Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA DA 11 008
Apply for RFA DA 11 008
- The National Institutes of Health in the education health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Medical Marijuana Policy Research Exploring Trends and Impacts (R01)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.279 Drug Abuse and Addiction Research Programs.
- This funding opportunity was created on Oct 29, 2010 and posted on Oct 29, 2010.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 18, 2011. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $2,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities Special district governments Small businesses Private institutions of higher education City or township governments State governments Independent school districts Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Public and State controlled institutions of higher education For profit organizations other than small businesses Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education County governments Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments).
- Other Eligible Applicants include the following Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government Faith based or Community based Organizations Hispanic serving Institutions Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized) Non domestic (non U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) Regional Organizations Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) U.S. Territory or Possession.
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Opportunity Summary:
Medical Marijuana Policy Research Exploring Trends and Impacts (R01) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-DA-11-008) designed to support rigorous research on how medical marijuana laws and related regulations affect cannabis use, other drug use, and broader social and public health outcomes in the United States. The opportunity is grounded in the rapid policy changes that began in 1996 and accelerated over time, with many states decriminalizing medical marijuana in some form and additional states considering similar reforms. The core problem the program is trying to address is that, despite widespread legal and regulatory shifts, there has been limited high-quality evidence on the real-world impacts of these changes on the epidemiology of substance use and related harms or benefits. NIH is specifically seeking studies that can take advantage of these policy shifts as quasi-natural experiments, meaning researchers can compare outcomes before and after policy changes, and across states or localities with different rules, to estimate policy effects more credibly than simple cross-sectional comparisons.
This announcement solicits Research Project Grant (R01) applications, which typically support investigator-driven research projects with a well-developed design, clear hypotheses, and strong analytic plans. The scientific focus is intentionally broad but centered on social, behavioral, and public health impacts of medical marijuana use and medical marijuana policies. In practical terms, this can include studying how changes in medical marijuana access, dispensary regulations, patient registration requirements, physician recommendation practices, or enforcement patterns relate to trends in cannabis initiation, frequency of use, problematic use, cannabis use disorders, use of other substances (including alcohol, tobacco, prescription drugs, and illicit drugs), and health or safety outcomes. The emphasis on policy variation also invites work that disentangles which components of laws and regulations matter most, since "medical marijuana" policies differ widely in eligibility criteria, product availability, cultivation rules, supply channels, and oversight mechanisms.
A major priority in this FOA is the use of secondary data, especially national or state-level longitudinal or panel datasets. NIH explicitly encourages applications that rely on existing data sources capable of tracking trends over time and comparing jurisdictions. This points applicants toward designs such as difference-in-differences analyses, interrupted time series, fixed-effects panel models, or other quasi-experimental approaches that exploit the timing and location of policy adoption and implementation. The goal is to move beyond anecdotal or purely descriptive accounts and generate findings that can inform policymakers, public health officials, clinicians, and communities as they navigate evolving legal landscapes.
From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is a discretionary grant with no cost-sharing or matching requirement. It is categorized under Education and Health, and is tied to CFDA 93.279 (Drug Abuse and Addiction Research Programs). NIH estimated a total of about $2,000,000 in funding available under this announcement, with an award ceiling of $500,000 per project, indicating support for a small number of moderately sized R01 studies rather than a large portfolio of smaller projects. The announcement was posted on October 29, 2010, with an original and current closing date of February 18, 2011, and an archive date of March 21, 2011, meaning it was a time-limited solicitation rather than a permanently open mechanism.
Eligibility is broad and includes many types of applicants that can credibly conduct public health and policy research. Eligible entities include state, county, city, and special district governments; public and private institutions of higher education; independent school districts; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (including small businesses and other for-profits); and federally recognized tribal governments as well as other tribal organizations. The eligibility language also explicitly includes a range of mission-driven or underserved-serving institutions and organizations such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, faith-based and community-based organizations, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and even non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations), reflecting NIH interest in strong research capacity and relevant expertise rather than limiting applicants to a narrow set of institutions.
In short, this R01 opportunity was aimed at building an evidence base on the consequences of medical marijuana policy changes by funding methodologically strong studies that leverage real-world policy shifts as natural experiments, with a clear preference for analyses using robust longitudinal or panel secondary datasets. The overarching intent was to clarify how evolving medical marijuana laws and regulations shape patterns of cannabis and other drug use and affect health and social outcomes, thereby helping close a critical knowledge gap at a time of rapid legislative change.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the "Medical Marijuana Policy Research Exploring Trends and Impacts (R01)" opportunity?
It is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity to support rigorous research on how medical marijuana laws and related regulations affect cannabis use, other drug use, and broader social and public health outcomes in the United States. It is a Research Project Grant (R01) solicitation.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FOA) for this announcement?
The Funding Opportunity Number is RFA-DA-11-008.
What kind of grant mechanism does this program use?
This solicitation accepts Research Project Grant (R01) applications, which are typically investigator-driven projects with a well-developed design, clear hypotheses, and strong analytic plans.
Why did NIH issue this funding opportunity?
