NIJ FY 2026 Research and Evaluation on Drones as First Responders

At a glance

NIJ FY 2026 Research and Evaluation on Drones as First Responders is an open federal grant opportunity from the National Institute of Justice (Department of Justice). Applications are due November 30, 2026. Individual awards are listed as up to $3.5M, with about 6 awards expected and $3.5M in total estimated funding. Applicant types listed as eligible include state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, independent school districts and 10 more. Cost sharing is not required. It is funded under Assistance Listing 16.560 (National Institute of Justice Research, Evaluation, and Development Project Grants).

Summary assembled from the official notice's fields. The official notice governs.

Who can apply

State governments

County governments

City or township governments

Special district governments

Independent school districts

Public colleges & universities

Federally recognized tribal governments

Public & Indian housing authorities

Native American tribal organizations

501(c)(3) nonprofits

Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status

Private colleges & universities

For-profit organizations (not small businesses)

Small businesses

Others (see notice)

Additional information on eligibility (from the notice)

Other Units of Local Government

Can your organization apply?

A quick check against the listed applicant types — other requirements in the notice still apply.

Based on the published notice. Review the official notice for complete eligibility requirements.

What it funds

Official synopsis as published by the agency, formatted for readability.

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.

Quick answers

When is the deadline for “NIJ FY 2026 Research and Evaluation on Drones as First Responders”?

According to the official notice, applications are due November 30, 2026. Confirm the deadline and submission time on Grants.gov before applying.

Who is eligible to apply for “NIJ FY 2026 Research and Evaluation on Drones as First Responders”?

The official notice names these applicant types as eligible: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public colleges & universities, Federally recognized tribal governments, Public & Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations, 501(c)(3) nonprofits, Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status, Private colleges & universities and 3 more. Additional restrictions may apply; review the full notice.

How much funding is available through “NIJ FY 2026 Research and Evaluation on Drones as First Responders”?

Per the notice, individual awards are listed as up to $3.5m, total estimated program funding is $3,500,000 and the agency expects to make about 6 awards.

How do I apply for “NIJ FY 2026 Research and Evaluation on Drones as First Responders”?

Applications are submitted through the official source, not through GrantsJunction. Open the official notice on Grants.gov (opportunity O-NIJ-2026-172805), and review the full announcement and application package. Organizations applying through Grants.gov generally need an active SAM.gov registration and a Grants.gov account, which can take several weeks to set up.

Related open opportunities

Matched on shared Assistance Listings, agency, categories and eligible applicant types.

OpenALN 16.560