Research on Gambling Behaviors and Problems Among College-Aged Individuals, Students, and Athletes RFA Grant

Research on Gambling Behaviors and Problems Among College-Aged Individuals, Students, and Athletes RFA Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: International Center for Responsible Gaming
Amount: Up to US $360,000
Last Updated: September 24, 2025

Summary

The International Center for Responsible Gaming (ICRG) has issued a Request for Applications (RFA) targeting research on gambling behaviors among college-aged individuals, students, and athletes. This initiative seeks to explore the prevalence and impact of gambling, particularly in the realm of online sports betting. Eligible researchers are encouraged to apply for funding to investigate risk factors and outcomes associated with these behaviors, contributing valuable insights to the field.

Overview

Request for Applications (RFA) for Research on Gambling Behaviors and Problems Among College-Aged Individuals, Students, and Athletes The International Center for Responsible Gaming (ICRG) invites eligible investigators and institutions to apply for funding to conduct research focused on gambling behaviors and problems among college-aged individuals, students and athletes. This research aims to investigate the prevalence, risk factors, and impacts of gambling in these groups, with a special emphasis on online sports betting behaviors and their consequences.

Eligibility

We've imported the main document for this grant to give you an overview. You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website.

Application Details

REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS (RFA) FOR RESEARCH ON GAMBLING
BEHAVIORS AND PROBLEMS AMONG COLLEGE-AGED INDIVIDUALS,
STUDENTS AND ATHLETES
Funding pool: $450,000 (including indirect costs)
Application Deadline: October 13, 2025
The International Center for Responsible Gaming (ICRG) invites eligible investigators
and institutions to apply for funding to conduct research focused on gambling behaviors
and problems among college-aged individuals, students and athletes. This research
aims to investigate the prevalence, risk factors, and impacts of gambling in these
groups, with a special emphasis on online sports betting behaviors and their
consequences.
Available Funding
Applicants may request up to $360,000 in direct costs and up to 25 percent in Facilities
& Administration (indirect) costs. The maximum total budget is $450,000. This funding
pool is flexible, allowing applicants to apply for projects of 1, 2, or 3 years in duration.
The International Center for Responsible Gaming
The International Center for Responsible Gaming (ICRG) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3)
organization that has supported rigorous, peer-reviewed scientific research on gambling
disorder and responsible gambling since 1996. The ICRG is recognized globally as a
leader in funding high-quality research that informs prevention, treatment, and policy.
The ICRG awards grants on a competitive basis under the leadership of the Scientific
Advisory Board. Composed of leading independent scientists with expertise in
addiction and related topics, the Scientific Advisory Board plays a vital role by ensuring
the ICRG follows rigorous standards in awarding grants for only the highest quality
research proposals. The current roster of members is listed on page 11.

Eligible Applicants
Domestic or international, public or private, non-profit or for-profit organizations are
eligible to apply. The Principal Investigator (PI) must have a PhD, MD or other
comparable terminal degree. Investigators who are not active PIs or Co-PIs or Co-Is on
existing ICRG grants may apply.
Background
With the rapid expansion of legalized sports betting and increasing access to online
gambling platforms, concerns are rising about how college-age individuals, students
and athletes engage with and are affected by gambling. This initiative will support
research that contributes to a deeper understanding of the gambling landscape among
these populations, aiming to improve harm prevention strategies and inform responsible
gaming practices at the collegiate level.
Research topics of interest for this RFA include but are not limited to:
1. Prevalence of Sports Betting Among College-Aged Individuals, Students
and Athletes: Understanding the frequency of gambling behaviors, with a
comparison between college athletes, students, and the broader college aged
population.
2. Risk Factors for Problem Gambling: Identifying and analyzing key risk factors
such as exposure to sports betting culture, financial incentives, and social
influences on gambling behaviors among how college-aged individuals, students
and athletes.
3. Impact of Gambling on Athletic and Performance: Investigating how gambling
affects college athletes’ training, competition, academic performance, and overall
well-being.
4. Influence of Team Practices on Gambling Participation: Understanding the
role of team practices, as well as other initiatives, in shaping attitudes toward
gambling among athletes.
5. Development of Educational and Prevention Strategies: Designing data-
driven recommendations aimed at preventing gambling harm and supporting
healthy behaviors among how college-aged individuals, students and athletes.
By supporting this research, ICRG and partners aim to:
• Enhance knowledge on gambling behaviors among college-aged individuals.
• Inform educational and prevention strategies targeted at reducing gambling-
related harms.
• Promote responsible gambling behaviors within college-aged communities.
• Provide evidence-based insights to influence policy changes at the collegiate and
professional levels.

