Special J-RIG Funding Opportunity for Practitioner-Led Addiction Services and Research Initiatives (Updated September 2026)

The application deadline for this opportunity has been extended to December 4, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET.

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Are you a practitioner interested in conducting research or evaluating innovative approaches at the intersection of substance use disorder treatment, overdose prevention, and the criminal legal system?

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JCOIN is offering a special funding opportunity through the JCOIN Rapid Innovation Grants (J-RIG) program for practitioners working in service and nonprofit organizations. Applicants may request up to $135,000 to support pilot studies, feasibility studies, and program or policy evaluations. The five-page applications are due by December 4, 2026.

This opportunity is intended for practice-based organizations and practitioners interested in evaluating innovative approaches to addiction treatment, overdose prevention, and service delivery for individuals impacted by the criminal legal system. While projects do not need to take place within criminal legal settings, they must demonstrate clear relevance to criminal legal populations or contexts.

Please review the Call for Proposals for the deadlines related to technical assistance, submissions, and funding decisions (more details below).

Funding

Project duration may be 6 to 24 months, with a total budget not to exceed $135,000.

Eligibility Requirements

This opportunity is open exclusively to practitioners and investigators working within practice-based organizations who are positioned to lead research or evaluation in real-world settings.

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Be able to serve as a project lead or primary applicant within a practice-based organization. The organization can be a non-profit, technical assistance provider, or service organization, such as healthcare, addiction treatment, behavioral health, social services, probation/parole, pretrial, or institutional corrections services
• Have not previously received NIH, NIJ, or other research funding of more than $500,000 per year in direct costs (note: funding from the U.S. government or other funders that direct-fund services or evaluation does not disqualify applicants).
• Note that service grantees from SAMHSA or BJA are eligible to apply.
• Have not previously received J-RIG funding
• Are not currently receiving JCOIN funding or a current JCOIN LEAP cohort participant. However, past LEAP participants are eligible to apply.

Focus Areas

Proposals may address a wide range of issues at the intersection of health and the criminal legal system, including, but not limited to:

• Effects of state, local, and organizational policies and regulations regarding naloxone, with a particular emphasis on first responders;
• Methods for addressing stigma around medications and criminal legal involvement to improve outcomes;
• Behavioral therapies, such as contingency management, motivational interviewing, and/or cognitive behavioral therapy;
• The use of technology within programs and/or practices to aid individuals with SUD;
• Opportunities for agencies to share data or create linked data sets on opioid use and overdose; and/or
• Innovative strategies to expand the availability of, and access to, MOUD.

Free Technical Assistance Available

If you would like support with the application, the JCOIN’s Technical Assistance (TA) team can provide free assistance on questions about grant writing, research question(s), research designs, data collection methods, or analytical methods. Please write a 300-word abstract explaining your proposed project and complete this form.

Key Details and Deadlines