State and Community Tobacco Control Policy and Media Research (U01) | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the "State and Community Tobacco Control Policy and Media Research (U01)" opportunity?

It is a National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity announcement (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-CA-10-008) designed to support research that tests how well real-world tobacco control policies and media efforts work at the state and community level.

What is the main purpose of this funding opportunity?

The purpose is to build stronger evidence about which policy and communications approaches most effectively reduce tobacco use and tobacco smoke exposure, using study approaches that reflect how these interventions operate in real-world settings rather than tightly controlled laboratory environments.

What kinds of outcomes was the research expected to measure?

The announcement emphasized connecting policy design and implementation to measurable outcomes such as tobacco use prevalence, quit attempts, exposure levels (including tobacco smoke exposure), attitudes, acceptance of tobacco control measures, compliance with policies, and disparities across populations.

What types of tobacco use or exposure could projects address?

Projects could focus on tobacco use and exposure in any form within the United States.

What study designs or methods were allowed?

Projects could use observational methods (for example, policy evaluations using existing data, natural experiments, and surveillance trends) and/or intervention studies (for example, testing new media countermeasures or local policy implementation strategies).

What were the priority topic areas highlighted in the announcement?

The FOA emphasized several priority areas, including secondhand smoke policies, tax and pricing policies, tobacco industry marketing and promotion, mass media countermeasures, and the role of community and social norms in tobacco-related behaviors and policy compliance.

What did the FOA mean by secondhand smoke policy research?

Secondhand smoke policy topics included smoke-free rules in settings such as workplaces, restaurants, multi-unit housing, and public spaces, and research on how these policies affect exposure and behavior.

What did the FOA mean by tax and pricing policy research?

Tax and pricing topics included excise tax changes, price promotions, and studying how price signals influence initiation, cessation, and consumption of tobacco.

What did the FOA mean by tobacco industry marketing and promotion research?

Marketing and promotion topics included advertising channels, retail promotion, discounting tactics, and examining how marketing affects different populations.

What are "mass media countermeasures" in this context?

Mass media countermeasures refer to public education and countermarketing campaigns intended to discourage tobacco use and normalize non-use.

How did community and social norms fit into this research program?

The FOA highlighted the broader role of community and social norms in shaping tobacco-related behaviors, compliance with policies, and acceptance of tobacco control measures.

What funding mechanism was used (U01), and why does it matter?

The program used the U01 cooperative agreement mechanism. Under cooperative agreements, NIH/NCI program staff generally have substantial involvement in shaping and monitoring progress toward shared program goals, while investigators still lead the science. This structure supports coordinated, cohesive evidence generation across multiple funded projects.

How is a cooperative agreement different from a standard research grant?

Based on the announcement, the relationship is more collaborative than a standard research project grant. NCI staff are expected to be substantially involved in helping shape and monitor progress toward shared program goals, alongside the investigators.

Did the program fund only individual research projects?

No. In addition to individual research projects, the initiative also funded a separate Coordinating Center under the same U01 cooperative agreement mechanism.

What was the purpose of the Coordinating Center?

The Coordinating Center was intended to provide scientific leadership and administrative structure to help the initiative function as a coordinated portfolio rather than a set of isolated grants.

What kinds of activities would the Coordinating Center typically support?

As described, the Coordinating Center would typically help align measures and terminology where possible, encourage data harmonization and cross-site comparisons, organize regular communication among research teams, support collaborative analyses, and serve as a key interface between investigators and NCI staff to produce more integrated and policy-relevant conclusions.

How much funding was projected for this initiative?

Funding for the initiative was projected at about $12 million in Fiscal Year 2010, with future-year funding dependent on annual appropriations.

How many awards did NCI anticipate making?

NCI anticipated making roughly four to six Research Project awards plus one Coordinating Center award.

When was the announcement posted and when were applications due?

The announcement was posted on November 12, 2009. The application closing date was January 22, 2010. The archive date was February 22, 2010.

Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was broad. Eligible applicants included state, county, and city/township governments; special district governments; public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofits (including 501(c)(3) and certain non-501(c)(3) entities); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and tribal governments and tribal organizations (including federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal entities).

Did the eligibility include specific institution types like HBCUs or tribal colleges?

Yes. The eligibility description referenced additional categories such as historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, tribally controlled colleges and universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian serving institutions, faith-based or community-based organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and regional organizations.

Were federal agencies or foreign organizations mentioned as eligible?

Yes. The eligibility description referenced eligible federal agencies and also included non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations).

Was cost sharing or matching required?

No. The FOA specified no cost sharing or matching requirement.

What makes this opportunity "state and community" focused?

The research emphasis is on evaluating and improving tobacco control policies and media efforts as they operate at state and community levels, including policy implementation, compliance, and community norms, using real-world data and settings.

What is the overall takeaway of this funding announcement?

The opportunity sought practical, policy-relevant evidence on tobacco control by supporting multiple coordinated research projects and a central coordinating hub, focused on smoke-free policies, pricing strategies, marketing and industry tactics, media campaigns, and social norm change at state and community levels.