BJA FY22 National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative | O BJA 2022 171107

Opportunity Information: Apply for O BJA 2022 171107

The BJA FY22 National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) is a discretionary grant program run by the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance, under the Office of Justice Programs. Its core purpose is to help jurisdictions strengthen public safety and improve justice outcomes by addressing sexual assault kits (SAKs) and related evidence that have not moved through the testing and investigative process. The opportunity is framed within OJP priorities that emphasize advancing civil rights and racial equity, increasing access to justice, supporting crime victims and people impacted by the justice system, strengthening community safety, protecting the public from evolving threats, and building trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve.

SAKI funding is aimed specifically at jurisdictions that have sexual assault kits in their custody that were never submitted to a forensic laboratory for testing using CODIS-eligible DNA methodologies. In practical terms, the program is meant to help communities take inventory of unsubmitted kits, get them properly tested, and then ensure the results are actually used to advance investigations and prosecutions where appropriate. Beyond testing itself, SAKI also supports the work that follows: improving investigative strategies, coordinating with prosecutors, and building the capacity needed to act on DNA hits and other forensic findings in a way that is effective and victim-centered.

The program also covers related gaps that can prevent CODIS from working as intended. One specific focus is helping sites collect DNA samples from qualifying individuals who, based on state law and the nature and timing of the offense, should have a DNA profile in CODIS but do not because a sample was never collected or never submitted for testing. By funding this kind of targeted sample collection and submission, SAKI is designed to strengthen the overall integrity and usefulness of DNA databases, which can help identify offenders, link cases, and prevent future violence.

Importantly, SAKI is not meant to solve routine laboratory backlogs for kits that are already in a forensic lab but are taking longer than 30 days to test due to capacity constraints. That scenario is treated as a separate issue, and DOJ references separate programs that address crime laboratory backlogs and capacity building. SAKI is instead centered on kits and evidence that have not entered the CODIS-eligible testing pipeline at all, as well as partially tested SAKs and untested evidence connected to sexually motivated homicides, expanding the initiative beyond only traditional unsubmitted kit inventories.

From an administrative standpoint, this FY22 opportunity was posted on April 1, 2022, with an original closing date of May 27, 2022. The funding instrument is a grant, and the program anticipated making about 32 awards. Individual awards could be as high as $2,500,000. The listing references CFDA number 16.833, and the opportunity category is discretionary. Eligibility is described broadly as "Others" with clarification expected in the full eligibility text of the solicitation, meaning applicants typically need to consult the official solicitation language to confirm which types of agencies or organizations may apply and under what conditions, including any requirements tied to jurisdictional authority, partnerships, or victim services coordination.

Overall, SAKI is built around a straightforward but demanding goal: move unsubmitted or incompletely processed sexual assault evidence into proper forensic testing, then translate results into meaningful investigative and prosecutorial action while aligning the work with equity, victim support, and public trust objectives. For additional context on related forensic science resources, DOJ points applicants to the forensic science programs page at https://bja.ojp.gov/program/forensic-science-programs.

• The Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance in the humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BJA FY22 National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.833.
• This funding opportunity was created on Apr 01, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 27, 2022. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2,500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 32 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for O BJA 2022 171107

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