Face recognition technology uses artificial intelligence to identify images of people captured by a camera or appearing on the internet. The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) started funding face detection and recognition research in 1996 and has played a key role over the years in its advancement. This article provides an overview of NIJ's support for building new face algorithms and creating programs to evaluate and compare their effectiveness. It also details NIJ's close partnership with other federal entities to help shape the scope of face analysis tool development by identifying high-value applications and spotting potential risks and benefits.