Howard and Carol Safir Foundation and UVA Seek Proposals for the Public Safety Research Initiative Grant Program

The University of Virginia Center for Public Safety and Justice and the Howard and Carol Safir Foundation are Seeking Proposals for a New Public Safety Research Initiative Grant Program  

The University of Virginia’s Center for Public Safety and Justice, in partnership with the Howard and Carol Safir Foundation, is pleased to invite proposals for the Howard and Carol Safir Foundation Public Safety Research Initiative Grant Program. This forward-leaning effort is designed to support the development of practical, innovative solutions to urgent and complex challenges in public safety today.  

The Foundation's Public Safety Research Initiative Grant Program plans to award three research grants, one grant dedicated to each of the following categories: (1) Urban Policing, (2) Drug Enforcement, and (3) Cross-Jurisdictional Collaboration. Each selected project will receive up to $50,000 over a two-year period and will culminate in a Public Safety Innovation Symposium hosted at UVA. At the symposium, grantees will share findings, insights and tools with an audience of researchers, public safety leaders, and practitioners from across the country.  

Background 

This initiative honors the legacy of Howard Safir, a transformational public safety leader whose distinguished career spanned more than three decades. Mr. Safir served as New York City’s Police Commissioner and Fire Commissioner and held senior leadership roles in the U.S. Marshals Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Throughout his public service, he was widely respected for championing innovative, data-informed, and community-centered strategies that strengthened public trust, improved outcomes, and elevated standards across agencies. 

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To carry forward Mr. Safir’s legacy of leadership and service, the Safir family - led by his wife Carol Safir and children Jennifer and Adam Safir - established the Howard and Carol Safir Foundation and partnered with the Center to advance his vision for public safety grounded in excellence, innovation and impact. This call for proposals represents the first major funding opportunity under the initiative. 

The mission of UVA’s Center for Public Safety and Justice is to challenge and shape future public safety leaders and key stakeholders to improve public service and strengthen community wellbeing in a diverse and rapidly changing world. The Center addresses complex public safety challenges through education, collaboration, research, innovation and stronger public service and communities.  

Establishment of Innovation Labs 

The initiative is anchored by three Innovation Labs, each representing a core area of Mr. Safir’s public safety priorities. Selected proposals will be aligned with one of the following Labs: 

• Urban Policing Lab: This Lab will support research and actionable strategies focused on crime prevention, public engagement, and enhancing the quality of life in urban communities. Proposals may address issues such as unlawful ATV and dirt bike gatherings, facial recognition use in investigations, police response to autonomous vehicles, strategies for improving case clearance rates and practical applications of science, technology and/or data that reduce crime victimization through technology and data. New topics and ideas are welcome.
• Drug Enforcement Lab: This Lab will support research and actionable strategies to disrupt the illicit drug trade and reduce its impact on communities. Topics may include the use of cryptocurrency in trafficking, evolving drug delivery methods, improving intelligence-gathering practices, informant management, forensics, and lawful intercept of drug trafficking communications. New topics and ideas are welcome.
• Advancing Safety and Justice Across Jurisdictions Lab: This Lab will support research and actionable strategies that focus on interagency coordination and cross-jurisdictional collaboration. Proposals may include the development of new types of joint task forces, approaches to protecting public officials, apprehending fugitives, safeguarding witnesses, or strategies for international law enforcement partnerships. New topics and ideas are welcome.   

Applicants are expected to use the funding to support the practical innovation work of their lab, rather than on general convenings, caucuses, or policy deliberations. 

Eligible Recipients  

Eligible recipients of a Howard and Carol Safir Foundation Public Safety Research Initiative Grant include federal, state, or local law enforcement agencies, colleges/universities (includes faculty and PhD students), nonprofit organizations, and private sector firms.  

Submission Requirements 

• Proposals must be no more than 10,000 words (approximately ten single-spaced pages) and must include the following components:
• Contact information for the submitting individual or organization
• Identification of the selected Innovation Lab and proposed topic
• Executive summary
• Statement of the problem or issue being addressed
• Project objectives, research questions, and intended outcomes
• Detailed research plan
• Budget summary (not to exceed $50,000)
• Applicants may submit proposals to more than one Innovation Lab, but each submission must be unique and focused on a single lab topic.
• Finalists may be asked to provide additional information in writing or through oral interviews.
• Proposals must be submitted via email to Jenna Tyler at jenna.tyler@virginia.edu by 11:59 pm EST on November 10, 2025. 

Scoring 

All submissions will be reviewed by a Research Selection Committee convened by the Center. Final funding decisions will be made in consultation with UVA’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies to ensure strategic alignment, practical impact, and feasibility. The Research Selection Committee will score each proposal based on the following criteria: 

Award Notification 

Awardees will be notified by January 30, 2026. 

Questions 

For questions regarding proposal preparation or submission, please contact Jenna Tyler, UVA Center for Public Safety and Justice Research Scientist, at jenna.tyler@virginia.edu.