Emergency Department Substance Use Surveillance System

 Office of National Drug Control Policy

Executive Office of the President

1800 G Street, NW

Washington, DC 20503

Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 Competitive Cooperative Agreement Solicitation

Emergency Department Substance Use Surveillance System

Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Number: EDSUSS-2020

CFDA Number 95.007

Release Date: August 14, 2020

The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), Executive Office of the President, is seeking applications from public nonprofit institutions/organizations (includes institutions of higher education and hospitals) to perform research and analysis of data to inform drug policy.

This project seeks to further refine and geographically expand a methodology for obtaining drug early warning indicators through broader testing of urine samples that were previously collected and tested as part of an existing drug test protocol. This method was initially developed using local criminal justice populations – including persons in pre-trial or lock-up, parolees or probationers, and drug court participants. Similar methodology is promising for use in other venues, such as in trauma units and emergency departments, where biological samples are often collected from patients. Before the specimens are discarded, the project will re-test them for an expanded panel of drugs, including synthetic cannabinoids, to determine what old and new illicit drugs are detected or missed by conventional testing protocols, and how the drug patterns might vary by subpopulation and geography. Bypassing the expense of collecting the original specimens and re-using those that have already been tested with known results yields a relatively inexpensive and timely picture of emerging drugs in a given subpopulation and locality. ONDCP is seeking to apply this testing methodology to Emergency Department populations in locations throughout the United States.

Deadline

Applicants must register with Grants.gov prior to submitting an application. All applications are due to be submitted and in receipt of a successful validation message in Grants.gov by 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on September 14, 2020.

Applicants who experience unforeseen Grants.gov technical issues that prevent them from submitting their application by the deadline must submit all required application materials to June Sivilli at jsivilli@ondcp.eop.gov no later than 5:00 p.m. on September 14, 2020, via email (including a brief explanation of the technical issues that prevented application through Grants.gov) and request approval for acceptance of the separate application.

Contact Information

For technical assistance with submitting an application, contact Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline at 800-518-4726 or 606-545-5035, or via email to support@grants.gov. The Grants.gov Support Hotline hours of operation are 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except Federal holidays.

Applicants who experience unforeseen Grants.gov technical issues beyond their control that prevent them from submitting their application, by the deadline, must email all required application data to jsivilli@ondcp.eop.gov within 24 hours after the application deadline, including a brief explanation of issues experienced, and request approval for acceptance of the separate application.

For assistance with any other requirements of this solicitation, applicants may contact June Sivilli, Office of National Drug Control Policy, by telephone at 202-395-5526 or by email at jsivilli@ONDCP.EOP.GOV.

Eligibility

ONDCP encourages applications from public nonprofit institution/organization (includes institutions of higher education and hospitals). Applicants must have expert knowledge and extensive experience in conducting research and analysis. 

ONDCP Emergency Department Substance Use Surveillance System

Cooperative Agreement

A. Program Description

Overview

This project seeks to refine and geographically expand a methodology for obtaining drug early warning indicators from expanded testing of urine samples that were previously collected and tested as part of an existing drug test protocol. This method was initially developed using local criminal justice populations – including persons in pre-trial or lock-up, parolees or probationers, and drug court participants. Similar methodology is promising for use in other venues, such as in trauma units and emergency departments, where biological samples are often collected from patients. ONDCP seeks to apply this methodology to emergency department populations. (See Dezman et al., 2020, High Prevalence of Fentanyl Detected by the Maryland Emergency Department Drug Surveillance System — Baltimore, Maryland, 2019, Mortality and Morbidity Weekly Report, June 12, 69:20 724-26, available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7315791/). ONDCP seeks to expand this methodology beyond Maryland to a purposive sample of emergency department populations throughout the United States to determine the extent of geographic variability in the outcome of testing for an expanded panel of illicit drugs.

Before the specimens are discarded, this project will re-test them for an expanded panel of drugs. The awardee will work with ONDCP to determine specific metabolites to include in the expanded test panel beyond the NIDA-5 drugs, including synthetic cannabinoids and opioids. The awardee will also establish working relationships with emergency departments that can provide the specimens to be re-tested in this project. Analysis of the expanded drug test results will provide essential information on what old and new illicit drugs are detected or missed by conventional testing protocols, and how the drug patterns might vary by subpopulation and geography. Bypassing the expense of collecting the original specimens and re-using those that have already been tested with known results yields a relatively inexpensive and timely picture of emerging drugs in a given subpopulation and locality.

Authorizing Statutes and Governing Regulations Applicable to this Funding Opportunity: The authority for this opportunity is the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, (Pub. L. No. 115-271), 21 U.S.C. §§ 1701 et seq. and applicable appropriations statutes providing funding to ONDCP for this purpose. The Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards are applicable to the government and applicants, grant applications, and grant awards to non-Federal entities. See, 2 CFR Part 200, et seq., as adopted in full by ONDCP via 2 CFR Part 3603, et seq.

B. Federal Award Information

ONDCP expects to award one Federal cooperative agreement under the Emergency Department Substance Use Surveillance System, for a one-year period, beginning in September 2020. 

All applications and awards are subject to such additional requirements expressed in governing law. See, 2 CFR Part 200, et seq.

ONDCP expects that it will make an award of financial assistance from this announcement in the form of a cooperative agreement. Substantial involvement of ONDCP is anticipated from staff in the Office of Performance and Budget, in the form of regular project consultation – at minimum on a monthly basis; review of draft reports, and coordination of activities that involve other government agencies.

Estimated Amount and Length of Award

Cooperative Agreement Amount:     Up to $300,000

Project Period:                                  12 months (September 2020 through September 2021)

Miscellaneous

• Other