NIH Awards TCU’s Institute of Behavioral Research $7.2 Million Grant

The grant supports TCU researchers’ ongoing work with ‘deflection’ strategies that support local law enforcement and first responders as well as better help people with unmet substance use needs.  

When opioid addiction first entered the national conversation, it was portrayed as a problem of individual Americans. Health officials now agree America is dealing with a national public health crisis around opioids.   

For Jenny Becan, a senior research scientist at TCU’s Institute for Behavioral Research (IBR), the top-line goal of all her work is to help speed the development and implementation of scientific solutions to national problems for the benefit of our communities. 

“We are not researchers in ivory towers brainstorming ideas that will not impact anybody except scientists,” Becan said. “This whole idea came from talking to law enforcement, sheriffs and community members about what was needed.” 

The “idea” became the “TCU BRIDGE to Deflection,” which received a five-year, $7.2 million grant from the NIH National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) this fall.  

Led by Becan and Kevin Knight, this study is part of the Justice Community Overdose Innovation Network (JCOIN) Phase II initiative to improve approaches to addressing opioid use and overdose in justice-involved individuals and youth.  Duke University, New York University School of Medicine and six other research institutions also were designated JCOIN 2.0 clinical research hubs, with each conducting independent studies. 

“BRIDGE (Building Resilient Initiatives for Deflection through Greater Engagement) is an innovative and significant extension of continuous NIH-funded research at TCU’s IBR over the past three decades in public health and safety,” Knight, professor and IBR director, said. “As a leading research institute within TCU’s College of Science & Engineering, IBR continues to secure NIH funding that advances our national leadership in research with real-world impact.” 

TCU leadership has prioritized achieving R1 status, and research is a core pillar of TCU’s Strategic Plan. TCU Vice Provost for Research Reuben Burch said: “TCU’s Institute of Behavioral Research tackles some of the biggest issues in public health, so the NIH’s support of this collaborative effort with other leading universities allows us to deliver immediate impact for our community and beyond. This is an ideal example of how TCU faculty are leading the way with research that makes a difference in the world while enhancing our students’ academic experience. We are grateful for the leadership of Dr. Knight and his team in securing such a prestigious award demonstrating TCU’s excellent research capacity.”  

Community Engagement is another pillar. Becan ’03 (’10 Ph.D.) said BRIDGE involves both.   

Starting in September 2025, TCU researchers will collaborate with local law enforcement, first responders and behavioral health providers in 20 communities across five states to test innovative implementation strategies and evaluate impacts of “deflection” approaches on public health and public safety. 

Intervention for people with unmet substance use problems typically starts with arrest or prosecution. “Deflection” approaches look to disrupt that costly and ineffective cycle by connecting them with community-based services instead.  

“When people think of research around addiction, they tend to think of the end user,” Becan said. “That’s not what this is. This is on a much grander scale, system-level intervention with the end goal of promoting substance use treatment and services, reducing overdoses and arrests, which are costly to the community.”