HEAL Initiative: Justice Community Opioid Innovation Network (JCOIN) Coordination and Translation Center (U2C Clinical Trial Optional) | RFA DA 19 024

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA DA 19 024

The HEAL Initiative: Justice Community Opioid Innovation Network (JCOIN) Coordination and Translation Center opportunity (RFA-DA-19-024) is a National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institutes of Health (NIH) cooperative agreement designed to strengthen the national response to the opioid crisis at the point where the justice system and community-based health care intersect. The core idea behind this funding is that jails, prisons, probation, parole, and other justice settings routinely come into contact with people who have opioid use disorder and related health needs, yet these systems often struggle to connect individuals to effective, evidence-based prevention, treatment, and recovery supports. By building a national consortium of investigators and partners, JCOIN is intended to test, refine, and spread promising interventions and operational approaches that help justice settings respond more effectively to the opioid epidemic while improving linkage to community care.

This particular award focuses on creating a single Coordination and Translation Center for the JCOIN network. In practice, that means the funded organization would serve as the backbone or hub that supports and aligns the network’s research and implementation activities. A coordination center role typically includes functions like facilitating communication across multiple research sites and stakeholder groups, setting up common processes and timelines, supporting consistent data collection and management practices, helping ensure studies are conducted efficiently and ethically in justice settings, and making it easier for researchers and justice and health partners to work together. The “translation” component signals that the center is not only meant to support research operations, but also to help move findings into practice by packaging results, producing usable tools and guidance, and promoting adoption of effective strategies by justice agencies and community health systems.

The opportunity is issued as a cooperative agreement, which is a funding mechanism used when the federal agency expects to have substantial involvement during the project. Rather than operating as a hands-off grant, a cooperative agreement generally involves active collaboration with NIDA program staff on planning, coordination, performance goals, and other key aspects of the work. The listing also notes “Clinical Trial Optional,” meaning applicants may propose activities that include a clinical trial, but they are not required to do so. The overall activity category is education and health, reflecting that the center is expected to support both knowledge generation and the practical dissemination of that knowledge.

In terms of scale, the award ceiling is listed at $2,500,000, with one expected award, indicating this was structured as a single national center rather than multiple parallel hubs. The eligible applicant pool is broad and includes state, county, and city governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); small businesses; and other entities as allowed by the additional eligibility language in the full announcement. This wide eligibility reflects the cross-sector nature of the problem, where effective solutions often require coordination among justice agencies, health providers, researchers, community organizations, and policymakers.

Administratively, the opportunity sits within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, NIH, with CFDA numbers 93.273 and 93.279. It was created on December 10, 2018, with an original application closing date of February 27, 2019. Overall, the grant is aimed at building the coordinating infrastructure needed for a national research-and-implementation network focused on improving how the justice system identifies, treats, and links individuals affected by opioid use disorder to effective community-based services, ultimately helping reduce overdose risk and improve health and public safety outcomes.

• The Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "HEAL Initiative: Justice Community Opioid Innovation Network (JCOIN) Coordination and Translation Center (U2C Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.273, 93.279.
• This funding opportunity was created on Dec 10, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 27, 2019. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2,500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for RFA DA 19 024

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