Opportunity Information: Apply for SMART 2016 8950
Apply for SMART 2016 8950
- The USDOJ-OJP-SMART in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "SMART FY 16 Support for Adam Walsh Act Implementation Grant Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.750.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jan 20, 2016 and posted on Jan 20, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 07, 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 $400,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 60 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized).
[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal:
Opportunity Summary:
The SMART FY 16 Support for Adam Walsh Act Implementation Grant Program is a discretionary grant opportunity administered by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, SMART Office (CFDA 16.750). Its purpose is to help eligible jurisdictions develop, strengthen, and sustain the policies, systems, and day-to-day operations needed to implement the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), which is the registry and notification component of the Adam Walsh Act. At a practical level, the program focuses on ensuring that jurisdictions maintain a functioning sex offender registry and that registrants keep their information current in every place they live, work, or attend school. The program also emphasizes meeting SORNA’s registry standards, including capturing specific required data elements, applying SORNA-based registration duration rules, conducting in-person identity verification, participating in the National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW), and using the SORNA Exchange Portal to support information sharing.
The central goal of the solicitation is to move jurisdictions closer to SORNA substantial implementation, or to help those already found substantially implemented maintain compliance and enhance their overall registration and notification approach. For states and territories that have not yet substantially implemented SORNA, applicants are expected to have already engaged with the SMART Office through a SORNA Substantial Implementation review process. In other words, they must have received a SORNA Substantial Implementation Report from SMART or have submitted materials for review, and the application must clearly explain how the proposed project addresses gaps identified by SMART and advances the jurisdiction toward implementation. Tribal jurisdictions that have not yet substantially implemented SORNA face a similar expectation: they must have received a report, submitted materials for review, or obtained a reasonable time extension from SMART, and then connect the proposed work directly to the findings or feedback from SMART’s review.
A major operational expectation for jurisdictions still working toward substantial implementation is the use of a SORNA implementation working group. Applications are expected to describe this working group in concrete terms, including who is on it, what each member is responsible for, and what the group plans to accomplish during the grant period. The solicitation also anticipates semi-annual progress reports that include updates on the working group’s meetings and activities. This working group reporting expectation does not apply to jurisdictions that have already been found to have substantially implemented SORNA, since their focus is more on sustainment and targeted enhancements rather than building implementation governance structures from scratch.
For jurisdictions already substantially implemented, the application must justify how the proposed project will support continued implementation or enhance the jurisdiction’s registration and notification programs. State and territorial applicants are expected to tie their proposed activities to remaining non-implemented factors listed in their most recent SORNA Substantial Implementation Report, essentially showing that the project is not generic capacity-building but instead is aligned with documented compliance or performance needs.
The solicitation provides a range of example strategies that applicants may propose, and these examples give a good picture of what the SMART Office is willing to fund. Common allowable project types include drafting or updating legislation and administrative materials (such as policies and procedures) that align local practice with SORNA requirements, including legal support to get those changes completed. Other examples include supporting coordinated interagency implementation efforts, strengthening information sharing between law enforcement and other criminal justice agencies both within the jurisdiction and across jurisdictional lines, and carrying out records management upgrades such as converting paper documents into digital formats that better support SORNA-required registry content and workflows. The program also encourages training initiatives for the personnel who actually run registration and notification processes, and it highlights enforcement-oriented improvements like address verification strategies, collaborative absconder investigations, and community education and prevention efforts connected to sex offender management. Infrastructure improvements are also within scope, including capabilities to collect, store, submit, and analyze biometric information such as fingerprints (including palm prints) and DNA, since these data elements can be part of a stronger identification and verification framework.
Tribal-specific guidance is a significant part of the opportunity. Tribes that have elected to carry out SORNA are encouraged to pursue funding not only individually but also through consortia arrangements, where multiple tribes collaborate to share resources and reduce costs. The solicitation explicitly contemplates shared hardware, digital fingerprint equipment, kiosks, staffing, registry office space, shared public registry websites, and joint enforcement or registration facilities. If proposing a consortium approach, the application must include documentation proving the collaboration is real and planned, such as interagency agreements, memoranda of understanding, or letters of cooperation from each participating jurisdiction. Tribes that have already substantially implemented SORNA may also use grant funds to build sustainment strategies, including community education on sex offender issues and collaborations with internal tribal partners such as victim service agencies, courts, probation, schools, and other organizations. In those cases, the application must include documentation from the collaborating tribal organizations and explain how the partnership will operate and how it will sustain and support the tribe’s registration and notification program over time. Substantially implemented tribes may also apply to strengthen inter-jurisdictional cooperation, including improving information-sharing infrastructure.
