Overview
Before you fill out the nomination form, be sure to review all of the requirements below.
- Nominator Guidelines. First review the eligibility requirements. If the individual, group, or organization you wish to nominate is eligible, you will need to gather essential information about the nominee, write an abstract, and compose a Nomination Letter to support your nomination.
- Nominee Guidelines. If you have been nominated for an award, be sure to complete the nominee steps to keep your nomination process moving. The nomination will not be considered without your complete information.
Nominator Guidelines
Essential Information
Each nomination must include the nominee's full name and email address. An automatic email notification will be sent to nominees so that they can complete their part of the submission. If you are nominating an organization, program or team, please provide the name and email address of the individual(s) who would accept the award on behalf of the organization.
Each nomination must also include a 100-word or less abstract that summarizes the nominee's accomplishments and your reason for nominating this individual, program, or organization.
Sample Abstract
Jane Doe has made her unique program a reality for crime victims in Somewhere County and elsewhere in the U.S. She has paved the way for her nontraditional agency of advocate teams to expand across the nation. Jane's program has made an impact primarily in the field of sex crimes against young victims, but her method is now being used for victims of different crimes and ages. Jane’s hard work has improved the criminal justice process for victims by bringing about a positive change of attitude in the system and much needed reforms.
Nomination Letters
Each nomination must be accompanied by a letter that reflects as much as you know about the nominee's accomplishments and work to support crime victims.
Review the Nomination Letters page to help you understand what should be included in your letter. When drafting your letter, assume that the selection committee is completely unfamiliar with the work of the nominee.
Supporting Documentation (Voluntary)
You have the opportunity to upload additional materials that support your nomination. This is not required, but encouraged. Consider uploading your nominee's resume/CV, news articles about the nominee's work, other awards the nominee has received in the past, letters of support, or any other related materials that you feel support your nomination.
Note: each nominee will also have the opportunity to add supporting documentation.
Nominee Guidelines
Essential Information
Your submission must include your full name, title, affiliation, address, telephone number, and email address. If your application for nomination is accepted, an OVC staff member will contact you with the next steps for your nomination in the award process.
Supporting Documentation (Voluntary)
Each nominee has the opportunity to upload attachments that support their nomination. This is not required, but encouraged. If the nominator has not already included them, consider uploading a resume or CV, news articles about your work, other awards you or your team has received in the past, letters of support, or related materials.
Assume that the selection committee is completely unfamiliar with your work.
Information OVC May Request From Nominees
As the nominee, you may be required to provide your date of birth and Social Security number, which the U.S. Department of Justice will use to conduct a background check.
Note: Your date of birth and Social Security number do not need to be provided until requested by OVC.
Acceptance Agreement
If this nomination is chosen for consideration—
The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), a component of the Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, is authorized to contact the nominee for his or her date of birth and Social Security number in order to initiate a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) name check. This information is needed to provide enough identifying data to allow a search of FBI records and federal, state, and local law enforcement civil and criminal records. The results of the name check are used to assist OVC in making a determination of suitability or eligibility to receive a National Crime Victims' Service Award. Furnishing this information is voluntary; however, if a nominee chooses not to provide it, the refusal may result in a determination of ineligibility to receive a National Crime Victims' Service Award. To participate on stage in the awards ceremony, award recipients (for both individual and team awards) and accompanying officials must provide the same information for a name check upon request.
If chosen for an award, the nominee agrees to—
- participate in all National Crime Victims’ Service Awards Ceremony events taking place in Washington, D.C. The award recipient's travel expenses will be reimbursed within Federal Government guidelines. For group nominations, expenses will be reimbursed for a maximum of two nominees.
- the general use by the media and posting to Federal Government component websites and social media platforms of their photographic portraits or pictures, digital images, videotapes, other media material, and sound recordings. The media will be invited to participate in all events associated with National Crime Victims’ Rights Week.
- the public dissemination of their biographical information, including award-related personal and/or professional stories.