U.S. Department of Justice announces STOP School Violence Grant Program

Deadline: 9 June 2020

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) is seeking applications for funding under the Student, Teachers, and Officers Preventing (STOP) Grant Program.

This program furthers the Department’s mission by supporting and assisting county, local, territorial, and tribal jurisdictions in improving efforts to reduce violent crime in and around schools.

The Student, Teachers, and Officers Preventing School Violence Act of 2018 (or STOP School Violence Act) describes the following categories for school safety projects:

Training to prevent student violence against others and self, including training for local law enforcement officers, school personnel, and students
The development and operation of anonymous reporting systems for threats of school violence, including mobile telephone applications, hotlines, and internet websites
The development and deployment of—
- School threat assessment and intervention teams that include coordination with law enforcement agencies and school personnel
- Specialized training for school officials in responding to mental health crises

The goal of this program is to address specific areas of concern related to preventing and reducing school violence.

The program’s objective is to increase school safety by implementing training and school threat assessments and/or intervention teams to identify school violence risks among students; technological solutions such as anonymous reporting technology that can be implemented as a mobile phone-based app, a hotline, or a website in the applicant’s geographic area to enable students, teachers, faculty, and community members to anonymously identify threats of school violence; or other school safety strategies that assist in preventing violence.

Program Areas

Eligible applicants may apply under one or more of the following areas:

Train school personnel and educate students on preventing student violence against others and themselves to include anti-bullying training. This can also include specialized training for school officials to respond to mental health crises.
Develop and implement threat assessment and/or intervention teams and/or operate technology solutions such as anonymous reporting systems for threats of school violence, including mobile telephone applications, hotlines, and websites. Threat assessment and/or intervention teams must coordinate with law enforcement agencies and school personnel.

OJP Policy Priority Areas

In FY 2020, and in addition to executing any program-specific prioritization that may be applicable, priority consideration will be given to applications as follows:

Applications that address specific challenges that rural communities face.
Applications that demonstrate that the individuals who are intended to benefit from the requested grant reside in high-poverty areas or persistent-poverty counties.
Applications that offer enhancements to public safety in economically distressed communities (Qualified Opportunity Zones).

Funding Information

Estimated maximum dollar amount for each award:
- Category 1: 5 awards of up to $2,000,000 each
- Category 2: 5 awards of up to $2,000,000 each
- Category 3: 70 awards up to $750,000 each
- Category 4: 70 awards up to $750,000 each
Total amount anticipated to be awarded under this solicitation : up to $71,500,000
Period of performance start date: October 1, 2020
Period of performance duration: 36 months

Eligibility Criteria

Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
State governments
Special district governments
County governments
Independent school districts
Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
City or township governments
This solicitation has four categories:
- Category 1 – A state: Train school personnel and educate students on preventing student violence against others and themselves to include anti-bullying training. This can also include specialized training for school officials to respond to mental health crises.
- Category 2 – A state: Develop and implement threat assessment and/or intervention teams and/or operate technology solutions such as anonymous reporting systems for threats of school violence, including mobile telephone applications, hotlines, and websites. Threat assessment and/or intervention teams must coordinate with law enforcement agencies and school personnel.
- Category 3 – Units of local government, federally recognized Indian tribes, public agencies, nonprofit entities to include private schools: Train school personnel and educate students on preventing student violence against others and themselves to include anti-bullying training. This can also include specialized training for school officials to respond to mental health crises.
- Category 4 – Units of local government, federally recognized Indian tribes, public agencies, nonprofit entities to include private schools: Develop and implement threat assessment and/or intervention teams and/or operate technology solutions such as anonymous reporting systems for threats of school violence, including mobile telephone applications, hotlines, and websites. Threat assessment and/or intervention teams must coordinate with law enforcement agencies and school personnel.