The solicitation also addresses states that have tribal jurisdictions within their borders, including situations involving P.L. 280 tribes. States may seek funding to support local or state government units, or P.L. 280 tribes, in developing or improving registration and notification functions tied to tribal nations that are delegated to the state for the purpose of SORNA substantial implementation. States are encouraged to design projects that directly address SORNA implementation as it relates to these tribes. In addition, states that have Tribal SORNA Jurisdictions within their borders may apply to enhance collaboration with those tribes, including improvements in information sharing such as facilitating tribal access to systems like NCIC/NSOR, and must provide supporting collaboration documentation (for example, MOUs or letters of cooperation) from each participating SORNA jurisdiction.
One compliance and coordination issue the solicitation calls out is duplication of funding with Byrne/JAG reallocation funds. State and territory applicants that are eligible to receive Byrne/JAG reallocation funding must explain how the proposed project complements that work and must ensure the project is separate from, or genuinely additive to, activities supported by SORNA reallocation dollars. The clear intent is to prevent jurisdictions from charging the same tasks to multiple federal funding streams while still allowing them to build a coordinated, layered funding plan where each source supports distinct pieces of implementation.
From the opportunity details provided, eligible applicants include state governments and federally recognized tribal governments. The award ceiling is listed as $400,000, with an anticipated 60 awards. The opportunity was posted January 20, 2016, with a closing date of April 7, 2016, under Funding Opportunity Number SMART 2016 8950. Overall, the program is structured to push jurisdictions toward measurable SORNA alignment, with a strong emphasis on using SMART’s substantial implementation findings as the roadmap, documenting coordination through working groups and formal agreements, and investing in the legal, technical, operational, and collaborative capacity needed to run modern, interoperable sex offender registration and notification systems.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the SMART FY 16 Support for Adam Walsh Act Implementation Grant Program?
This is a discretionary grant opportunity administered by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, SMART Office (CFDA 16.750). It is designed to help eligible jurisdictions develop, strengthen, and sustain the policies, systems, and day-to-day operations needed to implement the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), the registry and notification component of the Adam Walsh Act.
What is the main purpose of this grant program?
The program supports jurisdictions in operating a functioning sex offender registry and ensuring registrants keep their information current in every place they live, work, or attend school. It also supports efforts to meet SORNA registry standards and improve day-to-day registration and notification operations.
Which federal office administers this opportunity?
The opportunity is administered by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, SMART Office.
What is the CFDA number for this program?
The CFDA number listed for this program is 16.750.
What does the solicitation mean by moving toward "SORNA substantial implementation"?
The solicitation is focused on helping jurisdictions close gaps so they can reach SORNA substantial implementation, or, if they have already been found substantially implemented, maintain compliance and enhance their registration and notification approach. Applications are expected to use SMART Office substantial implementation findings as the roadmap for what needs to be improved.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants include state governments and federally recognized tribal governments.
What is the maximum award amount?
The award ceiling is listed as $400,000.
How many awards are anticipated?
The solicitation anticipates approximately 60 awards.
What are the key dates for this funding opportunity?
The opportunity was posted January 20, 2016, and the closing date is April 7, 2016.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number?
The Funding Opportunity Number is SMART 2016 8950.
What kinds of SORNA registry standards does the program emphasize?
The solicitation highlights standards such as capturing specific required data elements, applying SORNA-based registration duration rules, conducting in-person identity verification, participating in the National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW), and using the SORNA Exchange Portal to support information sharing.
For states and territories not yet substantially implemented, what prior engagement with SMART is expected?
Applicants are expected to have already engaged with the SMART Office through a SORNA Substantial Implementation review process. They must have received a SORNA Substantial Implementation Report from SMART or have submitted materials for review, and the application must clearly explain how the proposed project addresses gaps identified by SMART and advances the jurisdiction toward implementation.
For tribes not yet substantially implemented, what prior engagement with SMART is expected?
Tribal jurisdictions that have not yet substantially implemented SORNA are expected to have received a report, submitted materials for review, or obtained a reasonable time extension from SMART. The application should connect the proposed work directly to the findings or feedback from SMART's review.
What is a SORNA implementation working group, and when is it expected?
For jurisdictions still working toward substantial implementation, the solicitation expects the use of a SORNA implementation working group. Applications are expected to describe who is on the working group, what each member is responsible for, and what the group plans to accomplish during the grant period.
Are progress reports required, and what should they include?
The solicitation anticipates semi-annual progress reports. For jurisdictions still working toward substantial implementation, these reports are expected to include updates on the working group's meetings and activities.
Does the working group reporting expectation apply to jurisdictions already substantially implemented?
