To help develop a pipeline of dedicated tobacco control researchers and advocates, the Tobacco Related Disease Research Program (TRDRP) Smoke and Vape Free Scholars Initiative (SVFSI) will support mentorship and training programs for undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, and master’s students from tobacco priority populations to conduct mentored tobacco-related research, while also participating in local tobacco control projects and other educational activities. The goal of this initiative is to stimulate student enthusiasm for tobacco-related research and foster engagement and persistence of the next generation of researchers that represent the diversity of tobacco priority populations.
TRDRP invites proposals from administrators, faculty, and staff at California State Universities (CSUs) or California Community Colleges (CCCs) to partner with doctorate-granting institutions to provide mentorship and research training experiences for undergraduate, post-baccalaureate and master’s-level students from tobacco priority populations. Funds will be awarded competitively to support student research internships as well as other collaborations or activities that serve the goals of the Initiative.
Planning Awards: One-year grant to support CSU/CCC institution(s) to prepare a competitive application for the SVFSI Program Award for submission in the Fall of 2022. The SVFSI Planning Awards will support assembly of a team, time to plan the theme and structure of the mentorship and training program, and time to prepare an application. The Planning Awards will provide support for the CSU/CCC Institution to identify a partner research institution, identify potential additional collaborating institutions/organizations, and establish a team of individuals to prepare a TRDRP SVFSI Program Award application. The intent of the Planning Award is to enable applicants to prepare competitive applications, whether or not that institution is currently collaborating with a doctorate-granting research institution. The outcome of the Planning Awards is submission of an SVFSI Program Award application in the Fall 2022. The Planning Award is not designed for the recruitment of students or support for research internships.
- Smoke and Vape Free Scholars Planning Award (1 year) supports California State Universities and California Community Colleges to assemble an administrative and mentoring partnership with a doctorate granting institution, then prepare and submit a Program Award application.
Program Awards: Four-year grant to support CSU/CCC institution(s) to provide an overall educational theme relevant to tobacco control issues, mentorship in tobacco control for students from tobacco priority populations, and to provide scholar research experiences at a partner doctorate-granting institution. Funding for research internships may support laboratory, environmental, social, economic and policy research, literature reviews, social science data analysis, historical research, or other research training activities. The Program Awards require a partnership between at least two institutions. The CSU/CCC institution must be a member of the CSU or CCC systems, and the research institution must be a California authorized doctorate-granting institution.
- Smoke and Vape Free Scholars Program Award (4 years) supports California State Universities and California Community Colleges, in partnership with doctorate-granting institutions, to develop and administer mentorship & training programs for undergraduate, post-bac and masters-level students from diverse backgrounds to conduct tobacco-related research projects in a mentor’s laboratory or team, while also engaging in local tobacco control activities.
NOTE: Applicants do not need to apply for a SVFSI Planning Awards before applying for a SVFSI Program Award.
Please see the Call for Applications for details about each programs' components.
Award Amount and Details
Planning Awards
- Up to $25,000 (direct costs) for up to 1 year
- Please see the Call for Applications for details about award requirements.
Program Awards
- Up to $1,150,000 (total direct costs per award) for up to 4 years
- Please see the Call for Applications for details about award requirements.
Deadlines and Date Information
Note: SVSFI Planning Awards are not offered during the 2023 Cycle.
Program Award
Key Dates:
- July 22, 2022: Webinar for potential applicants
- August 18, 2022 at 12pm PT: Letter of Intent Due (Required)
- Applicants with approved LOIs will be invited to submit a full application.
- October 20, 2022 at 12pm PT: 2022 Application Deadline
- April 2023: Notification of Review Outcome
- July 1, 2022: Award Start Date
Eligibility Information
Please see the Call for Applications for both Planning and Program Awards complete eligibility criteria and component details.
SVFSI Planning Awards Outline
- SVFSI Planning Awards will be made to eligible Principal Investigators at CSU/CCC Institutions that plan on submitting an SVFSI Program Award application in the fall of 2022.
SVFSI Program Awards Outline
- All Program awards will be a partnership between at least two institutions; a CSU/CCC Institution (see V.1.A of the Call for Applications PDF) and a Research Institution (see V.1.B of the Call for Applications PDF). Awards will be made as a partnered award, with the CSU/CCC institution and the research institution as co-funded, Applicant Co-Principal Investigator partners, each managing their own budget. Additional institutions can participate as collaborating institutions, with funds distributed to them through a subcontract from one of the two budgets.
- The primary functions of the CSU/CCC institution are to provide an administrative home for the program, oversee the process for selecting students that will become SVFSI scholars, and oversee the tobacco control/advocacy components of the program. The primary function of the research institution is to recruit research mentors and to provide mentored research experiences for the SVFSI Scholars
