Improving the Capacity of Tribal Communities to Identify Emerging Drug Threats

The Office of National Drug Control Policy, within the Executive Office of the President, is offering the Improving the Capacity of Tribal Communities to Identify Emerging Drug Threats funding opportunity. ONDCP leads and coordinates national drug policy, develops and implements the National Drug Control Strategy, coordinates federal drug control activities and budgets, and supports a whole-of-government approach to addiction and the overdose epidemic. Through this cooperative agreement, ONDCP seeks to strengthen the ability of Tribal communities to monitor, identify, communicate, and respond to emerging or evolving drug threats. The program is authorized by the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act and the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2026. The research project has two objectives. The first is to strengthen Tribal communities' drug data systems for monitoring and detecting emerging drug threats. Potential work may address under-representation in overdose counts, fragmented drug supply and health outcome data, limited illicit drug testing capabilities, limited real-time data collection and analysis, epidemiologic and public health data infrastructure, toxicology and drug testing, integration of Tribal data with state and county data, mortality data, race misclassification in death records, and data sovereignty. The second objective is to support the development or scaling of early warning systems that rapidly disseminate actionable information about emerging drug threats. Such systems may include integrated communication across clinical, public health, and law enforcement sectors and standardized protocols for alerts and real-time communication among Tribal and non-Tribal partners. ONDCP will collaborate with the award recipient after award, including by providing guidance through regular meetings. The opportunity is expected to make one cooperative agreement award with an award ceiling of up to 300000 dollars for a one-year period of performance starting in September 2026. Funding is subject to availability. The announcement does not require cost sharing or matching. ONDCP does not typically approve pre-agreement costs. Applicants seeking such costs must obtain prior written approval, and costs incurred before award or approval are at the applicant's sole risk. Proposed budgets must be complete, reasonable, allowable, cost-effective, necessary, mathematically sound, and connected to the proposed project activities. Eligible applicants include federally recognized Indian Tribes, Tribal Serving Organizations, Tribal Colleges and Universities, Urban Indian Organizations, Tribal Epidemiological Centers, and nonprofit organizations partnering directly with Tribal entities. The eligible nonprofit group includes 501(c)(3) organizations, and eligible applicants also include public, state-controlled, and private institutions of higher education and health care organizations. Applicants must possess expert knowledge and extensive experience conducting research and analysis and should have experience working with Tribal health data. A Tribal Council Resolution supporting collaboration is required. A draft resolution may be submitted by the application deadline when a signed resolution is not yet available, but an official signed resolution must be received before award. If a selected applicant lacks the signed resolution, ONDCP will provide 90 days to submit it. Projects affecting another Indian Tribe require resolutions from all affected Tribes. Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov and must successfully validate by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on September 13, 2026. Applicants must have an active SAM.gov registration, a Unique Entity Identifier, and an active Grants.gov account. Required application materials include proof of eligibility, the Tribal Council Resolution or permitted draft resolution, applicable proof of nonprofit status, a Project Narrative of no more than 20 pages, a Budget Detail Worksheet and Budget Narrative, and performance measures. The Project Narrative must respond to the stated project criteria and include a clear commitment to the principles and tenets of Gold Standard Science. The budget must address Personnel, Fringe Benefits, Overtime, Travel, Facilities, Services, Equipment, Supplies, and Other Costs and must differentiate between the project's two objectives if both are proposed. Applicants must also make required disclosures concerning overlapping federal funding and lobbying activities. Files submitted through Grants.gov must not be encrypted, zipped, or password protected. Applications first undergo an initial review for eligibility, required content, timeliness, page limits, demonstrated ability to collaborate with Tribal communities, understanding of Tribal public health and public safety data, a Tribal Council Resolution or draft resolution, and the required Gold Standard Science commitment. Responsive applications proceed to merit review under a 100-point framework consisting of Technical Approach for 50 points, Key Personnel for 30 points, and Organizational Capability for 20 points. Technical Approach addresses understanding of the work, methodology, collaboration, data systems or early warning systems, reporting and dissemination, and solutions to identified gaps. Key Personnel considerations include illicit drug research and testing expertise, professional credentials, and at least five years of relevant experience collaborating with Tribal communities. Organizational Capability considers the ability to complete the study, conduct research, build Tribal partnerships, improve data systems, and disseminate actionable information. ONDCP also conducts a risk review using information available through SAM. The expected award date is September 2026, with a one-year period of performance beginning in September 2026. Successful applicants receive the official Notice of Award through GrantSolutions and may not begin work until that notice is received. Awardees must provide quarterly progress reports through GrantSolutions and quarterly Federal Financial Reports through the HHS Payment Management System, with financial reports due within 30 days after each quarter and within 90 days after the end of the period of performance. Grant records must be retained for three years. For solicitation requirements, applicants may contact Alex Barriger, Senior Advisor for Emerging Threats, at Alex.M.Barriger@ondcp.eop.gov or 202-881-8997. Grants.gov support is available at support@grants.gov or 1-800-518-4726. No recurrence or future annual application cycle is stated in the notice.

Prioritize the 50-point Technical Approach by clearly explaining the work, Tribal collaboration methodology, drug data system and/or early warning system approach, analysis and quarterly dissemination plan, and solutions to identified gaps. Demonstrate key personnel expertise and at least five years of relevant Tribal health policy collaboration experience. Document organizational experience building Tribal partnerships, improving data systems, and disseminating actionable data. Ensure the Tribal Council Resolution or permitted draft and the Gold Standard Science commitment are included because their omission can prevent merit review. Ensure the budget is reasonable, mathematically sound, activity-linked, and differentiated between the two objectives if both are proposed.