This NIH R01 opportunity (PAR-25-221), jointly supported by NCI and NIAAA, funds research on population-level strategies to reduce cancer risk attributable to alcohol consumption. Eligible projects may include community interventions, health communications, policy analyses, and systems-level approaches targeting alcohol use and associated cancer outcomes.

The program is open to higher education institutions, nonprofits, for-profit organizations, small businesses, state and local governments, tribal governments, federal agencies, and foreign organizations. The application deadline is October 5, 2026, making this a near-term priority for public health researchers working at the intersection of alcohol use and cancer prevention.

PAR-25-221: Population Approaches to Reducing Alcohol-related Cancer Risk (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) This funding opportunity was updated to align with agency priorities. Carefully reread the full funding opportunity and make any needed adjustments to your application prior to submission. Department of Health and Human Services Part 1.

Overview Information Participating Organization(s) National Institutes of Health ( NIH ) Components of Participating Organizations National Cancer Institute ( NCI ) National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism ( NIAAA ) Funding Opportunity Title Population Approaches to Reducing Alcohol-related Cancer Risk (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) R01 Research Project Grant March 31, 2025 - This funding opportunity was updated to align with agency priorities.

Carefully reread the full funding opportunity and make any needed adjustments to your application prior to submission. April 4, 2024 - Overview of Grant Application and Review Changes for Due Dates on or after January 25, 2025. See Notice NOT-OD-24-084 .

August 31, 2022 - Implementation Changes for Genomic Data Sharing Plans Included with Applications Due on or after January 25, 2023. See Notice NOT-OD-22-198 . August 5, 2022 - Implementation Details for the NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy.

See Notice NOT-OD-22-189 . Funding Opportunity Number (FON) Companion Funding Opportunity See Section III. 3.

Additional Information on Eligibility.

Assistance Listing Number(s) Funding Opportunity Purpose This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) aims to support research on interdisciplinary population approaches to increasing awareness of the relationship between alcohol and cancer risk, understanding and changing social norms related to alcohol consumption, developing and/or evaluating alcohol policy approaches, and the development, testing, and implementation of population-level interventions to reduce alcohol-related cancer risk.

Applications that address multiple levels of consumption, such as moderate and heavy drinking, are of particular interest, as well as those focusing on alcohol use disorder (AUD) from the perspective of cancer prevention and control.

Proposals addressing understudied areas are encouraged, as is attention to underrepresented minority (URM) populations experiencing cancer and alcohol-related disparities such as American Indian, and Alaskan Native populations.

Funding Opportunity Goal(s) The overall goals of this NOFO are to: 1) provide fundamental information on the cause and nature of cancer in people, with the expectation that this will result in better methods of prevention, detection and diagnosis, and treatment of neoplastic diseases; 2) develop a sound fundamental knowledge base which can be applied to the development of improved methods of treatment and more effective strategies for preventing alcoholism and alcohol-related problems.

Open Date (Earliest Submission Date) The following table includes NIH standard due dates marked with an asterisk. Renewal / Resubmission / Revision (as allowed) AIDS - New/Renewal/Resubmission/Revision, as allowed All applications are due by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization.

Applicants are encouraged to apply early to allow adequate time to make any corrections to errors found in the application during the submission process by the due date.

Required Application Instructions It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the Research (R) Instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide , except where instructed to do otherwise (in this NOFO or in a Notice from NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts ). Conformance to all requirements (both in the Application Guide and the NOFO) is required and strictly enforced.

Applicants must read and follow all application instructions in the Application Guide as well as any program-specific instructions noted in Section IV. When the program-specific instructions deviate from those in the Application Guide, follow the program-specific instructions. Applications that do not comply with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.

There are several options available to submit your application through Grants. gov to NIH and Department of Health and Human Services partners. You must use one of these submission options to access the application forms for this opportunity.

Use the NIH ASSIST system to prepare, submit and track your application online. Use an institutional system-to-system (S2S) solution to prepare and submit your application to Grants. gov and eRA Commons to track your application.

Check with your institutional officials regarding availability. Workspace to prepare and submit your application and eRA Commons to track your application. Part 1.

Overview Information Part 2. Full Text of Announcement Section I. Notice of Funding Opportunity Description Section II.

