Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) awarded the University of Washington a Project Grant of $188,549 on June 10, 2026, under the Alcohol Research Programs (CFDA 93.273) to develop and test a trauma-informed alcohol intervention tailored specifically for firefighters. The project, extending through May 31, 2031, will deliver a single-session, online personalized feedback intervention (PFI) designed to address hazardous drinking behaviors among firefighters—a population that experiences elevated rates of trauma exposure and the co-occurrence of alcohol use disorder and posttraumatic stress. The intervention will be developed through a comprehensive three-phase approach that includes qualitative feedback from 45 firefighters and iterative user-centered design processes to ensure the tool is culturally appropriate, accessible, and cost-effective for dissemination across large firefighter populations who face significant barriers to traditional mental health services.

The project aims to fill a critical gap in mental health services by creating an evidence-based intervention that contextualizes hazardous drinking within the occupational and trauma-related stressors unique to firefighting. By delivering personalized feedback on drinking behaviors, perceptions, and stress management strategies in a trauma-informed framework, the intervention will reduce problematic drinking patterns and associated stigma while improving occupational stress management. As a brief, patient-centered, online tool, the resulting product will provide NIAAA with a scalable, low-cost intervention model that leverages behavioral and clinical research methodologies to advance treatment and prevention strategies for alcohol-related problems in this specialized occupational population.