Large Scale Projects - Ending the Smoking Epidemic by Advancing Global Research for Innovative Smoking Cessation

Overview

Large Scale Projects - Ending the Smoking Epidemic by Advancing Global Research for Innovative Smoking Cessation

Call for Proposals

Consistent with its charitable mission, Global Action to End Smoking (GA) seeks research grant proposals that aim to fill scientific gaps and identify new solutions that help individual smokers quit cigarettes. GA funds research on different approaches aimed at ending the global smoking epidemic, including research on both traditional evidence-based interventions as well as newer reduced-risk nicotine products for smokers who cannot or will not quit using traditional interventions. Additionally, if cessation interventions have historically been developed in HICs, there is a need for strong implementation research to examine the important and dynamic factors that influence successful adaptation of these interventions to the unique contexts of LMICs (e.g., cultural, political, social, economic, regulatory, tobacco-type product use). To support equitable public health benefits and to address unmet needs, GA encourages country-specific research in LMICs tailored to the needs of each country, as well as research for marginalized populations in HICs. A strategic goal of this Request for Proposals (RFP) is to add local and contextualized findings to the evidence base while also expanding research capacity to advance global efforts for smoking cessation.

Objective

In support of its charitable mission, GA invites research grant proposals for Ending the Smoking Epidemic by Advancing Global Research for Innovative Smoking Cessation. GA’s strategic objective is to accelerate comprehensive, evidence-based global efforts to end the smoking epidemic, with a focus on LMICs and marginalized populations in HICs. GA funds research that relate to three purposes, which are articulated in GA’s Certificate of Incorporation, Article Third.

Funding

Maximum of USD 2,500,000 total, amount consistent with proposal and work plan.

