About this opportunity
AI summaryThe Bureau of Justice Assistance seeks applications for the FY 2026 Missing and Unidentified Human Remains Program to establish partnerships across medicolegal, law enforcement, forensic science, prosecutorial, and advocacy communities. Selected recipients will establish long-term goals as multidisciplinary teams to enhance jurisdictional responses to cases, as well as notify and repatriate human remains to relatives. Only onshore United States organizations are eligible to apply. Applicants must complete the SF-424 online in Grants.gov by December 2, 2026, at 11:59 PM ET. They must submit the full application package in JustGrants by December 9, 2026, at 8:59 PM ET, including a proposal abstract, proposal narrative, budget, key personnel list, and required programmatic attachments.
Buyer and opportunity details
- Client
- Bureau of Justice Assistance
- Solicitation No.
- O-BJA-2026-172716
Scope of work
- Reporting, transportation, forensic processing, and identification of missing persons and unidentified human remains cases
- Entry of missing persons and unidentified remains data into required databases such as NamUs and CODIS
- Processing and DNA identification analyses
- Forensic genetic genealogy (FGG/FGGS) testing and metric reporting where proposed
- Evaluation of jurisdictional capacity to address MP/UHR cases before, during, and after award period
- Inventory submission and final inventory reporting in JustGrants
How proposals are evaluated
| Criterion | Weight / scoring |
|---|---|
| Description of the Need | 5% |
| Project Goals and Objectives | 15% |
| Project Design and Implementation | 35% |
| Capabilities and Competencies | 30% |
| Budget | 15% |
Minimum qualifications
- Publicly funded universities must have forensic anthropology laboratories, direct CODIS access, medical examiner offices, or toxicology laboratories
- Nonprofits must have working collaborative agreements with state/county forensic offices for data entry into CODIS, NamUs, or both
- Must have direct law enforcement or medical examiner access to required databases or partner via MOU/Letter of Intent
- Compliance with 8 U.S.C. 1373 for state and local government applicants
Documents to include with your response
- Application for Federal Assistance: SF-424
- Standard Applicant Information
- Proposal Abstract
- Proposal Narrative
- Budget Detail Worksheet
- Certification by the Chief Executive Officer (for state or local government applicants)
- Memorandum of Understanding (for applicants without direct database access)
- MUHR Program Inventory Question Set
- List of Key Personnel
- Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable)
Key dates
- NOFO Release Date
- October 19, 2026
- SAM.gov Registration/Renewal begin process
- October 30, 2026, and no later than November 10, 2026
- Step 1: Grants.gov Deadline
- December 2, 2026, by 11:59 PM ET
- Step 2: JustGrants Deadline
- December 9, 2026, by 8:59 PM ET
- Expected Award Period Start
- January 1, 2027
How to submit
- Method
- Electronic via Grants.gov and JustGrants
- Instructions
- Step 1 requires completing SF-424 in Grants.gov; Step 2 requires submitting the full application and attachments in JustGrants. Narrative must be double-spaced in 12-point font.
Contract details
- Term
- 36 months starting on January 1, 2027
- Estimated value
- Up to $3,079,954 total (Up to $1,000,000 per award)
- Place of performance
- United States
- Funding
- Pub. L. No. 106-177, Title II (34 U.S.C. 40501-40503) and Department of Justice Appropriations Act, 2026 (Pub. L. No. 119-74)
Grants.gov funding details
- Funding opportunity
- O-BJA-2026-172716 · BJA FY 2026 Missing and Unidentified Human Remains (MUHR) Program
- Agency
- Bureau of Justice Assistance
- Assistance listing
- 16.037 Strengthening the Medical Examiner - Coroner System; 16.050 Missing and Unidentified Human Remains (MUHR) Program
- Award size
- $1.0M
- Applications close
- Dec 2, 2026
- Instrument
- Grant
- Cost sharing required
- No
- Eligible applicants
- Public and State controlled institutions of higher education; Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education; Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education; State governments; Special district governments; Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification); City or township governments; County governments
Source: Grants.gov (U.S. federal public data).