U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

Personal protective equipment

Body Armor Performance Standards and Compliance Testing

Body Armor Manufacturer Workshop

NIJ’s online workshop for body armor manufacturers has been postponed from its original date of March 19. The webinar will provide updates on standards and conformity assessment activities related to ballistic-resistant body armor and include opportunities to ask questions.

Read the Federal Register announcement to learn more about this workshop and how to attend.

National Institute of Justice Body Armor Challenge: How Long Does Body Armor Really Last?

On this page find:

Challenge Winner (Phase II)

In the U.S. Department of Justice’s first ever Challenge competition, the winning team for NIJ’s Body Armor Challenge was from Purdue University’s school of Aeronautics and Astronautics Engineering.  The team received a $25,000 prize for proposing a concept for testing the...

NIJ FY 13 The Impact of Safety Equipment Modalities on Reducing Correctional Officer Injuries

Closing Date
NIJ seeks proposals to conduct research on differences in safety equipment modalities; that is, policies and practices among correctional agencies regarding what safety equipment staff may use, when and how it may be used, and how those modalities affect officers' physical safety. For the purpose of this solicitation, safety equipment is defined as equipment used by correctional officers to protect them from assaults and to...

NIJ FY 12 The Impact of Different Safety Equipment Modalities on Reducing Correctional Officer Injuries

Closing Date
NIJ seeks proposals to conduct comparative evaluations of safety equipment modalities; that is, policies and practices among correctional agencies regarding what safety equipment staff may use, when and how staff may use it, and how those modalities affect officers' physical safety. For the purpose of this solicitation, safety equipment is defined as equipment used by correctional officers to de-escalate and stop violent and disruptive activities...

NIJ FY 12 Evaluating the Impact of the NIJ Body Armor Program

Closing Date
NIJ seeks proposals for funding to conduct an evaluation of the impact of NIJ's body armor research program on law enforcement policy and practice in the United States beginning with the program's inception in the early 1970s through today. This program involves the development of improved body armor. It also involves the development of standards to measure the performance of body armor and a testing...

NIJ FY 11 Body Armor Standards Research for Criminal Justice Applications

Closing Date

NIJ is seeking applications for funding research to assist in developing improved methods for testing the performance of body armor. This solicitation specifically seeks proposals for research to support the revision of NIJ Standard-0115.00 Stab Resistance of Personal Body Armor. It also seeks proposals for research to determine the effect of wearing "soft" armor on the core body temperature of the individual wearing it.​