Review Process and Criteria
The ICRG seeks proposals of high scientific merit that contribute to the field from
investigators who show promise of disseminating their work at high-impact conferences
and in peer-reviewed scientific journals.
An appropriate scientific review group convened in accordance with the standard ICRG
peer review procedures, modeled on those of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), will
evaluate applications for scientific and technical merit.
As part of the initial merit review, all applications:
• May undergo a selection process in which only those applications deemed to have the
highest scientific merit, generally the top half of applications under review, will be
discussed and assigned a priority score.
• Will receive a written critique in the Summary Statement.
• Will receive a second level of review by the Scientific Advisory Board, which makes the
final funding decisions.
The peer review panel will evaluate proposals according to the following criteria,
adapted from the NIH:
1. Importance of the Research. Does the project address a critical problem or
significant barrier in the field? Will successful completion of the project substantially
advance scientific knowledge, clinical practices, methodologies, or preventive
interventions? Does the proposal use innovative concepts or approaches, or
improve and refine existing methodologies?
2. Rigor and Feasibility: Is the overall strategy, methodology, and analysis clearly
justified and likely to yield robust, reproducible results? Are potential problems and
alternative strategies clearly addressed? For clinical research, are human subject
protections justified and appropriate?
3. Expertise and Resources: Are the investigators well-qualified, with complementary
expertise and clear leadership roles? Does the environment, including institutional
support, resources, equipment, and collaborative arrangements, enhance the
likelihood of successful project completion?
Additional Review Criteria
In addition to the above criteria, the following items will be considered in the
determination of scientific merit and the priority score:
• Protection of Human Subjects from Research Risk: The involvement of human
subjects and protections from research risk relating to their participation in the proposed
research will be assessed.
• Care and Use of Vertebrate Animals in Research: If live vertebrate animals are to
be used, the following five points should be addressed in the application:

1. Provide a detailed description of the proposed use of the animals in the work
outlined in the Research Strategy section. Identify the species, strains, ages, sex
and number of animals to be used in the proposed work.
2. Justify the use of animals, the choice of species, and the numbers to be used. If
animals are in short supply, costly, or to be used in large numbers, provide an
additional rationale for their selection and numbers.
3. Provide information on the veterinary care of the animals involved.
4. Describe the procedures for ensuring that discomfort, distress, pain and injury
will be limited to that which is unavoidable in the conduct of scientifically sound
research. Describe the use of analgesic, anesthetic, and tranquilizing drugs
and/or comfortable restraining devices, where appropriate, to minimize
discomfort, distress, pain, and injury.
5. Describe any method of euthanasia to be used and the reasons for its selection.
State whether this method is consistent with the recommendations of the AVMA
Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals. If not, include a scientific justification
for not following the recommendations.
• Biohazards: If materials or procedures are proposed that are potentially hazardous to
research personnel and/or the environment, determine if the proposed protection is
adequate.
• Budget: The reasonableness of the proposed budget and the requested period of
support in relation to the proposed research plan.
Application Instructions
The first section of the application should be presented on the Funding Pool application
form available for download from www.icrg.org. The application form provides the Face
Page, Page Two and the Budget pages. You may use the NIH Biosketch form, or the
one provided on the ICRG’s website. The narrative section should be presented in your
own document.
Application Outline
• Face Page (form provided)
• Page Two: Project Summary/Abstract, Senior/Key Personnel, Previous Support (form
provided)
• Biographical Sketches (form provided or use NIH form)
• Budget Summary and Justification for Year 1 (form provided)
• Budget Summary and Justification for Year 2 (form provided) – if required
• Budget Summary and Justification for Year 3 (form provided) – if required
• Research Plan (your own document)
• Human Subjects/Vertebrate Animals (your own document)
• Appendix: letters of support, citations, other materials. If your application is a
resubmission, and based on a previous application, you may submit up to 2 pages

