Applications Due: February 1, 2016, 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time

Description:

Victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking in rural communities face unique challenges and barriers to receiving assistance rarely encountered in urban areas. The geographic isolation, transportation barriers, economic structure, particularly strong social and cultural pressures, and lack of available services in rural jurisdictions significantly compound the problems confronted by those seeking support and services to end the violence in their lives. These factors also complicate the ability of the criminal justice system to investigate and prosecute sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking cases. In addition, socio-cultural, economic, and geographic barriers create difficulties for victim services providers to identify and assist victims of these crimes.

The primary purpose of the Rural Program is to enhance the safety of rural victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking and support projects uniquely designed to address and prevent these crimes in rural areas. The Rural Program welcomes applications that propose innovative solutions to achieving this goal and encourages collaboration among criminal justice agencies, victim services providers, social services agencies, health professionals, and other community organizations to overcome the problem of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking and ensure that victim safety is paramount while providing services to victims. The Rural Program also recognizes the richness of diversity in rural communities and areas across the country, and encourages applicants to implement innovative approaches, through capacity-building and partnerships, to address the critical needs of victims in a manner that affirms a victim’s culture, effectively addresses language and communications barriers, and ensures accessible services for all victims.

In FY 2016, funds under the Rural Program may be used for the following purposes:

1. To identify, assess and appropriately respond to child, youth, and adult victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking in rural communities, by encouraging collaboration among sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking victim service providers; law enforcement agencies; prosecutors; courts; other criminal justice service providers; human and community service providers; educational institutions; and health care providers, including sexual assault forensic examiners;

2. To establish and expand nonprofit, nongovernmental, state, tribal, territorial, and local government victim services in rural communities to child, youth, and adult victims; and/or

3. To increase the safety and well-being of women and children in rural communities by:

(A) Dealing directly and immediately with sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking occurring in rural communities; and

(B) Creating and implementing strategies to increase awareness and prevent sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and/or stalking.

Funding Title: OVW FY 2016 Rural Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence and Stalking Program

Agency Name: Office on Violence Against Women

Funding Opportunity Number:   OVW-2016-9104 

Funding Instrument Type: Grant

Express Language for Legal Aid: Yes. A list of strategies outlined in the authorizing statute, from which Rural Program grantees must implement one or more, includes the following: “Providing treatment, counseling, advocacy, legal assistance, and other long-term and short-term victim and population specific services to adult and minor victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in rural communities, including assistance in immigration matters.”

Target Population: Adult and minor victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in rural communities

Expected Number of Awards: 40

Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: No

Estimated Total Program Funding: $33,000,000

Award Ceiling: $0

Award Floor: $0

How to Apply:

Registration: To ensure all applicants have ample time to complete the registration process, applicants must obtain a Data Universal Number System (DUNS) Number, register online with the System for Award Management (SAM) and with Grants.gov immediately, but no later than January 19, 2016.

Letter of Registration: Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit a letter of registration to OVW.Rural@usdoj.gov by January 19, 2016. This will ensure that applicants are well-positioned to successfully submit their applications by the deadline. This letter will not obligate potential applicants to submit an application. Interested applicants who do not submit a Letter of Registration are still eligible to apply.

Current Closing Date for Applications:   by February 1, 2016, 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time

Eligible Applicants:

1. States;
2. Indian Tribes;
3. Territories;
4. Local governments; and
5. Nonprofit (public or private) entities, including Tribal nonprofit organizations. 

Link to Full Announcement: Here  

Contact Information: For assistance with the requirements of this solicitation, contact the OVW at (202) 307-6026.

Pre-Application Conference Calls: OVW will conduct three Pre-Application Conference Calls. During these calls, OVW staff will review the Rural Program requirements, review the solicitation, and allow for a brief question and answer session. Participation in these calls is optional.

The conference calls are tentatively scheduled for:

Wednesday, December 16, 2015 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. ET

Friday, December 18, 2015 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. ET

Wednesday, January 6, 2016 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. ET

 Anyone interested in submitting an application to the Rural Program may register to participate in a pre-application call. The total number of participants for each call is limited to 80 individuals. One session may be recorded and available on line following the live event. Please note: Registration is on a first-come-first-serve basis, and space is not guaranteed. Interested participants from the same agency/jurisdiction are strongly encouraged to participate together so that as many communities as possible can join the call. OVW reserves the right to deny multiple registrations from a single agency/jurisdiction. To register, please e-mail or call

Tameka Pratt at Tameka.M.Pratt@usdoj.gov. Registration must be received at least two days prior to the start of the call.

Categories: Children, Department of Justice, Domestic Violence, Express Language for Legal Aid, Government Organizations, Native American Tribes or Tribal Organizations, Native Americans, Non-profit Organizations, Rural, Subgrant Possibilities, Victims of Crime