Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 17 135
The Public Policy Effects on Alcohol-, Marijuana-, and Other Substance-Related Behaviors and Outcomes (R01) funding opportunity (PA-17-135) is a National Institutes of Health discretionary grant program focused on understanding how government policies shape substance-related behaviors and the downstream health and social outcomes tied to alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs. The central idea behind this opportunity is that public policy is not just a background condition; it can act as a powerful, scalable tool for preventing harm, improving health, and strengthening public welfare. Through this FOA, NIH is looking for research that goes beyond describing trends and instead produces actionable evidence about whether policies work, for whom they work, and under what real-world conditions they produce meaningful changes.
The FOA emphasizes innovative, policy-relevant research that can credibly estimate the effects of policies on outcomes such as substance use patterns, misuse, initiation, frequency and intensity of use, substance use disorders, intoxication-related harms, overdoses, injuries, impaired driving, criminal justice involvement, health care utilization, and other population-level public health indicators. While the announcement is broad, its purpose is clear: improve the evidence base around the role of public policy in influencing alcohol-, marijuana-, and other substance-related behaviors and consequences, and strengthen the scientific methods used to study these relationships.
Projects supported under this R01 mechanism can include several major categories of work. One is causal analysis of the effects of one or multiple public policies, meaning studies designed to estimate what changed because of a policy rather than what merely happened around the same time. Another is evaluation of specific public policies as tools for improving public health, which may involve comparing alternative policy designs, implementation strategies, enforcement intensity, or combinations of policies. A third area is methods and measurement research, aimed at improving how policy exposure is defined and quantified (for example, how to characterize policy strength, timing, enforcement, local variation, or policy interactions), and improving analytic strategies for policy evaluation (for example, approaches appropriate for natural experiments, staggered adoption, cross-jurisdiction comparisons, or complex policy environments).
The opportunity is structured as an NIH Research Project Grant (R01), which generally supports substantial, multi-year research projects with clearly defined aims, rigorous design, and meaningful potential impact. The activity category is health, and the associated CFDA number is 93.273. Although the source listing does not provide an award ceiling or expected number of awards, the R01 format typically implies a competitive, peer-reviewed process where budgets and project periods are justified by the scope of work and evaluated under NIH standards.
Eligibility is intentionally broad, reflecting the cross-sector nature of policy research and the many settings where policy evaluation expertise resides. Eligible applicants include a wide range of government entities (state, county, city or township governments, special district governments, and independent school districts), higher education institutions (public/state-controlled and private institutions), Native American tribal governments (federally recognized), public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, and Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized governments. The FOA also welcomes nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status, for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), and small businesses, as well as other applicants. In addition, it explicitly highlights other eligible applicant types 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; Indian/Native American Tribal Governments other than federally recognized; regional organizations; non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations); and U.S. territories or possessions. This breadth signals an interest in diverse perspectives, diverse populations, and research that can be grounded in community and governmental realities.
In practical terms, the FOA is a good fit for investigators studying questions like how changes in alcohol taxation, outlet density rules, minimum legal drinking age enforcement, cannabis legalization and retail regulations, marketing restrictions, prescription drug monitoring policies, naloxone access laws, diversion programs, or criminal justice reforms affect use behaviors and health outcomes. It is also suited to researchers developing better tools for coding policies across jurisdictions and time, improving causal inference in complex policy settings, or integrating multiple data sources to capture policy exposure and outcomes more accurately.
Administrative details from the listing show the opportunity was created on 2017-01-25, with an original closing date of 2020-09-07. Even though those dates indicate the specific posting may be historical, the substance of the announcement reflects an ongoing NIH interest in rigorous policy evaluation for substance-related public health challenges.Apply for PA 17 135
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Public Policy Effects on Alcohol-, Marijuana-, and Other Substance-Related Behaviors and Outcomes (R01)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.273.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2017-01-25.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-09-07. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- 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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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the focus of the PA-17-135 funding opportunity?
PA-17-135 supports research on how government policies influence alcohol-, marijuana-, and other substance-related behaviors, along with the downstream health and social outcomes linked to those behaviors. The opportunity treats public policy as an active, scalable tool that can prevent harm, improve health, and strengthen public welfare.
What type of grant mechanism is used for this opportunity?
This opportunity uses the NIH Research Project Grant (R01) mechanism, which is intended for substantial, multi-year research projects with clearly defined aims and rigorous study designs.
Which federal agency is offering this grant program?
The program is offered by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as a discretionary grant opportunity.
What is the title of this funding opportunity?
The title is "Public Policy Effects on Alcohol-, Marijuana-, and Other Substance-Related Behaviors and Outcomes (R01)."
What is the opportunity number or identifier?
