Human Trafficking Fellowship Program – United States

OJP is committed to advancing work that promotes civil rights and equity, increases access to justice, supports crime victims and individuals impacted by the justice system, strengthens community safety, protects the public from crime and evolving threats, and builds trust between law enforcement and the community.

With this solicitation, OVC seeks to fund a 1- to 3-year fellowship (in-person or virtual, part-time or full-time to be proposed by applicants) to assist the anti-trafficking field in identifying and promoting culturally responsive service models and activities.

This program furthers the DOJ’s mission to uphold the rule of law, to keep the country safe, and to protect civil rights.

The OVC Human Trafficking Fellow awarded under this program will work collaboratively with OVC and the larger victim services field in identifying and promoting culturally responsive service models and activities that can be shared with the anti-trafficking field to enhance services to victims of severe forms of human trafficking, as defined in 22 U.S.C. § 7102(11):

• Sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such an act has not attained 18 years of age.
• The recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery.

This solicitation seeks an individual with a background in culturally responsive service provision and strengths-based intervention models. Applications from those with lived experience will be prioritized. Public disclosure of lived experience will not be a required part of the Fellowship, though please be aware that information included in your application, if funded, may be subject to release under the Freedom of Information Act.

Goals 

• The OVC Human Trafficking Fellowship program’s goal is to assist the anti-trafficking field in identifying and promoting culturally responsive, strength-based service models and activities.

Objectives 

• Objectives of this fellowship include the following:
  • Developing and documenting a systematic, replicable criteria for establishing what constitutes a culturally responsive, strength-based program or approach.
  • Documenting culturally specific protective factors that can help victims from underserved communities find healing and justice.
  • Identifying and promoting strength-based interventions that center cultural practices and values in their service delivery response among OVC anti-trafficking grantees and the larger anti-trafficking field.
  • Speaking to experts in the field and reviewing publicly available media reports and published literature to identify organizations implementing culturally responsive, strength-based approaches.
  • Conducting in-person and/or virtual interviews and site visits.
  • Identifying barriers and innovative solutions to implementing culturally responsive, strength-based interventions.
  • Documenting (to the extent feasible) the results and impact of these interventions.
  • Producing a written analysis of the implications of these models on existing funding available for victim services, with a focus on OVC-funded programs and OVC policies.
  • Creating and delivering informational awareness materials and trainings for external publication (newsletter, articles, social media, blogs, reports, and presentations).
  • At the request of OVC, participating in internal and external stakeholder meetings, forums, conferences, and international briefings to provide subject matter expertise and/or present information on OVC’s efforts to address the focus area issue.
  • Delivering regular updates/reports for the OVC Grants Manager outlining the activities completed (frequency to be negotiated with OVC depending on the level of effort proposed).
  • Collaborating with OVC internal groups, such as the OVC Human Trafficking Division and the OVC Communities of Color Working Group (COCWG), to highlight ongoing work to increase the capacity and availability of strength-based, culturally responsive interventions and victim services for underserved communities.
  • Traveling to support the execution of fellowship activities and deliverables as proposed and/or required by OVC.
  • Assisting OVC on other special projects within the scope of the award, at OVC’s direction.

Funding Information

• Anticipated Total Amount to be Awarded Under This Solicitation: $400,000
• Anticipated Maximum Dollar Amount per Award: $400,000
• Period of Performance Start Date: October 1, 2024
• Period of Performance Duration (Months): Up to 36
• Anticipated Number of Awards: 1

Eligibility Criteria

• Individuals
• Applicants must be U.S. citizens.
• Organizations are not eligible to apply.
• OVC may choose to fund applications submitted under this FY 2024 solicitation in future fiscal years, dependent on, among other considerations, the merit of the applications and the availability of appropriations.

For more information, visit Grants.gov.