Opportunity Information: Apply for O BJA 2024 172155
The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) FY24 Missing and Unidentified Human Remains (MUHR) Program is a discretionary federal grant opportunity designed to help jurisdictions strengthen how they handle missing persons (MP) and unidentified human remains (UHR) cases, including cases involving migrants. The core purpose is to improve the end-to-end response: better reporting and data entry, safer and more reliable transportation of remains, more effective processing and forensic analysis, and ultimately faster and more accurate identification. By supporting these capabilities, the program aims to enhance public safety and bring resolution to families and communities by increasing the likelihood that missing people are located and unidentified remains are identified.
This funding opportunity is administered by the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance, under Assistance Listing (CFDA) 16.050, and it will be awarded as a grant. The program emphasizes practical capacity-building for agencies and labs that directly manage forensic identification workflows and the systems that connect those cases to national databases. A major focus is supporting participation in and data entry to key national resources used for identification efforts, particularly the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) and the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs). In effect, the MUHR program is meant to reduce bottlenecks that keep cases from moving forward, whether those bottlenecks are caused by limited staffing, backlogs, insufficient resources for testing and analysis, or gaps in the way information is collected and shared.
Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments, as well as a defined set of other entities that play central roles in forensic identification. The solicitation highlights accredited, publicly funded CODIS forensic laboratories, medical examiner offices, accredited publicly funded toxicology laboratories, accredited publicly funded crime laboratories, and publicly funded university forensic anthropology laboratories. It also allows nonprofit organizations to apply when they have active collaborative agreements with state or county forensic offices (including medical examiners, coroners, and justices of the peace) specifically tied to entering data into CODIS, NamUs, or both. In addition, a state university with an anthropology department that includes a forensic track and laboratory capacity can qualify under the program authority, as long as it meets the other eligibility conditions described in the solicitation.
Key dates and funding details are straightforward. The opportunity number is O-BJA-2024-172155, and the original application deadline was July 17, 2024. BJA anticipated making about 10 awards, with a maximum award amount (ceiling) of $1,000,000 per award. The opportunity was created on May 24, 2024. Overall, this program is positioned for agencies and partner organizations that can demonstrate they are directly improving the identification pipeline for missing persons and unidentified remains within their jurisdictions, especially through strengthened forensic capabilities and more consistent use of national identification systems.Apply for O BJA 2024 172155
- The Bureau of Justice Assistance in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BJA FY24 Missing and Unidentified Human Remains (MUHR) Program Assistance Listing Number" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.050.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2024-05-24.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-07-17. (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 $1,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Others.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): BJA FY24 Missing and Unidentified Human Remains (MUHR) Program
What is the BJA FY24 Missing and Unidentified Human Remains (MUHR) Program?
The MUHR Program is a discretionary federal grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). It is designed to help jurisdictions strengthen how they handle missing persons (MP) and unidentified human remains (UHR) cases, including cases involving migrants, with the goal of improving identification outcomes and bringing resolution to families and communities.
What is the main purpose of the MUHR Program?
The core purpose is to improve the end-to-end response to MP and UHR cases. This includes better reporting and data entry, safer and more reliable transportation of remains, more effective processing and forensic analysis, and ultimately faster and more accurate identification.
What kinds of cases does this program focus on?
The program focuses on missing persons (MP) and unidentified human remains (UHR) cases. The solicitation also explicitly includes cases involving migrants as part of the intended scope.
How does the program aim to improve public safety and case outcomes?
By strengthening practical, on-the-ground capacity for forensic identification workflows and by improving how cases connect to national databases, the program aims to reduce bottlenecks and increase the likelihood that missing people are located and unidentified remains are identified.
What systems or national resources are emphasized under this opportunity?
A major focus is supporting participation in and data entry to key national resources used for identification efforts, particularly the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) and the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs).
What does “end-to-end response” mean in the context of this grant?
In this opportunity, “end-to-end response” refers to improvements across the full chain of handling MP and UHR cases, such as reporting and entering case data, transporting remains safely, performing processing and forensic analysis more effectively, and improving the overall speed and accuracy of identification.
