Marijuana, Prescription Opioid, or Prescription Benzodiazepine Drug Use Among Older Adults (R21) | PA 17 197

Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 17 197

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant opportunity titled "Marijuana, Prescription Opioid, or Prescription Benzodiazepine Drug Use Among Older Adults (R21)" (Funding Opportunity Number PA 17-197) is designed to push forward research on a topic that has not received enough focused attention: why and how drug use affects people later in life, especially adults age 50 and older. Even though substance use disorder research has advanced a great deal over the last century, the specific causes (determinants) and outcomes (consequences) of marijuana use and prescription opioid or benzodiazepine use in older adulthood are still not well understood. This announcement is meant to fill that gap by supporting innovative, early-stage studies that can open up new directions and generate evidence strong enough to guide future, larger research efforts.

The central scientific goal is to encourage studies that either (1) identify what drives marijuana, prescription opioid, or prescription benzodiazepine use among older adults or (2) document and explain what happens as a result of that use, including changes in the brain and nervous system, shifts in behavior, and broader public health impacts. The opportunity explicitly invites work that characterizes neurobiological alterations associated with use in later life, as well as research that links use patterns to functional outcomes that matter for aging populations, such as cognition, mood, decision-making, fall risk, medication interactions, daily functioning, and health care utilization. The emphasis is on understanding drug use within the context of aging, where physiology, brain vulnerability, chronic disease burden, and polypharmacy can all change the risk profile and consequences compared to younger adults.

A key feature of the initiative is its focus on two distinct older-adult populations, recognizing that "older adults who use drugs" are not a single uniform group. The first group includes individuals with earlier onset of drug use who are now aging into the 50+ range, bringing with them long exposure histories and potentially cumulative effects. The second group includes individuals who start using after age 50, which raises different questions about triggers and pathways, such as pain treatment, insomnia, anxiety, grief, social isolation, retirement-related stress, changes in health status, or increased access through prescribing. By separating these populations conceptually, the FOA encourages researchers to examine whether risk factors, patterns of use, and outcomes differ depending on whether use began earlier in life or started in later adulthood.

Methodologically, the opportunity is intentionally broad and welcomes multiple research approaches, reflecting the complexity of substance use in aging. Applications may draw from basic science, clinical research, and epidemiology. That can include mechanistic work on aging-related changes in neurobiology that interact with cannabinoids, opioids, or benzodiazepines; clinical studies examining use trajectories, comorbidities, and treatment responses in older adults; and population-level analyses that track prevalence, prescribing and use patterns, adverse events, and public health consequences. The expectation is that funded projects will produce insights that clarify determinants and outcomes and help identify risk factors that could be acted upon in prevention, screening, and clinical care.

The practical importance of the work is highlighted throughout the description: understanding later-life drug use is positioned as critical for improving clinical practices and protecting brain and behavioral health in older populations. Findings from projects supported under this FOA are intended to inform better risk identification, guide decision-making around prescribing and monitoring, and improve how health systems recognize and respond to substance use issues among older adults. In other words, the program is not only interested in documenting that use occurs, but in uncovering the underlying drivers and consequences in ways that can ultimately shape real-world approaches to care.

This funding opportunity uses the NIH R21 mechanism, which is typically aimed at exploratory or developmental research. The listed award ceiling is $200,000. The opportunity is categorized as a discretionary grant in the Education and Health funding activity categories, with CFDA numbers 93.279 and 93.866. The agency is the National Institutes of Health, the original posting (creation) date is 2017-03-07, and the original closing date provided is 2018-01-24.

Eligibility is broad and includes many common applicant types across government, academia, nonprofits, and industry. Eligible applicants include state, county, city/township, and special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments); public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses. The FOA also explicitly highlights additional eligible organizations and communities of interest, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and non-U.S. (foreign) entities.

Overall, the opportunity is best understood as an NIH effort to stimulate fresh, high-impact research on marijuana and prescription opioid or benzodiazepine use specifically in adults 50 and older, with attention to both long-term users aging into later life and people who begin using later. It aims to produce actionable knowledge about why use happens, what it does to the aging brain and behavior, and how it affects public health, ultimately supporting better risk assessment and clinical guidance for older adults.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Marijuana, Prescription Opioid, or Prescription Benzodiazepine Drug Use Among Older Adults (R21)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.279, 93.866.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-03-07.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-01-24. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $200,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.

Apply for PA 17 197

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: