Combating Opioid Overdose through Community Level Intervention | COOCLI1

Opportunity Information: Apply for COOCLI1

The Combating Opioid Overdose through Community-Level Intervention opportunity is a federal funding initiative from the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) within the Executive Office of the President. It is designed to strengthen local and regional responses to the opioid overdose epidemic by funding a single recipient to carry out hands-on, community-based work that combines implementation with rigorous evaluation. The overall intent is not just to support interventions, but to build practical evidence about what works in real-world communities, particularly in parts of the country experiencing the highest levels of fatal and non-fatal opioid overdoses. A central theme of the program is improving coordination across systems that often operate separately, especially public health and law enforcement, since stronger alignment between these sectors is viewed as essential to reducing overdose deaths and other harms tied to opioid misuse.

ONDCP planned to make one cooperative agreement award for a one-year project period beginning around September 2019. The award was posted as a discretionary grant in the health funding category (CFDA 95.007), with an anticipated award ceiling of $4,500,000 and one expected award. As a cooperative agreement, the project is framed as a close working relationship where ONDCP (and related efforts at CDC) would remain engaged with the recipient, and the funded work is expected to align with, and be informed by, related federal overdose response activities. The program specifically connects to the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program, which is funded by ONDCP and already collaborates with CDC through the Overdose Response Strategy initiative, making HIDTA partnerships a core structural requirement rather than an optional collaboration.

The work ONDCP is supporting falls into several linked performance areas. First, the recipient is expected to research and analyze a range of existing community-based overdose efforts as well as the current set of evidence-based strategies known to reduce opioid-related overdose deaths. Second, using those evidence-based approaches, the recipient must implement or strengthen new or ongoing community programs aimed at reducing opioid-involved overdoses, with emphasis on high-burden regions. ONDCP signaled that proposals would be viewed more favorably if they push resources outward by issuing subawards, with priority given to proposals that make funding available to at least eight communities. Third, the recipient must support evaluation of the implemented community efforts to determine whether they actually reduce opioid-involved overdoses and related harms. Finally, the program requires intentional support for cross-sector collaboration, meaning the recipient must actively promote and strengthen coordination between public safety and public health agencies so communities receive a more unified, comprehensive response rather than fragmented initiatives. Alongside implementation and evaluation, the recipient is also expected to provide technical assistance to help subaward communities with program rollout, evaluation methods, and reporting requirements.

Eligibility is limited to legally recognized public or private nonprofit institutions and organizations, explicitly including institutions of higher education (public and/or private) and private nonprofit hospitals. Applicants must demonstrate expert knowledge and substantial experience in conducting research and analysis, and also show strong experience developing, improving, or scaling programs that reduce opioid overdoses using strategic, evidence-based methods. A non-negotiable eligibility condition is partnership with a regional HIDTA program. Applications had to include a letter of support or commitment from the participating HIDTA, signed by the sponsoring HIDTA Director, confirming the partnership and engagement.

The administrative deadline required applicants to be registered in Grants.gov before submission, and to submit the application early enough to receive a successful Grants.gov validation message by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on September 3, 2019. The opportunity reflects the broader federal response to the opioid crisis described in the notice, including the recognition of overdose as the leading cause of injury death in the United States and the scale of opioid-involved deaths reported by CDC for 2018. In practical terms, the grant is structured to produce both immediate community action and credible, shareable findings by concentrating resources in heavily impacted areas, requiring law enforcement and public health partnership, and emphasizing evaluation and technical support so results can be measured and potentially replicated.

• The Office of National Drug Control Policy in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Combating Opioid Overdose through Community Level Intervention" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 95.007.
• This funding opportunity was created on Aug 23, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 03, 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 $4,500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.

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