BJA FY 18 Justice Information Sharing Training and Technical Assistance Program | BJA 2018 13566

Opportunity Information: Apply for BJA 2018 13566

The BJA FY 18 Justice Information Sharing Training and Technical Assistance Program is a discretionary Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) grant offered by the U.S. Department of Justice to strengthen how criminal justice agencies share information while staying aligned with privacy, civil liberties, and nationally recognized criminal intelligence standards. It is issued as a cooperative agreement, which typically means BJA expects an ongoing working relationship with the award recipients rather than a hands-off grant. The opportunity was posted on April 26, 2018, with an original application closing date of June 11, 2018. The CFDA number associated with the program is 16.738. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted (open to any type of entity), with the practical caveat that applicants must still meet any requirements spelled out in the full solicitation text. BJA anticipated making two awards, with an award ceiling of $4,000,000.

The solicitation is organized into two distinct categories, each aimed at a different but complementary piece of the national justice information sharing landscape. The first category is Criminal Intelligence Online Training and Technical Assistance focused on 28 CFR Part 23, the federal regulation that provides guidance for operating criminal intelligence systems. This portion of the program centers on delivering online training designed for state and local law enforcement professionals so they can understand the rules and best practices for developing and implementing policies and systems that support lawful, effective intelligence sharing. The solicitation highlights prior reach and demand for this training, noting that in FY 2016 more than 6,900 users completed the online course. Alongside the training, this category also funds technical assistance for agencies that want help reviewing or improving their internal policies and procedures to better protect privacy and civil liberties in ways consistent with 28 CFR Part 23. In practical terms, the goal is to help agencies share intelligence in a way that is more consistent, defensible, and trustworthy, reducing the risk of improper collection, retention, or dissemination of sensitive information.

The second category is RISS Technology Service Center (RTSC) and Administration Support, which is focused on sustaining and improving the technology backbone that supports the Regional Information Sharing Systems (RISS) Program across six RISS Centers nationwide. RTSC work includes supporting the infrastructure and security of the RISS Secure Cloud, commonly referred to as RISSNET, along with development and support for database applications used across the RISS enterprise. The funded tasks are operational and enterprise-wide in nature: continuing to operate, maintain, and upgrade RISSNET; supporting connectivity for RISS members and ensuring reliable access; maintaining and enhancing the RISSNET Portal and underlying infrastructure; continuing to operate and further improve RISS applications; and participating in national information sharing projects and working groups. The solicitation also emphasizes coordination beyond RISS itself by calling for collaboration with other federal agencies and technology sharing where appropriate, reinforcing that this program is meant to fit into broader national justice information sharing efforts rather than operate as a silo. A specific compliance expectation is included as well: ensuring that applicable databases adhere to 28 CFR Part 23 guidelines, tying the technology investments back to the same privacy and intelligence-system governance principles highlighted in the training category.

In addition to the technical scope, the RTSC and Administration Support category includes dedicated funding for administrative support to the RISS National Policy Group (RNPG) and the overall RISS Program. This administrative component covers the practical coordination work that keeps a multi-region program functioning, such as scheduling meetings, developing progress reports, and compiling key program statistics that document outputs and successes. Taken together, the two categories reflect a dual approach: building user knowledge and policy compliance through training and technical assistance, while also keeping the national RISS technology environment secure, modern, and operational so that information sharing can occur efficiently and responsibly.

• The Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance in the community development, disaster prevention and relief, employment, labor and training, information and statistics, law, justice and legal services, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BJA FY 18 Justice Information Sharing Training and Technical Assistance Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.738.
• This funding opportunity was created on Apr 26, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 11, 2018. (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 $4,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 2 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

Apply for BJA 2018 13566

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