OJP FY 2026 Special Attorneys Program Round 11
This program funds state, local, Tribal, territorial, and certain local government prosecuting agencies to hire or assign cross-designated prosecutors and related investigative staff to support federal-collaborative criminal investigations and prosecutions.
RESTRICTED TO: STATE LOCAL GOV · TRIBAL ENTITIES
⚑ Funds personnel costs for prosecutorial and investigative staff, not research. · Eligibility is limited to prosecuting agencies in state, local, Tribal, territorial, and certain other local government units; universities are not listed as eligible applicants. · Cooperative agreement with case-by-case coordination with DOJ components. · Supports cross-designation/assignment to federal duties under U.S. Attorney's Offices or DOJ divisions.
Unit fits — one characterization, each unit's own rules
| IPPRA | 15 none | university cannot apply directly (ineligible) |
| Physical Sciences & Engineering (demo) | 15 none | university cannot apply directly (ineligible) |
| Tom Love Innovation Hub | 5 none | no commercialization signal |
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.
Eligibility
Other Units of Local Government: For the purposes of this NOFO, other units of local government include towns, boroughs, parishes, villages, or other general purpose political subdivisions of a state.
Apply
View on Grants.gov → CONTACT: Bureau of Justice Assistance <OJP.ResponseCenter@usdoj.gov>
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