Medical Forensic Access Initiative

The Medical Forensic Access Initiative, solicited under WH-AST-26-004, seeks applications to support states, tribal communities, healthcare systems, and community-based organizations in improving access to timely medical forensic examinations for women and girl survivors of sexual assault. The initiative focuses on identifying and addressing systemic barriers such as service gaps, workforce shortages, geographic disparities, and extended wait times through data-driven, scalable projects that enhance data collection, analysis, and reporting capabilities. Applicants must demonstrate a clear understanding of local needs and propose evidence-based strategies to strengthen healthcare infrastructure, coordinate services, and build sustainable capacity. The program prioritizes rural, tribal, and underserved communities and requires all activities to be conducted within the United States or its territories. Proposals must include a detailed work plan, organizational chart, staffing plan with resumes of key personnel, letters of commitment, and memoranda of understanding with partners—all within a combined 50-page limit for the project narrative and appendices. The budget package, submitted separately, must be reasonable and justified, with funding ranging from $500,000 to $1,000,000 per award. The anticipated project period is 24 months, with a possible competitive extension to a third year subject to performance and funding. Applications must be submitted via Grants.gov no later than July 25, 2026, and must be formatted according to strict guidelines: 12-point Times New Roman or Arial font, double-spaced text, one-inch margins, and uploaded as three separate files—project narrative, appendices, and budget package—excluding standard forms such as SF-424, SF-424A, and SF-LLL, which are not counted toward page limits. PDF is strongly preferred, and no password-protected, compressed, or Excel files are permitted. Applicants must maintain an active Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) through SAM.gov and comply with federal regulations including 2 C.F.R. Part 200, which governs financial management, reporting, and audit requirements. Awards will be made using a trade-off process evaluating technical merit, budget reasonableness, sustainability, and organizational risk factors such as financial stability, past performance, and audit history. The primary points of contact are Eric West for contracting matters and Gage Dalton for programmatic guidance. Performance reports are due within 120 days after project closeout, and all funding is administered through the HHS Payment Management System. Compliance with the VAW