Deadline: 18-Jul-25
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) is accepting applications for funding in response to this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).
The Demonstration Program on Trauma-Informed, Victim-Centered Training for Law Enforcement on Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking (Abby Honold Program) supports efforts to improve law enforcement’s response to allegations of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking from the time of a victim’s initial report throughout the entire investigation, and to promote the efforts of law enforcement in improving the response to these crimes.
Purpose
- Funds under this program must be used for the following purposes:
- Train covered individuals within the demonstration site of the eligible entity to use evidence based, trauma-informed, and victim-centered techniques and knowledge of crime victims’ rights throughout an investigation into sexual assault, including by:
- conducting victim interviews in a manner that
- elicits valuable information about the sexual assault, and
- avoids re-traumatization of the victim;
- conducting field investigations that mirror best and promising practices available at the time of the investigation;
- customizing investigative approaches to ensure a culturally and linguistically appropriate approach to the community being served;
- becoming proficient in understanding and responding to complex cases, including cases of sexual assault
- facilitated by alcohol or drugs;
- involving strangulation;
- committed by a non-stranger;
- committed by an individual of the same sex as the victim;
- involving a victim with a disability;
- involving a male victim; or
- involving a lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (commonly referred to as ‘LGBT’) victim;
- developing collaborative relationships between
- law enforcement officers and other members of the response team; and
- the community being served; and
- developing an understanding of how to define, identify, and correctly classify a report of sexual assault.
- conducting victim interviews in a manner that
- Train covered individuals within the demonstration site of the eligible entity to use evidence based, trauma-informed, and victim-centered techniques and knowledge of crime victims’ rights throughout an investigation into sexual assault, including by:
Priorities
- Applications that fare well in merit review and substantively address one or more of the priorities listed below, to the extent consistent with the program’s authorizing statute, may receive priority consideration for funding:
- Measures to combat human trafficking and transnational crime, particularly crimes linked to illegal immigration and cartel operations, that support safety and justice for trafficking victims who have also suffered domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and/or stalking;
- Projects to provide victim services, especially housing, and improve law enforcement response in rural and remote areas, Tribal nations, and small towns that often lack resources to effectively combat domestic violence and sexual assault; and
- Proposals submitted by states or units of local government that certify they comply with federal immigration law.
Funding Information
- Estimated Total Program Funding: $ 6,000,000
- Award Ceiling: $500,000
- Award Floor: $500,000
Duration
- Expected Award Period(s) Expected award period is 36 months.
Eligibility Criteria
- Pursuant to 34 U.S.C. § 12513, the following entities are eligible to apply for this program:
- State, territorial, local, and/or Tribal law enforcement agencies that investigate crimes involving sexual assault.
- Note: Indian Tribal Governments, States, and units of local government may apply on behalf of law enforcement agencies that lack authority to apply on their own.
- The following definitions apply:
- Law Enforcement
- A public agency charged with policing functions, including any of its component bureaus (such as Village Public Safety Officers),
- Tribal Law Enforcement
- Statutorily termed “Indian law enforcement,” the departments or individuals under the direction of the Indian tribe that maintain public order.
- Indian Tribal Governments
- The governing body of an Indian Tribe, or
- A Tribe, band, pueblo, nation, or other organized group or community of Indians, including any Alaska Native Village or regional or village corporation (as defined in, or established pursuant to, the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.
- States and Territories
- State governments, including the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands.
- Law Enforcement
For more information, visit Grants.gov.