Qualitative Learning Community Application
Summary Information
Project Title: Harm Reduction Qualitative Data Analysis Learning Community
Application Due Date and Time: February 21st, 2025 at 11:59 PM PT
Selection Announcement Date: March 14th, 2025
Source of Funding: Opioid Response Network (ORN)
Funding Amount: $2,500
Period of Incentivized Training: April 1st, 2025-May 23rd, 2025
Point of Contact for Questions Regarding this Application: Elise Healy, sharpta@uw.edu
Download the full description and application here:
Informational Webinar about the Learning Community and the application process
Background and Description
With support from Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and in partnership with Opioid Response Network (ORN), the Supporting Harm Reduction Programs (SHaRP) team at the University of Washington (UW) is pleased to offer an incentivized virtual training opportunity to syringe services programs (SSPs). This Learning Community is focused on learning and applying methods for qualitative data analysis to increase the capacity of SSPs to analyze and summarize their qualitative data for SSP program improvement. SSPs with existing qualitative data will learn and practice qualitative data analysis techniques together. SSPs with existing qualitative data will learn and practice qualitative data analysis techniques together.
For the purposes of this RFA, a Learning Community is a model through which SSPs will receive coordinated training and technical assistance while learning from and engaging with peers conducting similar projects (i.e., qualitative analysis).
Organizations that are selected and participate will receive an incentive for up to $2,500 based on attendance and deliverables.
About this training
About ORN:
The SAMHSA-funded ORN assists states, organizations, and individuals by providing the resources and technical assistance they need locally to address the opioid crisis and stimulant use. Technical assistance is available to support the evidence-based prevention, treatment, recovery and harm reduction of opioid use disorders and stimulant use disorders. The ORN provides local, experienced consultants in prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery to communities and organizations to help address this opioid crisis and stimulant use. ORN accepts requests for education and training.
About UW SHaRP:
The SHaRP Team at the UW works with harm reduction programs and their partners around the United States to improve services through monitoring and evaluation, research, and more. SHaRP is housed within the School of Medicine’s Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at UW, a public research university in Seattle, Washington. The SHaRP team is a collaboration of researchers and staff at UW with experience working with and at harm reduction organizations and expertise in harm reduction, research methods, evaluation methods, working with people who use drugs, data collection, analysis, and monitoring and evaluation for SSPs.
Overview
Learning Community Topic
The goals of this Learning Community are for programs with existing, un-analyzed qualitative data to learn about and practice qualitative data analysis. Participants will come in to the Learning Community with existing data that’s ready to be analyzed and leave with analyzed data and findings. In this context, qualitative data is non-numerical data (e.g., staff notes, comments cards from participants, in-depth interviews, focus-group discussions, open ended answers from a survey, etc.) that can play an important role in a SSP’s overall monitoring and evaluation strategy. Qualitative analysis is the process of systematically reviewing qualitative data and determining key themes from the dataset. Analyzed qualitative data can be useful to SSPs in that it may provide nuanced understanding to quantitative data, give insight to the “why” and “how” certain data trends are happening at a program, and/or provide a program with rich stories and quotes from program participants. Many programs have qualitative data they have amassed, but do not have the staff time, budget, or expertise to formally analyze their data.
In accordance with best practices, applicants should plan to include only the amount of data that can feasibly be used in 8-weeks, and thus applicants with less analytic capacity should plan to design projects with highly specific objectives and smaller, focused datasets. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to the amount of data that is appropriate for the project’s 8-week timeline, but selected applicants will have roughly two weeks for coding, which is a relatively condensed timeline.
Data Sharing
Due to the intensive nature of this learning community, programs will need to be willing to share their qualitative data for this project with the UW SHaRP team to fully benefit from this Learning Community. The UW SHaRP team will not use, share, or keep any program’s data, but instead review datasets to better provide input to code development, code application, and findings generated. Attendees may talk about their data amongst the group, but they will not be expected to share their data with other training participants.
Existing Resources
The SHaRP team has created many data related resources available on their website. There is a page dedicated to resources pertaining to qualitative data that features a few guidance documents and videos that may be especially useful for this project and application:
- Leveraging Informal Qualitative Data at Harm Reduction Programs Guidance Document: This document focuses on suggestions for how to create potential systems for informal qualitative data collection and analysis at SSPs, including how to develop an overall objective for data collection. By “informal” data collection, we mean data that can be largely generated from routine service interactions as opposed to formal research activities, such as in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, or community based participatory research.
- Leveraging Informal Qualitative Data at Harm Reduction Programs Video Training Series: This is a video recorded training based on the Leveraging Informal Qualitative Data Guidance Document. The training is broken into 5 sections with multiple short videos per section.
- Participant Input at Harm Reduction Programs: This short document offers an overview of participant input at SSPs and a range of resources for harm reduction programs to consult when building or changing their participant input processes.
- Qualitative Data Quality at Harm Reduction Programs Webinar: This webinar recording from the SHaRP team reviews and discusses common sources of qualitative data at SSPs, identifies some good practices for collecting qualitative data, and determines how to set an objective using and assess the quality of pre-existing qualitative data.
