The U.S. Department of Homeland Security released the Fiscal Year 2023 Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention Grant Program Notice of Funding Opportunity.
The program, run by both the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the DHS Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships, assists local communities with efforts to prevent targeted violence and terrorism, according to a March 7 news release. Projects administered by states, local communities, Tribes, territorial governments, nonprofits and colleges are funded by CP3, with the total amount approximately $20 million.
“DHS is fundamentally a department of partnerships and through the TVTP Grant Program, we provide our partners with the resources and support they need to establish effective local projects that seek to prevent targeted violence and terrorism,” Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas said in the release. “Over the past three years, CP3 has invested $50 million in communities across the United States. Our partners work to increase social awareness, establish local networks and provide training to community members to prevent potential tragedies.”
Applications must be submitted via Grants.gov and will be accepted until April 25, the release reported. DHS will notify the winning recipients in September.
The TVTP Grant Program is a critical aspect of the DHS's work to guard against terrorism threats, which have evolved significantly over the last 20 years, the release reported. The most persistent terror threat to the U.S. is from lone offenders and small groups inspired by a variety of violent extremist beliefs both domestic and foreign.
Domestic violence-based terrorism is now considered one of the greatest terrorist threats to the U.S. and has become a critical point for the DHS' counterterrorism efforts, according to the release.
"DHS remains focused on the threat posed by foreign terrorist organizations, who continue to motivate supporters, including homegrown violent extremists, to carry out attacks in the United States, both within and from beyond our borders," the release said.
The TVTP Grant Program is the only federal grant program solely focused on promoting neighborhood-level initiatives to prevent violence and terrorism, according to the release. The DHS assists communities by providing financing and training, raising public awareness and forming relationships between multiple tiers of government.
"Leveraging an approach informed by public health research, CP3 brings together mental health providers, educators, faith leaders, public health officials, social services, nonprofits and others in communities across the country to help people from heading down the pathway to violence and intervening prior to them committing violent attacks," the release said. "The TVTP Grant Program provides financial assistance to eligible applicants to develop sustainable, multidisciplinary targeted violence and terrorism prevention capabilities in local communities, to pilot innovative prevention approaches and to identify prevention best practices that can be replicated in communities across the country."