No. The working group reporting expectation does not apply to jurisdictions that have already been found to have substantially implemented SORNA. For those jurisdictions, the focus is on sustainment and targeted enhancements.
If a jurisdiction is already substantially implemented, what must the application show?
The application must justify how the proposed project will support continued implementation or enhance the jurisdiction's registration and notification programs. State and territorial applicants are expected to tie proposed activities to remaining non-implemented factors listed in their most recent SORNA Substantial Implementation Report.
What types of activities or projects are examples of what this grant may support?
Examples described in the solicitation include drafting or updating legislation and administrative materials (policies and procedures) aligned with SORNA requirements (including legal support), coordinated interagency implementation efforts, strengthening information sharing within and across jurisdictions, records management upgrades (including converting paper documents into digital formats), training for registration and notification personnel, enforcement improvements (such as address verification strategies and collaborative absconder investigations), community education and prevention efforts connected to sex offender management, and infrastructure improvements to collect/store/submit/analyze biometric information such as fingerprints (including palm prints) and DNA.
Does the solicitation support records management modernization?
Yes. The solicitation includes records management upgrades as an example strategy, including converting paper documents into digital formats that better support SORNA-required registry content and workflows.
Does the program support training for staff?
Yes. The solicitation encourages training initiatives for the personnel who run registration and notification processes.
Does the program support enforcement-focused efforts?
Yes. The solicitation highlights enforcement-oriented improvements such as address verification strategies, collaborative absconder investigations, and community education and prevention efforts connected to sex offender management.
Are biometric capabilities within scope for funding?
Yes. The solicitation includes infrastructure improvements that support collecting, storing, submitting, and analyzing biometric information such as fingerprints (including palm prints) and DNA.
How does the solicitation address tribal applicants specifically?
The opportunity includes tribal-specific guidance and encourages tribes that have elected to carry out SORNA to pursue funding individually or through consortia arrangements where multiple tribes collaborate to share resources and reduce costs.
What is a tribal consortium approach, and what can it include?
A consortium approach is when multiple tribes collaborate to share resources. The solicitation contemplates shared hardware, digital fingerprint equipment, kiosks, staffing, registry office space, shared public registry websites, and joint enforcement or registration facilities.
What documentation is needed for a tribal consortium proposal?
If proposing a consortium approach, the application must include documentation showing the collaboration is real and planned, such as interagency agreements, memoranda of understanding (MOUs), or letters of cooperation from each participating jurisdiction.
Can substantially implemented tribes use funds for sustainment strategies?
Yes. Tribes that have already substantially implemented SORNA may use grant funds to build sustainment strategies, including community education on sex offender issues and collaborations with internal tribal partners such as victim service agencies, courts, probation, and schools.
If a substantially implemented tribe proposes internal collaborations, what must be included in the application?
The application must include documentation from the collaborating tribal organizations and explain how the partnership will operate and how it will sustain and support the tribe's registration and notification program over time.
Can substantially implemented tribes apply to strengthen inter-jurisdictional cooperation?
Yes. The solicitation notes that substantially implemented tribes may apply to strengthen inter-jurisdictional cooperation, including improving information-sharing infrastructure.
How does the solicitation address states that have tribal jurisdictions within their borders (including P.L. 280 tribes)?
States may seek funding to support local or state government units, or P.L. 280 tribes, in developing or improving registration and notification functions tied to tribal nations that are delegated to the state for the purpose of SORNA substantial implementation. States are encouraged to design projects that directly address SORNA implementation as it relates to these tribes.
Can states apply to improve collaboration and information sharing with Tribal SORNA Jurisdictions?
Yes. States that have Tribal SORNA Jurisdictions within their borders may apply to enhance collaboration with those tribes, including improvements in information sharing such as facilitating tribal access to systems like NCIC/NSOR. The application must provide supporting collaboration documentation (for example, MOUs or letters of cooperation) from each participating SORNA jurisdiction.
What is the issue around duplication of funding with Byrne/JAG reallocation funds?
The solicitation calls out the need to avoid duplicating funding with Byrne/JAG reallocation funds. State and territory applicants that are eligible to receive Byrne/JAG reallocation funding must explain how the proposed project complements that work and ensure the project is separate from, or genuinely additive to, activities supported by SORNA reallocation dollars.
What is the practical operational focus of the program?
At a practical level, the program focuses on maintaining a functioning sex offender registry and ensuring registrants keep their information current in every place they live, work, or attend school, while meeting SORNA standards for data, verification, duration rules, public website participation, and information sharing.
How should an applicant connect the proposed project to SMART Office findings?
