Emergency Department Substance Use Surveillance System | EDSUSS 2020

Opportunity Information: Apply for EDSUSS 2020

The Emergency Department Substance Use Surveillance System (EDSUSS-2020) is a Fiscal Year 2020 competitive cooperative agreement offered by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) within the Executive Office of the President. It is designed to support research and analysis that can directly inform U.S. drug policy by improving "early warning" indicators of emerging drug threats. The central idea is practical and cost-conscious: instead of collecting new biological samples, the project re-tests urine specimens that were already collected in emergency departments (and already tested under routine clinical protocols) before those specimens are discarded. By re-using existing specimens with known original test results, the program aims to generate timely intelligence about what drugs are present in a community and which substances may be slipping past standard hospital testing.

The work builds on a methodology first demonstrated in criminal justice settings (such as pre-trial detention or lock-up, probation and parole populations, and drug court participants) and adapts it for emergency department and trauma care environments, where samples are frequently collected as part of normal care. ONDCP is interested in expanding beyond earlier work in Maryland to a purposive set of emergency department sites across the United States. The goal is to measure geographic differences in drug detection when labs use an expanded testing panel, and to better understand how drug patterns vary by subpopulation and by location. This is especially relevant for fast-changing markets involving synthetic opioids and synthetic cannabinoids, where conventional screening panels may not keep pace with new compounds.

Under the project, the award recipient would coordinate with ONDCP to define an expanded drug/metabolite testing panel beyond the commonly referenced "NIDA-5" drug classes, explicitly including synthetic cannabinoids and opioids (and potentially additional emerging substances as determined jointly). The recipient is also expected to establish working relationships with emergency departments that can provide access to eligible specimens for re-testing. The analysis is intended to reveal both "hits" and "misses" in standard protocols: which drugs are being detected routinely, which are being missed, and how these patterns change depending on the patient population and the region. ONDCP characterizes this approach as relatively inexpensive and rapid because it avoids the major costs and delays associated with new specimen collection while still producing actionable surveillance data.

The award is anticipated to be a single cooperative agreement, reflecting that ONDCP expects to be actively involved in the project rather than acting only as a funder. ONDCP indicates substantial agency involvement through regular consultation (at least monthly), review of draft deliverables, and coordination with other federal agencies as needed. The planned project period is 12 months, running roughly from September 2020 through September 2021, with an award ceiling of up to $300,000. The opportunity falls under CFDA 95.007, and the funding activity category is Science and Technology and other Research and Development.

Eligibility is aimed at public nonprofit institutions and organizations, including institutions of higher education and hospitals, with an emphasis on applicants who can demonstrate expert knowledge and extensive experience conducting research and analysis. The legal authority for the program is tied to the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act (Public Law 115-271) and is administered under federal grant rules including 2 CFR Part 200 (as adopted by ONDCP via 2 CFR Part 3603), which governs administrative requirements, cost principles, and audit requirements for federal awards.

Applications were required to be submitted through Grants.gov, with a deadline of 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on September 14, 2020, and applicants needed to register with Grants.gov in advance. If technical issues with Grants.gov prevented timely submission, the FOA provided a contingency process: applicants could email the required materials to the designated ONDCP contact (June Sivilli) by the deadline (or within 24 hours after the deadline in certain described circumstances) along with an explanation of the technical problem and a request for approval to accept the alternate submission. For support, applicants were directed either to the Grants.gov customer support hotline/email for submission problems or to the ONDCP contact for other solicitation requirements.

• The Office of National Drug Control Policy in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Emergency Department Substance Use Surveillance System" 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 14, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 14, 2020. (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 $300,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for EDSUSS 2020

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