The SHaRP team recommends that interested applicants review the Qualitative Data Quality at Harm Reduction Programs Webinar in advance of applying to the Learning Community.
Training Structure
The SHaRP team will select 5 SSPs to participate in and evaluate the Harm Reduction Qualitative Data Analysis Learning Community. Selected programs can have up to two individuals participate in the training. This virtual training series will last for 8 weeks and all sessions will be held via Zoom. Weeks 1, 3, 5, and 7 will have incentivized 90-minute Learning Community sessions which will include instruction on relevant topics and discussion. Weeks 2, 4, 6, and 8 will have optional co-working hours for additional support. Deliverables will be due on weeks 2, 4, 6, and 8. Participating organizations will receive an incentive at the end of the training based on:
- Live attendance by at least 1 of the program’s assigned trainees in the required training and technical assistance offerings (i.e., Learning Community sessions), which will seek to increase participants’ capacity to analyze qualitative data;
- Completing required deliverables for each Learning Community session related to qualitative analysis and the use of qualitative data for program improvement.
Key Dates
Please note the following deadlines and events for this application:
| Event | Details |
| Informational Webinar | Monday, January 27th, 2025, 2-3pm ET Registration link Webinar will feature both the content covered in this learning community and information about the application process. Webinar recording will be posted online the following week. |
| Office Hours | Wednesday, February 5th, 2-3pm ET Registration link Opportunity for interested applicants to ask questions about the learning community and/or the application process |
| Application Deadline | Friday, February 21st, 2025, at 11:59 PM Submit the application by emailing SHaRP TA (sharpta@uw.edu). Please use the subject line: “Qualitative Learning Community Application Submission” |
| Anticipated Notification Date | Friday, March 14th, 2025 |
| Project Period | Tuesday, April 1st-Friday, May 23rd, 2025 |
Project Goals and Activities
Training and workshop segments totaling 6 hours across sessions, independent pre-work and deliverables, 4 optional office-hours, and opportunities for one-on-one support:
| Date | Interactive Training Session |
| 04/01/25 | 1. Kickoff with series overview, introduction to common terms and concepts, and develop an analysis objective and analysis plan |
| 04/15/25 | 2. Discuss theory on coding, define coding, and develop a codebook |
| 04/29/25 | 3. Revisit analysis plan after coding, determining themes, and using quotes |
| 05/13/25 | 4. Discuss summarizing findings, describing your data, using your data, and developing reports for different audiences |
This session list is subject to minor revision and rearrangement as needed. All sessions are virtual (via Zoom). Sessions will be recorded, however organizational representative(s) must attend the live session to receive the corresponding incentive.
A preliminary timeline for the Learning Community activities listed above is outlined in Project Requirements.
Key Learning Community Participant Deliverables:
- Final analysis plan, including analysis objectives
- Finalized codebook
- Coded qualitative data
- 2-3 themes derived from coded data
- A draft of a final report
A preliminary compensation and a deliverable schedule are outlined in Project Requirements.
Project Requirements
All awardees will be expected to set aside relevant and sufficient staff time to manage and conduct the following activities and provide the following deliverables within the given timeframe.
| Timeline | Sessions | Independent Work/ Deliverable | Session Payments |
| Weeks 1-2 | Introduction to qualitative analysis | A working analysis plan with a specific analysis objective | -Attendance: $100 -Analysis plan: $300 -Analysis objective: $300 |
| Weeks 3-4 | Coding and Codebooks | A finalized codebook and 50% of data coded | -Attendance: $100 -Finalized codebook: $300 -50% data coded: $300 |
| Weeks 5-6 | From codes to themes | A revised analysis plan (if applicable) and 2-3 themes with relevant quotes | -Attendance: $100 -Revised analysis plan: $300 -Themes with quotes: $300 |
| Weeks 7-8 | Synthesizing results as findings | A draft report of qualitative findings | -Attendance: $100 -Draft report: $300 |
Eligibility
Eligible Organizations
- This funding opportunity is open to organizations providing harm reduction services. Organizations providing safe drug use supplies, specifically syringe services, will be prioritized.
- Organizations must be able to submit a W9 form in order to receive the incentive payment from the University of Washington. After being selected, organizations will need to register as suppliers with the University of Washington. More information about the supplier registration process and requirements can be found here.
Eligible Projects
- Applicants must already have existing qualitative data at the time of application submission. Because the focus of this training is on analysis of data, there is not sufficient time in the project timeline for qualitative data collection.
- This funding opportunity is for projects related to program improvement and/or improving SSP services.
- This funding is not for research-related projects. This means that qualitative projects should be related to improving SSP program services. The goal of the qualitative project should be focused on internal use rather than publications.
- There will be no IRB process with this project. Because we recommend that data be shared with the SHaRP team, data used for this project should not include identifiable data or personal information about clients such as their use behaviors or traumatic experiences.