Award Information Section III. Eligibility Information Section IV. Application and Submission Information Section V.

Application Review Information Section VI. Award Administration Information Section VII. Agency Contacts Section VIII.

Other Information Part 2. Full Text of Announcement Section I.

Notice of Funding Opportunity Description This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) aims to support research on interdisciplinary population approaches to increasing awareness of the relationship between alcohol and cancer risk, understanding and changing social norms related to alcohol consumption, developing and/or evaluating alcohol policy approaches, and the development, testing, and implementation of population-level interventions to reduce alcohol-related cancer risk.

Applications that address multiple levels of consumption, such as moderate and heavy drinking, are of particular interest, as well as those focusing on alcohol use disorder (AUD) from the perspective of cancer prevention and control.

Proposals addressing understudied areas are encouraged, as is attention to underrepresented minority populations experiencing cancer and alcohol-related disparities such as American Indian, and Alaskan Native populations. Alcohol consumption is a leading preventable cause of premature death in the United States and a leading modifiable cancer risk factor.

Each year, alcohol consumption accounts for nearly 19,000 cancer deaths and more than 75,000 cancer cases. Alcohol consumption – in some cases even light and moderate consumption – causes increased risk for several cancer types, including cancer of the mouth (oral cavity) and throat (pharynx), voice box (larynx), esophagus, colon and rectum, liver, and breast (in women).

As breast and colorectal cancers are among the leading causes of cancer incidence, morbidity, and mortality in the United States, addressing alcohol consumption could have a substantial impact on the burden of cancer. Furthermore, alcohol consumption remains high among some cancer patients and survivors and is associated with increased risk of recurrence, second cancers, mortality and some comorbidities.

Alcohol presents several challenges as a target for cancer prevention and control. Notably, the increase in cancer risk is modest for lower levels of consumption, and the communication landscape related to alcohol and cancer is complex and characterized by low public awareness of alcohol-related cancer risk , conflicting health information, alcohol industry marketing, and social norms regarding alcohol consumption .

Because increases in cancer risk associated with alcohol consumption are modest and a large proportion of the population are light or moderate drinkers, individual-level interventions are not likely to be feasible to address all levels of alcohol consumption associated with cancer risk.

In contrast, population-based approaches can achieve wider reach and have a greater impact on reducing alcohol-related cancer risk at the population level.

To date, interventions and messaging to reduce alcohol consumption have often focused on underage and college drinking, alcohol use disorder (an impaired ability to stop or control alcohol intake despite adverse social, occupational, or health consequences) , injury prevention, and the health risks of alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

Fewer studies have focused on multilevel, population-based, and policy approaches to reduce alcohol consumption, specifically for cancer control from prevention to survivorship. Successful development and/or implementation of multilevel and policy approaches addressing alcohol for cancer prevention and control are likely to be sensitive to awareness of links between alcohol and cancer and to social norms regarding alcohol.

Addressing the awareness, communication, social, and policy environment of alcohol consumption in relation to cancer prevention and control emerged as key research gaps identified in a white paper summarizing a meeting held at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in 2020.

While NCI has invested in social/behavioral and communication research for other behavioral cancer risk factors, including tobacco use, physical activity, and dietary intake, alcohol consumption has not received the same level of investment for cancer prevention and control.

Research Objectives and Scope This PAR will solicit proposals that call for interdisciplinary population approaches to increasing awareness of the relationship between alcohol and cancer risk, understanding and changing social norms related to alcohol consumption, developing and/or evaluating alcohol policy approaches, and the development, testing, and implementation of population-level interventions to reduce alcohol-related cancer risk.

Expected outcomes of proposed studies may include measures of awareness, social norms, alcohol consumption and other alcohol related behaviors as well as measures of policy and policy implementation as well as other outcomes determined by the applicants.

Applications can address any level of alcohol consumption, from light consumption to levels of consumption seen in heavy drinkers and those with Alcohol Use Disorder from a cancer prevention and control perspective . Demographic correlates of alcohol consumption are complex. For example, alcohol consumption is positively correlated with socioeconomic status, yet consumption may have disproportionate harms for people in lower SES groups.

Additionally, demographic groups, such as American Indian, and Alaskan Native populations experience cancer and alcohol-related disparities. Thus, attention to underrepresented minority and thoughtful justification of the selected target populations are important. Proposed research must involve interdisciplinary and multilevel approaches to addressing alcohol consumption as a cancer prevention strategy.

