Opportunity Information: Apply for OVW 2017 11908

The OVW FY 2017 Rural Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, and Stalking Program Solicitation is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), created to strengthen how rural communities prevent and respond to sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking. The core idea behind the program is that rural victims often face hurdles that look very different from those in urban areas, and those hurdles can make it harder to get safe, timely, and effective help. OVW is seeking projects that directly address these rural realities and improve both victim services and the community systems that investigate, prosecute, and otherwise respond to these crimes.

The solicitation highlights several barriers that are especially common in rural jurisdictions. Geographic isolation and long travel distances can make it difficult for victims to reach shelters, advocacy organizations, hospitals, courts, or law enforcement, particularly when transportation options are limited. Rural economic conditions can also restrict access to housing, jobs, childcare, and other resources that victims may need in order to leave an abusive situation. In smaller communities, strong social and cultural pressures, including concerns about privacy, stigma, or fear of retaliation, can discourage reporting and reduce the likelihood that victims will seek formal services. The lack of available local services, such as specialized victim advocacy, forensic medical exams, or culturally specific programming, can further compound harm and leave victims with few realistic options. The program description also notes that these same barriers complicate the criminal justice response, making investigations and prosecutions harder to carry out effectively, and making it more difficult for victim service providers to identify victims and connect them with support.

From a funding and administrative standpoint, this is a grant program (Funding Instrument Type: Grant) in the discretionary category, listed under CFDA 16.589, with activity areas spanning housing, humanities/cultural affairs, and law/justice/legal services. The opportunity number is OVW 2017 11908. Applications were originally due February 23, 2017, following a creation date of January 6, 2017. OVW anticipated making about 45 awards, with an award ceiling of up to $750,000 per award, indicating that OVW was looking for substantial, multi-part projects that could make measurable improvements in rural responses rather than small, standalone efforts.

Eligibility is broad and is designed to allow rural communities to build partnerships across government, tribal entities, nonprofits, and higher education. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; tribal organizations (including those other than federally recognized tribal governments); and nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (other than higher education institutions). This range of eligible applicants reflects the program emphasis on coordinated community responses, where local and tribal governments, victim advocates, and justice-system partners work together to reduce violence and improve access to services in places where resources are typically limited.

In practical terms, the solicitation is aimed at supporting rural projects that address and prevent these forms of violence by reducing barriers to services, improving victim safety and support options, and strengthening the ability of the criminal justice system to respond. While the source text does not list specific required activities, the program purpose and OVW mission framing strongly point toward projects that expand availability of services, improve coordination among agencies and providers, and develop strategies tailored to rural conditions, such as long distances, limited staffing, confidentiality concerns in close-knit communities, and culturally specific needs. The overall goal is to make rural jurisdictions better equipped to help victims and hold offenders accountable, even when the local environment makes both service delivery and justice-system work more challenging.

  • The Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women in the housing, humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda), law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "OVW FY 2017 Rural Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence and Stalking Program Solicitation" and is now available to receive applicants.
  • Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.589.
  • This funding opportunity was created on Jan 06, 2017.
  • Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 23, 2017. (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 $750,000.00 in funding.
  • The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 45 candidate(s).
  • Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the OVW FY 2017 Rural Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, and Stalking Program?

It is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). The program is designed to strengthen how rural communities prevent and respond to sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking by improving victim services and strengthening community and justice-system responses.

What is the main purpose of this grant program?

The purpose is to fund projects that directly address challenges faced by victims in rural areas and improve how rural communities deliver services and respond to these crimes. OVW is looking for projects that reduce barriers to help, improve victim safety and support options, and strengthen investigations, prosecutions, and other community responses.

Why does OVW focus specifically on rural communities for this program?

The solicitation explains that rural victims often face different and sometimes more severe barriers than victims in urban areas. These barriers can make it harder to access safe, timely, and effective assistance, and can also complicate how local systems (including law enforcement and courts) investigate and respond to cases.

What types of violence does this program address?

This program focuses on sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking.

What rural barriers is this program meant to address?

