Opportunity Information: Apply for SMART 2016 8955
Apply for SMART 2016 8955
- The USDOJ-OJP-SMART in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "SMART FY 16 Promoting Evidence Integration in Sex Offender Management: Development and Implementation of Sex Offender Treatment Standards" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.203.
- This funding opportunity was created on Mar 23, 2016 and posted on Mar 23, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 09, 2016. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Individuals, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses.
[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal:
Opportunity Summary:
The SMART FY 16 Promoting Evidence Integration in Sex Offender Management grant opportunity is a U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, SMART Office solicitation that aims to create and pilot clear, evidence-informed treatment standards for adults and juveniles who have committed sex offenses. The central policy driver behind the project is the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), which sets registration timeframes but also allows certain individuals to earn reduced registration periods if they maintain a clean record and, critically, successfully complete an appropriate sex offender treatment program that is certified by a jurisdiction or the Attorney General. The problem this grant is trying to solve is that while it is relatively straightforward to verify items like new convictions or completion of probation/parole, it is much harder to define what counts as an "appropriate" treatment program in a consistent, defensible way across the country. This opportunity funds work that turns the evolving research base on sex offender treatment into practical standards that jurisdictions can use to design, assess, and certify treatment programs in line with SORNA.
A major theme of the solicitation is that sex offender treatment in the United States is inconsistent, with wide variation in access, eligibility rules, treatment models, intensity, and provider qualifications. The SMART Office points to the research literature (including systematic reviews and meta-analyses) suggesting that some approaches can reduce recidivism, particularly cognitive-behavioral methods and relapse prevention strategies delivered in either institutional or community settings. At the same time, the solicitation stresses that treatment effects are not uniform and that what works may differ depending on the person being treated, their risk level, and their criminogenic needs. Because of that, the standards are expected to reflect the risk-need-responsivity (RNR) framework, emphasizing that treatment should be matched to an individuals risk and needs rather than applied as a one-size-fits-all program. The solicitation also notes differences seen in practice, such as adolescent programs often leaning trauma-informed while adult programs more frequently cite RNR, and it references the Safer Society Foundation survey findings about what program elements are commonly associated with higher-quality practice.
The SMART Office is looking for a single applicant to develop these treatment standards and then move beyond paper guidance by testing implementation in the real world. The proposed standards are meant to function as benchmarks that federal and state decision-makers can rely on when evaluating whether a person has completed a qualifying program for the purpose of registration reduction decisions under SORNA. To do that, the project must include an objective, transparent process for reviewing and weighing research related to assessment, treatment, and management of adult and juvenile populations, acknowledging that the evidence base continues to develop. Just as important, the end product needs to be usable by practitioners and jurisdictions, including a self-evaluation process that can be adapted to different settings, populations, and local system structures.
The solicitation lays out a detailed set of expected project activities and deliverables. The funded organization is expected to collect new data on existing U.S. treatment programs and modalities, develop tailored standards for both adult and juvenile treatment, and then identify up to five jurisdictions to implement the standards. Across those sites, the grantee must collect consistent data on the sex offender population being served, collaborate with local stakeholders to integrate the standards into day-to-day sex offender management practices, train treatment providers and related staff on how to use the standards, and document the implementation process. The project must also include an evaluation component that assesses the standards using criteria similar to those in the Safer Society survey or the Correctional Program Assessment Inventory (CPAI-2000), both of which focus on indicators linked to effective programming and alignment with RNR principles. In addition, the grantee must develop an accessible online referral mechanism that helps practitioners and jurisdictions locate treatment programs that use these standards, effectively supporting broader adoption and consistent decision-making.
The required final deliverable is a comprehensive report that goes well beyond a simple set of recommendations. At minimum, the report must include the final guidelines and standards for adult and juvenile treatment, a detailed explanation of the theoretical foundation and supporting evidence behind them, full documentation of how implementation was carried out in the selected jurisdictions, and an evaluation of the standards effectiveness. The report must also provide descriptive information on how many individuals were affected in each participating jurisdiction, include a national review of existing programs for both adults and adolescents, and present any outcome information available from the projects outcomes of interest (for example, indicators tied to program quality, implementation fidelity, and potentially recidivism-related measures where available and appropriate).