Studies should examine population-level approaches to increasing knowledge, changing social norms, and/or pilot testing or evaluating policies concerning alcohol and cancer and can include any population of individuals, including adults, adolescents, and cancer patients/survivors.

Population-level approaches involve communication, policy evaluation, and other research efforts distinct from the development of individual level behavioral interventions. Proposed studies may focus on the interpersonal, health system, community/organizational, and/or policy level and should address knowledge, social norms, and/or levels of alcohol consumption or other critical factors related to alcohol consumption for cancer control.

Cancer incidence or mortality endpoints are not required. However, cancer prevention expertise is required to insure strong links to cancer prevention and control.

Research topics of specific interest include, but are not limited to the following: National Cancer Institute (NCI) Create and test effective and persuasive health messaging and multilevel and population interventions regarding alcohol consumption and cancer risk that influences alcohol-related knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs, and alcohol consumption; Identify and mitigate the effects of alcohol and cancer-related misinformation, including addressing inequities in access to reliable information and resources; Apply research on the individual determinants of alcohol consumption behaviors, such as motivation, perception, and social norms, to develop population-level interventions aimed at changing attitudes, intentions, and social norms related to alcohol consumption, with attention to specific populations suffering from inequities, where appropriate; Address issues of trust in information sources and alcohol-related stigma, social norms, and the prevalence and social acceptance of alcohol consumption in relation to cancer across diverse population groups; Evaluate policy approaches and policy implementation related to awareness, social norms, and alcohol consumption related to cancer risk, with attention to how such polices might influence health disparities in relevant populations.

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) Development and testing of interventions using various communication strategies that target context and correlates (e.g., social norms and social determinants) of alcohol consumption in relation to cancer prevention and control in diverse populations.

Evaluating policies or other community- or population-level interventions affecting alcohol-related behaviors for their effects on cancer outcomes.

Using systems science approaches to (a) guide and evaluate evidence-based health messaging for use in intervention research in alcohol and cancer risk at the population level and among diverse population groups, and (b) explore and understand the effects of alcohol-related policies and other community- or population-level interventions on the dynamic trajectories of cancer outcomes among relevant population groups.

Non-responsive Applications The following types of activities remain outside the scope of this NOFO, and applications proposing them will be considered non-responsive and will not be reviewed: Studies that solely propose development and testing of individual level interventions. Studies that do not justify the proposed research as a component of cancer prevention based on the ultimate goal of reduced levels of alcohol consumption.

Investigators proposing NIH-defined clinical trials may refer to the Research Methods Resources website for information about developing statistical methods and study designs. See Section VIII. Other Information for award authorities and regulations.

Section II. Award Information Grant: A financial assistance mechanism providing money, property, or both to an eligible entity to carry out an approved project or activity. Application Types Allowed The OER Glossary and the How to Apply Application Guide provide details on these application types.

Only those application types listed here are allowed for this NOFO. Optional: Accepting applications that either propose or do not propose clinical trial(s). Need help determining whether you are doing a clinical trial?

Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards The number of awards is contingent upon NIH appropriations and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications. Application budgets are not limited but need to reflect the actual needs of the proposed project. The maximum project period is 5 years.

NIH grants policies as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement will apply to the applications submitted and awards made from this NOFO. Section III.

Eligibility Information Higher Education Institutions Public/State Controlled Institutions of Higher Education Private Institutions of Higher Education Nonprofits Other Than Institutions of Higher Education Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education) Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education) For-Profit Organizations (Other than Small Businesses) City or Township Governments Special District Governments Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Federally Recognized) Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized).

Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government U.S. Territory or Possession Independent School Districts Public Housing Authorities/Indian Housing Authorities Native American Tribal Organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Faith-based or Community-based Organizations Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) are eligible to apply.

Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are eligible to apply. Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement , are allowed. Applicant organizations must complete and maintain the following registrations as described in the How to Apply- Application Guide to be eligible to apply for or receive an award.

All registrations must be completed prior to the application being submitted. Registration can take 6 weeks or more, so applicants should begin the registration process as soon as possible. Failure to complete registrations in advance of a due date is not a valid reason for a late submission, please reference the NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 2.

