U.S. Department of Justice: Vision 21 Innovation Grants – Enhancing and Transforming Services for Victims of Crime

The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) will fund national scope and statewide proposals that will enhance and transform services to victims of crime. The programs must provide training, technical assistance, capacity building, assessment, or strategic planning in one of the following specialized areas: strategic planning, targeted outreach to state legislators on human trafficking, incarcerated survivors of sexual abuse, victims of crime in the immediate aftermath of a natural or man-made disaster, victims of impaired driving crashes, conservatorship and guardianship fraud and abuse, law enforcement role in supporting crime victims’ access to compensation, and increasing the pool of “Master Trainers” on trauma and sexual assault.

• Purpose Area 1, State Strategic Planning Grants: OVC is interested in collaborative projects that would develop, enhance, support, and/or institutionalize a cross-cutting strategic planning process at the local, tribal and state level, involving all stakeholders, including crime victims. Planning should focus on institutionalizing capacity in victim services, coordinated community responses and system linkages, program  evaluation, and funding diversification to ensure a continuum of services for all crime victims within the state. Strategic planning at the state level would maximize the impact of available resources and eliminate duplicative funding efforts. Strategic planning should also address policy or programmatic barriers or resource gaps that may hinder the access of crime victims to needed services, including state crime victim compensation, or the full exercise of their rights. It should also address using technology to reach and serve more victims in ways that better meet those victims’ needs.
• Purpose Area 2, Targeted Outreach to State Legislators on Human Trafficking: OVC is seeking an experienced applicant to: (1) disseminate distilled Federal research and programmatic information on human trafficking to all state legislators in the United States; (2) prepare information briefs on specific human trafficking issues such as labor trafficking, sex trafficking including domestic minor sex trafficking, safe harbor laws, and other critical policy and programming issues; (3) respond to requests directly from state legislators looking to identify model policies and practices on human trafficking; and (4) create a Web presence where legislators can find resources, suggested readings, and other policy-relevant materials on human trafficking.
• Purpose Area 3, Incarcerated Survivors of Sexual Abuse: OVC intends to fund a national training and technical assistance program for VOCA state administrators, state and tribal sexual assault coalitions and local rape crisis providers, and correctional officials on: (1) the unique needs of incarcerated victims of sexual abuse; (2) the Prison Rape Elimination Act Standards; and (3) practices that leverage community level resources to build partnerships between state administrators, sexual assault victim service providers, and correctional and juvenile detention facilities.
• Purpose Area 4, Victims of Crime in the Immediate Aftermath of a Natural or Man-Made Disaster: OVC is interested in funding a project that assesses the impact of past natural and man-made disasters on the ability of local, state, and tribal law enforcement agencies to accept and respond to reports from victims and others on crimes committed in the aftermath of the disaster, and the impact of such incidents on crime victims’ access to services and crime victim compensation.
• Purpose Area 5, Victims of Impaired Driving Crashes: OVC seeks to support the development of training and technical assistance for law enforcement to ensure they: (1) respond to and interact with victims of DUIs or impaired driving crashes and their family members and loved ones in a victim-centered way, and (2) make appropriate referrals for needed services and available crime victim compensation.
• Purpose Area 6, Conservator and Guardianship Fraud and Abuse: OVC is interested in a project or initiative that would assess the scope of criminal fraud and financial exploitation by conservators and guardians of adults deemed incompetent at a national level.
• Purpose Area 7, Law Enforcement Role in Supporting Crime Victims’ Access to Compensation: OVC is interested in funding an initiative that develops training and technical assistance related to the key role that law enforcement plays in supporting crime victims’ access to crime victim compensation.
• Purpose Area 8, Increasing the Pool of “Master Trainers” on Trauma and Sexual Assault: OVC would like to increase the available pool of individuals who can provide this training for mental health practitioners, law enforcement, prosecutors, advocates, and other allied professionals. Applicants should propose to develop an evidence-based “train the trainers” curriculum on the neurobiology of trauma and deliver this training through a series of workshops, webinars, and other training opportunities.

Amount: Varies by purpose area:

• Purpose Area 1: Up to 20-30 award(s) ranging from $25,000-$150,000 for a 24 month project period. Larger awards will be made to applicants representing more populous states; most awards will range from $50,000-$100,000.
• Purpose Area 2: One award of up to $500,000 for a 36 month project period.
• Purpose Area 3: One award of up to $1,000,000 for a 36 month project period.
• Purpose Area 4: One award of up to $500,000 for a 24 to 30 month project period.
• Purpose Area 5: One award of up to $750,000 for a 24 to 36 month project period.
• Purpose Area 6: One award of up to $350,000 for a 24 month project period.
• Purpose Area 7: One award of up to $750,000 for a 24 to 36 month project period.
• Purpose Area 8: One award of up to $500,000 for a 24 to 36 month project period.

Eligibility: Varies by purpose area:

• Purpose Areas 1-4, 6, and 8: Eligible applicants are limited to public agencies, including states; federally recognized Indian tribal governments as determined by the Secretary of the Interior; units of local government (including tribal units); private nonprofit organizations (including tribal nonprofit organizations); for-profit organizations (including tribal for-profit organizations); that can demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the area described in this solicitation.
• Purpose Areas 5 and 7: Eligible applicants are limited to law enforcement professional associations or law enforcement agencies, although applicants may propose partnerships with other organizations or agencies, including crime victim advocacy organizations.

Link: http://ovc.ncjrs.gov/Solicitation.aspx

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