Howard and Carol Safir Foundation Public Safety Initiative Grant Program

The Howard and Carol Safir Foundation Public Safety Initiative, in collaboration with the University of Virginia’s Center for Public Safety and Justice (CPSJ), invites proposals for a new grant program aimed at advancing innovative public safety solutions. The initiative seeks to fund forward-thinking, practice-oriented projects that introduce new strategies to address critical and evolving public safety challenges. The grant program commemorates the public service legacy of Howard Safir, whose career included leadership roles as New York City Police and Fire Commissioner, as well as senior positions in the U.S. Marshals Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration. He was known for promoting data-informed, community-centered safety strategies, and this initiative continues that legacy by supporting innovative ideas with measurable impact potential. The Safir Foundation and UVA CPSJ will fund three “Innovation Labs,” each representing a major theme from Mr. Safir’s public safety work: Urban Policing, Drug Enforcement, and Cross-Jurisdictional Collaboration. Each selected project will receive up to $50,000 over a two-year period. Awardees will also participate in a Public Safety Innovation Symposium hosted by UVA, where they will present their findings and methods to an audience of peers, public safety officials, and researchers from across the U.S. The initiative emphasizes real-world application over policy discussions or general research. Funding must support the innovation work directly tied to each Lab. Projects within the Urban Policing Lab may include initiatives to enhance crime prevention, community engagement, and quality of life in urban areas, using science and data to improve investigative techniques and case clearance rates. The Drug Enforcement Lab welcomes projects targeting the illicit drug trade, with potential topics such as cryptocurrency in trafficking, drug delivery innovations, intelligence gathering, or forensics. The Cross-Jurisdictional Collaboration Lab seeks innovations to improve coordination across law enforcement agencies, including new joint task forces, witness protection strategies, or international law enforcement collaboration. Eligibility is open to federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, nonprofit organizations, accredited universities (including faculty and doctoral students), and private sector firms. Each proposal must focus on one Innovation Lab and demonstrate the potential to deliver impactful, actionable improvements in the field of public safety. Proposals that are general convenings or research-only efforts will not be supported. Interested applicants must submit a letter of interest using the provided template by May 1, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET to Jenna Tyler, Research Scientist at UVA’s CPSJ. Finalists will be invited to submit a full proposal by June 19, 2026. Proposals are limited to 10,000 words and must include key components such as contact information, an executive summary, a clear articulation of the problem, measurable project objectives, a work plan, and a budget summary. Multiple submissions are allowed, but each must be unique and focused on a single Lab. Proposals will be evaluated on a 100-point scale across five categories: innovation alignment, problem identification, objectives, work plan feasibility, and overall readiness. Awards will be announced by July 31, 2026, with funds disbursed in two phases—half at the start and the remainder after six months upon demonstration of project progress. Questions can be directed to Jenna Tyler at [email protected].