Newsfederal

DOJ Opens Largest Spring Grant Cycle With 20-Plus Justice Programs

March 26, 2026 · 2 min read

Jared Klein

The Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs has opened its largest spring grant cycle, with more than 20 active funding opportunities spanning law enforcement, substance abuse treatment, reentry services, and juvenile justice.

What Is Available Now

The Bureau of Justice Assistance is anchoring the cycle with several flagship programs. The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program—the single largest source of federal criminal justice funding to state and local governments—has both its State Formula and Local Formula tracks open, with deadlines of April 10 and April 21, respectively.

Other high-priority programs with imminent deadlines include:

Reentry Funding Gets Its Own Lane

Second Chance Act programs feature prominently this cycle. The Community-based Reentry Program, Family-Based Substance Use Disorder Treatment Program, and Pay for Success Initiative all carry May deadlines. These programs support organizations working with formerly incarcerated individuals and reflect continued bipartisan investment in recidivism reduction.

How to Apply

All applications route through JustGrants, the DOJ's grants management system, with initial submissions through Grants.gov. Applicants should note that Grants.gov and JustGrants deadlines differ—typically by one week—so building in buffer time is essential.

The National Institute of Justice also has open solicitations for research on violence against women, elder abuse, and graduate research fellowships, with deadlines extending into mid-May.

Local governments, law enforcement agencies, tribal governments, and nonprofits working in criminal justice should review the full list on the OJP funding page. Deeper analysis of federal justice funding trends is available on the Granted blog.

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