Beginning December 22, 2025, researchers may not procure, operate, or otherwise use drones (unmanned aircraft systems, or UAS) manufactured or assembled by covered foreign entities in the performance of any federally funded contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements.
Prohibited Drones in Federally Funded Research
The use of any drones that are manufactured or assembled by a covered foreign entity as defined by the American Security Drone Act of 2023 is prohibited in federally funded research. These entities include, but are not limited to:
- DJI (Da Jiang Innovations, Shenzhen, China)
- Autel Robotics (China-based manufacturer)
Affected researchers will be contacted as entities are added to the list.
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If building your own drones, it is best practice to cease purchasing any drone equipment from the covered foreign entities by December 22, 2025. If you are using drones with parts manufactured by a covered foreign entity, or have other questions about your specific situation, contact Research Compliance (research-compliance-help@mit.edu).
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Any use of a covered foreign entity drone in the performance of a federally funded contract, grant, or cooperative agreement—regardless of whether the activity is research, testing, or ancillary support—is not permitted after December 22, 2025.
- Example: Using a DJI drone for flight training before switching to a compliant drone for federally funded fieldwork would still violate the prohibition.
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Data collected prior to December 22, 2025, may be used in federally funded research projects unless otherwise directed by the sponsor. However, no additional federally funded research may use covered foreign entity drones after the prohibition date.
Identifying Compliant Alternatives
- The Research Compliance team (research-compliance-help@mit.edu) can advise on known compliant vendors and models.
- Procurement staff can assist in vetting specific UAS before purchase.
Applicability to Non-Federally Funded Projects, Education, and Personal Use
The prohibition applies specifically to federally funded research contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements. The prohibition does not extend to:
- Non-federally funded projects (e.g., industry-sponsored or MIT-internal research)
- Personal use
- Educational or teaching activities that are not part of federally sponsored research
However, in the interest of risk management and with future research uses in mind, researchers may wish to consider alignment with federal standards even when federal funding is not involved. Any UAS use must comply with all federal, state, and local rules governing safety, security, and airspace compliance. For more information on MIT’s Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) policies, visit the EHS Unmanned Aircraft page.
Updated November 5, 2025