Frequently Asked Questions
If you have a question about the National Crime Victims' Service Award nomination process, first review the frequently asked questions below. If you do not find the answer to your question below, please contact the OVC Resource Center by phone at 800–851–3420 or email at ncvrwawards@ncjrs.gov.
General Questions
- When may I submit my nomination?
- When will the award recipients be announced?
- What are the terms of the award?
- How should I send in my application?
- What is considered a team nomination?
- Will each member of the winning team or group award receive an award plaque?
Questions from Nominators
- Is the person I'm nominating eligible to receive an award?
- What kind of information about the nominator do you need?
- May I nominate a candidate for multiple awards?
- The candidate I nominated last year did not receive an award. May I nominate this person again?
- Am I responsible for submitting all of the nominee's pertinent information?
- Should I fill out a separate nomination form for each individual in the nominated group?
- What is the difference between the nominee name and the plaque name?
- Why does the nominee have to fill the rest of the nomination form?
About the Online System
- Can I save my nomination and return later to submit it?
- How do I attach supporting documents to the nomination form?
The Nomination Process and Award Notifications
- How will the nominee know they also need to fill out information?
- Will OVC notify the nominee if he or she is not selected for an award?
- Will OVC notify me when my nomination package is received?
- Why will the selected nominee's Social Security number be requested?
- Who is allowed on stage during the National Crime Victims' Service Awards Ceremony?
When may I submit my nomination?
Nominations typically begin in the summer and close in the fall each year.
Nominators are encouraged to make their nominations well in advance of the deadline to allow the nominees time to review the application and submit the remaining information to OVC.
When will the award recipients be announced?
The recipients are announced each year at the National Crime Victims’ Service Awards Ceremony. OVC staff will notify award recipients with enough time to make travel arrangements prior to the ceremony. The nominees that are not elected
to move forward through the tiered review process will be notified, as well.
View the award gallery to learn about past recipients and their accomplishments.
What are the terms of the award?
By completing and submitting their part of the nomination form, the nominee agrees to—
- participate in all National Crime Victims’ Service Awards Ceremony events taking place in Washington, D.C. Award recipients’ 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.
How should I send in my application?
All nominations should be submitted online. If you experience problems submitting the nomination online or accessing the online nomination form, contact the OVC Resource Center by phone at 800-851-3420 or email at ncvrwawards@ncjrs.gov
What is considered a team nomination?
Please proceed with a team nomination if you are interested in nominating a group of individuals who work on a specific project or work for a particular organization. Only one nomination letter is required for the entire group. The online nomination form will provide space for all pertinent information for each individual in the group. View a sample team nomination submission.
Will each member of the winning team or group award receive an award plaque?
No. Only one award plaque will be given to a group. If you are nominating a group of individuals for work on a specific project, please indicate the project title or organization name on each nomination form submitted for individuals in the group being nominated. This information will appear on the award plaque.
Is the person I'm nominating eligible to receive an award?
Please review the Eligibility Requirements and the questions that should be addressed in your Nomination Letter to determine the eligibility of your nominee.
What kind of information about the nominator do you need?
OVC needs the nominator's personal contact information, including their mailing address, email address, and telephone number. This information is used to send notifications to the nominator and to verify information in the submission.
May I nominate a candidate for multiple awards?
No. You may not nominate the same individuals, programs, organizations, teams, or coalition of individuals and programs for more than one award category.
The candidate I nominated last year did not receive an award. May I nominate this person again?
Yes. Candidates nominated, but not selected, in previous years are eligible for consideration. Previous award winners, however, are not eligible for subsequent awards (regardless of the award category).
Am I responsible for submitting all of the nominee's pertinent information?
No. As a nominator, you are only required to complete the nominator's section of the online form, which includes your contact information, the nominee's name and email address, award category, abstract, and nomination letter. The nominee will be notified via email to submit the remainder of the required information. See Preparation Tips.
Should I fill out a separate nomination form for each individual in the nominated group?
If you are nominating a group of individuals who work on a specific project, you are required to fill out only one nomination form for the entire group. The online nomination form allows you to add additional team members information to your form.
What is the difference between the nominee name and the plaque name?
The nominee name should be the full name of the person you wish to nominate for an award. If the nominee has a nickname that they would want to appear on the plaque, that name should be submitted as the plaque name. If you are nominating a group of individuals, be sure to keep the plaque name consistent on all forms.
Why does the nominee have to fill out the rest of the nomination form?
By logging in and completing the remaining part of the nomination form, the nominee is acknowledging the nomination submission and the terms of the award. By completing and submitting their part of the nomination form, the nominee agrees to—
- participate in all National Crime Victims’ Service Awards Ceremony events taking place in Washington, D.C. Award recipients’ 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 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.
Can I save my nomination and return later to submit it?
No. For this reason, please review all submission guidelines and compose your nomination letter and abstract prior to initiating the submission process. See Preparation Tips.
How do I attach supporting documents to the nomination form?
After you fill out the required fields, you can attach documents to support your submission. All supplementary information may not exceed 10 pages and each file cannot exceed 5 mega bytes (mb) in size.
For more tips and details, review the guidelines or view sample Individual and Group Nomination Forms.
How will the nominee know they also need to fill out information?
After you make your submission—which should include the nominee's email address—an automatic notification is sent to the nominee. The email notification will contain a username and password that the nominee can then use to access the submission you filled out, review it, and then complete the rest of the form.
Will OVC notify the nominee if he or she is not selected for an award?
Yes. If a nominee is not selected to move forward through the tiered review process, OVC will send notification.
Will OVC notify me when my nomination is received?
Yes. You will receive an automated reply confirming your successful submission.
Why will the selected nominee's Social Security number be requested?
A member of the OVC staff will contact the selected nominee for their date of birth and Social Security number. The U.S. Department of Justice will use the Social Security number to conduct a background check of all nominees who move forward in the selection process.
Who is allowed on stage to accept the award during the National Crime Victims' Service Awards Ceremony?
All individuals and members of a team, program, or organization who have a received and passed a background check will be allowed to appear on stage. The background check is conducted during the selection phase of the nomination process.