Official title: BJA FY26 DNA Capacity Enhancement for Backlog Reduction (CEBR)—Competitive Grants Program
Every applicant needs an active registration before submitting. It’s free, but a new one can take weeks to clear and it lapses every year, so check it now.
Step 1, the , is due November 3, 2026, 11:59 PM ET. It tells BJA an application is coming, and without it the next step is locked.
Step 2 is due November 10, 2026, 8:59 PM ET. This is the narrative, budget and attachments the notice lists.
Bureau of Justice Assistance scores the applications and funds the strongest. Not every good application wins. Funded projects get 24 months to spend the money (the ), starting January 1, 2027.
Your lab can get money to process more DNA samples and enter them into the national CODIS database, or to set up rapid DNA testing at booking stations. You apply directly to the federal government through grants.gov, without going through your state.
This is a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for the BJA FY 2026 DNA Capacity Enhancement for Backlog Reduction (CEBR) — Competitive Grants Program. This opportunity will increase capacity of states and units of local government with existing crime laboratories to process DNA samples for entry into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). The purpose of the CEBR Competitive Program is to maximize the effective utilization of DNA technology to strengthen evidence-based criminal justice responses. The priorities of the CEBR Competitive Program are (1) to use DNA technology to increase the capacity and/or efficiency of publicly funded forensic DNA laboratories to conduct analysis of DNA samples for entry into CODIS and (2) implementing Rapid DNA in the booking station(s) in eligible jurisdictions. The program is designed to fairly and efficiently prioritize jurisdictions facing operational challenges by considering key performance measures reported by publicly funded forensic DNA laboratories.
This program is for Competitive funding only. The BJA FY 2026 DNA Capacity Enhancement for Backlog Reduction (CEBR) — Formula Grants Program for formula funding will post at a later date. Eligible agencies may apply for both Competitive and Formula CEBR Funding.
Other units of local government: For the purposes of this notice of funding opportunity, other units of local government include towns, boroughs, parishes, villages, or other general purpose political subdivisions of a state.
For a forensic agency, this means
State and local governments that own, control, or operate a crime laboratory are eligible to apply for grants to increase DNA processing capacity for CODIS entry or implement Rapid DNA technology at booking stations. No match is required. Applicants must submit a signed CEBR Eligibility Certification form and, for Rapid DNA projects, provide a memorandum of understanding or letter of support from the agency operating the instrument.
Median of 6 past competitive awards under this program, from USAspending.gov: $582K. Most recipients land well under any published ceiling.