Eligibility

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Application Details

Health and Science Research
Request for Proposals (RFP)
TOPIC
Ending the Smoking Epidemic by Advancing
Global Research for Innovative Smoking
Cessation
Open Funding (Quarterly) Announcement for
Large-Scale Investigator-Initiated Applications
Issue date Friday, November 22, 2024
Closing dates
Friday, May 23, 2025
Closing time 12:00 PM – UK Time
See submission instructions in RFP
Submit proposals to
Grant
Financing instrument
Maximum of USD 2,500,000 total,
Financing amount amount consistent with proposal and work plan
Maximum of 24 months,
Financing duration consistent with proposal and work plan
support@actiontoendsmoking.org
Contact information
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Background
Smoking cessation is a major public health challenge worldwide, despite significant progress made
from tobacco control. Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death and disease, and 8 million
people die each year from tobacco use.[1] While smoking rates continue to decline overall in high-
income countries (HICs), over one billion people still smoke cigarettes. Over 80 percent of the
world’s smokers live in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and smoking rates in LMICs
are declining slower or even rising in some regions.[1,2] Declines, like those seen in HICs, often
mask disparities among marginalized populations who smoke more than the general population,
including people of low socioeconomic status, people with mental health conditions or substance
use disorders, sexual and gender minorities, and Indigenous peoples[3]. The progress made in
tobacco control has not yet benefited all, and as the tobacco landscape changes rapidly across
countries, new research is needed to accelerate equitable smoking cessation.
Rigorous, interdisciplinary research was instrumental in the evolution of effective tobacco control
interventions to help drive declines in smoking. Key international agreements, such as the World
Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) provide a blueprint
for comprehensive measures that synergistically prevent initiation and promote cessation. These
measures encompass evidence-based interventions such as tobacco tax increases, advertising bans,
smoke-free environments, and comprehensive cessation services.[4] Much of the effort in response
to FCTC’s recommendations has focused on high-impact policy interventions, while less effort
has been dedicated to cessation services or dependence treatment.[5,6]
Current smoking cessation services include cost-effective behavioral and pharmacological
interventions such as nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), brief advice from health professionals,
and Quitlines. While these services have helped some smokers quit, effects have been modest and
few countries offer these services at ‘best practice level,’ especially in LMICs.[4,7,8] Even when
services are available and accessible, many smokers across both LMICs and HICs do not use them
to quit. Most adults in LMICs who attempt to quit do so without assistance.[9] In the United States,
where cessation services are more likely to be free, only 38% of smokers reported using behavioral
counseling or NRT to quit.[10]
New research is needed to (1) enhance existing tobacco control interventions at the population,
community, and individual levels and (2) explore new approaches for cessation such as the role of
reduced-risk products (RRPs) that contain nicotine (e.g., e-cigarettes, snus, nicotine pouches,
heated tobacco products). A Cochrane systematic review concluded with high certainty that e-
cigarettes are more effective than NRT to increase quit rates.[11] Other credible evidence suggests
e-cigarettes are significantly less harmful than traditional cigarettes, causing less than five percent
of the harm from combusted tobacco.[12] Despite an expanding evidence base, the use of RRPs for
smoking cessation remains a controversial and polarizing approach in both LMICs and HICs. New
research is needed to respond to the urgent and intersectional needs of specific countries and
marginalized populations.
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Call for Proposals
Consistent with its charitable mission, Global Action to End Smoking (GA) seeks research grant
proposals that aim to fill scientific gaps and identify new solutions that help individual smokers
quit cigarettes. GA funds research on different approaches aimed at ending the global smoking
epidemic, including research on both traditional evidence-based interventions as well as newer
reduced risk nicotine products for smokers who cannot or will not quit using traditional
interventions. Additionally, if cessation interventions have historically been developed in HICs,
there is a need for strong implementation research to examine the important and dynamic factors
that influence successful adaptation of these interventions to the unique contexts of LMICs
(e.g., cultural, political, social, economic, regulatory, tobacco-type product use). To support
equitable public health benefits and to address unmet needs, GA encourages country-specific
research in LMICs tailored to the needs of each country, as well as research for marginalized
populations in HICs. A strategic goal of this Request for Proposals (RFP) is to add local and
contextualized findings to the evidence base while also expanding research capacity to advance
global efforts for smoking cessation.
Objective
In support of its charitable mission, GA invites research grant proposals for Ending the Smoking
Epidemic by Advancing Global Research for Innovative Smoking Cessation. GA’s strategic
objective is to accelerate comprehensive, evidence-based global efforts to end the smoking
epidemic, with a focus on LMICs and marginalized populations in HICs. GA funds research that
relate to three purposes, which are articulated in GA’s Certificate of Incorporation, Article Third.
This RFP will provide grant funding opportunities for investigator-initiated applications that
address GA’s broad areas of interest in Health and Science Research and will be open for up to
two years with posted quarterly submission deadlines on the GA website. See a companion RFP
for Dissemination, Implementation, and Training grants (DIT RFP).
Proposals responsive to this RFP should fill scientific gaps in the evidence base related to tobacco
