Suicide Mortality Review Cooperative Agreement | VA SMR SP FY2024

Opportunity Information: Apply for VA SMR SP FY2024

The Suicide Mortality Review Cooperative Agreement (Funding Opportunity Number: VA SMR SP FY2024; CFDA 64.057) is a discretionary funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs focused on helping jurisdictions build or strengthen Suicide Mortality Review (SMR) processes and formal Suicide Mortality Review Committees (SMRCs). The central goal is to improve how suicide deaths are identified, reviewed, and characterized so that states, territories, and Tribal entities can turn consistent, high-quality information into practical, data-informed suicide prevention strategies. While the work supports suicide prevention broadly, it also explicitly emphasizes preventing suicide among veterans by improving the local and regional understanding of suicide circumstances and risk patterns.

Funding is offered through a cooperative agreement, which typically means the VA expects substantial involvement or collaboration during the project period rather than a purely hands-off grant. Awards are anticipated to be funded by September 30, 2024. The project period is expected to be one year, with an optional one-year extension possible. The award ceiling is listed as $575,000. The program sits within the community development and health activity area and is presented under VA community-based interventions, signaling that the intended outcomes are community-relevant improvements in prevention planning and coordination, not just research or reporting.

The opportunity is designed to help recipients establish or expand the capacity to conduct thorough suicide death reviews using more uniform approaches and higher-quality data. In practical terms, this includes creating or strengthening the committee structure and review process, coordinating cross-sector participation, and improving the collection and management of suicide death information so it can be compared and used consistently over time. A key expectation is that jurisdictions will move beyond data collection and use the findings to guide prevention actions at multiple levels, including community, county or municipal, state or territorial, Tribal, and potentially national coordination efforts. Applicants are also encouraged to coordinate with specific counties, cities, municipalities, or other political subdivisions within their jurisdiction where local SMRC development and implementation will occur, which allows applicants to target areas with high need or readiness.

Eligibility is limited to governmental and Tribal entities. Eligible applicants include American Indian and Alaska Native Tribal governments and states or territories. The eligible state and territorial entities explicitly include the District of Columbia, Guam, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa. The full Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) should be consulted for complete eligibility rules and any additional conditions.

A critical application detail is that submissions must be made through the VA Grants Management System, not through Grants.gov. Applicants are directed to review the NOFO and application guidance at www.mentalhealth.va.gov/smr, and then submit through the VA system at https://hmlsgrants-va.mod.udpaas.com/sLogin.jsp. The original closing date listed for the opportunity is July 24, 2024, so prospective applicants would need to pay close attention to the NOFO instructions, required attachments, and system-specific submission steps to avoid disqualification for using the wrong portal or missing required components.

• The Community Based Interventions in the community development, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Suicide Mortality Review Cooperative Agreement" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 64.057.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-06-21.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-07-24. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $575,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Others.

Apply for VA SMR SP FY2024

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