The solicitation highlights several common rural barriers, including geographic isolation and long travel distances, limited transportation, rural economic constraints that restrict access to housing and jobs, limited childcare and other resources, privacy concerns in close-knit communities, stigma and fear of retaliation, and a lack of local specialized services such as victim advocacy, forensic medical exams, and culturally specific programming.

How can geographic isolation affect victims in rural areas?

Geographic isolation and long travel distances can make it difficult for victims to reach shelters, advocacy organizations, hospitals, courts, or law enforcement. When transportation options are limited, even basic access to services can become a major obstacle.

How do economic conditions in rural areas factor into the program's goals?

The solicitation notes that rural economic conditions can limit access to housing, jobs, childcare, and other resources that victims may need to leave an abusive situation. Projects that help reduce these practical barriers align with the program's goal of improving victim safety and support.

What social or cultural pressures in rural communities does OVW identify?

In smaller communities, privacy concerns, stigma, and fear of retaliation can discourage reporting and reduce the likelihood that victims will seek formal services. These dynamics can create additional risks for victims and can limit effective community response.

What service gaps in rural areas are mentioned in the solicitation?

The solicitation points to limited availability of local services such as specialized victim advocacy, forensic medical exams, and culturally specific programming, which can leave victims with few realistic options and compound harm.

Does the solicitation describe impacts on the criminal justice system response?

Yes. The same barriers that affect victims also complicate the criminal justice response, making investigations and prosecutions harder to carry out effectively and making it more difficult for victim service providers to identify victims and connect them with support.

What kind of grant is this (funding instrument and category)?

The funding instrument type is a grant, and it is a discretionary grant opportunity.

What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?

The CFDA number listed for this program is 16.589.

What is the opportunity number?

The opportunity number is OVW 2017 11908.

What activity areas does the opportunity cover?

The solicitation lists activity areas spanning housing, humanities/cultural affairs, and law/justice/legal services.

When was the solicitation created, and when were applications due?

The creation date listed is January 6, 2017, and the application deadline was February 23, 2017.

How many awards did OVW anticipate making?

OVW anticipated making about 45 awards.

What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?

The award ceiling is up to $750,000 per award.

What does the award ceiling suggest about the types of projects OVW wanted to fund?

With an award ceiling of up to $750,000 and an anticipated 45 awards, the solicitation suggests OVW was looking for substantial, multi-part projects capable of making measurable improvements in rural responses, rather than small, single-activity efforts.

Who is eligible to apply for this grant?

Eligible applicants include state governments; county governments; city or township governments; special district governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; tribal organizations (including those other than federally recognized tribal governments); and nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (other than higher education institutions).

Are tribal entities eligible?

Yes. Federally recognized Native American tribal governments are eligible, and tribal organizations (including those that are not federally recognized tribal governments) are also listed as eligible applicants.

Are nonprofits eligible to apply?

Yes. Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status are eligible, as long as they are not higher education institutions.

Are colleges and universities eligible to apply?

Yes. Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education are listed among eligible applicants.

Why does the solicitation include a broad range of eligible applicant types?

The solicitation frames eligibility broadly to support coordinated community responses in rural areas. The intent is to allow partnerships across local or tribal government, victim service providers, and justice-system partners so communities can address limited resources and improve both services and accountability.

What kinds of projects is OVW seeking under this program?

OVW is seeking rural projects that prevent and respond to sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking by reducing barriers to services, improving victim safety and support, and strengthening community systems that investigate, prosecute, and otherwise respond to these crimes.

Does the solicitation list specific required activities?

Not in the information provided here. The text indicates that, while specific required activities are not listed in this summary, the purpose and OVW mission framing point toward projects that expand service availability, improve coordination among agencies and providers, and develop strategies tailored to rural conditions (such as long distances, limited staffing, confidentiality concerns, and culturally specific needs).

What does "coordinated community response" mean in the context of this solicitation?

Based on the description, it refers to multiple local partners working together (for example, government, tribal entities, victim advocates, and justice-system partners) to reduce violence, improve access to victim services, and strengthen investigations and prosecutions in rural jurisdictions where resources may be limited.

What outcomes is the program ultimately trying to achieve?

The overall goal is to make rural jurisdictions better equipped to help victims and hold offenders accountable, even when local conditions make service delivery and justice-system work more challenging.

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