2026 DNA Capacity Enhancement for Backlog Reduction Formula Grants Program (US)

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) has issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the FY26 DNA Capacity Enhancement for Backlog Reduction (CEBR)—Competitive Grants Program (Funding Opportunity Number O-BJA-2026-172680). This competitive grant opportunity supports states and units of local government with existing crime laboratories to increase capacity to process DNA samples for entry into CODIS and to implement Rapid DNA in booking stations in eligible jurisdictions. The application deadline is 29 October 2026. This NOFO is designed to increase the capacity of states and units of local government with existing crime laboratories to process DNA samples for entry into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). The program’s overall aim is to maximize the effective utilization of DNA technology to support evidence-based criminal justice responses. The CEBR Competitive Program prioritizes two main areas: The program is described as designed to prioritize jurisdictions facing operational challenges by using key performance measures reported by publicly funded forensic DNA laboratories.

Eligible applicants are listed as:

Definition of “other units of local government” (from the source): towns, boroughs, parishes, villages, or other general purpose political subdivisions of a state. Eligibility note: The source states that this program is for competitive funding only, and that eligible agencies may apply for both Competitive and Formula CEBR Funding. Details on how to apply for the Formula program are not included in the provided text.

The NOFO priorities focus on:

This opportunity targets jurisdictions seeking to strengthen DNA-driven criminal justice outcomes by expanding laboratory throughput and/or efficiency for CODIS eligibility and by supporting Rapid DNA deployment at booking. It also indicates an emphasis on fairly prioritizing jurisdictions using performance measures reported by publicly funded forensic DNA laboratories. Application link / full announcement access: The provided source includes a placeholder “Announcement URL” link, but the actual URL is not specified in the text you shared. Use the official Grants.gov opportunity page for O-BJA-2026-172680 to access the complete NOFO instructions and documents. Contact for access issues (from the source): What funding opportunity is this? It is the BJA FY26 DNA Capacity Enhancement for Backlog Reduction (CEBR)—Competitive Grants Program under Funding Opportunity Number O-BJA-2026-172680 from DOJ’s Bureau of Justice Assistance. Who can apply? Eligible applicants are state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, and other local government units as defined in the NOFO (e.g., towns, boroughs, parishes, villages). What is the maximum award amount? The award ceiling is $4,900,000. The source does not provide additional per-award amounts beyond this ceiling. Is there a matching requirement or cost sharing? No. The source states Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: No. What is the application deadline? The original and current closing date shown on Grants.gov is 29 October 2026. The source text provided does not include a deadline time or time zone. What kinds of activities does the program support? It prioritizes (1) increasing capacity and/or efficiency of publicly funded forensic DNA labs for CODIS entry and (2) implementing Rapid DNA in booking station(s) in eligible jurisdictions. Where can I find the official application instructions? Use the official Grants.gov opportunity page for O-BJA-2026-172680, and open the full announcement documents linked from that page, since the provided text does not include the complete application steps or document list. Eligible government entities should review the full BJA FY26 DNA Capacity Enhancement for Backlog Reduction (CEBR)—Competitive Grants Program announcement on Grants.gov for the complete requirements, submission instructions, and any additional eligibility details not contained in the excerpt above. Then, prepare a proposal that directly addresses the program’s two stated priorities: CODIS-related laboratory capacity/efficiency and Rapid DNA implementation in booking stations.