Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Assistance Program

(1) to identify, assess, and appropriately respond to child, youth, and adult victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking in rural communities, by encouraging collaboration among- (A) domestic violence, dating violence

States, Indian tribes, Territories, local governments, and nonprofit, public or private entities, including tribal nonprofit organizations, are eligible to carry out programs serving rural areas or rural communities that address sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking.

Beneficiaries include eligible applicants who propose to serve victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence,and stalking in a rural area or rural community, as defined by 34 U.S.C., § 12291(a)(32) to mean (a) any area or community, respectively, no part of which is within an area designated as a standard metropolitan statistical area by the Office of Management and Budget; or (b) any area or community, respectively, that is (i) within an area designated as a metropolitan statistical area or considered part of a metropolitan statistical area; and (ii) located in a rural census tract.

Every application must include documentation that the proposed area to be served, in fact, meets the rural eligibility requirements. The requirements include printed documentation of the service area. Instructions to complete the documentation process can be found within the application materials.

Funding may be used to carry out programs serving rural areas or rural communities that address sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking by: (1) implementing, expanding, and establishing cooperative efforts and projects among law enforcement officers, prosecutors, victim service providers, and other related parties to investigate and prosecute incidents of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, including developing multidisciplinary teams focusing on high risk cases with the goal of preventing domestic and dating violence homicides; (2) providing treatment, counseling, advocacy, legal assistance, and other long-term and short-term victim and population specific services to adult and minor victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in rural communities, including assistance in immigration matters; (3) working in cooperation with the community to develop education and prevention strategies directed toward such issues; (4) developing, enlarging, or strengthening programs addressing sexual assault, including sexual assault forensic examiner programs, Sexual Assault Response Teams, law enforcement training, and programs addressing rape kit backlogs; and (5) developing programs and strategies that focus on the specific needs of victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking who reside in remote rural and geographically isolated areas, including addressing the challenges posed by the lack of access to quality sexual assault examinations by trained health care providers, shelters and victims services, and limited law enforcement resources and training, and providing training and resources to Community Health Aides involved in the delivery of Indian Health Service programs.

Information regarding length of awards will be included in an annual notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for the program. Funds are released on an as-needed basis to the grantee.

Applicants must apply through the on-line Grants.gov portal and the Department of Justice's JustGrants System.

Criteria for award selection is specified in the program notice of funding opportunity (NOFO).

Upon approval by the Office on Violence Against Women, online notification is sent to the applicant agency. The Authorized Representative must accept the award online.

Applicants will be notified before the end of the fiscal year.

Renewals are considered on a case-by-case basis.