3. 9. 2 Electronically Submitted Applications for additional information.

System for Award Management (SAM) – Applicants must complete and maintain an active registration, which requires renewal at least annually . The renewal process may require as much time as the initial registration. SAM registration includes the assignment of a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code for domestic organizations which have not already been assigned a CAGE Code.

NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) Code – Foreign organizations must obtain an NCAGE code (in lieu of a CAGE code) in order to register in SAM. Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) - A UEI is issued as part of the SAM. gov registration process.

The same UEI must be used for all registrations, as well as on the grant application. eRA Commons - Once the unique organization identifier is established, organizations can register with eRA Commons in tandem with completing their Grants. gov registrations; all registrations must be in place by time of submission.

eRA Commons requires organizations to identify at least one Signing Official (SO) and at least one Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) account in order to submit an application. Grants. gov – Applicants must have an active SAM registration in order to complete the Grants.

gov registration. Program Directors/Principal Investigators (PD(s)/PI(s)) All PD(s)/PI(s) must have an eRA Commons account. PD(s)/PI(s) should work with their organizational officials to either create a new account or to affiliate their existing account with the applicant organization in eRA Commons.

If the PD/PI is also the organizational Signing Official, they must have two distinct eRA Commons accounts, one for each role. Obtaining an eRA Commons account can take up to 2 weeks.

Eligible Individuals (Program Director/Principal Investigator) Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) (PD(s)/PI(s)) is invited to work with their organization to develop an application for support.

For institutions/organizations proposing multiple PDs/PIs, visit the Multiple Program Director/Principal Investigator Policy and submission details in the Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) Component of the How to Apply-Application Guide. This NOFO does not require cost sharing as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 1. 2 Definition of Terms .

3. Additional Information on Eligibility Applicant organizations may submit more than one application, provided that each application is scientifically distinct. The NIH will not accept duplicate or highly overlapping applications under review at the same time, per NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 2.

3. 7. 4 Submission of Resubmission Application .

This means that the NIH will not accept: A new (A0) application that is submitted before issuance of the summary statement from the review of an overlapping new (A0) or resubmission (A1) application. A resubmission (A1) application that is submitted before issuance of the summary statement from the review of the previous new (A0) application.

An application that has substantial overlap with another application pending appeal of initial peer review (see NIH Grants Policy Statement 2. 3. 9.

4 Similar, Essentially Identical, or Identical Applications ). Section IV. Application and Submission Information 1.

Requesting an Application Package The application forms package specific to this opportunity must be accessed through ASSIST, Grants. gov Workspace or an institutional system-to-system solution. Links to apply using ASSIST or Grants.

gov Workspace are available in Part 1 of this NOFO. See your administrative office for instructions if you plan to use an institutional system-to-system solution. 2.

Content and Form of Application Submission It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the Research (R) Instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide except where instructed in this notice of funding opportunity to do otherwise. Conformance to the requirements in the Application Guide is required and strictly enforced.

Applications that are out of compliance with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review. All page limitations described in the How to Apply- Application Guide and the Table of Page Limits must be followed. Instructions for Application Submission The following section supplements the instructions found in the How to Apply- Application Guide and should be used for preparing an application to this NOFO.

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed. SF424(R&R) Project/Performance Site Locations All instructions in the How to Apply- Application Guide must be followed. SF424(R&R) Other Project Information All instructions in the How to Apply- Application Guide must be followed.

SF424(R&R) Senior/Key Person Profile All instructions in the How to Apply- Application Guide must be followed. All instructions in the How to Apply- Application Guide must be followed. All instructions in the How to Apply-Application Guide must be followed.

PHS 398 Cover Page Supplement All instructions in the How to Apply- Application Guide must be followed.

All instructions in the How to Apply- Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions: Research Strategy: The Research Strategy must clearly describe the following within the appropriate section (i.e., Significance, Investigator(s), and Approach), in accordance with the simplified review framework: Factor 1. Importance of the Research (Significance and Innovation) Significance .

Clearly articulate the proposed projects' contribution to increasing awareness, changing social norms, and or policy or multilevel influences on alcohol consumption as a path towards cancer prevention and control. If the proposal involves evaluation of natural experiments concerning policy, clearly and concisely address efforts to achieve a robust level of causal inference. Factor 2.

