2019 Census of Publicly Funded Forensic Crime Laboratories | BJS 2018 14146

Opportunity Information: Apply for BJS 2018 14146

The 2019 Census of Publicly Funded Forensic Crime Laboratories is a Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) cooperative agreement opportunity focused on producing a national, data-driven snapshot of publicly operated forensic crime laboratories in the United States. The goal is to collect consistent, comparable information across laboratories and turn it into national-level statistics that can be used to understand how these labs operate, what services they provide, and what resources and staffing levels they have. The subject areas for data collection are broad and practical, centering on laboratory policies and day-to-day practices, the scope of forensic services offered, workforce and staffing characteristics, and the resources available to support operations.

This opportunity is structured as a single award (expected awards: 1) with an award ceiling of $500,000. It is a discretionary funding opportunity offered by the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, under CFDA 16.734. The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, which typically means the selected recipient will not just deliver a product independently, but will work closely with BJS throughout the project. In other words, BJS is expected to have substantial involvement in guiding the work, reviewing instruments and methods, and shaping outputs intended for publication and dissemination.

The core work under the award is essentially end-to-end management of a national census effort. The recipient, in coordination with BJS, is expected to update and verify the existing census frame, meaning the master list of all publicly funded forensic crime laboratories that should be included in the census. This frame work is critical because the quality of a census depends on making sure every eligible laboratory is identified and correctly represented. After confirming the frame, the recipient will update the census questionnaire or data collection form, incorporating input from subject matter experts to ensure the questions are accurate, relevant, and aligned with current forensic laboratory operations and terminology.

A key methodological requirement included in the description is cognitive testing of the revised form. Cognitive testing is used to confirm that respondents interpret questions as intended, can find the requested information, and can answer reliably without confusion or excessive burden. This step helps reduce measurement error and improves data quality before full fielding. Once the instrument is finalized, the recipient will administer the census to all identified laboratories, then manage the full data lifecycle: collecting responses, following up as needed, cleaning and validating the data, and preparing it for analysis and publication.

Beyond data collection and cleaning, the recipient is also expected to support BJS in producing the materials needed for reporting and dissemination. That includes assisting with the creation of statistical tables and other publication-ready outputs that communicate results clearly to stakeholders. The intended outcome is a set of national statistics and related reporting products that describe the landscape of publicly funded forensic crime laboratories, covering operational practices, service offerings, staffing patterns, and resource capacity.

Administratively, the opportunity is listed as Funding Opportunity Number BJS 2018 14146, created May 18, 2018, with an original closing date of July 2, 2018. Eligibility is described broadly as "Others" with additional clarification referenced in the full solicitation under an eligibility text field, implying that specialized research organizations, data collection entities, or similar qualified applicants may be eligible depending on the detailed criteria in the announcement.

• The Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics in the information and statistics sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "2019 Census of Publicly Funded Forensic Crime Laboratories" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.734.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 18, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 02, 2018. (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 $500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for BJS 2018 14146

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