DOJ/index.htm.

3. Purchase of Automated Information Technology (AIT) systems

Funds may be used to purchase and implement an AIT system for the applicant to aid in the inventory, tracking, and accountability of SAKs as they progress through the criminal justice system. It is critical that an applicant jurisdiction be able to adequately account for and track sexual assault evidence. The system may include the software, hardware, accessories (e.g., barcode readers), supplies (e.g., barcode labels for barcode printers), and warranties or service contracts for systems purchased with funding from an award made under this program.

4. Travel (limited)

Funds may be requested for reasonable and justified travel for purposes including, but not limited to:

• Inventorying SAKs that may be in multiple facilities owned or operated by the applicant and its subrecipient(s).

• Meetings with agencies that have implemented SAK inventories, procedures for SAK tracking and testing, and AIT systems for the purpose of gaining insight to the applicant’s own plan for SAK inventory and tracking.

• Professional meetings with workshops dedicated to SAK issues in the law enforcement and criminal justice communities.

• Professional meetings where the applicant will disseminate findings from this project.

Funds used for travel are limited to no more than 3 percent of the total award. Travel expenses must be reasonable and must comply with the applicable provisions of the Financial Guide and any applicable special conditions on the award. Justifications for the number of staff traveling and the benefit of their attendance at the event must be included.

http://ojp.gov/financialguide/DOJ/index.htm

5. Direct Administrative Expenses

Up to 5 percent of the federal portion of an award under this program may be used for direct administrative expenses specifically related to grant administration and management.

6. Website Hosting and Maintenance

Any expenses, within the grant period, specifically associated with the hosting and maintenance of an applicant’s webpage for the purposes of reporting program required metrics.

Expenses That Are Not Permitted

Federal funds awarded under this program may not be used for:

1. Construction and renovations.

2. Travel, other than authorized travel expenses as discussed in Permissible Uses of Funds, number 4.

3. Direct administrative expenses that exceed 5 percent of the federal portion of the award.

4. Indirect costs.

5. Laboratory equipment for forensic biology and DNA testing.

6. Supplies for forensic biology and DNA testing.

7. Establishing contracts to send SAKs to fee-for-service forensic biology and DNA testing.

8. Personnel expenses for forensic biology and DNA testing.

9. Salaries and benefits for existing employees, other than discussed in Permissible Uses of Funds, numbers 1 and 2.

10. Vehicles and related expenses.

11. Cell phones and cell phone plans.

12. Rental costs for space.

13. Office furnishings and general office supplies such as paper, pens, printer cartridges, etc.

14. General enhancement of capabilities of applicant not directly related to one of the three inventory, tracking, or reporting tasks outlined in this solicitation.

15. Work that is funded under another federal award.

Cost Sharing or Match 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.

For additional information cost sharing and match, see the DOJ Grants Financial Guide.

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

Pre-agreement costs are costs incurred by the applicant prior to the start date of the period of performance of the federal award.

OJP does not typically approve pre-agreement costs; an applicant must request and obtain the prior written approval of OJP for all such costs. All such costs incurred prior to award and prior to approval of the costs are incurred at the sole risk of the applicant. (Generally, no applicant should incur project costs before submitting an application requesting federal funding for those costs.) Should there be extenuating circumstances that make it appropriate for OJP to consider approving pre-agreement costs, the applicant may contact the point of contact listed on the title page of this solicitation for the requirements concerning written requests for approval. If approved in advance by OJP, award funds may be used for pre-agreement costs, consistent with the recipient’s approved budget and applicable cost principles. See the section on Costs Requiring Prior Approval in the DOJ Grants Financial Guide for more information.

Limitation on Use of Award Funds for Employee Compensation; Waiver

With respect to any award of more than $250,000 made under this solicitation, a recipient may not use federal funds to pay total cash compensation (salary plus cash bonuses) to any employee of the recipient at a rate that exceeds 110% 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.10 The 2017 salary table for SES employees is available at the Office of Personnel Management website. Note: A recipient may compensate an employee at a greater rate, provided the amount in excess of this compensation limitation is paid with non-federal funds. (Non-federal funds used for any such additional compensation will not be considered matching funds, where match requirements apply.) If only a portion of an employee's time is charged to an OJP award, the maximum allowable compensation is equal to the percentage of time worked times the maximum salary limitation.

The Assistant Attorney General for OJP may exercise discretion to waive, on an individual basis, this limitation on compensation rates allowable under an award. An applicant that requests a waiver should include a detailed justification in the budget narrative of its application.

An applicant that does not submit a waiver request and justification with its application should anticipate that OJP will require the applicant to adjust and resubmit the budget.

The justification should address — in the context of the work the individual would do under the award — the particular qualifications and expertise of the individual, the uniqueness of a service the individual will provide, the individual’s specific knowledge of the proposed program or project, and a statement that explains whether and how the individual’s salary under the award

10 OJP does not apply this limitation on the use of award funds to the nonprofit organizations listed in Appendix VIII to 2 C.F.R. Part 200.

http://ojp.gov/financialguide/DOJ/index.htm http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/17Tables/exec/html/ES.aspx would be commensurate with the regular and customary rate for an individual with his/her qualifications and expertise, and for the work he/she would do under the award.

