BJA FY 15 National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

The BJA FY 15 National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) was a competitive discretionary grant program run by the Bureau of Justice Assistance to help jurisdictions overhaul how they handle sexual assault cases tied to previously unsubmitted sexual assault kits (SAKs). The central problem SAKI targeted was not the general crime lab backlog of kits already submitted for testing, but rather kits sitting in law enforcement custody that had never been submitted to a laboratory in the first place. BJA framed these as two different challenges: "unsubmitted" kits (never sent to a lab) versus "untested" kits (submitted but delayed for more than 30 days). SAKI funding was designed to help communities confront the unsubmitted-kit issue in a comprehensive way, pairing the testing of evidence with the policy, staffing, and victim-service changes needed to actually move cases forward once testing generates leads.

At its core, SAKI aimed to build and sustain a coordinated, victim-centered community response that could deliver just outcomes in older or stalled sexual assault cases whenever possible, while also preventing the conditions that allow large numbers of kits to go unsubmitted in the future. The program emphasized multidisciplinary collaboration, meaning it expected jurisdictions to bring together key partners such as law enforcement, prosecutors, crime laboratories, victim advocates, and other relevant stakeholders. Rather than treating the issue as simply a lab-capacity problem, SAKI treated it as a system problem involving evidence handling, investigative decision-making, victim engagement, prosecution strategies, and interagency coordination.

The grant supported a wide range of practical activities jurisdictions typically need in order to responsibly tackle an accumulation of unsubmitted kits. This included resources to conduct an inventory of unsubmitted kits, implement or improve tracking systems for evidence, submit kits for testing, and monitor the progress of kits through the testing pipeline. It also supported the creation and reporting of performance metrics, which is a way of pushing agencies to measure what is happening (for example, how many kits are located and inventoried, how many are submitted and tested, how many DNA profiles are developed, how many investigative actions follow, and what case outcomes result). In addition, SAKI promoted training and technical assistance so agencies could better handle the complex investigative and legal issues that arise when older kits are tested, including issues like re-interviewing witnesses, addressing delayed reporting dynamics, managing statute-of-limitations questions where applicable, and handling the increased workload that comes with reopening or expanding investigations.

A major theme in the opportunity was that testing kits is only the start. NIJ-supported research from early pilot efforts in Detroit and Houston reinforced that testing previously unsubmitted kits can produce valuable investigative leads and help solve cases, but it also highlighted how complicated the process becomes once a large batch of kits enters the system. Jurisdictions can quickly face a surge in follow-up investigations and potential prosecutions, which requires trained investigators and prosecutors who have the time and expertise to pursue leads, build cases, and coordinate with labs and advocates. The solicitation also recognized that many reasons kits were not submitted had little to do with science and more to do with process failures and misconceptions: weak evidence tracking practices, outdated investigative approaches, confusion about laboratory acceptance policies, and poor understanding among law enforcement about the value of testing kits even in cases that might have been previously viewed as difficult to prosecute.

Victim engagement and support were also built into the program concept. SAKI stressed a victim-centered approach, acknowledging that reopening cases or initiating new investigative steps based on old evidence can have serious emotional and practical impacts on survivors. The initiative encouraged jurisdictions to connect victims with services and to improve how victims are informed, supported, and involved as cases progress. In practice, this focus signaled that successful SAKI projects would not only move evidence through labs, but would also strengthen communication practices, trauma-informed approaches, and coordination with victim service providers so that case actions do not proceed in a way that harms or sidelines survivors.

From an administrative standpoint, this was a grant (not a cooperative agreement) with an award ceiling of $2,000,000 and no cost sharing or matching requirement. BJA anticipated making about 12 awards under CFDA 16.833. The opportunity was posted on March 9, 2015, and closed on May 7, 2015, with the archive date listed as June 6, 2015. Eligible applicants included state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies; prosecutors' offices; or a governmental non-law-enforcement agency acting as the fiscal agent for the applicant. BJA welcomed applications involving multiple entities, but required one eligible organization to serve as the lead applicant with primary responsibility for administering the award and managing the overall program; other partners could be included as subrecipients. Only one application per lead applicant was permitted, though subrecipients could participate in multiple proposals.

Overall, the FY 15 SAKI solicitation can be understood as an effort to push jurisdictions toward end-to-end reform: finding and counting unsubmitted kits, getting them tested, building the investigative and prosecutorial capacity to act on results, formalizing policies so kits do not languish again, and ensuring survivors are treated as central participants whose rights, safety, and needs guide how the work is carried out.

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