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Federal Closing soon GRANTS-GOV-364139

NIJ FY 2026 Research and Evaluation on Drones as First Responders

National Institute of Justice (USDOJ) · Competitive grant · Science & Technology

At a glance

NIJ FY 2026 Research and Evaluation on Drones as First Responders is a federal competitive grant from National Institute of Justice for the science & technology sector. Funding is up to $3.5M. Eligible applicants: State governments; Public and State controlled institutions of higher education; Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; Small businesses; Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized); Nonprof. The application deadline is November 30, 2026. Apply via the official listing at www.grants.gov.

Amount
Up to $3.5M
Deadline
Nov 30, 2026
Type
Competitive
Status
Closing soon

About this program

This is a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for the NIJ FY 2026 Research and Evaluation on Drones as First Responders. This opportunity seeks proposals for rigorous evaluations of implementations of drone technology to combat violent crime, immigration enforcement, and other law enforcement activities. The goal of this NOFO is to provide actionable information about police implementation of small drones through a collaboration between law enforcement agencies and researchers. NIJ welcomes research and evaluation of drones as first responders (DFR) capabilities, including evaluation of existing capabilities or pilot programs at police departments already using DFR, as well as implementation of new pilot programs or demonstrations. NIJ expects research entities and law enforcement agencies to collaborate on implementing DFR and evaluating operational performance. Law enforcement agencies participating in evaluations will have the option to retain any DFR technology purchased through the NOFO at the study’s conclusion.

Who can apply

State governments; Public and State controlled institutions of higher education; Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; Small businesses; Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized); Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education; Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification); County governments; Special district governments; Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education; Independent school districts; Private institutions of higher education; Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments); For profit organizations other than small businesses; City or township governments. Other Units of Local Government

How to apply

Apply through Grants.gov using funding opportunity number O-NIJ-2026-172805. Register your organization (SAM.gov + Grants.gov) before the deadline, then submit the application package listed in the official notice.

Apply at official source