outlining (a) previous critiques of your application and (b) how you have addressed
these concerns/critiques.
Face Page (1 page)
Insert text in the shaded areas on the Face Page form.
The Principal Investigator (PI) is the person responsible for the scientific and technical
direction of the project and is the primary contact for the ICRG. Provide full name,
degree(s), title, department, institution, mailing address, telephone number and e-mail
address.
Date of Proposed Period of Support. Projects may begin on October 1, 2025, and
conclude no later than December 31, 2028.
Funds Requested. Fill in the amounts requested for year 1, 2 and 3 as required. Total
requests may not exceed $360,000 per year in direct costs. A Facilities & Administration
rate (also known as “indirect costs”) higher than 25 percent is not allowable.
Applicant Organization. The Applicant Organization is legally and financially
responsible for the conduct of activities supported by the award. Provide the name and
contact information of the Applicant Organization’s Administrative Contact.
Regulatory Approvals. Please check the appropriate box to indicate the use of animals
(IACUC) or human subjects (IRB) in the proposed project. Note that the Principal
Investigator must provide a copy of the IACUC and/or IRB letter to the ICRG before
award funds will be released. Pending approvals at the time of application submission
are acceptable.
Certifications. Provide the electronic signatures of the Principal Investigator and the
Official Signing for the Organization by typing names in the shaded box and checking
the box “Confirm Signature.”
Page Two: Project Summary/Abstract; Senior/Key Personnel; Previous Support (1
page)
Insert text in the shaded areas on the form provided.
Project Summary/Abstract. Provide a succinct and accurate description of the
proposed work suitable for dissemination to the public. State the application's broad,
long-term objectives and specific aims. Describe concisely the research design and
methods for achieving the stated goals.
Senior/Key Personnel. In addition to the Principal Investigator, Senior/Key Personnel
are defined as individuals who contribute to the scientific development or execution of
the project in a substantive, measurable way, whether or not salaries are requested. In
addition, stakeholders should be included under Key Personnel. Stakeholders are
defined as individuals affected by the proposed research project. For example, a

stakeholder might be a member of the population under study. List the Principal
Investigator, last name first. Then list all other Senior/Key Personnel in
alphabetical order, last name first. For each individual, provide name, institutional
affiliation and role on the project.
Previous Support from the ICRG. Please list the title of any grant awards to the
Principal Investigator from the International Center for Responsible Gaming, the
National Center for Responsible Gaming, the Institute for Research on Pathological
Gambling and Related Disorders and/or the Institute for Research on Gambling
Disorders. Identify products resulting from the grant(s), such as publication in a peer-
reviewed journal, a poster or presentation at a conference or subsequent support from
other funding entities to continue the development of the research project.
Biographical Sketches
Biographical Sketches of the Principal Investigator and Senior/Key personnel should be
included (maximum of five pages each). Please use the NIH form or download the
biosketch form from www.icrg.org.
Budget (2 pages)
Present the proposed budget for years 1, 2 and 3 (as required) on the forms provided.
Allowable Cost Items:
• Personnel. Allowable personnel expenses include salary and applicable fringe
benefits for the Principal Investigator, post-docs and graduate students (if they
receive a salary) and other professional and technical staff.
• Consultant Costs. Identify consultants by name and estimate the number of days
of service and rate of compensation.
• Study participants. Costs of recruitment (e.g., purchase of advertising), payments
to subjects, patient care and other costs associated with the use of participants in
the study.
• Equipment. Only equipment essential to the conduct of this project is allowed. In
the Budget Justification section, explain how it directly relates to this project.
• Human subjects. Costs of recruitment (e.g., purchase of advertising), payments
to subjects, patient care and other costs associated with the use of participants in
the study.
• Facilities & Administration costs. Up to 25 percent of the total direct costs.
• Travel. ICRG grantees are required to present a poster at the annual ICRG
Conference on Gambling and Addiction. Budget for travel to the conference in
Las Vegas, Nev. in the second year of the grant.
Unallowable Cost Items:
Funding will not be provided for the following:

