Population Approaches to Reducing Alcohol-related Cancer Risk (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) | PAR 23 244

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 23 244

The NIH funding opportunity "Population Approaches to Reducing Alcohol-related Cancer Risk (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)" (PAR-23-244) supports research that treats alcohol use as a cancer prevention and control issue and looks beyond individual behavior change to broader, population-level strategies. The central idea is to fund interdisciplinary work that can raise public awareness that alcohol increases cancer risk, clarify how social norms and environments shape drinking, and generate evidence for interventions and policies that reduce alcohol-related cancer burden. While clinical trials are not required, they are allowed if they fit the proposed research.

A major emphasis is on population approaches that can shift knowledge, attitudes, norms, and conditions that influence alcohol consumption. This includes studying how people learn about (or fail to learn about) the alcohol-cancer link, how misinformation or gaps in messaging persist, and which communication strategies actually change understanding and risk perceptions. It also includes research on social and cultural norms around drinking, such as how alcohol is marketed, how it is embedded in celebrations and social life, and how community expectations and peer influences can normalize moderate to heavy drinking. Projects can be developmental (creating new strategies) or evaluative (testing existing strategies in real-world settings), with a strong interest in work that can be scaled and sustained.

The NOFO is particularly interested in proposals that address more than one level of alcohol consumption, especially moderate and heavy drinking, rather than focusing only on the most severe end of the spectrum. It also explicitly welcomes applications that examine alcohol use disorder (AUD) through the lens of cancer prevention and cancer control, for example by studying how AUD screening, treatment access, stigma, or healthcare delivery patterns affect cancer risk reduction opportunities. In practice, this creates room for research that bridges public health, oncology, addiction science, behavioral science, communications, implementation science, health services, and policy research.

Policy-focused studies are encouraged as well. Applicants can develop and/or evaluate alcohol policy approaches that could lower population exposure and related cancer risk, which may include examining the impact of pricing and taxation, availability and outlet density, marketing and labeling practices, warning statements, age restrictions, enforcement strategies, or other regulatory and environmental levers. The intent is not only to understand what policies are associated with reduced consumption, but also how those policies are implemented, accepted, and maintained, and whether they reduce disparities or inadvertently widen them.

Another key priority is filling understudied gaps and expanding the evidence base in areas that have not received enough attention. The NOFO also stresses equity: it encourages research that focuses on underrepresented minority (URM) populations and groups experiencing disproportionate cancer and alcohol-related harms. Specific examples highlighted include American Indian and Alaska Native communities and sexual and gender minority populations, though the broader aim is to address disparities wherever they occur and to design approaches that are culturally grounded, context-aware, and responsive to structural drivers of risk.

Mechanistically, this is an R01 grant, meaning it is designed for substantial, multi-year research projects with clearly defined aims and rigorous methods. The opportunity is listed under CFDA numbers 93.273 and 93.396 and is administered by the National Institutes of Health. The application window runs through at least January 7, 2027 (original closing date). An award ceiling is not specified in the provided listing, which typically means budgets are guided by NIH R01 norms and the specific institute or center requirements rather than a single hard cap in the public summary.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of organizations that could lead or partner on population-level cancer prevention work. Eligible applicants include state, county, city, and special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; public housing authorities; Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized tribal governments; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) as well as small businesses; and other entities. The NOFO also calls out additional eligible applicants and partners 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 and community-based organizations, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations). This broad eligibility aligns with the goal of supporting research that can be embedded in communities, systems, and policy environments where alcohol-related cancer risk is shaped.

Overall, the opportunity is aimed at building practical, generalizable evidence on how to reduce alcohol-related cancer risk at scale. Competitive projects will typically combine strong public health relevance with methodologically sound designs, a clear plan to measure outcomes related to awareness, norms, consumption patterns, or policy and intervention effects, and thoughtful attention to populations and settings where the cancer burden and alcohol-related harms are greatest or least well studied.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Population Approaches to Reducing Alcohol-related Cancer Risk (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.273, 93.396.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-08-15.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2027-01-07.
• 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 PAR 23 244

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