FY 2026 Special Attorneys Program Round 9
🏛 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 state, local, Tribal, and territorial prosecuting agencies seeking to expand criminal prosecution capacity.
Eligible applicants include prosecutors' offices, state attorneys general offices, and other units of local government with prosecutorial authority. Units may hire or assign prosecutors, criminal investigators, forensic accountants, analysts, and support staff for fraud and alien crime investigations.
Staff hired with grant funds remain employees of their home agencies while working as cross-designated prosecutors or Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys (SAUSAs). Positions may be full-time or part-time on a case-by-case basis.
Funds support investigation and prosecution of fraud, crimes by aliens, drug trafficking, and human trafficking committed within the United States, coordinated with federal authorities.
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Program description
This is a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for the OJP FY 2026 Special Attorneys Program. This program will support state, local, Tribal, and territorial prosecuting agencies to assign or hire qualified prosecutors to serve full-time or part-time (on a case-by-case basis) as Special Attorneys under the direction of the National Fraud Enforcement Division or the Criminal Division, or to serve as Special Assistant United States Attorneys (SAUSAs) within a United States Attorney’s Office. Funds under this program can also be used to hire criminal investigators, as well as analysts, forensic accountants, and other staff who help with collection or analysis of law enforcement investigative information, to provide further investigative support.
These “cross-designated” prosecutors, criminal investigators, and other investigative support staff will remain employees of their home agencies but will investigate and prosecute assigned fraud and other crimes committed by aliens within the United States (hereafter referred to as “criminal aliens”) for the duration of their appointment under this program. Cross-designated prosecutors, criminal investigators, and other investigative support staff may also be assigned cases involving drug or human trafficking committed within the United States. The National Fraud Enforcement Division, Criminal Division, and United States Attorney’s Offices will coordinate with selected prosecutor offices on a case-by-case basis to address logistics and any unique local circumstances.
This grant program, authorized under Public Law 119-21, Title X, Subtitle A, Part II, Section 100055 (codified at 34 U.S.C. § 61101), is intended to improve the collection and analysis of law enforcement investigative information, strengthen investigative and prosecutorial capacity, expand intergovernmental coordination, and enhance the ability of jurisdictions to counter gang or other criminal activity, investigate and prosecute fraud and other crimes committed by aliens within the United States, as well as investigate and prosecute drug and human trafficking crimes. The program is also intended to increase the availability of cross-designated prosecutorial personnel who can pursue these matters in coordination with federal authorities and contribute to the effective enforcement of applicable criminal laws.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance)
- Project Narrative
- Budget and Budget Narrative
- Organizational Capacity statement
- Memoranda of Understanding (federal partners)
- Letters of Support (state attorney general, U.S. Attorney's Office)
- Staffing plan and position descriptions
Program contact
- 👤 Bureau of Justice Assistance
- 📧 OJP.ResponseCenter@usdoj.gov
- 📞 202-514-9354
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 16.076 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
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$11,640,892
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$10,000,000
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$3,915,534
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$2,886,300
-
$2,519,010
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$2,267,723
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$2,202,480
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$2,034,444
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$1,519,006
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$1,430,622
Top States by Funding
- NC 1 awards $11.6M
- DC 1 awards $10.0M
- OH 3 awards $4.4M
- PA 4 awards $4.0M
- IA 1 awards $3.9M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
FAQ
Who can apply for this grant?
State, local, Tribal, and territorial prosecuting agencies can apply. This includes prosecutors' offices, state attorneys general, towns, boroughs, parishes, and other general-purpose local government units.
What can grant funds pay for?
Grant funds can pay prosecutor salaries, criminal investigator salaries, forensic accountants, analysts, and other investigative support staff. These positions support fraud, alien crime, drug trafficking, and human trafficking investigations.
Do funded staff leave their home agency?
No. Staff hired with grant funds remain employees of their home agency but work as cross-designated prosecutors or SAUSAs coordinated with federal authorities.
What crimes are eligible for prosecution under this grant?
Eligible crimes include fraud, crimes committed by aliens, drug trafficking, and human trafficking committed within the United States.
When is the deadline for FY 2026?
The deadline for Round 9 is October 8, 2026. This is a fixed deadline, not rolling.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Emphasize how your agency will coordinate with federal prosecutors and United States Attorneys' Offices. Show existing partnerships or capacity for federal collaboration.
- Detail your prosecutorial capacity gaps and how grant funding addresses specific needs in fraud, alien crime, or trafficking investigations.
- Include letters of support from your state attorney general or federal U.S. Attorney's Office to demonstrate federal coordination commitment.
- Propose realistic staffing that fills genuine investigative gaps rather than replacing existing resources.
- Align your proposal narrative with federal enforcement priorities: immigration fraud, alien crimes, drug trafficking, and human trafficking.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Failing to demonstrate concrete coordination plans or existing relationships with federal prosecutors and United States Attorneys' Offices. Applications must show federal buy-in and coordination strategy.
Using grant funds to replace existing staff rather than expand capacity. Reviewers look for net new prosecutorial and investigative resources.
Proposing staff positions without clear connection to fraud, alien crime, drug trafficking, or human trafficking investigations, which are the program's core focuses.
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