Overview and Award Schedule
The purpose of the Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvements Grants Program is to assist state agencies and local units of government in carrying out specific programs to improve the quality and timeliness of forensic science and medical examiner services. Among other things, funds may be used to eliminate backlogs in the analysis of forensic evidence, and to train forensic laboratory personnel, as needed, to eliminate such a backlog. Grants will pay for 100 percent of the program costs and successful applications under this solicitation will have a one-year grant period.
The alarming proliferation of synthetic drugs and opioids have had a crushing effect on many crime laboratories. Synthetic opioids in particular may be more difficult to analyze than traditional opiates, and validating methods for new drugs as they emerge may significantly slow processing of these samples. Medical examiners and forensic pathologists have also been overwhelmed with the volume of autopsies as a result of opioids and synthetic drug-related overdose deaths. To address these issues, states are to allocate approximately 57% of available funds to specifically target the challenges the opioid abuse crisis has brought to the forensic science community.
The grant application must be completed using the Office of Highway Safety and Justice Program's web-based grants management system, IntelliGrants. The IntelliGrants platform can be accessed here or by the link below. The application must be fully complete and submitted via IntelliGrants prior to the application deadline, which is Friday, April 3, 2026, by 5:00 p.m. Supporting documents and appendices relating to the application may be uploaded as attachments to an application on IntelliGrants. Please see the JAG solicitation below for more information.