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

OJP strongly encourages every applicant that proposes to use award funds for any conference-, meeting-, or training-related activity (or similar event) to review carefully — before submitting an application — the OJP and DOJ policy and guidance on approval, planning, and reporting of such events, 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, as well as some conference-, meeting-, and training- costs for grant recipients; and (3) set cost limits, which include a general prohibition of all food and beverage costs.

Costs Associated With Language Assistance (if applicable)

If an applicant proposes a program or activity that would deliver services or benefits to individuals, the costs of taking reasonable steps to provide meaningful access to those services or benefits for individuals with limited English proficiency may be allowable. Reasonable steps to provide meaningful access to services or benefits may include interpretation or translation services, where appropriate.

For additional information, see the "Civil Rights Compliance" section under “Overview of Legal Requirements Generally Applicable to OJP Grants and Cooperative Agreements - FY 2017 Awards” in the OJP Funding Resource Center.

C. Eligibility Information

For eligibility information, see the title page.

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

D. Application and Submission Information

What an Application Should Include

This section describes in detail what an application should include. An applicant should anticipate that if it fails to submit an application that contains all of the specified elements, it may negatively affect the review of its application; and, should a decision be made to make an award, it may result in the inclusion of award conditions that preclude the recipient from accessing or using award funds until the recipient satisfies the conditions and OJP makes the funds available.

Moreover, an applicant should anticipate that an application that OJP determines is nonresponsive to the scope of the solicitation, or that OJP determines does not include the application elements that NIJ has designated to be critical, will neither proceed to peer review, nor receive further consideration. For this solicitation, NIJ has designated the following application elements as critical: Program Narrative, Budget Detail Worksheet, and Budget http://www.ojp.gov/financialguide/DOJ/PostawardRequirements/chapter3.10a.htm http://ojp.gov/funding/Explore/SolicitationRequirements/index.htm http://ojp.gov/funding/Explore/SolicitationRequirements/index.htm http://ojp.gov/funding/Explore/SolicitationRequirements/index.htm http://ojp.gov/funding/index.htm

Narrative. An applicant 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 (below) 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 pre-applications, 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).

To avoid processing delays, an applicant must include an accurate legal name on its SF-

424. Current OJP award recipients, when completing the field for “Legal Name” should use the same legal name that appears on the prior year award document which is also the legal name stored in OJP’s financial system. On the SF-424, enter the Legal Name in box 5 and Employer Identification Number (EIN) in box 6 exactly as it appears on the prior year award document. An applicant with a current, active award(s) must ensure that its GMS profile is current. If the profile is not current, the applicant should submit a Grant Adjustment Notice updating the information on its GMS profile prior to applying under this solicitation.

A new applicant entity should enter the Official Legal Name and address of the applicant entity in box 5 and the EIN in box 6 of the SF-424. An applicant must attach official legal documents to its application (e.g., articles of incorporation, “501(c)(3)” status documentation, etc.) to confirm the legal name, address, and EIN entered into the SF-424.

Intergovernmental Review: This solicitation ("funding opportunity") is subject to Executive Order 12372. An applicant may find the names and addresses of State Single Points of Contact (SPOCs) at the following website: https://ojp.gov/funding/Apply/Resources/ eo12372spocs.pdf. If the State appears on the SPOC list, the applicant must contact the State SPOC to find out about, and comply with, the State’s process under E.O. 12372. In completing the SF-424, an applicant whose State appears on the SPOC list is to make the appropriate selection in response to question 19 once the applicant has complied with its State E.O. 12372 process. (An applicant whose State does not appear on the SPOC list should answer question 19 by selecting the response that the “Program is subject to E.O.

12372 but has not been selected by the State for review.”)

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 http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/codification/executive-order/12372.html http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/codification/executive-order/12372.html https://ojp.gov/funding/Apply/Resources/eo12372spocs.pdf

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

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

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.

3. Program Narrative

The program narrative section of the application should not exceed ten (10) 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 10-page limit for the narrative section. The project abstract, title page, table of contents and appendices do not count toward the 10-page limit.

If the program narrative fails to comply with these length-related restrictions, NIJ may consider such noncompliance in peer review and in final award decisions.

If the applicant has been awarded funds through the BJA Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI), the NIJ DNA Capacity Enhancement and Backlog Reduction program, the NIJ Solving Cold Cases with DNA program, or any other federal program with similar goals and objectives as the SAFE-ITR program, it must address how a project under this program will differ from projects funded under those awards. The applicant should also note that costs must not be duplicated between any award made under this program and any other federal funds the applicant has been awarded.

Within the program narrative, an applicant should address the issue of expiration of statute(s) of limitations on SAKs within its possession. A description should be provided as to how the applicant intends to adjudicate cases identified in which a statute of limitations will expire prior to the completion of the inventory process.

Program Narrative Guidelines:

a. Title Page (not counted against the 10-page program narrative limit).