• Administrative personnel
• Stipends
• Office furniture
• Tuition
• Dues and membership fees
• Maintenance/service contracts
• Construction, alteration, maintenance or rental of buildings or building space
• Relocation expenses
• Entertainment/social expenses
• Pre-award costs
Budget Justification
In the space below the Budget Summary, explain and justify costs presented, providing
calculations to demonstrate how amounts were determined. Enter text in the shaded
area on the form provided.
Research Plan (Maximum 15 pages)
This section should be presented in your own document. Please observe the following
formatting requirements:
• Arial 11-point font
• A smaller type size may be used in figures, graphs, diagrams, charts, tables,
figure legends and footnotes. However, applicants should use their judgment and
avoid the use of excessively small type that would be difficult to read.
• Type density, including characters and spaces, must be no more than 15
characters per inch. Type may be no more than six lines per inch.
• Margins of at least one half inch on all sides on all pages.
• Single-column format for text
• Standard paper size (8.5” X 11”)
• Paginate all pages
Use any word processing software to create the text. Then, convert to a PDF using a
PDF creation software such as Adobe® Acrobat® Professional. Scanning hard copies to
produce a PDF typically results in excessively large files that can be difficult to e-mail or
open and, therefore, will not be accepted for review.
Please follow the outline provided below.
Specific Aims. State the goals of the proposed research and summarize the expected
outcome(s), including the impact that the results of the proposed research will exert on
the research field(s) involved. List the specific objectives of the research proposed (e.g.,
to test a stated hypothesis, create a novel design, solve a specific problem, challenge

an existing paradigm or clinical practice, address a critical barrier to progress in the field
or develop new technology).
Research Strategy. Organize the Research Strategy section according to the following
outline:
(a) Significance
• Explain the importance of the problem or critical barrier to progress in the field
that the proposed project addresses.
• Explain how the proposed project will improve scientific knowledge, technical
capability and/or clinical practice in one or more broad fields.
• Describe how the concepts, methods, technologies, treatments, services or
preventative interventions that drive this field will be changed if the proposed
aims are achieved.
(b) Innovation
• Explain how the application challenges and seeks to shift current research or
clinical practice paradigms.
• Describe any novel theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies,
instrumentation or intervention(s) to be developed or used, and any advantage
over existing methodologies, instrumentation or intervention(s).
• Explain any refinements, improvements or new applications of theoretical
concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation or interventions.
(c) Approach
• Describe the overall strategy, methodology and analyses to be used to
accomplish the specific aims of the project. Include how the data will be
collected, analyzed and interpreted as well as any resource sharing plans, as
appropriate. A data sharing Plan or an explanation of why data sharing is not
feasible is expected to be included in all applications where the generation of
data is anticipated. Reviewers will assess the reasonableness of the data sharing
plan or the rationale for not sharing research data.
• Discuss potential problems, alternative strategies and benchmarks for success
anticipated to achieve the aims.
(d) The Relevance and Societal impact of the proposed research.
Protection of Human Subjects/Vertebrate Animals (Maximum 2 pages)
Protection of Human Subjects
If applicable, summarize your plan to protect human subjects according to the following
outline:
1) Risks to Human Subjects
a) Human Subjects’ Involvement and Characteristics

• Describe the proposed involvement of human subjects in the work outlined in the
Research Plan section.
• Describe the characteristics of the subject population, including their anticipated
number, age range and health status.
• Identify the criteria for inclusion or exclusion of any subpopulation.
• Explain the rationale for the involvement of special classes of subjects, such as
fetuses, neonates, pregnant women, children, prisoners, institutionalized
individuals or others who may be considered vulnerable populations. Note that
“prisoners” includes all subjects involuntarily incarcerated (for example, in
detention centers) as well as subjects who become incarcerated after the study
begins.
• List any collaborating sites where human subjects research will be performed
and describe the role of those sites and collaborating investigators in performing
the proposed research.
b) Sources of Materials
• Describe the research material obtained from living individuals in the form of
specimens, records or data.
• Describe any data that will be collected from human subjects for the project
described in the application.
• Indicate who will have access to individually identifiable private information about
human subjects.
• Provide information about how the specimens, records or data are collected and
whether material or data will be collected specifically for the proposed research
project.
c) Potential Risks
• Describe the potential risks to subjects (physical, psychological, financial, legal or
other), and assess their likelihood and seriousness to the subjects.
• Where appropriate, describe alternative treatments and procedures, including the
risks and potential benefits of the alternative treatments and procedures, to
participants in the proposed research.
2) Adequacy of Protection Against Risks
a) Recruitment and Informed Consent
• Describe plans for the recruitment of subjects (where appropriate) and the
process for obtaining informed consent. If the proposed studies will include
children, describe the process for meeting requirements for parental permission
and child assent.
• Include a description of the circumstances under which consent will be sought
and obtained, who will seek it, the nature of the information to be provided to
prospective subjects, and the method of documenting consent. If a waiver of