Rigor and feasibility (Approach) Approach: Specify how the proposed research approach will ultimately contribute to cancer prevention and control by reducing alcohol consumption. Not all projects will include alcohol consumption as an outcome, in these cases explain how the research will ultimately contribute to this overarching goal. Factor 3.

Expertise and Resources (Investigator(s) and Environment) Investigator(s): Describe the research team’s capacity to ensure the resulting research will be placed in a cancer prevention context. For multidisciplinary teams, explain how the team’s collective expertise will complement and contribute to successfully achieving the projects specific aims.

Resource Sharing Plan : Individuals are required to comply with the instructions for the Resource Sharing Plans as provided in the How to Apply- Application Guide.

All instructions in the How to Apply-Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions: All applicants planning research (funded or conducted in whole or in part by NIH) that results in the generation of scientific data are required to comply with the instructions for the Data Management and Sharing Plan.

All applications, regardless of the amount of direct costs requested for any one year, must address a Data Management and Sharing Plan. As described in NOT-AA-23-001 , NIAAA expects specific information in the Data Management and Sharing Plan (DMS Plan) to be included in NIAAA grant applications for due dates on or after January 25, 2023.

In addition to the general NIH guidance regarding the information to include in the DMS Plan ( NOT-OD-21-014 , Supplemental Information to the NIH Policy for Data Management and Sharing: Elements of an NIH Data Management and Sharing Plan, and the NIH Data Management and Sharing Plan format page ), Appendix: Only limited Appendix materials are allowed.

Follow all instructions for the Appendix as described in the How to Apply- Application Guide. No publications or other material, with the exception of blank questionnaires or blank surveys, may be included in the Appendix.

PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information When involving human subjects research, clinical research, and/or NIH-defined clinical trials (and when applicable, clinical trials research experience) follow all instructions for the PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form in the How to Apply- Application Guide, with the following additional instructions: If you answered “Yes” to the question “Are Human Subjects Involved?

” on the R&R Other Project Information form, you must include at least one human subjects study record using the Study Record: PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form or Delayed Onset Study record. Study Record: PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information All instructions in the How to Apply- Application Guide must be followed.

Note: Delayed onset does NOT apply to a study that can be described but will not start immediately (i.e., delayed start). All instructions in the How to Apply- Application Guide must be followed. PHS Assignment Request Form All instructions in the How to Apply- Application Guide must be followed.

Foreign (non-U.S.) organizations must follow policies described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement , and procedures for foreign organizations described throughout the How to Apply- Application Guide. 3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) See Part 2.

Section III. 1 for information regarding the requirement for obtaining a unique entity identifier and for completing and maintaining active registrations in System for Award Management (SAM), NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) Code (if applicable), eRA Commons, and Grants. gov 4.

Submission Dates and Times Part I. contains information about Key Dates and times. Applicants are encouraged to submit applications before the due date to ensure they have time to make any application corrections that might be necessary for successful submission.

When a submission date falls on a weekend or Federal holiday , the application deadline is automatically extended to the next business day. Organizations must submit applications to Grants. gov (the online portal to find and apply for grants across all Federal agencies).

Applicants must then complete the submission process by tracking the status of the application in the eRA Commons , NIH’s electronic system for grants administration. NIH and Grants. gov systems check the application against many of the application instructions upon submission.

Errors must be corrected and a changed/corrected application must be submitted to Grants. gov on or before the application due date and time. If a Changed/Corrected application is submitted after the deadline, the application will be considered late.

Applications that miss the due date and time are subjected to the NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 2. 3. 9.

2 Electronically Submitted Applications . Applicants are responsible for viewing their application before the due date in the eRA Commons to ensure accurate and successful submission. Information on the submission process and a definition of on-time submission are provided in the How to Apply-Application Guide.

5. Intergovernmental Review (E. O.

12372) This initiative is not subject to intergovernmental review. All NIH awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement . Pre-award costs are allowable only as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 7.

9. 1 Selected Items of Cost. 7.

Other Submission Requirements and Information Applications must be submitted electronically following the instructions described in the How to Apply Application Guide. Paper applications will not be accepted. Applicants must complete all required registrations before the application due date.