NIH issued it because medical marijuana laws and regulations changed rapidly across states beginning in 1996 and accelerating over time, but there was limited high-quality evidence on the real-world impacts of these policy changes on substance use patterns and related harms or benefits.
What core problem is this program trying to address?
The program aims to close the evidence gap by funding methodologically strong studies that can credibly estimate the impacts of medical marijuana policies on the epidemiology of substance use and related health and social outcomes.
What types of research topics are within scope?
The scientific focus is broad but centered on social, behavioral, and public health impacts of medical marijuana use and medical marijuana policies. Examples include relationships between policy/regulatory changes and trends in cannabis initiation, frequency of use, problematic use, cannabis use disorders, other substance use (including alcohol, tobacco, prescription drugs, and illicit drugs), and health or safety outcomes.
Which parts of medical marijuana policy or regulation can be studied under this FOA?
Studies may examine policy variation such as medical marijuana access, dispensary regulations, patient registration requirements, physician recommendation practices, enforcement patterns, eligibility criteria, product availability, cultivation rules, supply channels, and oversight mechanisms.
Is NIH interested in comparing different state or local policy models?
Yes. The opportunity emphasizes policy variation across states or localities and encourages work that disentangles which components of laws and regulations matter most, since medical marijuana policies differ widely.
What research designs does NIH want applicants to use?
NIH is specifically seeking studies that take advantage of policy shifts as quasi-natural experiments, such as comparing outcomes before and after policy changes and across jurisdictions with different rules, to estimate policy effects more credibly than simple cross-sectional comparisons.
What analytic approaches are explicitly encouraged?
The announcement points applicants toward quasi-experimental approaches that exploit timing and location of policy adoption and implementation, including difference-in-differences analyses, interrupted time series, fixed-effects panel models, or other similar methods.
Does this FOA emphasize secondary data or primary data collection?
A major priority is the use of secondary data, especially national or state-level longitudinal or panel datasets capable of tracking trends over time and comparing jurisdictions.
What kinds of datasets are most aligned with the FOA priorities?
Existing national or state-level longitudinal or panel data sources that allow tracking outcomes over time and comparing states or localities before/after policy changes and across different regulatory environments.
What is the main goal of using quasi-experimental methods in this program?
The goal is to move beyond anecdotal or purely descriptive accounts and generate findings that can inform policymakers, public health officials, clinicians, and communities as legal landscapes evolve.
How much total funding did NIH estimate for this announcement?
NIH estimated about $2,000,000 in total funding available under this announcement.
What is the award ceiling per project?
The award ceiling is $500,000 per project.
What does the total funding level and award ceiling suggest about the number of awards?
It suggests support for a small number of moderately sized R01 studies rather than a large portfolio of smaller projects.
Is cost-sharing or matching required?
No. The opportunity is described as having no cost-sharing or matching requirement.
How is this grant categorized administratively?
It is described as a discretionary grant and categorized under Education and Health.
What CFDA program is associated with this opportunity?
It is tied to CFDA 93.279, Drug Abuse and Addiction Research Programs.
When was the announcement posted?
The announcement was posted on October 29, 2010.
What were the closing dates for applications?
The original and current closing date listed is February 18, 2011.
Is this FOA still open?
Based on the provided information, it was a time-limited solicitation. It has an archive date of March 21, 2011, and the closing date was February 18, 2011.
What does it mean that the FOA is "archived"?
In this context, it indicates the solicitation was time-limited and is no longer an active, permanently open mechanism, based on the archive date provided.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes state, county, city, and special district governments; public and private institutions of higher education; independent school districts; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (including small businesses and other for-profits); federally recognized tribal governments; and other tribal organizations.
Are community-based and faith-based organizations eligible?
Yes. The eligibility language explicitly includes faith-based and community-based organizations.
Are minority-serving institutions specifically included in eligibility?
Yes. The eligibility language explicitly includes Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), and Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions.
Are U.S. territories or possessions eligible?
Yes. The eligibility language includes U.S. territories or possessions.
Are foreign (non-U.S.) organizations eligible?
Yes. The eligibility description states that non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations) are included.
Does this program limit applicants to academic institutions only?
No. The eligible applicant list includes governments, nonprofits, for-profits, tribal entities, housing authorities, school districts, higher education institutions, and foreign organizations, reflecting an emphasis on research capacity and relevant expertise.
What outcomes does NIH want researchers to examine?
Outcomes of interest include cannabis initiation, frequency of use, problematic use, cannabis use disorders, other substance use (alcohol, tobacco, prescription drugs, illicit drugs), and broader health, safety, social, and public health outcomes.
What is meant by treating policy changes as "quasi-natural experiments"?
It refers to leveraging real-world variation in the timing and location of medical marijuana law adoption and implementation to compare outcomes before versus after changes, and across jurisdictions with different rules, to better estimate causal policy effects than simple cross-sectional comparisons.
What is the overarching intent of this FOA?
The intent is to build an evidence base on the consequences of medical marijuana policy changes by funding methodologically strong studies that use robust longitudinal or panel secondary datasets to clarify how evolving laws and regulations shape patterns of cannabis and other drug use and affect health and social outcomes.
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