The title page should include the title of the project, submission date, funding opportunity number, and the applicant’s name and complete contact information (i.e., address, telephone number, and e-mail address).

b. Table of Contents and Figures (not counted against the 10-page program narrative limit).

c. Main Body

The main body of the program narrative should describe the proposed project in depth. This narrative should clearly define the applicant’s strategy for inventorying, tracking, and reporting on all SAKs in its possession according to the requirements set forth in this http://ojp.gov/funding/Apply/Resources/ProjectAbstractTemplate.pdf solicitation. The strategy or project plan may be demonstrated through the inclusion of checklists, flowcharts, diagrams, or narratives. The inventory cannot be outsourced (e.g., by procurement contract).

The following sections should be included as part of the program narrative11:

a. Description of the Issue

b. Project Design and Implementation

c. Capabilities and Competencies

d. Plan for Collecting the Data Required for this Solicitation’s Performance Measures

The data collection plan is a description of the applicant’s plan for collecting the data required for the solicitation’s performance measures. The plan should describe how the performance measure data will be derived, state who will be responsible for collecting the data, and state that the data will be available for review consistent with applicable records retention requirements. See 2 C.F.R 200.333.

OJP will require each successful applicant to submit specific performance measures data as part of its reporting under the award (see “General Information about Post- Federal Award Reporting Requirements” in Section F. Federal Award Administration Information). The performance measures correlate to the goals, objectives, and deliverables identified under "Goals, Objective, and Deliverables" in Section A. Program Description.

The application should describe the applicant's plan for collection of all of the performance measures data listed in the table below under “Data Recipient Provides,” should it receive funding.

Objective Performance Measure(s) Data Recipient Provides

To inventory, track, and report untested and unsubmitted Sexual Assault Kits (SAKs).

(Unsubmitted) sexual assault kits identified.

Number of SAKs inventoried.

Number of SAKs that are in the possession of the applicant agency at the beginning of the award period.

Number of SAKs inventoried during the reporting period.

Number of SAKs that were submitted to or the agency collected during the reporting period.

Number of previously tested SAKs.

Number of SAKs that do not require testing.

Number of SAKs inventoried and reported that:

A. Were identified as previously tested.

11 For information on subawards (including the details on proposed subawards that should be included in the application), see "Budget and Associated Documentation" under Section D. Application and Submission Information.

file://ojpcifs08/nij/pubfile/NIJ%20Solicitations/2017/Templates/FY2017%20Competitive%20Solicitation%20Template_Final%20093016.docx#_A._Program_Description

Percentage of unsubmitted SAKs identified as needing forensic testing.

Percentage of unsubmitted SAKs sent to the laboratory for testing.

Percent reduction in the number of unsubmitted SAKs requiring DNA testing.

B. Do not require testing.

C. Were sent to the laboratory for testing.

D. Had a final disposition (e.g., were adjudicated).

To track and report on movement of SAKs through the criminal justice system.

Number of deliverables that are completed on time

Number of deliverables that meet expectations.

Number of deliverables that meet expectations, where applicable to include:

• Deployment of an automated information system.

• Commencement and completion of inventory.

• Commencement of tracking and reporting on SAK movement.

Develop website to report metrics Development of a public website to report metrics as listed in Task 3:

Reporting.

Maintain website that reports metrics

Maintain the public website to report metrics as listed in Task 3: Reporting.

Number of reports submitted on time.

Number of reports posted publicly on the website developed for Task 3:

Reporting.

e. Appendices (not counted against the 10-page program narrative limit) include:

• Bibliography/references (if applicable).

• Curriculum vitae, resumes, or biographical sketches of key personnel.

• A clear timeline of the project activities expected to be funded under this award as well as activities not funded under this award but crucial to project completion.

The timeline should include expected milestones and should demonstrate adherence to the requirements of this solicitation.

• Human Subjects Protection paperwork (documentation and forms related to

Institutional Review Board (IRB) review). (See www.nij.gov/funding/humansubjects/Pages/welcome.aspx) NOTE: Final IRB approval is not required at the time an application is submitted.

• Privacy Certificate (for further guidance go to www.nij.gov/funding/humansubjects/pages/confidentiality.aspx).

http://www.nij.gov/funding/humansubjects/Pages/welcome.aspx http://www.nij.gov/funding/humansubjects/pages/confidentiality.aspx

• List of any previous and current NIJ awards to applicant organization, including the NIJ-assigned award numbers.

• List of any federal awards to the applicant organization that relate to testing of sexual assault evidence.

• Letters of cooperation/support or administrative agreements from organizations collaborating in the project (if applicable).

• List of other agencies, organizations, or funding sources to which this proposal has been submitted (if applicable).

Note on Project Evaluations An applicant that proposes to use award funds through this solicitation to conduct project evaluations should be aware that certain project evaluations (such as systematic investigations designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge) may constitute “research” for purposes of applicable DOJ human subjects protection regulations. However, project evaluations that are intended only to generate internal improvements to a program or service, or are conducted only to meet OJP’s performance measure data reporting requirements, likely do not constitute “research.” Each applicant should provide sufficient information for OJP to determine whether the particular project it proposes would either intentionally or unintentionally collect and/or use information in such a way that it meets the DOJ definition of research that appears at 28 C.F.R.