Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grants (Coverdell) Program

The Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grants (Coverdell) Program awards grants to states and units of local government to help improve the quality and timeliness of forensic science and medical examiner/coroner services, including services provided by laboratories operated by states and units of local government. Offering both a Competitive Program and a Formula-based Program, recipients of Coverdell funds must use the grant for one or more of these six purposes:

1. To carry out all or a substantial part of a program intended to improve the quality and timeliness of forensic science or medical examiner/coroner services in the state, including those services provided by laboratories operated by the state and those operated by units of local government within the state.
2. To eliminate a backlog in the analysis of forensic science evidence, including, among other things, a backlog with respect to firearms examination, latent prints, toxicology, controlled substances, forensic pathology, questioned documents, and trace evidence.
3. To train, assist, and employ forensic laboratory personnel, as needed, to eliminate such a backlog.
4. To address emerging forensic science issues (such as statistics, contextual bias, and uncertainty of measurement) and emerging forensic science technology (such as high throughput automation, statistical software, and new types of instrumentation).
5. To educate and train forensic pathologists.
6. To fund medicolegal death investigation systems to facilitate the accreditation of medical examiner and coroner offices and the certification of medicolegal death investigators.

To learn more about the Coverdell Program and potential funding opportunities,
please visit Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grants (Coverdell) Program.