(1) To identify, assess, and appropriately respond to child, youth, and adult victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking in rural communities, by encouraging collaboration among-- (A) domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking victim service providers;

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(B) law enforcement agencies; (C) prosecutors; (D) courts; (E) other criminal justice service providers; (F) human and community service providers; (G) educational institutions; and (H) health care providers; (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 (3) to increase the safety and well-being of women and children in rural communities, by- (A) dealing directly and immediately with domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking occurring in rural communities; and (B) creating and implementing strategies to increase awareness and prevent domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking.

FY 07: Applications: 160, Awards: 64; FY 08: Applications: 244, Awards: 57; FY 09: est. Applications: 244, Awards: 40.

Uses and Use Restrictions

Funding may be used to carry out programs serving rural areas or rural communities that address domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking by implementing, expanding, and establishing cooperative efforts and projects among law enforcement officers, prosecutors, victim advocacy groups, and other related parties to investigate and prosecute incidents of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; providing treatment, counseling, advocacy, and other long- and short-term assistance to adult and minor victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in rural communities, including assistance in immigration matters; and working in cooperation with the community to develop education and prevention strategies directed toward such issues.

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Eligibility Requirements

Applicant Eligibility

States, Indian tribes, local governments, and nonprofit, public or private entities, including tribal nonprofit organizations, are eligible to carry out programs serving rural areas or rural communities that address domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

Beneficiary Eligibility

Beneficiaries include criminal and tribal justice practitioners and service providers who respond to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assualt, and stalking in rural jurisdictions and Indian country.

Credentials/Documentation

None.

Aplication and Award Process

Preapplication Coordination

This program is eligible for coverage under E.O.

12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review.

Application forms furnished by the Federal agency, in accordance with 28 CFR, Part 66 (Common Rule), must be used for this program.

Application Procedures

Detailed information is provided in a program solicitation which is obtained by sending a self-addressed mailing label to NCJRS, Box 6000, Rockville, MD 20849-6000; calling toll free to request a copy at (800) 851-3420; or accessing the web site at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij under Funding Opportunities. This program is subject to the provisions of OMB Circular No.A-110 or the Common Rule where applicable. The Office of Justice Programs (OJP) requires that funding applications be submitted electronically through the OJP Grants Management System (GMS), which will be accessed at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/fundopps.htm. On-line submission of an application represents legal binding acceptance of the terms of the application. For further information about GMS, call the OJP GMS Hotline at 1-888-549-9901.

Award Procedures

Subject to the availability of appropriated funds, NIJ anticipates that it will make an award to each eligible applicant that satisfies the specific application requirements outlined in this announcement (including those concerning allocation of funds, unobligated FY 2005-FY 2006 Backlog Reduction Awards, and permissible expenses), the general requirements for NIJ and OJP grants, and all other applicable legal requirements. Reasons for rejection: NIJ may reject applications that are incomplete, do not respond to the scope of the solicitation, do not comply with format requirements, or are submitted after the deadline.

Deadlines

Contact the Office on Violence Against Women for application deadlines.

Authorization

Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, Section 40295, 42 U.S.C. 13971, as amended; Violence Against Women Act of 2000, Public Law 106-386; Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act, Title II, Section 203, Public Law 109-162.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time

Applicants will be notified before the end of the fiscal year.

Appeals

Not applicable.

Renewals

Renewals are considered on a case-by-case basis.

Assistance Considerations

Formula and Matching Requirements

A range of 25-40 percent of funds (depending on the size of appropriations) are set aside for services that meaningfully address sexual assault in rural communities. 75 percent of funds is allocated to eligible entities in rural states. "Rural state" is defined as a state that has a population density of 52 or fewer persons per square mile or a state in which the largest county has fewer that 150,000 people, based on the most recent decennial census. Eighteen States qualify as rural for the purposes of this grant program: Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, and Wyoming. Grants will be made for amounts up to 100 percent of the costs of the programs or projects contained in the approved applications. Match is not required for this grant program; however, applicants are encouraged to maximize the impact of Federal grant dollars by contributing to the costs of their projects. Supplemental contributions may be cash, in-kind services, or a combination of both.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance

Up to 24 months. Funds are released on an as-needed basis to the grantee.

Post Assistance Requirements

Reports

Semi-annual progress reports, and quarterly financial reports, and a final report are required, as stipulated in the program regulations and the effective edition of the OJP Financial Guide.

Progress reports should explain the activities carried out and include an assessment of the effectiveness of those activities in achieving the purposes of the program, including number of persons served and numbers of persons seeking services who could not be served.

Audits

All organizations that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in any fiscal year must have a single audit for that year in accordance with OMB Circular No. A-133, as amended, unless the audit condition on the award says otherwise. These audits are due to the cognizant Federal agency not later than 9 months after the end of the grantee's fiscal year.

Records

The award recipient must keep complete records on disposition of funds.

Financial Information

Account Identification

15-0409-0-1-754.

Obigations

(Grants) FY 07 $33,495,246; FY 08 est $28,965,535; and FY 09 est $20,275,875.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance

$81,000 - $850,000; $490,941.

Regulations, Guidelines, and Literature

The OJP Financial Guide is applicable.

Information Contacts

Regional or Local Office

None.

Headquarters Office

Office on Violence Against Women, Department of Justice, 800 K Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20530. Telephone: (202) 307-6026.

Criteria for Selecting Proposals

Criteria are established by the Office on Violence Against Women and included in an annual Application Kit.