U.S. Tobacco Control Policies to Reduce Health Disparities (R21 Clinical Trial Optional) | PAR 18 674

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 18 674

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity titled "U.S. Tobacco Control Policies to Reduce Health Disparities (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)" (Funding Opportunity Number PAR 18-674; CFDA 93.395) supports research projects aimed at reducing cancer-related health disparities that stem from tobacco use in the United States. The central idea is to generate practical, policy-relevant evidence about how tobacco prevention and control policies can reduce unequal tobacco use patterns and tobacco-related cancer burdens in populations that experience disproportionate harm. Projects may be observational (for example, evaluating the real-world impact of a policy change) or intervention-focused (for example, testing an approach tied to policy implementation), and the FOA allows clinical trials but does not require them.

A defining feature of this announcement is its emphasis on innovative tobacco control policies as the lever for change. Applicants are expected to focus on outcomes tied to reducing disparities in tobacco use and related cancer risk rather than simply reducing overall prevalence. In other words, the research should be designed to show how a policy or policy-driven strategy affects vulnerable or underserved groups, with the long-term goal of narrowing gaps in cancer outcomes and reducing the excess disease burden caused by tobacco in those communities. The announcement encourages applicants to consider prevention and control strategies that can be implemented at a population level, including policy approaches that influence access, affordability, exposure, marketing, and use patterns, as well as differential effects across demographic and socioeconomic groups.

Because the FOA is an R21 mechanism, it is generally aligned with exploratory and developmental work, supporting innovative, early-stage projects that can generate strong preliminary evidence, develop methods, or test novel policy concepts that may later scale into larger studies. The listed award ceiling is $200,000, reflecting the smaller, pilot-oriented scope typical of R21 grants. The opportunity is categorized as a discretionary grant in the health area, and it is administered under NIH.

The opportunity is open to a wide range of U.S.-based applicants, reflecting the policy and community-facing nature of the topic. Eligible applicants include 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 both with and without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) as well as small businesses; and other eligible entities. The FOA also highlights additional eligible applicants such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions. At the same time, it is explicit about restrictions involving foreign participation: non-U.S. entities and non-U.S. institutions are not eligible to apply, non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components (as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement) are not allowed, reinforcing that the work must be fully U.S.-based.

The FOA also calls out health economics as a relevant area for applicants who may be evaluating costs, cost-effectiveness, pricing policies, or economic impacts tied to tobacco control, and it directs those applicants to consult NIH guidance (NOT-OD-16-025) to ensure alignment with NIH mission priorities in health economics research. This signals that economic evaluations are welcome, but applicants should frame them in ways that match NIH expectations and public health relevance, especially as they relate to disparities and cancer outcomes.

Overall, this grant opportunity is designed to build actionable evidence on tobacco control policy solutions that can measurably reduce inequities in tobacco use and, by extension, disparities in cancer risk and cancer outcomes across the United States. It encourages creative policy-focused research grounded in real-world impact, with eligibility structured to include the government, academic, nonprofit, community, and tribal organizations most likely to conduct and translate this kind of work into meaningful public health change.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "U.S. Tobacco Control Policies to Reduce Health Disparities (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.395.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2018-02-21.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-06-15. (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 $200,000.00 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 PAR 18 674

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