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Open Competition: Wastewater-Based Surveillance System of Illicit Drug Consumption in Mexico

Deadline: 16-Aug-23

The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to carry out a project to analyze municipal wastewater samples from various treatment plants (WWTP) and estimate consumption of a defined set of illicit drugs in different regions around Mexico.

The study should include at least three hospitals to determine if there is a diversion of medical use of opioids comparing it with the rest of the findings.  This project will assist to implement appropriate and timely responses to drug problems in Mexico accounting the findings of this research, facilitating Mexican authorities to design data driven public policies. The quarterly reports obtain from this project will be shared with GOM authorities as the Mexican Drug Observatory as part of the early warning system, security agencies as: Mexican Naval Secretariat (SEMAR), Crime-Combat Planning, Analysis, and Information Center (CENAPI), National Commission of Water (CONAGUA), Health Ministry, among other relevant actors.

Project Vision: Through wastewater analysis, strengthen the capacity of Mexican institutions to monitor drug use trends, and to estimate the consumption of synthetic illicit drugs to generate reliable and updated information for public policy decision making.

Project Goal(s) and Objectives: The Mexican Drug Observatory and its Early Warning system have reliable and updated evidence through the identification of presence and estimated consumption of synthetic drugs in Mexico through wastewater analysis.

  • Strategic Objective 1: Eight synthetic illicit drugs presence and its prevalence is detected in 12 Mexican cities estimating the population consuming drugs through the quantitation of drug metabolites in wastewater (WWTP) exploring possible diversion of fentanyl in 3 hospitals.
  • Strategic Objective 2: Relevant stakeholders from public health and security agencies are aware of significant results according to their profile.
  • Strategic Objective 3: Mexican institutions have a strengthened capacity to identify synthetic drugs through the mass spectrometer technology.
Funding Information
  • Total available funding: $1,500,000.00
  • Award amounts: awards may range from a minimum of $700,000.00 to a maximum of $1,500,000.00.
  • Length of performance period: 36 months.
Project Activities and Deliverables
  • Successful proposals will identify project activities and deliverables according to INL’s project goals and objectives listed above. INL encourages creativity in terms of project proposals as well as specific activities in addition to the minimum set of activities mention below (3 or more activities per objective and reasonable to the budget of this grant) with indicators and targets to properly monitor the project. Activities proposed will be evaluated based on their merit and not on the number of proposed activities.
  • Overall Activities
    • Collect samples in wastewater plants and hospitals, shipment, and measurement.
    • Quantitation of biomarkers at an external laboratory, in collaboration with the Mexican Government or through de acquisition of the needed equipment.
    • Statistical analysis to identify geographical differences in drug consumption in Mexico.
    • Dissemination of results among key stakeholders.
  • Deliverables
    • Partial report including number of samples, sites and percentage of advance.
    • Partial report including estimation of drug consumption in WWTP catchment areas and geographical and time variations.
    • Quarterly preliminary findings reports.
    • Report changes between 2023 consumption and the results of the 2017 study.
    • Final report including full project results, and evidence of dissemination activities.

Priority Region/Countries: Tijuana, Mexico City, San Luis Río Colorado, Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Monterrey, Nuevo Laredo, Torreon, Acapulco, Culiacan, Guadalajara and Zacatecas), and three hospitals that would be defined in coordination with the Ministry of Health based on the prevalence of drug use trends. (Note: Other states may be included by INL, pending future priorities and funding availability).

Participants and Audiences: Ultimate beneficiaries of the information generated in this project would first be the relevant Governmental Health and Security agencies in Mexico and the United States.

Project Expansion: If the project is successful, INL will consider the option of an award modification to expand the project to other areas or countries in the region, subject to availability of future funding. Applicants may include in their proposal a brief section outlining how additional funds could potentially be used to expand work into additional activities or countries in future years. Applicants are strongly encouraged to demonstrate how their project might leverage funding through other organizations.

Eligibility Criteria
  • The following organizations are eligible to apply:
    • Applicants must meet the following requirements to be eligible to apply to this NOFO:
      • The applicant can be a public or private organization as well as an educational institution that is able to: manage with authorities the agreements and permits necessary to carry out the tasks for the research, that demonstrates previous experience in similar research, capable of managing with international organizations needed agreements for the development of the research.

For more information, visit Grants.gov.