Site selection is an important structural element of the grant. The standards must be implemented in up to five jurisdictions that are geographically and demographically diverse. Applicants are expected to justify why their proposed jurisdictions are appropriate by describing local populations and system operations, including case flow, referral pathways into treatment, provider qualifications, assessment methods, probation/parole practices, and any existing outcome or recidivism data. While applicants may propose financial incentives in their budgets to encourage participation, the jurisdictions themselves do not receive separate SMART Office funding under this solicitation; the funded grantee bears responsibility for organizing and supporting implementation. The solicitation strongly encourages applicants to include a Memorandum of Understanding or Letter of Intent from each participating jurisdiction, and it makes this a gating condition: the award recipient cannot obligate, expend, or draw down funds until SMART receives these commitments from the sites.
Finally, the opportunity is structured as a cooperative agreement, signaling that the SMART Office expects close collaboration during the project rather than a fully hands-off grant. The grantee is responsible for helping sites implement the standards with fidelity, including ensuring staff are trained in an appropriate theory of change, supporting validated risk assessment tools and processes, strengthening cognitive-behavioral programming capacity and skill-development methods, and putting resource supports in place for training, quality assurance, and evaluation. The funding details reflect a single, relatively large award (up to $1,000,000; expected awards: 1) under CFDA 16.203, with broad eligibility spanning public and private higher education institutions, nonprofits, tribes, individuals, and for-profit entities including small businesses. The overall intent is to create a credible, evidence-informed national framework for what "appropriate" sex offender treatment means under SORNA, and to demonstrate that the framework can be implemented consistently across varied jurisdictions in ways that improve decision-making, program quality, and accountability.
FAQs: SMART FY 16 Promoting Evidence Integration in Sex Offender Management
What is the SMART FY 16 Promoting Evidence Integration in Sex Offender Management opportunity?
It is a U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, SMART Office solicitation focused on developing and piloting clear, evidence-informed treatment standards for adults and juveniles who have committed sex offenses. The goal is to turn research on treatment effectiveness into practical standards that jurisdictions can use to design, assess, and certify programs.
What is the main problem this grant is trying to solve?
The grant addresses the difficulty of consistently defining what counts as an "appropriate" sex offender treatment program for purposes of certain Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) decisions. While it is usually straightforward to verify items like new convictions or completion of probation/parole, it is much harder to verify and compare treatment program quality in a consistent, defensible way across jurisdictions.
How does SORNA relate to this project?
SORNA sets sex offender registration timeframes and also allows certain individuals to earn reduced registration periods if they maintain a clean record and successfully complete an appropriate treatment program certified by a jurisdiction or the Attorney General. This solicitation is intended to support the creation of standards that can help jurisdictions credibly determine what "appropriate" treatment means in practice.
What is meant by "evidence-informed treatment standards" in this solicitation?
The solicitation calls for standards grounded in the evolving research base on assessment, treatment, and management for adult and juvenile populations. The standards should be clear enough to function as benchmarks, while also acknowledging that the evidence base continues to develop and that treatment effects can vary depending on the individual, risk level, and criminogenic needs.
Does the solicitation favor specific treatment approaches?
It highlights research literature (including systematic reviews and meta-analyses) suggesting that some approaches can reduce recidivism, particularly cognitive-behavioral methods and relapse prevention strategies delivered in institutional or community settings. It also emphasizes that effects are not uniform and that standards must reflect matching interventions to the individual.
What framework is expected to guide the standards?
The standards are expected to reflect the risk-need-responsivity (RNR) framework, meaning treatment should be matched to an individual's risk level and criminogenic needs rather than applied as a one-size-fits-all program.
Are adults and juveniles treated the same under the expected standards?
No. The solicitation anticipates tailored standards for both adult and juvenile treatment and recognizes differences in practice (for example, adolescent programs often leaning trauma-informed while adult programs more frequently cite RNR).
How many awards are expected, and what is the maximum funding amount?
The solicitation anticipates a single award (expected awards: 1) of up to $1,000,000.
What type of award is this (grant vs. cooperative agreement)?
It is structured as a cooperative agreement, which signals that the SMART Office expects close collaboration and ongoing engagement during the project rather than a fully hands-off approach.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits, tribes, individuals, and for-profit entities including small businesses.
What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?
The CFDA number is 16.203.
Is the SMART Office funding multiple organizations to do pieces of the work?
No. The solicitation indicates the SMART Office is looking for a single applicant to develop the standards and test implementation in real-world sites.
What are the major required project activities?
Expected activities include collecting new data on existing U.S. treatment programs and modalities; developing tailored standards for adult and juvenile treatment; selecting up to five jurisdictions to implement the standards; collecting consistent data across those sites on the population served; collaborating with local stakeholders to integrate standards into day-to-day practice; training providers and related staff; documenting implementation; conducting an evaluation using recognized quality indicators; and developing an online referral mechanism to help locate programs using the standards.