- Applicants are expected to be continuously engaged in Learning Community activities and possess sufficient organizational capacity to attend live, online sessions for each component. It is requested that applicants have the capacity to complete in-house data analysis.
- This funding opportunity is open to SSPs at all levels of existing qualitative capacity. While applicants can participate without significant qualitative data analysis experience, they should be aware that the timeline of this Learning Community is limited and thus content sessions and deliverables will be fast paced.
Interested programs should please, download, read, and complete the application below as a PDF or Word Document. Completed applications should be emailed to sharpta@uw.edu with the subject line “Qualitative Learning Community Application Submission.”
01/29/2025 EDIT TO APPLICATION-The application was edited on 1/29/2025 and what was previously question 14 on health inequities and underserved populations was removed from the application, so the application now has 17 questions. Either version of the application will be accepted, if the original version of the application is received, question 14 will be ignored. Thank you for your understanding and our apologies for the confusion.
Application FAQ
Is Narcan distribution data applicable for this opportunity?
- It depends on the kind of data you are collecting with Narcan distribution. If the data is numeric (i.e., number of doses distributed, number of clients trained, number of overdose reversals reported) or singular responses (i.e., location where services are taking place, demographic data) it will not be viable for this training opportunity.
- If you collect any open-ended, qualitative data with your Narcan distribution it may be relevant for this training! For example, if you ask participants about their experiences accessing Narcan or what could make it easier for them to acquire Narcan, then these responses could be a valuable qualitative dataset.
- Under some circumstances, qualitative data about overdose reversals, what happened with last dose of Narcan, and overdose experience will be relevant for this training. What is most important is how you plan to use this data, and what your overall goals are for your qualitative analysis project.
What kind of survey questions are applicable for this opportunity?
- Open-ended survey questions are great for this opportunity. Many programs engage in regular survey data collection with their participants. Often, these surveys are a mixture of demographic questions, questions with multiple response options, and short answer questions. The short answer responses could be a great source of qualitative data.
Who should attend this training? Leadership and admin staff? Or direct service staff?
- The staff appropriate for this training will greatly depend on each individual organization and their staff responsibilities and staff structure. If a program wants to send 2 staff members, we encourage programs to send individuals with different responsibilities and purview of their clients and services.
- For instance, one admin staff member, who may be more involved in the behind the scenes and understand more of the data priorities and grant requirements; and one front line service provider who is more familiar with the clients served, their experiences, and the way the program operates in the community.
What happens if one of the attendees we applied with can no longer join?
- If your program is accepted and one of your original attendees can no longer make the sessions, please email the SHaRP team. As long as your project goals and dataset are the same, replacing the attendee should not be a problem.
What should I do if I want to attend the training, but I’m unable to make any of the sessions?
- We do recommend that every organization who is interested in applying put two people on their application. If you are unable to attend all of the sessions, it may make sense for your organization to apply with two staff members other than yourself. Sessions are scheduled to occur from 2:00-3:30 pm eastern time on Tuesdays during the project period.
- We will be recording the informational sessions so that accepted organizations can re-watch the material. These recordings will not be made public. If your organization’s application is accepted and the session times do not work with your schedule, there will still be other ways for you to be involved with your organization’s analysis project, review the materials, and support their qualitative analysis.
What is the SHaRP team doing with the qualitative data programs provide? How will the SHaRP team use and protect a program’s data?
- The SHaRP team will not use any program’s data for any purpose. The sole purpose of sharing your data with the SHaRP team is so the SHaRP team can provide thoughtful and tailored feedback on your qualitative data analysis.
- The application includes more information about how the SHaRP team will store and access accepted programs’ data. There is also an example data sharing agreement that the SHaRP team and accepted programs will will out.
What is the SHaRP team getting out of this?
- The SHaRP team is funded to provide free data related technical assistance to harm reduction programs. Our sole goal is to host an incentivized training on qualitative analysis. We hope that this training will be a useful experience for the 5 accepted programs and that we will be able to hold this training again in the future.
We’d like to send more than 2 people. Can we apply with 3 or more participants?
- We are capping involvement of staff members to 2 per organization. Our hope is to keep the training small and for each organization to have equal access to group discussions and direct feedback. For that reason, we cannot make exceptions to the number of participating staff members. We would recommend that interested programs select the 2 staff members who will be able to attend most or all of the sessions.
- That being said, we do plan to record the informational sessions. These recordings will not be available to the public, but will just be accessible by the accepted programs so that they can return to the materials. This means that if one or more of your staff members want to watch the sessions virtually and participate in the qualitative project “behind the scenes” that is absolutely fine. But in terms of session attendance (both incentivized and co-working) we want the same 2 staff members.
We want to apply to analyze qualitative data, but we have more data than the examples you provided. Will we be eligible to apply?
- Many of the data sources and dataset sizes that we gave in the webinar were examples rather than restrictions. What is most important is that your project goals are focused on program improvement, that you have a full dataset available to use, and that your proposed project seems feasible for the timeline. At the end of the day, we will be accepting applications based on the descriptions of the dataset a program plans to use and how clear their project goals are.