use and smoking cessation through novel and non-duplicative research. This may include
traditional cessation approaches, as well as the potential role of reduced risk nicotine products. All
proposals should have a rigorous research plan that clearly defines (a) a significant unsolved
problem and (b) a corresponding research question that describes specific and measurable study
aims. Applicants should demonstrate a sound approach to research methodology and explain why
the proposed research has the potential to advance knowledge and public health practice. Proposals
should be based on prior evidence and demonstrate a robust understanding of the published
literature. GA will prioritize applications that demonstrate the capacity to generate valid and
reliable results that can translate to real-world impact on public health. Applicants are expected to
complete their suggested project within the stipulated period and have an appropriate plan for
dissemination and communication of results.
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This RFP is specifically designed for large-scale, population-level, or confirmatory studies with
sufficient preliminary data to justify the study design, aims, and hypotheses. For studies smaller in
scope/budget/duration, or for studies that lack sufficient preliminary data (e.g., pilot tests,
hypothesis-generation, exploratory research), GA recommends investigators use the Small-Scale
Developmental Research funding announcement found here. Applicants who are unsure about
what mechanism to use are encouraged to reach out to GA via the support e-mail function.
Proposals should align with GA’s broad areas of interest related to tobacco and smoking cessation.
Suggested topics include, but are not limited to, public health research areas covering various
topics, such as:
• Tobacco use, smoking cessation, and/or the potential impact of reduced risk
products on cessation and public health outcomes (e.g., improving or tailoring
behavioral interventions; local epidemiology and surveillance studies; population-based
survey methodology; randomized controlled trials or observational cohorts for switching
studies; real-world evidence generation)
• Rigorous evaluation research to test the effectiveness of education and dissemination
interventions to correct misperceptions about nicotine relative to combusted tobacco, and
accurately communicate the continuum of risk[13] to stakeholders including people who
smoke (e.g., mixed-method message testing; quasi-experimental or experimental designs
for health communication campaigns; outcome evaluation of physician education
programs)
• Health systems change or health care delivery research specific to smoking cessation
outcomes (e.g., multilevel interventions within public health practice, community
settings, clinics, or other health systems to improve or expand on cessation services;
embedding cessation services within existing non-communicable disease programs)
• Sociodemographic research about disparities in smoking prevalence and cessation
outcomes in LMICs or HICs (e.g., diverse research methods focused on groups
disproportionately impacted by smoking including understudied or marginalized
populations; vulnerable groups with higher failed quit attempts or limited access to
cessation options)
• Health economics research related to evidence-based tobacco control programs
and/or reduced-risk nicotine products (e.g., experimental or quasi-experimental policy
evaluation, discrete choice experimentation, consumer behavior modeling; cost-
effectiveness or cost and benefit analysis)
• Implementation research to expand and improve evidence-based interventions or to
develop novel demonstration projects (e.g., implementation science models that
describe how to adapt existing interventions to new contexts; design and evaluation of
locally-relevant programs tailored to the country of interest; research to identify and
examine contextual factors that act as facilitators or barriers to country-specific
implementation outcomes)
The research areas listed above are not meant to be an exhaustive list of topics; other topics not
listed here may also align with GA’s charitable mission. Additionally, applicants may identify an
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overlap between example topics listed above and develop a proposal that addresses multiple aims.
GA encourages applicants to review the GA website and propose creative research questions that
can advance knowledge and close existing research gaps.
GA will consider appropriate methodologies best suited for the applicant’s chosen area(s) of
research. However, the proposal must demonstrate a complete and competent understanding of the
research area and include a detailed rationale for using the stated methodology. The research may
cover one or more areas according to the expertise and capacity of the respective applicant.
The findings (including null results) of funded research should be appropriately disseminated to
increase the potential for positive, real-world impact on public health and individual smokers.
Applicants should establish a comprehensive plan to disseminate new knowledge through effective
channels relevant to the scope of research, country context, and priority audience. The final
product(s) for dissemination should demonstrate how findings will be used and how they will be
made accessible within the specific country or population. Final products should include
suggestions for further action as well as recommendations for future research areas. Dissemination
plans may include conference presentations, technical reports, case studies, or other “grey
literature” that is widely accessible to the country or population of interest. Research findings may
also be submitted to a peer-reviewed academic journal for publication as a primary dissemination
strategy, if appropriate to the scope of the research. Applicants must disclose GA as the source of
funding in journal articles. To ensure findings can be accessible to researchers in diverse countries
as well as the general public, GA encourages publication in open-access journals when possible.
Eligibility
Eligible institutions include academic, think-tank, and health-related research and science centers,
and other collaborating centers and institutions with experience in related subject areas such as
public health, behavioral health, psychology, epidemiology, economics, disease prevention, and
