U.S. Department of Justice: Rural Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, and Stalking Program

The Rural Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, and Stalking Program (Rural Program) supports efforts to enhance the safety of rural victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking and support projects uniquely designed to address and prevent these crimes in rural areas. Funds under the Rural Program may be used for the following statutory purposes:

1. To identify, assess, and appropriately respond to child, youth, and adult victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking in rural communities, by encouraging collaboration among sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking victim service providers; law enforcement agencies; prosecutors; courts; other criminal justice service providers; human and community service providers; educational institutions; and health care providers, including sexual assault forensic examiners
2. To establish and expand nonprofit, nongovernmental, state, tribal, territorial, and local government victim services in rural communities to child, youth, and adult victims
3. To increase the safety and well-being of women and children in rural communities by: 1) dealing directly and immediately with sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking occurring in rural communities; and 2) creating and implementing strategies to increase awareness and prevent sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and/or stalking

For many applicants, the Rural Program is one of the few sources of funding to support the provision of core services for victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking. For this reason, funding will only be awarded to applications that propose projects that implement a collaborative response, support victim services, and/or create a direct response to these crimes in rural communities. Proposed projects must devote at least 70% of their project activities and budget to Rural Program purpose areas 1, 2, and/or 3(A). Applicants may apply to address purpose area 3(B), but no more than 30% of the project budget and activities may be dedicated to prevention and awareness activities.

In addition to the purpose areas, Rural Program grantees are required to implement at least one of the following strategies:

1. Implementing, expanding, and establishing cooperative efforts and projects among law enforcement officers, prosecutors, victim service providers, and other related parties to investigate and prosecute incidents of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking, including developing multidisciplinary teams focusing on high risk cases with the goal of preventing domestic and dating violence homicides
2. Providing treatment, counseling, advocacy, legal assistance, and other long-term and short-term victim and population specific services to adult and minor victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in rural communities, including assistance in immigration matters
3. Working in cooperation with the community to develop education and prevention strategies directed toward such issues
4. Developing, enlarging, or strengthening programs addressing sexual assault, including sexual assault forensic examiner programs, Sexual Assault Response Teams, law enforcement training, and programs addressing rape kit backlogs
5. Developing programs and strategies that focus on the specific needs of victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking who reside in remote rural and geographically isolated areas, including addressing the challenges posed by the lack of access to shelters and victims services, limited law enforcement resources and training, and providing training and resources to Community Health Aides involved in the delivery of Indian Health Service programs.

Applications proposing activities in the following areas will be given special consideration:

• Reduce violent crime against women and promote victim safety. Applicants are also required to use at least one of the five strategies identified above.
• Increase the response to victims of human trafficking.
• Include substance abuse professionals in a coordinated community response to VAWA crimes and increase victim access to substance abuse services.
• Increase efforts to combat stalking.

Amount: A total of $35,000,000 is available to make awards that range from $350,000 – $750,000. Funding levels are:

• New applications are eligible for awards of up to $500,000 for a 36-month award period.
• Continuation applications are eligible for awards of up to $750,000 for a 36-month award period

Eligibility: States and territories; Indian tribes; local governments; and nonprofit (public or private) entities, including tribal nonprofit organizations. Applications must propose to serve a rural area or rural community. The terms “rural area” and “rural community” are defined as: (a) any area or community, respectively, no part of which is within an area designated as a standard metropolitan statistical area by the Office of Management and Budget; (b) any area or community, respectively, that is (i) within an area designated as a metropolitan statistical area or considered as part of a metropolitan statistical area; and located in a rural census tract; or (c) any federally recognized Indian tribe.

Note: See solicitation for more details around eligible areas.

Link: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=311346

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