National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative
Active
- Assistance listing
- 16.833
- Agency
-
Office of Justice Programs
Department of Justice
- Grant awards
- 262 $405,223,526 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Also known as
- SAKI
- 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 funds the National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (CFDA 16.833) to improve forensic testing and justice system responses to sexual assaults, with the most recent grant awards made on October 1, 2024.
The program provides law enforcement, prosecutors, and victim service agencies with resources to address backlogs of unsubmitted and partially tested sexual assault kits (SAKs), advance DNA testing and investigative methodologies to solve cases, and collect lawfully owed DNA samples from qualifying offenders and arrestees. Recent awards fund multidisciplinary teams conducting SAK inventory and testing, cold case investigations using advanced DNA techniques including forensic genetic genealogy, victim-centered investigation and prosecution efforts, establishment of SAK tracking systems, and training on trauma-informed victim engagement. Awards support personnel costs, DNA testing, victim services, and technology infrastructure.
Since 2015, the program has made 262 grant awards totaling $405.2 million in federal funding. Award activity has remained consistent, ranging from 20 to 35 awards per year over the past five years, with 25 awards in 2024. The assistance-type mix is predominantly Project Grants (73 percent, 192 awards), with smaller shares of Cooperative Agreements (16 percent, 42 awards) and Block Grants (11 percent, 28 awards). The Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Assistance funds 260 awards totaling $404.1 million, with the broader Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs funding 2 additional awards for $1.1 million.
Recent awards include Harris County District Attorney's Office ($2.5 million) for creating a cold case DNA and CODIS offender squad; Louisiana State Police Crime Lab ($1.5 million) for collecting and entering lawfully owed DNA from arrestees and convicted offenders into CODIS; and Fulton County ($2.5 million) for investigating high-volume DNA hit cases and testing partially tested kits. Multiple jurisdictions received awards of $2.5 million or higher for similar initiatives in October 2024, with smaller awards between $258 thousand and $1.5 million for specialized efforts.
Two grant opportunities are currently open. The BJA FY25 National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (solicitation O-BJA-2025-172462, due October 27, 2025) seeks to reduce sexual assault and violent crime by addressing backlogs of unsubmitted and partially tested SAKs and supporting investigations of violent crime cold cases. The BJA FY25 Invited to Apply - SAKI Training and Technical Assistance Program (O-BJA-2025-172589, due May 6, 2026) is a Cooperative Agreement providing supplemental funding for expertise, training, and direct site-based assistance to SAKI grantee jurisdictions on forensic evidence collection, investigation and prosecution of SAK cases, and victim support.
Objective and description
- Objective
Program goal(s) name: Improve forensic testing and justice system responses to sexual assaults Program goal(s) description: Reduce sexual assault and violent crime, hold violent offenders accountable, and deliver support and justice for victims resul
- Description
This program provides jurisdictions with resources to address challenges associated with unsubmitted and partially tested sexual assault kits (SAKs) and other violent cold case crimes and strengthens the ability of law enforcement and prosecutors to solve and prevent violent crime by providing critical forensic and investigative tools.
Eligibility
- Beneficiary eligibility
U.S. Citizen.
- Length and time phasing of assistance
The assistance is available for up to 36 months. There are no restrictions placed on the time permitted to spend the money awarded.
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/overview
Grant opportunities
Show all 14
Grant awards
Latest 10 of 262 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Research Triangle Institute | $31,290,698 | 8% |
| 2 | County Of Cuyahoga | $15,325,588 | 4% |
| 3 | City Of Charlotte | $9,897,530 | 2% |
| 4 | City Of Memphis, Tennessee | $9,464,398 | 2% |
| 5 | Criminal Justice Coordinating Council | $9,430,428 | 2% |
| 6 | Department Of Justice Wisconsin | $9,216,638 | 2% |
| 7 | County Of Wayne Charter | $8,995,480 | 2% |
| 8 | Maricopa County Attorney's Office | $8,397,609 | 2% |
| 9 | New Jersey Department Of Law & Public Safety | $8,180,531 | 2% |
| 10 | County Of Fulton | $8,000,000 | 2% |
10 of 102 recipients listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2026 | $3,761,825 |
| FY2025 | $42,915,873 |
| FY2024 | -$1,010,564 |
| FY2023 | $55,415,998 |
| FY2022 | $77,333,758 |
| FY2021 | $35,160,083 |
| FY2020 | -$2,168,299 |
| FY2019 | $46,825,615 |
| FY2018 | $44,057,085 |
| FY2017 | $35,126,478 |
| FY2016 | $24,635,200 |
| FY2015 | $36,325,140 |
Show all 12
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 16.833?
Assistance Listing 16.833 is National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative, a federal grant program run by Office of Justice Programs (Department of Justice).
What is the CFDA number for National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative?
Its CFDA number is 16.833: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 16.833 awarded?
262 grant awards under 16.833 have obligated $405,223,526 in federal funds to 102 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 16.833?
The recipients obligated the most under National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative are Research Triangle Institute ($31,290,698), County Of Cuyahoga ($15,325,588) and City Of Charlotte ($9,897,530).
How much did 16.833 obligate in fiscal year 2025?
Grants under 16.833 obligated $42,915,873 in federal funds in fiscal year 2025.
Are there open grant opportunities under 16.833?
No opportunity listed under 16.833 is open now. The latest, BJA FY25 Invited to Apply - Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) Program, was posted on April 23, 2026.
On GovTribe
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