Discretionary Grant Application Review and Selection Process

• Responsiveness Review
• Review Criteria
• Programmatic Review
• Past Performance Review
• Risk Review
• Selection Process
• Award Notification Process
• Availability of Funds and Future Funding Opportunities

Responsiveness Review

Applications are screened to ensure that basic minimum requirements of the notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) are met. Ineligible or incomplete applications are removed from further consideration. Eligible and complete applications typically go on to peer review and programmatic review.

Review Criteria

Our peer review process is based on the specifications outlined in the NOFO under which the application was submitted. We may use internal reviewers, external reviewers, or a combination of both. Reviewers read applications and score them on to the strength of their responses to the NOFO’s criteria. OVW NOFOs contain an Application Contents List with all basic minimum requirements marked *Required* in red. The Eligibility section of each NOFO also provides the eligibility and disqualifying factors for each funding opportunity.

All reviewers are required to adhere to our peer review conflict of interest policy, which is designed to identify and resolve any issues that may call into question a reviewer’s impartiality or objectivity regarding an application.

Under certain circumstances and with the OVW Director’s approval, OVW may bypass peer review for discretionary grant applications (e.g., when there are enough funds to support every application submitted under a NOFO).

Programmatic Review

Programmatic review involves us assessing the application for alignment with the program’s scope, flagging activities that compromise victim safety, and, if applicable, reviewing the applicant’s past performance. We may deduct points from an application’s peer review score for these reasons: 

1. Activities that compromise victim safety and recovery and undermine offender accountability (maximum point deduction: 25)
2. Out-of-scope and unallowable activities (maximum point deduction: 25)
3. Past performance (maximum point deduction: 25)
4. Formatting and technical requirements (maximum point deduction: maximum point deduction: 5)

We may also add up to 10 points to applications that meaningfully address priorities identified in the NOFO or provide non-mandatory certifications.

We will not fund an application that is substantially out-of-scope, proposes a lot of unallowable activities, or includes activities that pose a significant threat to victim safety or a serious breach of confidentiality. An applicant with considerable past performance issues may also have points deducted from their peer review score or be removed from funding consideration.

Voluntary cost sharing (match) or other cost sharing methods will not be considered in the evaluation of applications.

Past Performance Review

As a part of the programmatic review, we review applicants with current or recently closed OVW awards under the program to which the applicant applied, based on the following:

Risk Review

OVW reviews information related to applicant risk as described in 2 C.F.R. § 200.206. OVW uses the applicant’s responses to the Pre-award Risk Assessment Questions to conduct this assessment. OVW also must review and consider integrity and performance information about applicants that is available in SAM.gov. Applicants may review and comment on information about themselves that currently appears in SAM.gov and was entered by a federal awarding agency. OVW considers the applicant’s comments, in addition to the other information in SAM.gov, in its assessment of the risk posed by the applicant.

Depending on the severity and nature of risk information, the risk review may result in the removal of an application from consideration or in additional post-award conditions and oversight. A recipient may be designated “high-risk” based on DOJ’s assessment of the recipient’s current or past funding, unresolved audit issues, delinquent programmatic and fiscal reporting, and prior performance. Awards to high-risk recipients may carry special conditions such as increased monitoring and/or prohibitions on drawing down funds until certain requirements are met. Whether or not a recipient is designated high-risk, OVW may decide not to fund an application from a recipient that has substantial or persistent performance or compliance issues, long-standing open audits, or criminal investigations.

Selection Process

All award decisions will be made by the OVW Director unless there is a written delegation of authority to another official. The deciding official may consider merit review results and any other factors described in the NOFO, as well as geographic variety, in making final award decisions. Decisions are final and not subject to appeal.

Award Notification Process

Award notifications are usually sent by September 30 (the end of the federal fiscal year). JustGrants sends a system-generated email to the Application Submitter, Authorized Representative, and Entity Administrator with information on accessing the award package in JustGrants. The award package has key information (such as funding amount and project period duration) and conditions that must be followed. The Authorized Representative should accept or decline the award within 45 days of the notification.  After recipients have been notified, unsuccessful applicants get a notification letter. Successful and unsuccessful applicants can contact OVW to ask for reviewers’ feedback on the application.

Availability of Funds and Future Funding Opportunities

All awards are subject to the availability of funds as well as any modifications or requirements imposed by law. Nothing in any OVW NOFO is intended to, nor does it, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States or its departments, agencies, entities, officers, employees, agents, or any other person.

OVW may provide additional funding in future years to recipients based on priorities and the recipient’s performance. There is no guarantee that funds will be available in the future. Depending on availability of funding and an application’s merit, OVW may fund an application in a future year or under another NOFO.