Interventions to Prevent Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) Use Among Adolescents (R01 - Clinical Trial Optional) | RFA DA 21 009

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA DA 21 009

This NIH grant opportunity (RFA-DA-21-009) supports research aimed at reducing electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) use among adolescents by funding two main types of projects. First, it funds studies that test how well prevention interventions work in stopping teens from starting to use ENDS or from moving from experimentation to more frequent or dependent use. Second, it funds research that examines how tobacco control policies, including policies written specifically for ENDS, influence adolescent vaping behavior. In both cases, the program places special emphasis on work that is grounded in theory and that clearly identifies the risk factors that push teens toward ENDS use and the protective factors that help keep them from using, then connects those factors to the intervention targets or policy mechanisms being studied.

For intervention-focused applications, the announcement highlights real-world prevention approaches in settings where adolescents can be reached at scale, such as schools, communities, and clinics. A key expectation is collaboration with stakeholders and likely adopters of the program (for example, school districts, youth-serving community organizations, healthcare systems, public health departments, or other decision-makers who would be responsible for using the intervention after the study). This collaboration is not treated as optional window dressing; it is presented as a requirement meant to ensure that the intervention is feasible to implement, can be scaled beyond the study sites, can be disseminated effectively, and has a realistic path to sustainability after grant funding ends.

The core target population for this announcement is adolescents ages 12 through 18. Applicants are expected to justify the specific ages they plan to study, including clear rationale for focusing on narrower bands within 12 to 18 (such as early vs. late adolescence) or for including youth outside that range. The age-range justification matters because the grant is centered on preventing initiation and escalation, and the developmental timing of first exposure, social influences, and access to products can differ substantially across middle school and high school years.

The mechanism is an NIH R01 research project grant, and clinical trials are optional, meaning applicants may propose either clinical trial designs or other rigorous study designs as appropriate to the research questions. The overall goal is to generate evidence that can inform prevention practice and policy, especially evidence that helps explain not only whether an approach works, but also why it works and under what conditions it can be implemented widely.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations: state, county, city, township, and special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments; tribal organizations that are not federally recognized; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (outside of higher education); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The opportunity also explicitly calls out additional eligible applicant categories such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, AANAPISI institutions, Hispanic-serving institutions, HBCUs, tribally controlled colleges and universities, faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, and U.S. territories or possessions. At the same time, it makes clear that non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations and foreign institutions) cannot apply directly, and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible. However, foreign components are permitted when they meet the NIH definition in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, which allows certain international elements of a project under NIH rules even though the applicant organization must be domestic.

Administratively, the opportunity is listed as a discretionary grant from the National Institutes of Health, with activity areas spanning health and education and CFDA numbers 93.279 and 93.399. The original closing date in the source record is October 19, 2020, and the posting creation date is June 16, 2020. The record does not provide an award ceiling or expected number of awards in the provided fields, so applicants would typically confirm budget expectations and paylines through the full FOA text and any related institute guidance.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Interventions to Prevent Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) Use Among Adolescents (R01 - Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.279, 93.399.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2020-06-16.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-10-19. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• 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 DA 21 009

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