Applicants that are not yet substantially implemented are expected to explain how the project addresses gaps identified by SMART and advances the jurisdiction toward implementation. Applicants already substantially implemented (especially states and territories) are expected to link proposed activities to remaining non-implemented factors identified in their most recent SORNA Substantial Implementation Report.
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Law, Justice and Legal Services
Next opportunity: Working with Publicly Funded Health Centers to Reduce Teen Pregnancy among Youth from Vulnerable Populations
Previous opportunity: Native Hawaiian Library Services Grants Program
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 8950
[Watch] how do funding administrators access proposals?
Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (SMART 2016 8950) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| Demand for Justice Project Apply for INL 16 CA 0006 EAKOSOVO 02042016 Funding Number: INL 16 CA 0006 EAKOSOVO 02042016 Agency: DOS-INL Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| Research and Evaluation on Drugs and Crime Apply for NIJ 2016 9090 Funding Number: NIJ 2016 9090 Agency: USDOJ-OJP-NIJ Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $3,000,000 |
| Elder Abuse Prevention Demonstration Project: Planning Phase Apply for NIJ 2016 9018 Funding Number: NIJ 2016 9018 Agency: USDOJ-OJP-NIJ Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $800,000 |
| Smart Supervision: Reducing Prison Populations, Saving Money, and Creating Safer Communities Apply for BJA 2016 8992 Funding Number: BJA 2016 8992 Agency: USDOJ-OJP-BJA Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $750,000 |
| Justice Reinvestment Initiative: Maximizing State Reforms Apply for BJA 2016 8975 Funding Number: BJA 2016 8975 Agency: USDOJ-OJP-BJA Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $1,750,000 |
| Second Chance Act Reentry Program for Adults with Co-Occurring Substance Abuse and Mental Disorders Apply for BJA 2016 9094 Funding Number: BJA 2016 9094 Agency: USDOJ-OJP-BJA Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $650,000 |
| Research on Bias Crimes Apply for NIJ 2016 8979 Funding Number: NIJ 2016 8979 Agency: USDOJ-OJP-NIJ Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| NIJ FY16 Visiting Fellows Program Apply for NIJ 2016 8890 Funding Number: NIJ 2016 8890 Agency: USDOJ-OJP-NIJ Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| Research and Evaluation in Support of the Recommendations of the President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing Apply for NIJ 2016 9095 Funding Number: NIJ 2016 9095 Agency: USDOJ-OJP-NIJ Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $6,500,000 |
| Research and Evaluation on Institutional Corrections Apply for NIJ 2016 9086 Funding Number: NIJ 2016 9086 Agency: USDOJ-OJP-NIJ Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $8,000,000 |
| Community Corrections: Technology Research, Development and Evaluation to Improve Supervision and Outcomes Apply for NIJ 2016 8997 Funding Number: NIJ 2016 8997 Agency: USDOJ-OJP-NIJ Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $2,000,000 |
| Forensic Technology Center of Excellence Apply for NIJ 2016 9087 Funding Number: NIJ 2016 9087 Agency: USDOJ-OJP-NIJ Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $5,000,000 |
| National Initiatives: Officer Safety and Wellness Apply for BJA 2016 9112 Funding Number: BJA 2016 9112 Agency: USDOJ-OJP-BJA Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $4,850,000 |
| W.E.B. DuBois Program of Research on Race and Crime Apply for NIJ 2016 9108 Funding Number: NIJ 2016 9108 Agency: USDOJ-OJP-NIJ Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $2,300,000 |
| OJJDP FY 16 National Juvenile Justice Data Analysis Program Apply for OJJDP 2016 9141 Funding Number: OJJDP 2016 9141 Agency: USDOJ-OJP-OJJDP Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $800,000 |
| Low Income Taxpayer Clinic Apply for TREAS GRANTS 052016 002 Funding Number: TREAS GRANTS 052016 002 Agency: USDOT-LITC Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $100,000 |
| Violence Against Women Research Consortium Apply for NIJ 2016 9026 Funding Number: NIJ 2016 9026 Agency: USDOJ-OJP-NIJ Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $5,000,000 |
| New Investigator/Early Career Program in the Social and Behavioral Sciences Apply for NIJ 2016 9152 Funding Number: NIJ 2016 9152 Agency: USDOJ-OJP-NIJ Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $1,500,000 |
| Central America Regional Security Initiative Apply for INL WHPCOSTARICA 16CA0017 03042016 Funding Number: INL WHPCOSTARICA 16CA0017 03042016 Agency: DOS-INL Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $12,500,000 |
| National Missing and Unidentified Persons System Apply for NIJ 2016 9079 Funding Number: NIJ 2016 9079 Agency: USDOJ-OJP-NIJ Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $5,000,000 |
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 8950", 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.