FY 2026 National Center for Veterans Justice
🏛 Bureau of Justice Assistance (USDOJ-OJP-BJA)
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Oct 7, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for organizations establishing a national center to serve criminal justice agencies, courts, corrections systems, and community supervision agencies supporting veterans in the justice system.
Eligible applicants typically include nonprofits, research institutions, universities, and criminal justice-focused organizations with expertise in veteran services and justice system coordination. The center must be able to provide training, technical assistance, and tools to state, local, and tribal agencies nationwide.
The center will address veteran identification, cross-system coordination, and evidence-based interventions. Focus areas include military culture, combat trauma, MST, PTSD, TBI, and other veteran-specific needs across criminal justice, VA, behavioral health, and social service systems.
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Program description
This is a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for the BJA FY 2026 National Center for Veterans Justice. This opportunity will establish a national center to provide specialized support to state, local, and tribal criminal justice agencies; treatment and service providers; courts; corrections systems; and community supervision agencies to effectively support and respond to the needs of veterans across the justice system, improve outcomes, and strengthen public safety.
The Center will serve as a one stop shop to address critical gaps in veteran identification, cross-system coordination, and implementation of evidence-based interventions by providing criminal justice professionals with specialized tools, training, and technical assistance on military culture, combat trauma, military sexual trauma (MST), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI), and other veteran-specific considerations. Providing resources and specialized technical assistance through a centralized location and entity is essential to effectively supporting veterans whose needs require coordination across multiple systems, including criminal justice, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), behavioral health, and social service systems that operate under distinct legal frameworks and institutional priorities.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
- 501(c)(3) Public Charity
- Nonprofits
- Private University
- Public University
- Small Business (SBA-defined)
Demographic focus
How to apply
Application links
Required documents
- SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance)
- Project Narrative/Statement of Need
- Budget and Budget Narrative
- Organizational capacity documentation
- Letters of support from partner organizations
- Curriculum Vitae or resumes of key staff
- Organizational chart
- Evidence of nonprofit status (Form 990 or determination letter)
Program contact
- 👤 Bureau of Justice Assistance
- 📧 OJP.ResponseCenter@usdoj.gov
- 📞 202-514-9354
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 16.043 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$7,013,902
-
$4,500,000
-
$3,250,000
-
$2,500,000
-
$2,500,000
-
$2,500,000
-
$2,000,000
-
$1,490,209
-
$1,330,028
-
$1,295,136
Top States by Funding
- NY 2 awards $8.3M
- NC 8 awards $7.1M
- DC 3 awards $6.8M
- SC 2 awards $5.8M
- KS 2 awards $4.5M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 16.043). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $23,514,883 | |
| 2025 | $2,000,000 |
FAQ
Who can apply for this grant?
Typically nonprofits, research institutions, universities, and organizations with demonstrated expertise in veteran services and criminal justice system coordination. Applicants must have capacity to operate a national center providing training and technical assistance.
What is the funding range?
The grant specifies an award of approximately $4,000,000. This supports a national center with significant scope and operational capacity.
What activities does the center fund?
Development of specialized tools and training on military culture, combat trauma, PTSD, TBI, and military sexual trauma. Technical assistance to state, local, and tribal criminal justice agencies nationwide.
Is cost sharing required?
No. This grant does not require matching funds or cost sharing from the applicant.
What type of agreement is this?
This is funded as a cooperative agreement, which means BJA will have substantial involvement in the center's operations and direction.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Demonstrate deep expertise in both veteran services and criminal justice systems. Show how your organization understands the intersection of military trauma and justice system involvement.
- Develop a robust plan for nationwide reach. Include detailed strategies for partnering with state, local, and tribal agencies and how you'll disseminate tools and training at scale.
- Build a strong advisory board or steering committee. Include veterans, military-connected professionals, criminal justice leaders, VA representatives, and behavioral health experts.
- Emphasize evidence-based approaches. Ground your proposed interventions in peer-reviewed research on combat trauma, PTSD, TBI, and military sexual trauma in justice settings.
- Plan for sustainability and long-term impact. Show how the center will establish itself as an authoritative resource and identify pathways for ongoing funding beyond the initial award period.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Applicants underestimate the scope required for a national center and propose limited geographic reach. Centers must demonstrate capacity to serve all states, tribal nations, and US territories effectively.
Proposals lack sufficient expertise in both criminal justice systems AND military/veteran culture. Successful applications show deep understanding of how military trauma manifests in justice system contacts and how to respond appropriately.
Applications fail to clearly articulate how the center will coordinate across fragmented systems (criminal justice, VA, behavioral health, social services). Reviewers want to see detailed mechanisms for cross-system collaboration and information sharing.
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