ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS · GRANT
NIJ FY 2026 Research and Evaluation on Drones as First Responders
- Deadline
- Nov 30, 2026 (37 days left)
- Who can apply
- Others
- Award range
- $0 to $3.5 million
- Expected awards
- 6
- Total program funding
- $3.5 million
- Your own money required
- No cost sharing or matching required
- Opportunity number
- O-NIJ-2026-172805
- Posted
- Oct 22, 2026
- Assistance listing
- 16.560
More on who can apply
Other Units of Local Government
What it funds
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.
Open the official notice on Grants.gov ↗What to do next
- Open the official notice on Grants.gov and download the full announcement (the NOFO) and any attachments.
- Check you can apply: the eligible applicants above, and any detail in the notice's eligibility section.
- Register your organization in SAM.gov (choose "all awards") and create a Grants.gov account; allow several weeks the first time.
- Apply through Grants.gov exactly as the notice says, before Nov 30, 2026. Late applications are usually not accepted.
New to this? Applying for a federal grant, step by step · Register to apply · How to read the notice · Write the narrative · Build the budget · Agency contact: OJP.ResponseCenter@usdoj.gov
From Grants.gov's official daily extract of Oct 25, 2026. The notice on Grants.gov and its attachments are what count. UX Contract is independent and not a government website.