Section III. Eligibility Information contains information about registration. For assistance with your electronic application or for more information on the electronic submission process, visit How to Apply – Application Guide .

If you encounter a system issue beyond your control that threatens your ability to complete the submission process on-time, you must follow the Dealing with System Issues guidance. For assistance with application submission, contact the Application Submission Contacts in Section VII. All PD(s)/PI(s) must include their eRA Commons ID in the Credential field of the Senior/Key Person Profile form .

Failure to register in the Commons and to include a valid PD/PI Commons ID in the credential field will prevent the successful submission of an electronic application to NIH. See Section III of this NOFO for information on registration requirements.

The applicant organization must ensure that the unique entity identifier provided on the application is the same identifier used in the organization’s profile in the eRA Commons and for the System for Award Management. Additional information may be found in the How to Apply Application Guide. See more tips for avoiding common errors.

Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for completeness and compliance with application instructions by the Center for Scientific Review (CSR) and responsiveness by components of participating organizations , NIH. Applications that are incomplete, non-compliant and/or nonresponsive will not be reviewed.

Requests of $500,000 or more for direct costs in any year Applicants requesting $500,000 or more in direct costs in any year (excluding consortium F&A) must contact a Scientific/ Research Contact at least 6 weeks before submitting the application and follow the Policy on the Acceptance for Review of Unsolicited Applications that Request $500,000 or More in Direct Costs as described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

Recipients or subrecipients must submit any information related to violations of federal criminal law involving fraud, bribery, or gratuity violations potentially affecting the federal award. See Mandatory Disclosures, 2 CFR 200. 113 and NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 4.

1. 35 . Send written disclosures to the NIH Chief Grants Management Officer listed on the Notice of Award for the IC that funded the award and to the HHS Office of Inspector Grant Self Disclosure Program at [email protected] .

Post Submission Materials Applicants are required to follow the instructions for post-submission materials, as described in the policy Any instructions provided here are in addition to the instructions in the policy. Section V. Application Review Information Only the review criteria described below will be considered in the review process.

Applications submitted to the NIH in support of the NIH mission are evaluated for scientific and technical merit through the NIH peer review system.

Reviewers will provide an overall impact score to reflect their assessment of the likelihood for the project to exert a sustained, powerful influence on the research field(s) involved, in consideration of the following scored review criteria and additional review criteria (as applicable for the project proposed). An application does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely to have a major scientific impact.

Reviewers will consider Factors 1, 2 and 3 in the determination of scientific merit, and in providing an overall impact score. In addition, Factors 1 and 2 will each receive a separate factor score. Factor 1.

Importance of the Research (Significance and Innovation) Evaluate the importance of the proposed research in the context of current scientific challenges and opportunities, either for advancing knowledge within the field, or more broadly. Assess whether the application addresses an important gap in knowledge in the field, would solve a critical problem, or create a valuable conceptual or technical advance.

Evaluate the rationale for undertaking the study, the rigor of the scientific background for the work (e.g., prior literature and/or preliminary data) and whether the scientific background justifies the proposed study. Evaluate the extent to which innovation influences the importance of undertaking the proposed research.

Note that while technical or conceptual innovation can influence the importance of the proposed research, a project that is not applying novel concepts or approaches may be of critical importance for the field. Evaluate whether the proposed work applies novel concepts, methods or technologies or uses existing concepts, methods, technologies in novel ways, to enhance the overall impact of the project.

Evaluate if the proposal addresses increasing awareness, changing social norms, and or policy or multilevel influences on alcohol consumption as a path towards cancer prevention and control. Evaluate if the proposal involves evaluation of natural experiments concerning policy, and if it addresses robust causal inference based on current literature. Factor 2.

Rigor and Feasibility (Approach) Evaluate the scientific quality of the proposed work. Evaluate the likelihood that compelling, reproducible findings will result (rigor) and assess whether the proposed studies can be done well and within the timeframes proposed (feasibility). Evaluate the potential to produce unbiased, reproducible, robust data.

Evaluate the rigor of experimental design and whether appropriate controls are in place. Evaluate whether the sample size is sufficient and well-justified. Assess the quality of the plans for analysis, interpretation, and reporting of results.

Evaluate whether the investigators presented adequate plans to address relevant biological variables, such as sex or age, in the design, analysis, and reporting. For applications involving human subjects or