ABOUT IRIS
Innovations in Recovery hrough Infrastructure Support (IRIS) is a National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse funded initiative led by Principal Investigators, Drs. Jay Unick and Michelle Tuten from the University of Maryland School of Social Work (UMSSW). 
IRIS is a four-year (2020-2024) NIH funded project which builds recovery research infrastructure through strong academic-community partnerships so that innovative, emerging and evidence-based practices can be developed and disseminated widely throughout the opioid drug treatment system.
IRIS is one of five substance use projects funded at the same time by NIDA, a group which connected to form The Consortium on Addiction Recovery Science.
The IRIS Leadership Committee and the broader IRIS network are made up of partners engaged in research, policy advocacy, training and technical assistance, clinical work, and other forms of service provision. 
IRIS Values
1. Trust and Collaboration
Our work is based on bidirectional, mutually beneficial learning and knowledge creation. Everyone is valued - our unity as partners collectively addressing the opioid epidemic is our greatest strength.
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2. Person-Centered and Community Focused
Recognizing the impact of stigma, we affirm the value of individuals affected by substance use. Our support of programs enhances the strong work being done by community partners.
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3. Diversity and Inclusion
We continually develop a representative IRIS team dedicated to supporting organizations’ research on a wide breadth of evidence-based, emerging, and innovative approaches to opioid recovery and treatment.
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4. Justice and Equity
We raise awareness on how social determinants of health contribute to the opioid crisis. We strive to ensure the vital work of small grassroots organizations is uplifted, and that people with lived experience guide our project
IRIS Priorities
1. Research Capacity Building
We support opioid recovery and treatment organizations to engage in community driven scientific inquiry through sustainable transfer of research skills and sharing of university resources.
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2. Medications for Opioid Use
We support the expanded use and access of medication-based treatment (e.g., buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone) as an effective practice for opioid recovery.
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3. Peer Recovery Support
We support person-centered and recovery-oriented approaches that uplift the role of peer-run organizations and peer delivered services.
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4. Community-Academic Partnerships
We commit ourselves to developing strong and collaborative community-academic partnerships where research informs practice and practice informs research.
Core Activities
Trainings and Convenings
Facilitating workshops and a Fellowship that build research skills for recovery organizations
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Funded Research Projects
Focused on measuring opioid use recovery supports using new or existing program data
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Data Sharing
Using Medicaid data to develop benchmarks and control groups for recovery organizations to evaluate the effectiveness of their interventions
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