HUD Office of Policy Development and Research — Housing Policy Research Grant
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development — Office of Policy Development and Research
$100K–$1.5M
Fund housing research that shapes federal policy
HUD's PD&R office funds cooperative agreement research that directly informs national housing policy. The $8M FY2026 cycle targets housing affordability, homelessness, fair housing, community development, and mortgage markets. For-profit research firms, consulting companies, and small businesses with housing research expertise are eligible alongside universities and nonprofits.
- Funding type
- Grant
- Level
- Federal
- Amount range
- $100,000 – $1,500,000
- Realistic amount
- Most awards cluster between $300K–$900K. Larger awards ($1M+) typically go to multi-site or longitudinal studies.
- Deadline
- June 1, 2026
- Status
- active
- States
- Nationwide
- Payment model
- reimbursement
Who qualifies
- U.S.-based organizations are eligible, including for-profit firms and small businesses
- Must have demonstrated expertise and capacity to conduct rigorous housing policy research
- Eligible types include: universities, nonprofits, state/local governments, and commercial research organizations
- SAM.gov UEI registration required before award
- Grants.gov account required for submission
- Research must align with HUD PD&R priority areas (affordability, homelessness, fair housing, mortgage markets, community development)
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Research personnel: researchers, economists, data scientists, analysts
- Survey design, data collection, and database development
- Secondary data acquisition and licensing
- Statistical analysis software and computing resources
- Fieldwork and site visits
- Subcontracts to specialized research partners
- Dissemination: reports, publications, policy briefs
- Indirect/overhead costs at negotiated rate or 10% de minimis
Ineligible expenses
- Research not tied to HUD's stated priority areas
- Advocacy, lobbying, or political activities
- Construction, renovation, or capital equipment unrelated to research
- Profit markup beyond negotiated indirect cost rate for pass-throughs
How to apply
-
1
Register in SAM.gov
Obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and complete SAM.gov registration. Allow at least 30 days — most common cause of missed deadlines for first-time federal applicants.
~4 hrs
-
2
Review NOFO and attend webinar
Read the full Notice of Funding Opportunity (PDR-2600-DC-029M) on Grants.gov. Watch or attend the HUD webinar for clarifications on scope and evaluation criteria.
~5 hrs
-
3
Develop research proposal
Write a technical proposal including research questions, methodology, data sources, timeline, and how findings will directly inform housing policy. HUD weighs policy relevance heavily.
~60 hrs
-
4
Prepare budget and organizational documents
Complete SF-424, detailed budget justification, past performance examples, and key personnel CVs. For-profit firms should include indirect cost rate or NICRA if applicable.
~12 hrs
-
5
Submit via Grants.gov
Upload complete application package under opportunity PDR-2600-DC-029M by 11:59 PM ET on June 1, 2026. Confirm submission receipt email.
~2 hrs
HUD PD&R specifically wants research that produces actionable policy findings — not purely academic work. Proposals that describe how findings will be translated into HUD program guidance or regulatory recommendations score significantly higher. Small consulting firms win consistently when they partner with a university co-PI for methodological credibility. Check huduser.gov for past-award synopses to understand favored research designs before writing.
Deadline & timing
Applications due 11:59 PM Eastern Time on June 1, 2026. HUD held a webinar on May 7, 2026 for prospective applicants — recording typically posted on HUD USER.
Programs that stack well
- Nsf Social Behavioral Sciences
- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Housing
- Enterprise Community Partners Grants
Related programs
Last reviewed 2026. GrantCompass is an independent funding-discovery tool and is not affiliated with any government agency. Always confirm details on the official program page.