NIJ FY18 Strengthening the Medical Examiner-Coroner System Program | NIJ 2018 13743

Opportunity Information: Apply for NIJ 2018 13743

The NIJ FY18 Strengthening the Medical Examiner-Coroner System Program (Funding Opportunity No. NIJ 2018 13743) is a discretionary grant competition run by the U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice (NIJ). It is designed to improve the strength, capacity, and overall reliability of the medical examiner and coroner (ME/C) system across the United States, recognizing how central death investigation is to public safety, the justice system, and accurate public health data. The solicitation sits in the Science and Technology and other Research and Development funding activity category and is associated with CFDA 16.560.

The program targets two main needs. First, it supports forensic pathology fellowships, which are meant to expand and stabilize the pipeline of qualified forensic pathologists. In practice, this focus area is about helping train medical doctors in forensic pathology through structured fellowship opportunities so that more jurisdictions can access the specialized expertise required for high-quality death investigations, case backlogs can be reduced, and offices can better meet increasing caseload demands. Second, it provides resources to help medical examiner and coroner offices achieve accreditation. Accreditation typically requires documented policies, standardized procedures, quality assurance practices, adequate facilities, trained staff, and consistent case management and reporting processes. By funding the steps needed to reach accreditation, NIJ is trying to promote more uniform standards, stronger quality control, and greater confidence in medicolegal death investigation findings that may become evidence in court.

A wide range of applicants are eligible, reflecting the fact that ME/C systems vary widely in structure around the country and may be housed in different types of organizations. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); individuals; for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. This broad eligibility suggests NIJ anticipated applications both from government-based ME/C offices directly and from partner institutions (such as universities, hospitals, training programs, or nonprofit entities) that can administer fellowships, provide technical assistance, or support accreditation readiness work.

In terms of timing and scale, the opportunity was created on February 16, 2018, with an original closing date of April 6, 2018. NIJ anticipated making about 18 awards under this solicitation. The listed award ceiling is $25,000,000, which indicates the maximum possible award size under the solicitation as published. As with many federal competitions, the actual number and size of awards would typically depend on the final appropriations available, the number of high-quality proposals received, and NIJ program priorities.

The solicitation also includes a note on statutory authority and budget uncertainty at the time it was issued. NIJ stated that awards would be made under authority provided by a full-year FY 2018 appropriations act, but also noted that, as of the solicitation’s writing, the Department of Justice was operating under a short-term Continuing Resolution because no full-year appropriation had yet been enacted for FY 2018. Practically, that language signals that NIJ intended to move forward with the competition, but the final funding levels, timing of awards, and the total amount available could be affected by how Congress ultimately finalized DOJ’s FY 2018 budget.

Overall, the grant opportunity is aimed at strengthening death investigation capacity in two concrete ways: building the workforce through forensic pathology fellowships and raising operational quality and consistency through accreditation support. The underlying goal is to improve the scientific and administrative foundations of the ME/C system so that determinations of cause and manner of death are more timely, more accurate, and more defensible in both legal proceedings and public health decision-making.

• The Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NIJ FY18 Strengthening the Medical Examiner-Coroner System Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.560.
• This funding opportunity was created on Feb 16, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 06, 2018. (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 $25,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 18 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Individuals, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses.

Apply for NIJ 2018 13743

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