Forensic Science
·	Summary
·	Facts & Figures
·	Legislation
·	Publications
·	Programs
·	Training & Technical Assistance
Grants & Funding
·	Related Resources

Forensic Science - Grants and Funding

This section contains links to Federal funding opportunities.

Federal Register
The Federal Register is a legal newspaper published every business day by the National Archives and Records Administration. It contains Federal agency regulations; proposed rules and notices; and executive orders, proclamations, and other Presidential documents. The Federal Register informs citizens of their rights and obligations and offers access to a wide range of Federal benefits and funding opportunities.

Forensic DNA Backlog Reduction Program
The National Institute of Justice (NIJ)  has combined the Forensic DNA Capacity Enhancement and Forensic Casework DNA Backlog Reduction programs into the Forensic DNA Backlog Reduction Program. The goal of this program is to assist eligible States and units of local government to reduce DNA case turnaround time, increase the throughput of their DNA laboratories, and reduce DNA forensic casework backlogs.

Grant Funding for Crime Laboratories and Researchers
This Federal program makes funding available to reduce convicted offender and forensic evidence backlogs, solve cold cases using DNA, and to perform research and development.

Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Programs
JAG replaces the Byrne Formula and Local Law Enforcement Block Grant (LLEBG) programs with a single funding mechanism that will simplify the administration process for grantees. The procedure for allocating JAG funds is a formula based on population and crime statistics in combination with a minimum allocation to ensure that each state and territory receives an appropriate share. The grants, sponsored by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, support a comprehensive range of projects to improve the functioning of the criminal justice system, with an emphasis on drug-related crime, violent crime, and serious offenders.

National Institute of Justice (NIJ)
NIJ is the research and development arm of the U.S. Department of Justice. NIJ is the most important funding source of Federal assistance to State and local crime laboratories, providing assistance to increase their capabilities and capacities to conduct all types of forensic analysis. NIJ funds the DNA typing of convicted offenders and the investigation of unsolved cases by DNA typing of unexamined evidence. NIJ funds research, development, and evaluation about criminal justice through competitive solicitations. The focus of the solicitations varies from year to year based on research priorities and available funding.

National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation funds research and education in science and engineering, through grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements. The foundation accounts for about 20 percent of Federal support to academic institutions for basic research.

Solving Cold Cases with DNA
Several law enforcement agencies, prosecutor's offices, and crime labs across the country have established innovative programs to review old cases. Often called "cold case units," these programs have enabled criminal justice officials to solve cases that have languished for years without suspects. Most frequently, DNA evidence has been the linchpin in solving these cases. In fiscal years 2005 and 2007, the National Institute of Justice supported law enforcement agencies' efforts to search, evaluate, select and conduct DNA analysis on violent crime "cold cases" (I.e., old, unsolved cases) that have the potential to be solved through DNA testing.

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