SMART FY 2024 Maintenance and Operation of the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website | O SMART 2024 172242

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the SMART FY 2024 Maintenance and Operation of the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW.gov) grant?

This grant opportunity is a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP) initiative administered through the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART Office). It supports the continued maintenance and operation of the national public-facing sex offender search website, NSOPW.gov, and the connected systems that allow jurisdictions to share registry information effectively through that national capability.

Who is administering this grant opportunity?

The opportunity is administered by the DOJ Office of Justice Programs (OJP) through the SMART Office (Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking).

What type of award is this (grant vs. cooperative agreement)?

It is structured as a cooperative agreement. That means the federal government expects to have an active role in guiding, collaborating on, or otherwise being involved in the funded work, rather than simply issuing funds with minimal ongoing involvement.

What is NSOPW.gov?

NSOPW.gov is a single, centralized U.S. government website that connects and searches across public sex offender registries from all U.S. states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, and participating Tribal jurisdictions. It provides a unified public search experience and links users to jurisdictional registries to return information about registered sex offenders.

Why does NSOPW.gov exist if each jurisdiction already has its own registry website?

The site is designed to reduce the burden on the public by providing one place to search, instead of requiring people to navigate dozens of separate registry websites. It also supports cross-jurisdiction information sharing for registry officials, which is important when individuals move or have reporting obligations that span state, territorial, or Tribal boundaries.

What does the funding support, in practical terms?

The funding supports the continued maintenance and operation of NSOPW.gov as a national capability, with a particular focus on ensuring jurisdictions can make their registry data available in response to searches conducted on NSOPW.gov. This includes the technology, coordination, and ongoing support needed so data from many different jurisdictions can be queried and returned reliably through the national site.

Does this solicitation fund the NSOPW.gov website itself, or something else?

The opportunity is aimed at sustaining ongoing operations of NSOPW.gov and the connected systems that enable national-level searching and information sharing. The description notes that the front-end operations of NSOPW.gov are maintained by OJP, and this funding supports continued maintenance and operation of the national capability, including the jurisdictional connectivity that makes the national search function work reliably.

How does this project support registry officials and jurisdictions (not just the public)?

Beyond public access, NSOPW.gov serves an information-sharing function for registry officials across jurisdictions. The solicitation also emphasizes technology tools that help jurisdictions with core registry functions such as registering and tracking sex offenders, sharing information with other jurisdictions, and supporting community notification by providing accurate and accessible public information.

What jurisdictions are included in NSOPW.gov searches?

NSOPW.gov connects and searches public sex offender registries from all states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, and participating Tribal jurisdictions.

Is this a new competitive program or a continuation of existing work?

This is described as a continuation opportunity. It appears intended to sustain ongoing operations and national functionality rather than launch a new, broad competitive program.

How many awards does the opportunity expect to make?

The opportunity anticipates a single award (ExpectedAwards: 1), indicating the project is intended to be carried out by one primary recipient at the national level.

What is the maximum (ceiling) award amount?

The award ceiling is $1,974,548.

What is the Assistance Listing (CFDA) number for this opportunity?

The opportunity is listed under Assistance Listing number 16.750 (formerly referenced as CFDA 16.750).

What activity category does this program fall under?

It falls under the Law, Justice, and Legal Services activity category.

Who is eligible to apply?

The eligible applicant category is listed as "Others" in the provided information.

Is there an implementing partner mentioned in the opportunity description?

Yes. The source text references the Institute for Intergovernmental Research, which appears in the description and may be the intended or typical implementing partner for this continuation award.

What is the official opportunity number?

The opportunity number is O-SMART-2024-172242.

What was the original closing date for applications?

The original closing date is September 10, 2024.

How does this grant align with DOJ and OJP priorities?

The opportunity is tied to DOJ and OJP priorities that include promoting civil rights and equity, increasing access to justice, supporting crime victims and others impacted by the justice system, strengthening community safety, protecting the public from crime and evolving threats, and building trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve. Within that framing, NSOPW.gov is positioned as a public-safety and transparency tool that supports informed community awareness and improves the operational ability of jurisdictions to coordinate information.

What is the overarching mission context for this solicitation?

The solicitation explicitly links the program to DOJ's mission of upholding the rule of law, keeping the country safe, and protecting civil rights.

What is the main technical focus of the work described?

The main technical focus is keeping the national search platform functional and dependable while ensuring that many separate jurisdictions can reliably provide sex offender registry data in response to NSOPW.gov searches. This includes ongoing coordination and support so that cross-jurisdiction querying and information sharing works effectively.