health communications. Previous experience in research related to smoking cessation, tobacco
control, marginalized populations, or harm reduction-informed approaches to public health is
desirable, but not required. Proposals should be submitted by entities registered in their country of
origin with an ability to accept grants from not-for-profit foundations incorporated in the United
States.
Geographic/Population Focus
GA’s goal is to fund investigator-initiated projects that generate new knowledge specific to
populations disproportionately burdened by the smoking epidemic in both HICs and LMICs. A
geographic priority is countries with historically high smoking rates and disease burden from
traditional tobacco use, with a focus on LMICs and populations that are most at risk for premature
morbidity and mortality. GA also prioritizes research specific to marginalized populations within
HICs with higher smoking rates and those with poor cessation outcomes, including but not limited
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to, people of low socioeconomic status, people with mental health conditions or substance use
disorders, sexual and gender minorities, and Indigenous peoples.
Applicants should provide relevant information about the country or population of interest, a
rationale for selecting the priority study population, and available resources to conduct the research
including professional networks, academic research mentors, and stakeholder engagement
activities. If research is specific to reduced-risk nicotine products, research should be conducted
where those products are legally available. However, GA may also review applications for research
in localities where reduced risk nicotine products are not available, depending on the aims and
scope of the proposed research.
Estimated Budget, Duration, and Timelines
Budget
The application budget needs to be consistent with the large-scale proposal and respective work plan.
Awards for this announcement may not exceed USD 2,500,000 per project.
Duration
The scope of the proposed project should determine the project duration. The maximum duration
shall not exceed 24 months.
Timelines
Quarterly submission dates will be posted here. GA will review proposals on a quarterly basis for
a duration of 24 months. Applicants are allowed to revise and resubmit their proposal at each
quarterly submission date. Quarterly submission dates will occur in January, March, June, and
September of each year. The next submission date will be January 17, 2025. Please check the
GA website for the exact deadlines for each subsequent submission.
Evaluation Criteria
Applicants are advised to read and understand GA’s Strategic Plan. All project objectives must
align with GA’s goals and demonstrate a clear understanding of GA’s mission and specific purpose
of this RFP.
The following criteria will be used to evaluate submissions:
• Significance of the research question and potential to advance knowledge or public
health practice
• Methodological approach and description of hypotheses, study design, sample size,
statistical analyses, human subjects’ protections (if applicable), and rationale for study
population or country
• Necessary and sufficient preliminary evidence used to establish scientific plausibility
• Feasibility of the research plan, list of study deliverables, and timelines
• The expertise and prior experience of the Principal Investigator and named staff,
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including demonstrated experience on similar projects
• The research environment including description of adequate physical, financial, and
intellectual resources to meet the aims of the proposed project
• Capacity to conduct research aligned with Open Science principles
• The communication and dissemination plan for results, as appropriate to the scope of
the research
• Budget relative to significance/impact of the proposed research and scientific contribution
• Key organizational documents provided to GA as part of the due diligence process, as
outlined in Grant Solicitation and Application Process
Each application will undergo a scientific review by GA in accordance with the following
scoring criteria (see Table 1; also see GA’s website):
Table 1 Evaluation and Scoring Criteria
Criterion 1 2 3 4
Description Importance of Research Factors Expertise and Assessed but
Research Resources not scored
Weight 25% 50% 25% n/a
a) Significance a) Methodological a) Qualifications of a) Budget
Approach Principle
Investigators and
Named Staff
b) Actionability b) Feasibility b) Research b) Communication
Scoring Environment and Dissemination
Elements Plan (if relevant)
c) Alignment with c) Approach to
GA research Human Subjects
priorities Protection/Data
Confidentiality
(as appropriate)
The applicant organization/institute must have the appropriate infrastructure in place to comply
with reporting and other grant agreement requirements. The GA Grants Management team is the
primary reviewer of the detailed budget and all grant agreement requirements. While the scientific
review panel does not assign a score to the budget, they review the budget in the context of the
proposed research, and consider overall costs as a factor in their recommendations (“budget
relative to significance and scientific contribution”).
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Submission Instructions
Applications should be submitted through GA’s online portal, which can be accessed here. This
link will start a new application form. Upon clicking the link, you will be prompted to log in, and
then be taken to the application form.
The application form has links to three templates, which are also listed here:
• Proposal template
• Budget template
• Work plan template
You may save your application at any time by using the Save & Finish Later button at the end of
each page. To return to an in-progress application, log in to the portal. A list of application portal
FAQs can be found here.
If you have any technical issues during the application process, please contact the Grants
Management Team via support@actiontoendsmoking.org and we will be happy to help.
Key Information
Global Action makes no representations that any grant proposal will be funded. All decisions to
fund grants remain in the sole discretion of Global Action. Grant proposals and related
documentation will be disclosed to employees, consultants, legal counsel, and others. Grant
