OVW FY 2017 Rural Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence and Stalking Program Solicitation | OVW 2017 11908

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.

Apply for OVW 2017 11908

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: