The Cannabis Research Institute (CRI) recently announced that round one applications for its seed funding program focused on equity-centric research and community action projects opened on Feb.1. CRI is seeking applications for research projects that advance equity related to cannabis in Illinois, including community action projects, graduate student-led equity-centric research projects, and equity-centric research.

Through CRI, Community Health and Cannabis Collaborative (CHeCC) will fund multiple research projects up to $50,000 for non-graduate student-led projects for one year. Equity-centric research (ECR) project seed funding for non-graduate student-led projects is open to academic and research institutions that are interested in researching topics related to cannabis equity in Illinois. Projects may not be led by a graduate student for this RFP. Applicants are required to partner with a community organizer or community-based organization on those project; however, CRI welcomes applications from applicants who do not yet have a community partner.

CRI defines community-based organizations as community-serving entities (non-profit or grassroots organizations; some government entities and social enterprises may also be community-based organizations) that provide resources to those most in need to enhance well-being of community members, promote social justice, and foster sustainable development.

Click the links below to view the online applications.

Community action projects

Graduate student-led equity-centric research

Equity-centric research

Deadline to apply is 11:59 p.m. CST, March 1, 2026.

CRI is an academic research institute at the University of Illinois that conducts nonpartisan, unbiased research on cannabis and hemp spanning agriculture, health education, and policy. CRI’s work is grounded in community input, scientific rigor, and attends to the inequitable impacts of the ongoing war on drugs. CRI is funded by the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) for a three-year period beginning in 2024. The funding centers community input and prioritizes equity, defined as the state in which no one is disadvantaged from achieving their full potential because of social position or any other socially defined circumstance. Applied to this seed funding program, CRI aims to fund projects that identify and address the inequities that marginalized groups may experience related to cannabis in Illinois.

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