proposals and related documentation will not be treated as confidential and Global Action does
not maintain the confidentiality of any such materials. Grant applicants should carefully consider
the content of grant proposals and related documentation and not include any proprietary or
confidential information if there is any concern about the impact of disclosure of these materials.
To be considered for an award, the applicant agrees that GA may:
• amend or cancel the RFP, in whole or in part, at any time;
• extend the deadline for submitting responses;
• determine whether a response does or does not substantially comply with the
requirements of the RFP;
• issue multiple awards.
The applicant must ensure that it has responded to the RFP with complete honesty and accuracy. If
information in the applicant’s response changes after submission of an application, the applicant
will supplement its response in writing with any deletions, additions, or changes within five days
of the change. Any material misrepresentation, including omissions, may disqualify the applicant
from consideration for an award.
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Grants that Global Action Does Not Fund
Grants that Global Action does not fund include those that are prohibited by applicable laws and
regulations including grants in support of lobbying or political campaign activities. These include
grants relating to attempts to influence legislation, either by communicating with government
personnel who are involved in the legislative process or urging the public to do so. These
prohibited grants include both domestic and international activities. Similarly, Global Action grant
monies are not used to influence the outcome of any political campaigns or to conduct voter
registration drives, neither within the United States or abroad. Global Action generally may fund
grant activity that properly qualifies as an exception to lobbying, such as grants for nonpartisan
analysis, study, or research, and grant work being performed in response to a written request for
technical assistance.
In addition, grants will not be made to any organization that is not authorized in its country of
origin to receive grant funds from Global Action and/or whom Global Action is prohibited or
restricted by law or regulation from funding. Global Action’s rigorous procedures for making and
monitoring grants ensure that its grant funds are used for the intended charitable purposes and not
to support terrorist or other illegal activities.
About Global Action to End Smoking
Global Action to End Smoking is an independent, U.S. nonprofit 501(c)(3) grantmaking
organization whose mission is to end the smoking epidemic. It is dedicated to accelerating science-
based efforts worldwide to end combustible tobacco use, which remains the leading preventable
cause of death globally. Global Action focuses on three main subject areas: Health and Science
Research, Cessation Education, and Agricultural Transformation. Historically, Global Action
received funding through PMI Global Services. As of September 2023, the funding agreement was
terminated, and Global Action formally adopted a policy not to seek or accept funding from
companies that produce tobacco or non-medicinal nicotine products.
References
1. World Health Organization WHO (2023). Fact Sheet Tobacco [Internet]. 31 July 2023 [about 6
screens]. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/tobacco
[accessed 17 July 2024]
2. GBD 2019 Tobacco Collaborators (2021). Spatial, temporal, and demographic patterns in
prevalence of smoking tobacco use and attributable disease burden in 204 countries and territories,
1990-2019: a systematic analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. Lancet (London,
England), 397(10292), 2337–2360. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(21)01169-7
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3. Centers for Disea se Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services (2024). Public Health Strategies for Tobacco Prevention and Control.
https://www.cdc.gov/reach/php/strategies/tobacco-prevention-
control.html#:~:text=Those%20groups%20include%20young%20people%2C%20people%20who
%20live,American%20Indian%20and%20Alaska%20Native%2C%20Asian%2C%20or%20LGB
TQ%2B. [accessed 25 September 2024].
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people from tobacco smoke. Geneva: World Health Organization; Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0
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[accessed 17 July 2024]
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Advance Tobacco Cessation in LMICs. Journal of Smoking Cessation;11(2):70-
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7. Lancaster, T., & Stead, L. F. (2017). Individual behavioural counselling for smoking cessation. The
Cochrane database of systematic reviews, 3(3), CD001292.
https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD001292.pub3
8. Hartmann-Boyce J, Chepkin SC, Ye W, Bullen C, Lancaster T. (2018). Nicotine replacement
therapy versus control for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2018,
Issue 5. Art. No.: CD000146. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD000146.pub5
9. Ahluwalia IB, Tripp AL, Dean AK, Mbulo L, Arrazola RA, Twentyman E, King BA. Tobacco
Smoking Cessation and Quitline Use Among Adults Aged ≥15 Years in 31 Countries: Findings
From the Global Adult Tobacco Survey. Am J Prev Med. 2021 Mar;60(3 Suppl 2):S128-S135. doi:
10.1016/j.amepre.2020.04.029. PMID: 33663700; PMCID: PMC9020833.
10. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services (2024). Smoking Cessation: Fast Facts. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/php/data-
statistics/smoking-cessation/index.html. [accessed 25 September 2024].
11. Lindson N, Butler AR, McRobbie H, Bullen C, Hajek P, Begh R, Theodoulou A, Notley C, Rigotti
NA, Turner T, Livingstone-Banks J, Morris T, Hartmann-Boyce J. Electronic cigarettes for
smoking cessation. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2024, Issue 1. Art. No.: CD010216.
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD010216.pub8. [accessed 16 July 2024].
12. Royal College of Physicians (2016). Nicotine without smoke: tobacco harm reduction.
https://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/projects/outputs/nicotine-without-smoke-tobacco-harm-reduction
[accessed 31 July 2024]
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