Public Health Communication Messaging about the Continuum of Risk for Tobacco Products (U01 Clinical Trial Required) | RFA OD 23 021

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA OD 23 021

The grant opportunity "Public Health Communication Messaging about the Continuum of Risk for Tobacco Products (U01 Clinical Trial Required)" (RFA-OD-23-021) is a discretionary federal funding program run by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) using funds provided by the FDA Center for Tobacco Products (CTP). It supports tobacco regulatory science under the authority of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (FSPTCA, P.L. 111-31). The central goal is to fund health communication research that tests and clarifies how different kinds of public health messages about the "continuum of risk" across tobacco products influence people’s understanding, perceptions, and likely behaviors. In plain terms, it is aimed at figuring out what happens when the public is told that different tobacco products may carry different levels of harm, and how that information lands with different groups.

The research focus is on messaging effects across "various segments of the population," which typically means examining differences by age, tobacco use status (for example, non-users, current cigarette smokers, people who use multiple products), and other characteristics that can shape how risk information is processed. Because the NOFO is built around health communication, it emphasizes understanding outcomes like comprehension of risk messages, perceived harm, trust and credibility, intentions to use or stop using products, and potential unintended consequences (such as misunderstandings that could increase initiation or reduce quitting). The intent is to generate evidence that is directly relevant to FDA’s regulatory responsibilities, meaning studies should be designed to produce findings that can inform how tobacco-related risk information might be communicated to the public in ways that protect public health.

The funding mechanism is a U01 cooperative agreement, which generally means the project is a research grant but with substantial scientific or programmatic involvement from the funding agency compared to a standard investigator-initiated award. The title also specifies "Clinical Trial Required," indicating the program expects applications to include a clinical trial as defined by NIH rules. In practice, for communication research this often involves experimental or intervention-style studies where participants are assigned to different message conditions and outcomes are measured, rather than purely observational work.

Eligibility is broad across government, academic, nonprofit, and private-sector organizations. Eligible applicants listed include state, county, and local governments; 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; other tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education for those categories as specified in the listing); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses. The NOFO also explicitly highlights additional eligible applicant types such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), eligible federal agencies, faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, Indian/Native American Tribal Governments other than federally recognized ones, and U.S. territories or possessions.

At the same time, it places clear limits on foreign involvement. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply. However, "foreign components" as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement are allowed, which typically means specific parts of an otherwise eligible U.S.-led project may be carried out outside the United States if justified and approved under NIH policy.

Administratively, the program is categorized under a health funding activity (CFDA/Assistance Listing 93.077). The opportunity was created on 2023-08-01 and had an original closing date of 2023-12-06. The listed award ceiling is $2,500,000, signaling that the agency anticipated potentially large, multi-year, or resource-intensive projects consistent with a cooperative agreement that includes a clinical trial component. Overall, this NOFO is aimed at producing rigorous, policy-relevant evidence about how to communicate nuanced tobacco risk information without causing confusion or unintended harm, and to understand how those messages play out across different audiences in the real world.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Public Health Communication Messaging about the Continuum of Risk for Tobacco Products (U01 Clinical Trial Required)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.077.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-08-01.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-12-06. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2,500,000.00 in funding.
• 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 RFA OD 23 021

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