Missing and Unidentified Human Remains (MUHR) Program

The U.S. Department of Justice, through its Office of Justice Programs and Bureau of Justice Assistance, has announced the availability of funding under the FY25 Missing and Unidentified Human Remains Program. This program is authorized under Public Law 116-277 and is designed to improve the reporting, forensic processing, identification, and repatriation of missing persons and unidentified human remains across the United States. The Bureau of Justice Assistance oversees this effort as part of its mission to uphold the rule of law, enhance public safety, and protect civil rights through direct support to law enforcement, forensic laboratories, medical examiners, and partner organizations. The purpose of the program is to strengthen the national capacity to respond to cases of missing persons and unidentified human remains, including migrant cases, by providing resources for state, local, and tribal jurisdictions. The program emphasizes the development of collaborative partnerships among medicolegal, law enforcement, forensic, prosecutorial, and advocacy communities to improve response strategies and reduce backlogs. The program goals remain consistent across categories, but the scope varies depending on jurisdictional scale, with an emphasis on addressing the needs of small, rural, and tribal entities. There are three funding categories available. Category 1 supports statewide projects, with awards anticipated up to $1,000,000 each for as many as three awards. Category 2 supports local projects, with awards anticipated up to $500,000 each for as many as four awards. Category 3 provides services to assist small, rural, and tribal entities on a national scale, with one anticipated award of up to $1,000,000. Across all categories, program objectives include entering case data into required databases such as NamUs, NCIC, and, where applicable, the FBI’s ViCAP, implementing forensic processing, and supporting identification and repatriation of remains. The anticipated total funding available under this opportunity is $5,472,691. Each award has a period of performance of up to 36 months, beginning October 1, 2025. The solicitation outlines that budgets must be reasonable and within the applicant’s capacity to manage, and matching funds are not required. Funding is contingent on federal appropriations, and award conditions include compliance with federal law, privacy protections for family DNA samples, and restrictions on use of funds for activities outside the program scope. Eligible applicants vary by category. State governments, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, accredited forensic laboratories, and medical examiner offices are eligible for Category 1 statewide projects. Category 2 eligibility extends to county and city governments, similar higher education institutions, nonprofits, and accredited forensic or medical examiner laboratories. Category 3 is open to state governments, counties, cities, higher education institutions, nonprofits, and publicly funded accredited forensic laboratories providing services on a national scale to small, rural, and tribal jurisdictions. Nonprofit applicants must have collaborative agreements with forensic offices, and universities must have forensic anthropology laboratories. Certain certifications related to privacy protections for DNA samples and compliance with immigration-related laws are required. Applications follow a two-step submission process. Step 1 requires submission through Grants.gov by October 10, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Step 2 requires submission through JustGrants by October 17, 2025, at 8:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Applicants are advised to register early in SAM.gov and Grants.gov. A pre-application webinar will be announced through the BJA’s Upcoming Events webpage. Required resources include the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide and JustGrants submission training materials. Awards are expected to begin October 1, 2025. Applications may be denied if minimum eligibility certifications are not provided. For assistance, the OJP Response Center provides support via phone at 800-851-3420 or 202-353-5556, or by email at OJP.ResponseCenter@usdoj.gov. The Response Center operates Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Additional technical support is available through SAM.gov, Grants.gov, and JustGrants service desks. This program requires applicants to commit to comprehensive reporting and database entry, detailed certifications, and strict adherence to federal standards for forensic and genetic genealogy practices. Through this funding opportunity, BJA aims to enhance the ability of jurisdictions across the country to resolve missing person and unidentified human remains cases, improve public safety, and support victims’ families.

Register early in SAM.gov, Grants.gov, and JustGrants; ensure partner MOUs/LOIs; comply with NamUs, NCIC, and ViCAP entry; use BJA’s Application Resource Guide