Emmett Till Cold Case Investigations Program
Active
- Assistance listing
- 16.031
- Agency
-
Bureau of Justice Assistance
Office of Justice Programs, Department of Justice
- Grant awards
- 11 $10,039,436 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Assistance types
-
- Project Grant
- Cooperative Agreement
- Formula Grant
- Treasury account
-
- 15-0404-0-1-754
- More information
Program details come from SAM.gov Assistance Listings. Updated . Grant award figures come from USAspending.gov.
About this program
The Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Assistance funds investigation and prosecution of unsolved cold case homicides involving civil rights violations that occurred before January 1, 1980, under Assistance Listing 16.031, with a current solicitation (O-BJA-2026-172773) due November 13, 2026.
The program supports state, local, and tribal law enforcement and prosecution agencies in identifying, investigating, prosecuting, and resolving cold case murders associated with civil rights violations. Recent awards have funded forensic genealogy work to identify victims of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, research into missing and murdered Indigenous women and people cold cases in collaboration with Washington tribes, archival research into LGBTQ+ homicides in New Orleans paired with community listening sessions and acknowledgment hearings, and establishment of dedicated civil rights cold case investigation units. Individual award amounts have ranged from $400 thousand to $1.5 million, with award periods typically spanning 24 to 36 months.
Eleven grants totaling $10 million in federal dollars have been obligated since October 2020, with five in fiscal 2021, two each in 2022 and 2024, and one in 2023. The assistance-type mix comprises 45 percent Project Grants, 27 percent Cooperative Agreements, and 27 percent Formula Grants. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is the sole funding source across all awards. The program has maintained steady activity; the most recent grant awards were made October 1, 2024. Award periods may be extended when specific criteria are met, and period-of-performance ranges generally span 12 to 36 months per the Department of Justice Grants Financial Guide.
The FY 2026 solicitation is open to state law enforcement agencies, local law enforcement agencies, tribal law enforcement agencies, local prosecutors, and state prosecutors, with applications due November 13, 2026. Eligible applicants include the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands. BJA also invites continuation applications from previously funded recipients under invited-application solicitations with separate deadlines.
Objective and description
- Objective
Program goal(s) name: Facilitate justice. Program goal(s) description: Facilitate accountability, justice, and reconciliation for cold case murder victims associated with civil rights violations by identifying, investigating, prosecuting, and resolvi
- Description
This program supports state, local and tribal law enforcement and prosecution agencies to support activities and expenses associated with the investigation and prosecution of cold case murders involving civil rights violations.
Eligibility
- Beneficiary eligibility
Victims of cold case homicide investigations where there is also a civil rights violation, their families and other stakeholders.
- Length and time phasing of assistance
Award periods for Office of Justice programs generally range from 12 to 36 months. For specifics pertaining to this program, please see the current fiscal year's program NOFO available at the Office of Justice Programs web site (https://www.ojp.gov/funding/explore/current-funding-opportunities). For additional information, see the Department of Justice Grants Financial Guide section on "Period of Availability of Funds" at https://www.ojp.gov/funding/financialguidedoj/iii-postaward-requirements.
How to apply
- Criteria for selecting proposals
Criteria for selecting proposals is determined as part of the notice of funding opportunity (NOFO).
- Award procedure
All final award decisions will be made by the Assistant Attorney General, unless a statute explicitly authorizes award decisions by another official or there is written delegation of authority to another official. For successful applicants, JustGrants will send a system-generated email to the Application Submitter, Authorized Representative, and Entity Administrator with information on accessing their official award package in JustGrants. The award package will include key information (such as funding amount and period of performance) as well as award conditions that must be followed. The Authorized Representative for the entity should accept or decline the award within 45 days of the notification.
- Time to approval or disapproval
The review procedure for applications is specified in the notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) and generally includes eligibility and responsiveness, merit, programmatic, budget, and risk reviews.
- Renewals
In some cases, award periods may be extended if specific criteria are met. For details, please review the discussion of no-cost extensions in the Criteria for Award Extension section of the Department of Justice Grants Financial Guide available at https://www.ojp.gov/funding/financialguidedoj/iii-postaward-requirements.
Grant opportunities
Grant awards
Latest 10 of 11 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fox Valley Technical College | $2,365,527 | 24% |
| 2 | Orleans Parish District Attorney | $2,000,000 | 20% |
| 3 | Attorney General, Office Of The | $1,500,000 | 15% |
| 4 | City Of Tulsa | $1,075,000 | 11% |
| 5 | Office Of The Attorney General | $599,976 | 6% |
| 6 | County Of Fulton | $575,000 | 6% |
| 7 | City Of Houston | $575,000 | 6% |
| 8 | Jefferson County Alabama | $498,933 | 5% |
| 9 | Behavioral Science Unit LLC | $450,000 | 4% |
| 10 | Research Triangle Institute | $400,000 | 4% |
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2024 | $1,400,000 |
| FY2023 | $2,874,988 |
| FY2022 | $5,464,460 |
| FY2021 | $299,988 |
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 16.031?
Assistance Listing 16.031 is Emmett Till Cold Case Investigations Program, a federal grant program run by Bureau of Justice Assistance (Office of Justice Programs).
What is the CFDA number for Emmett Till Cold Case Investigations Program?
Its CFDA number is 16.031: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 16.031 awarded?
11 grant awards under 16.031 have obligated $10,039,436 in federal funds to 10 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 16.031?
The recipients obligated the most under Emmett Till Cold Case Investigations Program are Fox Valley Technical College ($2,365,527), Orleans Parish District Attorney ($2,000,000) and Attorney General, Office Of The ($1,500,000).
Are there open grant opportunities under 16.031?
1 listed opportunity under 16.031 is open or forecasted. The latest, BJA FY 2026 Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crimes Act Program, was posted on September 29, 2026.
On GovTribe
See this program's full record
- Every grant award and opportunity under it
- Funding by recipient, agency and assistance type
- Alerts for new opportunities
- Ask GovTribe AI about this program