Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Cancer Institute awarded the Regents of the University of Michigan a $158,895 Project Grant under the Cancer Research Manpower program (CFDA 93.398) on May 1, 2026, with a completion date of April 30, 2031. This award supports research and training initiatives focused on leveraging causal machine learning methods to enhance tobacco control interventions, with particular emphasis on understanding electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use initiation among tobacco-naive adolescents and young adults. The project integrates advanced analytical approaches with survey data to identify causal pathways and individual modifiable risk factors driving e-cigarette adoption, with the ultimate goal of informing the development of evidence-based preventive strategies and optimal tobacco control interventions.

The research addresses a critical public health gap by applying innovative causal machine learning techniques to comprehensive tobacco-related datasets—an approach that has seen limited application in tobacco control research despite demonstrated success in other fields. Through this initiative conducted at the University of Michigan's Ann Arbor campus, the project will enhance understanding and prediction of tobacco use behaviors, contributing to the scientific workforce and institutional capacity in cancer prevention research aligned with the National Cancer Institute's strategic priorities.