OVW previews $10.8 million for FY24 Tribal Sexual Assault Services Program and outlines who may apply

The Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) outlined funding and eligibility details for the fiscal year 2024 Tribal Sexual Assault Services Program (TSASP) during a pre-application webinar, saying it expects roughly $10,800,000 in available funding and approximately 16 awards. The presenter said OVW may award amounts greater or lesser than requested and can negotiate scopes and budgets with applicants before awarding grants.

TSASP funds are intended to create, maintain and expand sexual-assault victim services on tribal lands and in Alaska Native villages. OVW described allowable services to include 24-hour crisis hotlines, accompaniment and advocacy (for medical, criminal justice and social supports), short-term individual and group support, counseling referrals, culturally specific outreach and the development of tailored informational materials. The presenter emphasized services may be provided to survivors of any gender or age and are not limited by when the assault occurred.

Eligible applicants are tribal governments, tribal consortiums, tribal organizations and tribal nonprofit organizations with programs in Indian country or Alaska Native villages; programs that serve only tribal people off tribal lands (urban-only programs) are not eligible. Continuation applicants (existing or recently closed awards) may apply for continuation funding, but the presenter warned that if a grantee still has 50% or more of a current award remaining as of the solicitation’s reference date, continuity funding may be reduced or the applicant may not be considered.

OVW listed specific out-of-scope activities that should not be proposed: research, primary-prevention or public-education campaigns (for example, bystander training and general healthy-relationship presentations), criminal-justice activities that move beyond victim advocacy (such as funding law-enforcement or prosecution functions, conducting forensic interviews, or hiring investigators), forensic medical examiner programs, routine couples or family counseling that pairs victim and offender, and training allied professionals about what sexual assault is (though educating the community about the TSASP-funded program itself is allowed). The presenter said proposing out-of-scope activities could result in point deductions or elimination from consideration.

If awarded, grantees may be required to participate in OVW technical assistance and training, attend at least one TSASP-related conference, submit narrative progress reports twice a year and federal financial reports quarterly, and—rarely—participate in OVW assessments or evaluations. The presenter stressed that direct sexual-assault victim services are a required element of any awarded project.

The presenter closed by directing applicants to the full solicitation and OVW applicant resources for authoritative details and by providing an OVW tribal TSASP email inbox for questions.