The funding opportunity announcement (FOA) identifier is PA-17-135.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The associated CFDA number listed for this opportunity is 93.273.
What general topic area or activity category does this FOA fall under?
The activity category is health, with a specific emphasis on substance-related public health and policy effects.
What kinds of outcomes is NIH interested in measuring?
The FOA highlights outcomes such as substance use patterns, misuse, initiation, frequency and intensity of use, substance use disorders, intoxication-related harms, overdoses, injuries, impaired driving, criminal justice involvement, health care utilization, and other population-level public health indicators.
Does the FOA prioritize descriptive studies or causal policy evaluation?
The FOA emphasizes research that goes beyond describing trends and instead produces actionable evidence about whether policies work, for whom they work, and under what real-world conditions they lead to meaningful changes. This includes studies designed to credibly estimate policy effects.
What types of projects are supported under this R01 FOA?
Projects can include (1) causal analyses of one or multiple public policies, (2) evaluations of specific public policies as tools for improving public health, and (3) methods and measurement research to improve how policy exposure is defined and how policy evaluations are conducted.
What does "causal analysis" mean in the context of this FOA?
In this FOA, causal analysis refers to study designs that aim to estimate what changed because of a policy, rather than changes that simply occurred around the same time as a policy shift.
What kinds of policy evaluation questions fit this FOA?
The FOA is a fit for questions about whether a policy works, for whom it works, and under what conditions it produces meaningful changes. It also supports comparisons across policy designs, implementation strategies, enforcement intensity, and combinations of policies.
Does the FOA encourage methods and measurement development?
Yes. A major area of interest is methods and measurement research that improves how policy exposure is characterized (such as policy strength, timing, enforcement, local variation, and policy interactions) and strengthens analytic strategies for evaluating policies in real-world settings.
What methodological approaches does the FOA mention as relevant?
The FOA mentions approaches appropriate for natural experiments, staggered policy adoption, cross-jurisdiction comparisons, and complex policy environments, among other analytic strategies for credible policy evaluation.
What are examples of policies that could be studied under this FOA?
Examples mentioned include alcohol taxation, outlet density rules, minimum legal drinking age enforcement, cannabis legalization and retail regulations, marketing restrictions, prescription drug monitoring policies, naloxone access laws, diversion programs, and criminal justice reforms.
Is the scope limited to alcohol and marijuana, or does it include other substances?
The scope includes alcohol and marijuana and also explicitly includes other drugs and other substance-related behaviors and outcomes.
Who is eligible to apply for this grant opportunity?
Eligibility is broad and includes many types of applicants across government, academia, tribal entities, nonprofits, and industry. The FOA is designed to reflect the cross-sector nature of policy research.
Which government entities are eligible applicants?
Eligible government applicants include state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, independent school districts, U.S. territories or possessions, and eligible federal agencies. The FOA also includes regional organizations.
Are tribal governments and tribal organizations eligible?
Yes. Federally recognized Native American tribal governments are eligible, and the FOA also highlights Indian/Native American tribal governments other than federally recognized as well as Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized governments.
Are higher education institutions eligible to apply?
Yes. Public/state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education are eligible. The FOA also calls out several institution types, including HBCUs, Hispanic-serving Institutions, TCCUs, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and AANAPISIs.
Can nonprofits apply if they do not have 501(c)(3) status?
Yes. The eligibility list includes nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status and nonprofit organizations without 501(c)(3) status.
Are for-profit organizations eligible?
Yes. For-profit organizations (other than small businesses) are eligible, and small businesses are also listed as eligible applicants.
Are faith-based and community-based organizations eligible?
Yes. The FOA explicitly highlights faith-based and community-based organizations among eligible applicant types.
Can non-U.S. entities apply?
Yes. The FOA indicates that non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations) are eligible.
Does the listing include an award ceiling or the expected number of awards?
No. The source listing described does not provide an award ceiling or an expected number of awards.
How are budgets and project periods handled for this opportunity?
While specific limits are not provided in the listing, the R01 format generally implies that budgets and project periods are justified by the scope of work and evaluated through NIH peer review standards.
When was this opportunity created, and what was the original closing date?
The listing states the opportunity was created on 2017-01-25 and had an original closing date of 2020-09-07.
Is this FOA still active based on the dates provided?
The dates suggest the specific posting may be historical. However, the description notes that the substance of the announcement reflects an ongoing NIH interest in rigorous policy evaluation related to substance-related public health challenges.
What is the overall goal of the research NIH wants to fund through this FOA?
The goal is to strengthen the evidence base on how public policy influences substance-related behaviors and outcomes, with an emphasis on producing actionable findings and improving scientific methods for evaluating policy effects.
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