What kinds of capacity-building needs is the MUHR Program trying to address?
The program is intended to reduce bottlenecks that prevent cases from moving forward. Examples described include limitations in staffing, backlogs, insufficient resources for testing and analysis, and gaps in how information is collected and shared.
Who administers this funding opportunity?
This funding opportunity is administered by the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA).
What type of federal funding is this (grant, contract, etc.)?
The MUHR Program is awarded as a grant.
What is the Assistance Listing (CFDA) number for this program?
The Assistance Listing (CFDA) number provided for this opportunity is 16.050.
What is the opportunity number for the MUHR Program?
The opportunity number is O-BJA-2024-172155.
When was this opportunity created?
The opportunity was created on May 24, 2024.
What was the application deadline for this opportunity?
The original application deadline was July 17, 2024.
How many awards did BJA anticipate making?
BJA anticipated making about 10 awards under this opportunity.
What is the maximum award amount?
The maximum award amount (ceiling) is $1,000,000 per award.
Which levels of government are eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants include state governments, county governments, and city or township governments.
What forensic or casework entities are specifically highlighted as eligible?
The solicitation highlights the following as eligible: accredited, publicly funded CODIS forensic laboratories; medical examiner offices; accredited publicly funded toxicology laboratories; accredited publicly funded crime laboratories; and publicly funded university forensic anthropology laboratories.
Can nonprofit organizations apply?
Yes. Nonprofit organizations can apply when they have active collaborative agreements with state or county forensic offices (including medical examiners, coroners, and justices of the peace) that are specifically tied to entering data into CODIS, NamUs, or both.
What kind of collaboration must a nonprofit have to be eligible?
The solicitation specifies that the nonprofit must have an active collaborative agreement with state or county forensic offices (including medical examiners, coroners, and justices of the peace), and the agreement must be specifically tied to entering data into CODIS, NamUs, or both.
Are universities eligible, and if so, which kinds?
Yes. A state university with an anthropology department that includes a forensic track and laboratory capacity can qualify under the program authority, as long as it meets the other eligibility conditions described in the solicitation.
Does the solicitation prioritize accredited laboratories?
Accreditation is explicitly referenced for several categories of eligible laboratories, including accredited, publicly funded CODIS forensic laboratories, accredited publicly funded toxicology laboratories, and accredited publicly funded crime laboratories.
What kinds of improvements is the program trying to support in identification workflows?
The program emphasizes improvements that directly strengthen forensic identification workflows and the systems that connect cases to national databases. It also points to practical improvements such as more consistent reporting and data entry, safer transportation of remains, and more effective processing and forensic analysis.
Why are CODIS and NamUs important in this grant opportunity?
CODIS and NamUs are highlighted as key national resources used for identification efforts. The program places major emphasis on supporting participation in these systems and improving data entry so cases are more consistently connected to the tools used for identification.
What is the program’s overall strategy for reducing delays in cases?
The program is meant to reduce bottlenecks that keep cases from moving forward. The solicitation describes common sources of delay such as limited staffing, backlogs, insufficient resources for testing and analysis, and gaps in information collection and sharing.
Who is this program positioned to support most directly?
The program is positioned for agencies and partner organizations that can demonstrate they are directly improving the identification pipeline for missing persons and unidentified remains within their jurisdictions, especially by strengthening forensic capabilities and using national identification systems more consistently.
Does this opportunity include support related to transportation of human remains?
Yes. The program description includes safer and more reliable transportation of remains as one of the areas where the end-to-end response can be improved.
Does the opportunity address forensic analysis and laboratory processing?
Yes. More effective processing and forensic analysis are explicitly identified as part of the program’s intended improvements to the MP and UHR response.
Is this opportunity specifically about improving data entry and reporting practices?
Yes. Better reporting and data entry are stated as key parts of the end-to-end improvements the program seeks to support, particularly in connection with national identification systems like CODIS and NamUs.
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