The National Institutes of Health (NIH), through its participating organizations the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), has issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) titled "Population Approaches to Reducing Alcohol-related Cancer Risk (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)" (Funding Opportunity Number: PAR-25-221). This reissue of PAR-23-244 invites research grant applications proposing interdisciplinary population-based approaches to reduce the risk of alcohol-related cancer. It is designed to fund studies that increase awareness of the link between alcohol consumption and cancer, modify social norms around alcohol use, explore policy interventions, and implement and evaluate community-level strategies to mitigate alcohol-related cancer risks.

The primary goal is to support research efforts that explore the associations between alcohol use and cancer, focusing on all levels of consumption, including light, moderate, heavy, and Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), particularly from a cancer prevention and control perspective. Proposals are encouraged to focus on underrepresented populations such as American Indian, Alaskan Native, and sexual and gender minorities, who face significant cancer and alcohol-related health disparities. The research is expected to use multilevel and interdisciplinary strategies to influence awareness, behavior, and policy.

Eligible research topics span health messaging, misinformation mitigation, the study of social determinants, and systems science approaches to understanding and evaluating interventions. Projects should target community-wide or population-level interventions rather than individual-level behavior change. Key expected outcomes include metrics on public awareness, policy implementation, changes in social norms, and alcohol consumption behavior, though direct cancer-related endpoints are not mandatory.

This grant opportunity offers an R01 Research Project Grant mechanism and supports new, renewal, resubmission, and revision applications. Clinical trials are optional. There is no budget cap, although applicants requesting $500,000 or more in direct costs in any one year must contact the relevant NIH Scientific/Research Contact at least six weeks prior to submission. The maximum project period is five years. Applications must be submitted electronically via ASSIST, Grants.gov Workspace, or institutional systems and comply with all application instructions in the NIH Application Guide.

Eligibility is broad, encompassing institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, for-profit entities, state and local governments, tribal governments, independent school districts, public housing authorities, faith-based and community organizations, regional organizations, and both domestic and non-domestic organizations. There is no cost-sharing requirement, and foreign institutions are eligible to apply. The earliest application submission date is January 5, 2025, with multiple due dates through October 2026. The program expires on January 8, 2027.

Evaluation criteria for applications include the significance and innovation of the research, the rigor and feasibility of the approach, and the expertise and environment of the applicant team. Applications will be reviewed based on their scientific merit, relevance to NIH priorities, and potential to contribute to cancer prevention through reduced alcohol consumption.