Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Cancer Institute (NCI), under the Cancer Cause and Prevention Research program (CFDA 93.393), awarded the University of Connecticut a $444,991 Project Grant effective May 1, 2026 through April 30, 2030 to conduct a randomized controlled trial of a dissonance-based sun safety intervention targeting young adult tanners. The research will develop and evaluate a scalable intervention leveraging cognitive dissonance theory—an approach successfully implemented in eating disorder prevention across 125 countries and 3.5 million participants—adapted specifically for melanoma prevention. The intervention incentivizes young adult tanners to create anti-tanning social media messaging and recruit peers to engage with these messages, addressing the critical public health concern that three-quarters of melanomas in individuals aged 20–39 are attributable to tanning behavior and that most young adults tan due to internalized beliefs that tanned skin improves physical appearance.

The study builds upon preliminary feasibility findings demonstrating high participation rates and will generate evidence on the effectiveness, scalability, and implementation potential of dissonance-based interventions for skin cancer prevention in this high-risk population. Deliverables will include trial results, implementation data, and potentially a validated intervention model that can be disseminated across academic and community settings to reduce preventable melanoma incidence among young adults.