Marijuana, Prescription Opioid, or Prescription Benzodiazepine Drug Use Among Older Adults (R03 Clinical Trial Optional) | PA 18 080

Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 18 080

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity titled "Marijuana, Prescription Opioid, or Prescription Benzodiazepine Drug Use Among Older Adults (R03 Clinical Trial Optional)" (Funding Opportunity Number PA-18-080) is a discretionary grant program designed to support small, innovative research projects focused on drug use in later life. It targets a major gap in substance use disorder research: even with decades of progress in understanding addiction, the specific causes, patterns, and outcomes of marijuana use and prescription opioid or benzodiazepine use among adults age 50 and older are still not well understood. The announcement makes clear that older adulthood is not a uniform category, and it encourages research that recognizes how substance use may look different depending on when it began and what aging-related factors may shape risk and impact.

A central goal of the program is to fund studies that investigate determinants (the drivers and risk factors) of marijuana, prescription opioid, and prescription benzodiazepine use in older adults, and/or to describe the consequences of use in this age group. Those consequences can include neurobiological changes in the aging brain, behavioral outcomes, and broader public health impacts. The FOA is interested not only in whether drug use occurs, but in how and why it develops or persists in later life, how it interacts with aging-related biology and health conditions, and what downstream effects it may have on functioning, safety, and well-being.

The initiative highlights two distinct older-adult populations of interest. The first includes people with earlier onset drug use who are now entering later adulthood, meaning their substance use history spans multiple life stages and may intersect with aging processes in unique ways. The second includes people who initiate drug use after age 50, which can involve different motivations and pathways such as pain treatment, insomnia, anxiety, bereavement, social isolation, changing medical care, or increased access to certain medications. By separating these groups, NIH is signaling that the field needs to move beyond one-size-fits-all assumptions and instead examine how timing of initiation, duration of exposure, and aging-related vulnerability can shape both risk and outcomes.

Methodologically, the announcement is broad and inclusive. Applications are encouraged to use approaches ranging from basic science to clinical research to epidemiology. That means proposed projects could examine mechanisms at the biological or neurobiological level, assess clinical presentations and treatment-related questions, or analyze population-level trends and correlates. The "Clinical Trial Optional" label indicates that applicants may propose a clinical trial if it fits the scientific question, but a clinical trial is not required to be responsive to the FOA. Overall, the program is positioned to support early-stage or tightly focused studies that can generate foundational evidence, clarify mechanisms, identify trends, or produce preliminary data that can inform future larger research efforts.

The public health rationale underlying the FOA is that improving knowledge about drug use among older adults has direct clinical and societal value. Better evidence could help identify risk factors that are specific to later life, support earlier recognition of problematic use, and guide clinical practice for older populations where issues like polypharmacy, comorbid medical illness, cognitive change, and heightened sensitivity to drug effects may complicate prevention and care. The FOA also emphasizes the importance of understanding behavioral and functional consequences, which can include impacts on cognition, mood, daily functioning, injury risk, medication adherence, and interactions with other prescribed drugs.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is a grant under NIH with activity categories in education and health and CFDA numbers 93.279 and 93.866. The listed award ceiling is $50,000, aligning with the R03 mechanism, which is typically used for small research projects that can be completed with limited resources and within a shorter timeframe compared to larger NIH mechanisms. The original closing date shown in the source data is May 7, 2020, and the opportunity was created on November 3, 2017.

Eligibility is wide, reflecting NIH's interest in drawing ideas from many sectors and encouraging diverse institutional participation. Eligible applicants include state, county, city, and special district governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; independent school districts; Native American tribal governments (federally recognized); Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments); public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses. The FOA also explicitly notes additional eligible applicants such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations), regional organizations, tribal governments other than federally recognized, and U.S. territories or possessions. This broad eligibility supports participation from organizations that may be closely connected to communities experiencing distinct aging and substance use patterns, and it helps encourage research that is relevant across diverse populations and settings.

In practical terms, this FOA is best understood as an NIH call for targeted, creative projects that can clarify what drives marijuana and certain prescription drug use among older adults and what that use means for the aging brain, behavior, and public health. The expected payoff is better evidence to inform risk identification, prevention strategies, and clinical decision-making for a rapidly growing segment of the population where substance use issues are often under-recognized and under-studied.

• 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 (R03 Clinical Trial Optional)" 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 2017-11-03.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-05-07. (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 $50,000.00 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.

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