NIJ FY 15 Using DNA Technology to Identify the Missing | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

NIJ FY 15 Using DNA Technology to Identify the Missing (Funding Opportunity Number NIJ-2015-4055) was a National Institute of Justice discretionary grant opportunity offered as a cooperative agreement to strengthen the ability of states and local jurisdictions to identify missing persons through DNA-based investigations. The program focused on practical, casework-driven work rather than basic research, aiming to move unresolved missing-person and unidentified-remains cases forward by funding DNA testing, ensuring DNA profiles are uploaded into federal systems that enable comparisons, and improving the completeness of national missing/unidentified case records.

The solicitation laid out three main objectives. First, it was designed to help eligible entities perform DNA analysis on unidentified human remains and/or reference samples. In practice, this meant generating DNA profiles from remains, family reference samples, or other appropriate reference materials so that jurisdictions could support identifications in missing-person investigations. Second, it required that resulting DNA profiles be entered into the FBI National DNA Index System (NDIS) using the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) software, specifically noting CODIS version 7.0. This requirement emphasized not just testing, but also ensuring that eligible DNA profiles became searchable at the national level where they could be compared against other profiles and potentially produce associations or hits. Third, the program expected agencies to enter relevant case information about unidentified remains into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) when appropriate, strengthening the broader public-safety and investigative value of the work. If an agency chose not to enter a case into NamUs, the solicitation indicated that a justification would be required, reflecting an expectation that award-funded work should contribute to national case visibility and cross-jurisdictional coordination.

The opportunity was listed under law, justice and legal services as well as science and technology and other research and development, showing the hybrid nature of the work: laboratory DNA testing supported by national justice information systems. NIJ anticipated making about 10 awards, with an estimated total funding amount of $2,000,000. There was no cost sharing or matching requirement, which reduced barriers for applicants that may not have had local funds to contribute. The award ceiling and floor were listed as $0, which typically signals that applicants needed to look to the full solicitation for guidance on appropriate budget size or that NIJ did not set a strict per-award cap in the summary record.

Eligibility in the summary was described as unrestricted (open to any type of entity), subject to any clarifications in the full solicitation text. The opportunity was posted on February 12, 2015, and had an application closing date of April 28, 2015, with an archive date of July 28, 2015. Applications were submitted through Grants.gov, with technical support available through the Grants.gov hotline and email. Programmatic questions were directed to NIJ program staff, specifically Charles Heurich, Program Manager (phone 202-616-9264; email Charles.Heurich@usdoj.gov). Overall, the grant opportunity centered on accelerating identifications by paying for the lab work and ensuring results and case details were captured in CODIS/NDIS and NamUs so that information could be compared, shared, and acted on across jurisdictions.

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