FRANKFORT, Ky. (June 9, 2025)- Attorney General Russell Coleman announced today a funding opportunity to support research that addresses the drug epidemic in Kentucky.
The Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission (KYOAAC) voted to allocate funding for a special grant opportunity for projects which put a priority on research and/or innovative approaches to developing and implementing effective novel therapeutic interventions for Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) and/or opioid overdose prevention and co-occurring substance use disorder (SUD). A total of $5 million will be awarded, though depending on the application requests there could be multiple grants.
The grants are open to any registered entity (for-profit or non-profit) in good standing with the Kentucky Secretary of State, as well as counties, cities and other government or quasi-governmental entities.
The online application will be available July 1st, 2025, at https://kyoaac.intelligrants.com and will close December 20th, 2025. Proposals will be reviewed by the KYOAAC. Decisions are expected by March/April 2026. This grant opportunity is separate from other opportunities in the areas of Prevention and Treatment/Recovery, which will open this Fall for the 2026/27 Fiscal Year.
“For too long, Kentucky was at the epicenter of the drug crisis. Now, by funding cutting-edge innovation, we also have the chance to be at the heart of the recovery,” said Attorney General Coleman. “We’re looking to leaders in prevention, treatment and recovery to bring their best research ideas that can drive the solution, and, in turn, help save lives.”
“So much good work is being done to transform lives in our Commonwealth thanks to more than $85 million in opioid abatement funds already distributed,” said Chris Evans, Executive Director of the Commission. “This $5 million is meant to push us further in our ability to innovate and come up with new solutions to battle this epidemic.”
Additional questions related to this funding opportunity can be emailed to kyoaac@ky.gov.
Background: In 2022, the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission was established by the General Assembly to distribute the Commonwealth’s share of more than $900 million of settlement funds from lawsuits against certain manufacturers and distributors of opioids. The Commission is made up of 11 members, nine voting and two non-voting. The Commission has adopted nationally recognized principles for allocating funds, including using evidence to guide spending.