What does the solicitation require regarding research review and evidence weighing?
The project must include an objective, transparent process for reviewing and weighing research related to assessment, treatment, and management for adults and juveniles, while acknowledging that the evidence base continues to evolve.
What is meant by a self-evaluation process, and why is it required?
The end product must include a self-evaluation process that jurisdictions and practitioners can use to assess programs against the standards. It must be adaptable to different settings, populations, and local system structures so the standards are usable beyond a single model site.
How many implementation sites are allowed, and what diversity is required?
The standards must be implemented in up to five jurisdictions that are geographically and demographically diverse.
What information must applicants provide about proposed jurisdictions?
Applicants are expected to justify why proposed jurisdictions are appropriate by describing local populations and system operations, including case flow, referral pathways into treatment, provider qualifications, assessment methods, probation/parole practices, and any existing outcome or recidivism data.
Do participating jurisdictions receive their own SMART Office funding under this solicitation?
No. The jurisdictions do not receive separate SMART Office funding. The funded grantee is responsible for organizing and supporting implementation.
Can the applicant budget financial incentives to help jurisdictions participate?
Yes. The solicitation notes that applicants may propose financial incentives in their budgets to encourage site participation.
Are Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) or Letters of Intent required from sites?
The solicitation strongly encourages including an MOU or Letter of Intent from each participating jurisdiction and treats these commitments as a gating condition.
What does the "gating condition" mean for site commitments?
The award recipient cannot obligate, expend, or draw down funds until the SMART Office receives commitments (MOUs or Letters of Intent) from the participating jurisdictions.
What kind of evaluation is required?
The project must include an evaluation component that assesses the standards using criteria similar to those in the Safer Society survey or the Correctional Program Assessment Inventory (CPAI-2000), which focus on indicators associated with effective programming and alignment with RNR principles.
What is the purpose of the online referral mechanism?
The grantee must develop an accessible online referral mechanism that helps practitioners and jurisdictions locate treatment programs that use the standards, supporting broader adoption and more consistent decision-making.
What does the solicitation expect in terms of training and implementation support?
The grantee is responsible for helping sites implement the standards with fidelity, including training staff in an appropriate theory of change, supporting validated risk assessment tools and processes, strengthening cognitive-behavioral programming capacity and skill-development methods, and providing resource supports for training, quality assurance, and evaluation.
What are the required final deliverables?
The required final deliverable is a comprehensive report that includes: final guidelines and standards for adult and juvenile treatment; a detailed explanation of the theoretical foundation and supporting evidence; full documentation of how implementation was carried out in the selected jurisdictions; and an evaluation of the standards' effectiveness.
What additional content must be included in the final report beyond the standards themselves?
The report must also include descriptive information on how many individuals were affected in each participating jurisdiction, a national review of existing programs for adults and adolescents, and any available outcome information tied to the projects outcomes of interest (for example, program quality indicators, implementation fidelity, and potentially recidivism-related measures where available and appropriate).
What is the intended national impact of the project?
The intent is to create a credible, evidence-informed national framework for what "appropriate" sex offender treatment means under SORNA and to demonstrate that the framework can be implemented consistently across varied jurisdictions to improve decision-making, program quality, and accountability.
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Law, Justice and Legal Services
Next opportunity: Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Short-Term Institutional Research Training Grant (Parent T35)
Previous opportunity: Tailoring Dental Treatment for Individuals with Systemic Diseases that Compromise Oral Health (R01)
USGrants.org Applicant Portal:
Are you interested in learning about about how to apply for this government funding opportunity? You can create a free applicant account and receive instant access to our applicant portal that many business owners like you have benefited from.
Apply for SMART 2016 8955
[Watch] how do funding administrators access proposals?
Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (SMART 2016 8955) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| OJJDP FY 2016 Family Drug Court Implementation and Enhancement Program Apply for OJJDP 2016 9171 Funding Number: OJJDP 2016 9171 Agency: USDOJ-OJP-OJJDP Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $600,000 |
| Promoting Gender Equality in Pakistan’s Justice System Apply for INL APPAKISTAN 16CA0021 03282016 Funding Number: INL APPAKISTAN 16CA0021 03282016 Agency: DOS-INL Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $3,000,000 |
| Addressing credit card and ATM Fraud in Ukraine Apply for INL EAUKRAINE 16CA0023 03282016 Funding Number: INL EAUKRAINE 16CA0023 03282016 Agency: DOS-INL Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| COPS-AHTF-APPLICATION-2016 Apply for COPS AHTF APPLICATION 2016 Funding Number: COPS AHTF APPLICATION 2016 Agency: USDOJ-COPS Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $1,500,000 |
| OJJDP FY 16 Smart on Juvenile Justice: Statewide Juvenile Justice Reform Planning Training & Technical Assistance Apply for OJJDP 2016 9284 Funding Number: OJJDP 2016 9284 Agency: USDOJ-OJP-OJJDP Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $800,000 |
| COPS-CAMP-APPLICATION-2016 Apply for COPS CAMP APPLICATION 2016 Funding Number: COPS CAMP APPLICATION 2016 Agency: USDOJ-COPS Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $1,500,000 |
| Research and Evaluation on Victims of Crime Apply for NIJ 2016 9600 Funding Number: NIJ 2016 9600 Agency: USDOJ-OJP-NIJ Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $1,500,000 |
| Drug Court Training and Technical Assistance Program Apply for BJA 2016 9211 Funding Number: BJA 2016 9211 Agency: USDOJ-OJP-BJA Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $1,800,000 |
| Research and Evaluation on Identity Theft and Services to Victims of Identity Theft Apply for NIJ 2016 9880 Funding Number: NIJ 2016 9880 Agency: USDOJ-OJP-NIJ Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $1,500,000 |
| Rule of Law (ROL) Advocacy to Increase Citizen Security in Nicaragua Apply for INLEA INLCN 16 001 Funding Number: INLEA INLCN 16 001 Agency: DOS-INL Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| RSAT Training and Technical Assistance Program Apply for BJA 2016 9212 Funding Number: BJA 2016 9212 Agency: USDOJ-OJP-BJA Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $360,000 |
| National Initiatives: Adjudication Apply for BJA 2016 9196 Funding Number: BJA 2016 9196 Agency: USDOJ-OJP-BJA Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $600,000 |
| Justice Sector Support Project (JSSP) Apply for INL 16 CA 0025 WHPPERU JSSP 04042016 Funding Number: INL 16 CA 0025 WHPPERU JSSP 04042016 Agency: DOS-INL Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| Evaluation of the Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation (BCJI) Program Apply for NIJ 2016 9326 Funding Number: NIJ 2016 9326 Agency: USDOJ-OJP-NIJ Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $850,000 |
| National Adult and Juvenile Offender Reentry Resource Center Apply for BJA 2016 9217 Funding Number: BJA 2016 9217 Agency: USDOJ-OJP-BJA Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $5,000,000 |
| Tribal Justice Capacity Building Training and Technical Assistance Program Apply for BJA 2016 9520 Funding Number: BJA 2016 9520 Agency: USDOJ-OJP-BJA Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $800,000 |
| Management of Model Precinct/Smart Policing Program in El Salvador Apply for INL 16CA0024 WHPELSALVADOR 04112016 Funding Number: INL 16CA0024 WHPELSALVADOR 04112016 Agency: DOS-INL Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $3,000,000 |
| Smart Reentry: Focus on Evidence-Based Strategies for Successful Reentry from Incarceration to Community Apply for BJA 2016 9207 Funding Number: BJA 2016 9207 Agency: USDOJ-OJP-BJA Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| OJJDP FY 16 National Mentoring Resource Center Apply for OJJDP 2016 9000 Funding Number: OJJDP 2016 9000 Agency: USDOJ-OJP-OJJDP Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $1,500,000 |
| OJJDP FY 2016 Juvenile Justice Emergency Planning Demonstration Program Apply for OJJDP 2016 9720 Funding Number: OJJDP 2016 9720 Agency: USDOJ-OJP-OJJDP Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $150,000 |
Grant application guides and resources
It is always free to apply for government grants. However the process may be very complex depending on the funding opportunity you are applying for. Let us help you!
Apply for Grants
Premium leads for funding administrators, grant writers, and loan issuers
Thousands of people visit our website for their funding needs every day. When a user creates a grant proposal and files for submission, we pass the information on to funding administrators, grant writers, and government loan issuers.
If you manage government grant programs, provide grant writing services, or issue personal or government loans, we can help you reach your audience.
Subscribe to Leads
Request more information:
Would you like to learn more about this funding opportunity, similar opportunities to "SMART 2016 8955", eligibility, application service, and/or application tips? Submit an inquiry below:
Don't forget to subscribe to our grant alerts mailing list to receive weekly alerts on new and updated grant funding opportunities like this one in your email.