August 2, 2023

On August 2, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) published a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for “Public Health Communication Messaging about the Continuum of Risk for Tobacco Products” in the NIH Guide. 

The Tobacco Regulatory Science Program (TRSP), an interagency partnership between the NIH and the FDA Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) to foster tobacco regulatory research, is inviting applications for a single Research Project Cooperative Agreement (U01) that will utilize health communication research to better understand the impact that messaging about the continuum of risk for tobacco products may have on various segments of the population. 

The impact of messaging and education focused on the continuum of risk for tobacco products has not been widely studied, and more research, including behavioral impact studies, is needed to examine the effects of any such messaging on various audiences. Therefore, applicants should consider effects on audiences for whom the messaging could potentially be useful (i.e., adults who use combustible tobacco products) and on those for whom the messaging could have negative consequences (e.g., youth). 

A webinar outlining the opportunity is scheduled for early Fall 2023. NIH and CTP staff will explain the goals and objectives of the NOFO, discuss the application peer review process, and answer questions. Information on registration for the webinar is forthcoming.