Postconviction Testing of DNA Evidence
Active
- Assistance listing
- 16.820
- Agency
-
Bureau of Justice Assistance
Office of Justice Programs, Department of Justice
- Grant awards
- 108 $74,272,174 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Also known as
- Postconviction Program
- Assistance types
-
- Project Grant
- Cooperative Agreement
- Block 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 awards grants to support postconviction case review, evidence location, and DNA testing in violent felony cases where actual innocence might be demonstrated, with the most recent grant awards dated October 1, 2024 (CFDA 16.820).
The program remains active and well-positioned for pursuit. Grant awards have been disbursed consistently and recently—108 total awards since 2012, with 9 awards in 2024, 4 in 2023, 10 in 2022, 18 in 2021, and 20 in 2020. A current opportunity remains open: BJA FY25 Postconviction Testing of DNA Evidence (solicitation O-BJA-2025-172471) due December 10, 2025, open to state, county, city, township, and special district governments and public higher education institutions.
Recipients use funding to staff conviction integrity units, innocence projects, forensic laboratories, and appellate defender offices to conduct case review, locate and preserve biological evidence, and pursue DNA testing using advanced methodologies including touch-DNA analysis, probabilistic genotyping, and forensic genealogical DNA testing. Work emphasizes cases involving discredited forensic disciplines such as hair microscopy and serology, as well as reinvestigation of historical cases where technology has advanced since original conviction.
The portfolio is dominated by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, which accounted for 75 of 108 awards totaling $57.2 million in federal dollars obligated. The National Institute of Justice funded 26 awards for $12.5 million. Combined federal dollars obligated reach $74.3 million. Assistance is predominantly Project Grants (63 percent of awards), with a meaningful share of Cooperative Agreements (24 percent) and Block Grants (13 percent).
Representative recent awards include the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in New York ($1.52 million, October 2024) to increase case review and evidence location capacity; the University of Arizona Innocence Project ($1.52 million, October 2024) to conduct case review and litigate for relief in Arizona violent felony cases; the Wisconsin Innocence Project ($1.52 million, October 2024) for historical case review targeting Black, Latinx, and Native American clients; and Alameda County District Attorney's Office ($1.52 million, October 2024) to establish a conviction integrity unit. Project periods typically run up to 36 months.
Objective and description
- Objective
Program goal(s) name: Assist states and units of local government with postconviction DNA testing in cases of violent felony offenses where actual innocence might be demonstrated. Program goal(s) description: Conduct review of cases involving viole
- Description
This program assists in defraying the costs associated with postconviction case review, evidence location, and DNA testing in violent felony cases (as defined by state law) where the results of such testing might show actual innocence.
Eligibility
- Beneficiary eligibility
Ensures the availability of fair and impartial administration of justice to Americans who may have been unjustly convicted.
- Length and time phasing of assistance
Awards under this program typically are for project periods of up to 36 months.
How to apply
- Preapplication coordination
Note: An environmental impact assessment is not required at the time of application (or pre application), but is necessary for removing a withholding of funds special condition after an award is made.
- 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/overview
Grant opportunities
Show all 12
Grant awards
Latest 10 of 108 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Office Of Emergency Services | $7,654,008 | 10% |
| 2 | Committee For Public Counsel Services | $3,499,529 | 5% |
| 3 | Judiciary Courts Of The State Of North Carolina | $3,221,167 | 4% |
| 4 | University Of Wisconsin System | $3,117,609 | 4% |
| 5 | County Of Cook | $2,748,014 | 4% |
| 6 | New York City Off Of Cheif Med Exam | $2,547,376 | 3% |
| 7 | The Board Of Trustee Of The University Of Illinois | $2,501,195 | 3% |
| 8 | The Trustees Of The University Of Pennsylvania | $2,450,000 | 3% |
| 9 | The Regents Of The University Of Colorado | $2,277,911 | 3% |
| 10 | Washington State Patrol | $2,234,928 | 3% |
10 of 56 recipients listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2026 | -$200,956 |
| FY2025 | -$617,178 |
| FY2024 | $17,085,453 |
| FY2023 | $7,639,559 |
| FY2022 | $12,490,798 |
| FY2021 | $5,150,573 |
| FY2020 | -$317,174 |
| FY2019 | $4,984,340 |
| FY2018 | $6,448,055 |
| FY2017 | $3,252,390 |
| FY2016 | $2,964,145 |
| FY2015 | $4,366,246 |
| FY2014 | $3,713,546 |
| FY2013 | $3,315,873 |
| FY2012 | $3,546,504 |
Show all 15
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 16.820?
Assistance Listing 16.820 is Postconviction Testing of DNA Evidence, a federal grant program run by Bureau of Justice Assistance (Office of Justice Programs).
What is the CFDA number for Postconviction Testing of DNA Evidence?
Its CFDA number is 16.820: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 16.820 awarded?
108 grant awards under 16.820 have obligated $74,272,174 in federal funds to 56 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 16.820?
The recipients obligated the most under Postconviction Testing of DNA Evidence are Office Of Emergency Services ($7,654,008), Committee For Public Counsel Services ($3,499,529) and Judiciary Courts Of The State Of North Carolina ($3,221,167).
How much did 16.820 obligate in fiscal year 2025?
Grants under 16.820 obligated -$617,178 in federal funds in fiscal year 2025.
Are there open grant opportunities under 16.820?
No opportunity listed under 16.820 is open now. The latest, BJA FY25 Postconviction Testing of DNA Evidence, was posted on September 17, 2025.
On GovTribe
See this program's full record
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