some or all of the elements of informed consent will be sought, provide
justification for the waiver.
b) Protections Against Risk
• Describe planned procedures for protecting against or minimizing potential risks,
including risks to privacy of individuals or confidentiality of data, and assess their
likely effectiveness.
• Research involving vulnerable populations, as described in the DHHS
regulations, Subparts B-D, must include additional protections. Refer to DHHS
regulations, and OHRP guidance (www.hhs.gov/ohrp).
• Where appropriate, discuss plans for ensuring necessary medical or professional
intervention in the event of adverse effects to the subjects. Studies that involve
clinical trials (biomedical and behavioral intervention studies) must include a
general description of the plan for data and safety monitoring of the research and
adverse event reporting to the IRB and others, as appropriate, to ensure the
safety of subjects.
3) Potential Benefits of the Proposed Research to Human Subjects and Others
• Discuss the potential benefits of the research to human subjects and others.
• Discuss why the risks to subjects are reasonable in relation to the anticipated
benefits to research participants and others.
4) Importance of the Knowledge to be Gained
• Discuss the importance of the knowledge gained or to be gained as a result of
the proposed research.
• Discuss why the risks to subjects are reasonable in relation to the importance of
the knowledge that reasonably may be expected to result.
5) Data and Safety Monitoring Plan
• If the research includes a clinical trial, create a heading entitled “Data and Safety
Monitoring Plan.”
• Provide a general description of a monitoring plan that you plan to establish as
the overall framework for data and safety monitoring.
• Describe the entity that will be responsible for monitoring and the process by
which Adverse Events will be reported.
Vertebrate Animals
If vertebrate animals are involved in the project, address each of the five points below.
1) Provide a detailed description of the proposed use of the animals for the work
outlined in the Research Plan Narrative. Identify the species, strains, ages, sex
and numbers of animals to be used in the proposed work.

2) Justify the use of animals, the choice of species and the numbers to be used. If
animals are in short supply, costly, or to be used in large numbers, provide an
additional rationale for their selection and numbers.
3) Provide information on the veterinary care of the animals involved.
4) Describe the procedures for ensuring that discomfort, distress, pain and injury
will be limited to that which is unavoidable in the conduct of scientifically sound
research. Describe the use of analgesic, anesthetic, and tranquilizing drugs,
and/or comfortable restraining devices, where appropriate, to minimize
discomfort, distress, pain and injury.
5) Describe any method of euthanasia to be used and the reason(s) for its
selection. State whether this method is consistent with the recommendations of
the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Guidelines on Euthanasia.
If not, include a scientific justification for not following the recommendations.
Appendix
The Appendix should include items such as a list of references cited, letters of support
(e.g., to demonstrate institutional support for the project), and other supporting
materials. If your application is a resubmission, and based on a previous application to a
Large Grant or other RFA, you may submit up to 2 pages outlining (a) previous critiques
of your application and (b) how you have addressed these concerns/critiques.
Submission Process
• Create a single PDF document named as follows: PI’s Last
Name_RFACollege_2025. Use a PDF creation software such as Adobe®
Acrobat® Professional to create the PDF rather than scanning hard copies to
produce a PDF. Such files can be difficult to e-mail or open and, therefore, will
not be accepted for review.
• Email the application to Travis Sztainert (tsztainert@icrg.org) by October 13,
2025.
Questions? Contact Travis Sztainert, Director of Research and Education
(tsztainert@icrg.org).
ICRG SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY BOARD
Chair
Linda B. Cottler, PhD, MPH
Professor of Epidemiology, Department of Epidemiology
College of Public Health & Health Professionals and College of Medicine
University of Florida
Board Members

Tammy Chung, PhD
Director, Center for Population Behavioral Health
Professor of Psychiatry
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
David C. Hodgins, PhD
Professor of Psychology
University of Calgary
Miriam Jorgensen, PhD
Research Director, Native Nations Institute
University of Arizona
Research Director
Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development
Harvard University
Gloria Miele, PhD
Program Director, Opioid and Stimulant Implementation Support
UCLA Integrated Substance Use and Addiction Programs
Chair, UCLA ISAP Continuing Medical Education Committee
Joyce (Joy) Balls-Berry, PhD
Associate Professor of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine
Core Leader, Health Disparities and Equity Core in the Knight ADRC
T. Celeste Napier, PhD
Professor of Psychiatry
Director, Center for Compulsive Behavior and Addiction
Rush University
International Center for Responsible Gaming
101 Convention Center Drive, Suite 600
Las Vegas, NV 89109
Tel: 978-338-6610
Fax: 978-552-8452
E-mail: info@icrg.org
www.icrg.org