Research, Evaluation, and Demonstrations

The Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of Policy Development and Research runs the Research, Evaluation, and Demonstrations program (CFDA 14.536), which is not currently active. The program funds research, evaluations, and demonstration projects focused on housing policy, disaster recovery, homebuilding innovations, and housing-related interventions, with awards structured as cooperative agreements where HUD maintains active involvement throughout the project period.

Recent grant activity is minimal. The portfolio records only one award dating to September 2019—Cooperative Agreement H21679CA for $838 thousand obligated—focused on research and evaluations, demonstrations, and data analysis. No awards have been disbursed in the past seven years. The program is managed by the Department of Housing and Urban Development Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research, which has been the sole funder of all tracked awards.

Despite the program's inactive status, multiple grant opportunities have been posted recently under this CFDA line. Two opportunities remain open with approaching deadlines: the Mass Market Solutions for Leveraging Robotics and AI Technologies for Home Construction Demonstration (Solicitation PDR-2600-DC-029Q, due July 13, 2026) seeks demonstration projects testing automation, robotics, and artificial intelligence in factory-built housing to accelerate construction, reduce costs, and increase housing supply, eligible to for-profit organizations, higher education institutions, small businesses, and nonprofits; and the Housing Policy Research Grant Notice of Funding Opportunity (Solicitation PDR-2600-DC-029M, Phase 1 due June 1, 2026, Phase 2 due July 20, 2026) funds quality research projects on U.S. housing policy that generate actionable evidence for policymakers and communities, open to institutions of higher education, nonprofits, and for-profit organizations, with explicit encouragement for Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities. Earlier posted opportunities address eviction dynamics, office-to-residential conversions, homeownership gaps, homelessness interventions, and rent policy experiments. All awards are made as cooperative agreements requiring applicants to demonstrate expertise in housing programs, knowledge of HUD initiatives, and relevant research capability.