Innovative Approaches to Studying Cancer Communication in the New Information Ecosystem (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) | PAR 19 348

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 19 348

The National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is seeking research proposals for an R01 grant opportunity titled "Innovative Approaches to Studying Cancer Communication in the New Information Ecosystem (Clinical Trial Optional)" (Funding Opportunity Number PAR-19-348). The program is designed to support communication science research that improves cancer prevention and control by better understanding how people encounter, interpret, share, and act on cancer-related information in a rapidly changing media environment. This includes modern digital and social platforms, targeted and algorithm-driven content, online communities, and the broader mix of traditional and emerging communication channels that shape public beliefs and health behaviors.

The FOA highlights three main research domains. First, it encourages the creation, refinement, and real-world application of new cancer communication surveillance approaches. In practice, this means developing better ways to monitor and measure cancer communication phenomena at scale, such as tracking exposure to cancer information and misinformation, studying message diffusion across platforms, understanding how information environments differ across communities, and linking communication patterns to relevant outcomes like screening uptake, vaccination behavior, tobacco use, or engagement with evidence-based prevention guidance. Projects in this area often involve novel data streams or measurement strategies, potentially using digital trace data, content analytics, network mapping, or other approaches that go beyond conventional surveys while still maintaining scientific rigor and attention to validity, reliability, ethics, and representativeness.

Second, NCI is interested in the development and testing of rapid cancer communication interventions using innovative methods and study designs. This line of work focuses on creating communication interventions that can be deployed and evaluated quickly, which is especially important in fast-moving information environments where public narratives, platform features, and misinformation trends can shift in days or weeks. "Rapid" in this context points to adaptive, iterative, or efficient approaches to intervention development and evaluation, including modern experimental and quasi-experimental designs that can test messages, delivery strategies, targeting approaches, and platform-specific tactics. Since clinical trials are optional under this opportunity, applicants may propose studies that range from basic and observational communication research to intervention studies, including those that qualify as clinical trials when they prospectively assign people to communication conditions to assess effects on health-related behaviors or outcomes.

Third, the FOA calls for research that develops and tests multilevel cancer communication models emphasizing bidirectional influence between levels. This encourages proposals that move beyond one-directional models of communication (for example, messages affecting individuals) to examine how communication processes operate across multiple layers such as individuals, families, social networks, communities, health systems, organizations, media platforms, and policy environments, and how these levels influence one another. A bidirectional emphasis means studying feedback loops, such as how community norms and online group dynamics shape individual beliefs, and how individual engagement and sharing behaviors reshape group narratives and information availability. Projects might also explore how health system communications interact with social media discourse, or how organizational messaging and platform algorithms jointly affect what information different populations actually see.

Across all three domains, the program expects applicants to use communication science approaches to investigate behavioral targets and health outcomes relevant to cancer prevention and control. That includes behaviors like cancer screening and early detection actions, HPV vaccination, tobacco cessation, diet and physical activity patterns, sun protection, adherence to recommended care, and other actions that influence cancer risk, morbidity, and mortality. The emphasis is not only on describing communication patterns, but on producing knowledge that can inform practical strategies to improve communication effectiveness, equity, and public health impact in contemporary information settings.

A core expectation is methodological innovation. Applications are expected to use one or more innovative communication research methodologies, which can include (depending on the proposed questions and ethical constraints) novel measurement systems, computational methods for message and network analysis, natural experiments, adaptive and pragmatic designs, rapid-cycle testing, mixed-method approaches that integrate qualitative insight with large-scale quantitative data, or new ways of linking communication exposure and engagement to real-world behaviors and outcomes. The FOA is oriented toward meritorious projects that can advance the field methodologically while remaining anchored to cancer prevention and control priorities.

In terms of eligibility, the opportunity is broad and open to many applicant organization types. Eligible applicants include various levels of government (state, county, city or township, and special district governments), independent school districts, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, federally recognized Native American tribal governments, tribal organizations that are not federally recognized, public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities, nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education), for-profit organizations other than small businesses, small businesses, and other eligible entities. The FOA also explicitly notes additional eligible applicant categories 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, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, and U.S. territories or possessions.

At the same time, the FOA clearly restricts foreign participation. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and non-domestic (non-U.S.) foreign institutions are not eligible to apply. In addition, non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement are not allowed. In other words, the applicant organization and the proposed work must remain within allowable domestic boundaries under this announcement.

Administratively, this is a discretionary grant mechanism using the NIH R01 research project grant format, with clinical trial activity allowed but not required (hence "Clinical Trial Optional"). The listing is associated with CFDA number 93.399 and was created on 2019-08-16, with an original closing date shown as 2022-06-08. No specific award ceiling or expected number of awards is provided in the supplied details, which typically means applicants should consult the full FOA and NIH standard policies for budget expectations and project period norms under the R01 mechanism.

Overall, the opportunity is aimed at researchers who want to push cancer communication science forward in a media landscape shaped by rapid information spread, fragmented audiences, platform-driven personalization, and evolving sources of both accurate information and misinformation. The strongest proposals under this FOA would typically align a high-priority cancer prevention or control outcome with an innovative communication method, intervention strategy, or multilevel model that can explain and ultimately improve how cancer-related information influences real-world decisions and health outcomes.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Innovative Approaches to Studying Cancer Communication in the New Information Ecosystem (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): 93.399.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2019-08-16.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-06-08. (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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