NIH R01: Population Approaches to Reducing Alcohol-related Cancer Risk

Funding Opportunity Number: PAR-25-221

Deadlines: February 5, 2025, March 5, 2025

Purpose

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) aims to support research on interdisciplinary population approaches to increasing awareness of the relationship between alcohol and cancer risk, understanding and changing social norms related to alcohol consumption, developing and/or evaluating alcohol policy approaches, and the development, testing, and implementation of population-level interventions to reduce alcohol-related cancer risk. Applications that address multiple levels of consumption, such as moderate and heavy drinking, are of particular interest, as well as those focusing on alcohol use disorder (AUD) from the perspective of cancer prevention and control. Proposals addressing understudied areas are encouraged, as is attention to underrepresented minority populations experiencing cancer and alcohol-related disparities such as American Indian, Alaskan Native, and sexual and gender minority populations.

Research Objectives and Scope

This PAR will solicit proposals that call for interdisciplinary population approaches to increasing awareness of the relationship between alcohol and cancer risk, understanding and changing social norms related to alcohol consumption, developing and/or evaluating alcohol policy approaches, and the development, testing, and implementation of population-level interventions to reduce alcohol-related cancer risk. Expected outcomes of proposed studies may include measures of awareness, social norms, alcohol consumption and other alcohol related behaviors as well as measures of policy and policy implementation as well as other outcomes determined by the applicants.

Applications can address any level of alcohol consumption, from light consumption to levels of consumption seen in heavy drinkers and those with Alcohol Use Disorder from a cancer prevention and control perspective . Demographic correlates of alcohol consumption are complex. For example, alcohol consumption is positively correlated with socioeconomic status, yet consumption may have disproportionate harms for people in lower SES groups. Additionally, several demographic groups, such as American Indian, Alaskan Native, and sexual and gender minority populations experience cancer and alcohol-related disparities. Thus, attention to underrepresented minority and thoughtful justification of the selected target populations are important.

Proposed research must involve interdisciplinary and multilevel approaches to addressing alcohol consumption as a cancer prevention strategy. Studies should examine population-level approaches to increasing knowledge, changing social norms, and/or pilot testing or evaluating policies concerning alcohol and cancer and can include any population of individuals, including adults, adolescents, and cancer patients/survivors. Population-level approaches involve communication, policy evaluation, and other research efforts distinct from the development of individual level behavioral interventions. Proposed studies may focus on the interpersonal, health system, community/organizational, and/or policy level and should address knowledge, social norms, and/or levels of alcohol consumption or other critical factors related to alcohol consumption for cancer control. Cancer incidence or mortality endpoints are not required. However, cancer prevention expertise is required to insure strong links to cancer prevention and control.

For more information, please see the opportunity webpage.