NIJ FY 2026 Research and Evaluation on Drones as First Responders
Funds rigorous research and evaluation of drones as first responders for law enforcement implementations, including existing programs and new pilot demonstrations, for local government law enforcement collaborations.
RESTRICTED TO: STATE LOCAL GOV
⚑ Eligibility is limited to other units of local government; a public state university cannot apply directly. · Focus is on operational evaluation of law-enforcement drone deployment, not general drone research. · Law enforcement agencies may retain purchased DFR technology at the study’s conclusion.
Unit fits — one characterization, each unit's own rules
| Tom Love Innovation Hub | 25 weak | prototyping/demonstration stage; deep-tech content |
| IPPRA | 15 none | university cannot apply directly (ineligible) |
| Physical Sciences & Engineering (demo) | 15 none | university cannot apply directly (ineligible) |
Description
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.
Eligibility
Other Units of Local Government
Apply
View on Grants.gov → CONTACT: National Institute of Justice <OJP.ResponseCenter@usdoj.gov>
Proposal brief SEE AN EXAMPLE →
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Proposal shell · Federal (generic) conventions SEE A FEDERAL EXAMPLE →
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