Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvements Grant Program
Forecasted
Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvements Grant Program supports South Carolina agencies and local governments in improving forensic and medical examiner services, reducing backlogs and opioid pressures.
Funder: South Carolina Department of Public Safety (OHSJP)
Due Dates (Anticipated): March 2027 (Agency Administrator registration) | April 2027 (Application)
Funding Amounts: 100% of program costs for one year; no match required
Summary: Supports South Carolina government projects improving forensic and medical examiner services, reducing evidence backlogs, and addressing opioid-related pressures.
Key Information: Research is prohibited; police departments, sheriffs’ offices, and coroner’s offices cannot apply directly.
Description
The Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvements Grant Program is administered in South Carolina by the Department of Public Safety’s Office of Highway Safety and Justice Programs (OHSJP). It supports state agencies and local governments improving the quality and timeliness of forensic science and medical examiner/coroner services. Projects may reduce evidence-analysis backlogs, train and employ laboratory personnel, implement emerging technologies and processes in public laboratories, educate forensic pathologists, or strengthen medicolegal death investigation accreditation and certification.
Opioid and synthetic drug projects are a particular priority. Newly emerging drugs can require difficult analyses and method validation, slowing sample processing, while overdose deaths increase autopsy workloads. The program supports operational improvements addressing these pressures, rather than research.
