Dedicated funding to increase DNA lab throughput and reduce case backlogs. Covers staffing, consumables, workflow modernization, and technology to increase CODIS uploads. Posts annually each fall as separate formula and competitive notices.
Open now. Each grant page walks through the steps and dates:
Apply directly on grants.gov, no state intermediary. The applicant is the state or local government (or its agency) that owns or operates the crime lab; a government without its own lab is not eligible. On the formula track, labs in the same state coordinate so their combined requests stay within the state's allocation.
States and units of local government operating publicly funded crime laboratories that conduct DNA analysis. Labs must be publicly funded.
Awards per year: FY2021 131 · FY2022 129 · FY2023 140 · FY2024 136 · FY2025 139
Round totals: DOJ Office of Justice Programs award data. Award lists: USAspending.gov, plus DOJ’s own award list for rounds USAspending is missing.
General advice for this program, not taken from the notice. The notice’s own review criteria are what reviewers actually score, so check these against it.
Provide exact case counts, sample numbers, and age of backlogged cases broken down by offense category (e.g., sexual assault kits, homicides) to demonstrate a data-driven understanding of your lab's current burden. Use your LIMS data to support every figure cited in the application.
Set specific, time-bound performance targets such as 'reduce sexual assault kit backlog by 40% within 12 months' and map each goal to a concrete activity like hiring a DNA analyst or purchasing a new rapid DNA instrument. BJA reviewers reward applicants who show a clear, traceable path from funding to outcomes.
Do not describe personnel needs in general terms like 'we need more staff'; instead, specify exact FTEs, required qualifications, and how each position directly addresses a documented bottleneck in your DNA workflow. Vague staffing plans signal poor project planning and weaken reviewer confidence.
Failing to explain how your lab will maintain increased capacity after the grant period ends is a common fatal flaw — reviewers will score you down if there is no plan for retaining staff, maintaining equipment, or absorbing costs post-award. Include at least one concrete funding source or institutional commitment to sustain program activities.
A starting list, not the official one. Each notice ends with its own application checklist, and that is the list to work from once a round opens.
CEBR Formula doesn’t go through a state agency. Every state or local government that runs an eligible public DNA lab applies to BJA itself, and all of a state’s labs share one estimated pool. BJA requires the labs to coordinate before applying so their combined requests stay within it.
Only a government that owns and operates its own DNA lab can apply, and BJA defines a lab as having at least two full-time qualified DNA analysts. Source: BJA, Chart 1: Estimated Aggregate Formula Amounts Available for Each State, FY 2026 (PDF) ↗
