Public Health and Public Policy Research Award

The American Lung Association's Public Health and Public Policy Research Award is part of its nationwide research program and is designed to stimulate and inform public policy debates concerning healthy air, climate change, and other public health issues related to lungs and lung health. The award supports research and evaluation of existing public policies and public health programs, as well as pilot and demonstration projects that introduce innovative ideas and evidence for the development of new public policies affecting lung health. Areas of interest include tobacco control, air quality and climate change, lung health policy, disparities, access to care, modeling, and informatics. The award provides a maximum of $50,000 per year for up to two years, for a potential maximum award of $100,000 over the full project period. Awards are made in one-year increments, and second-year support is contingent upon satisfactory progress and the availability of American Lung Association funds. Requested salary and other budget items must be justified. For independent researchers, no more than 50 percent of the requested budget may support the awardee's salary and fringe benefits; for mentored researchers, the limit is 75 percent. No more than 30 percent of the total award budget may support permanent equipment. Funds may support salary and fringe benefits for other personnel and may also support purchases such as large data sets. Up to $2,500 per year may be used for travel or publication costs directly related to the funded project. Indirect costs are not allowed. Funds may not be used for events, lobbying efforts, legislative meetings, furniture, computers, construction or renovation, honoraria, membership dues, tuition, textbooks, periodicals, or secretarial support. The opportunity accommodates independent and mentored researchers. Independent applicants must possess a doctoral degree, hold a full-time faculty position at an academic institution or its equivalent at a research institution not formally affiliated with a university, and demonstrate research productivity as independent investigators in a relevant field. Mentored applicants must hold a relevant doctoral degree, such as a PhD, DSc, MD, or DO, and be affiliated with a recognized academic or other not-for-profit institution. The mentored mechanism is intended for investigators prior to receipt of career-development awards such as NIH K08, K23, K99, or similar awards. Eligible postdoctoral and medical fellows must be seeking at least two years of mentored research training, and MD or DO applicants must have completed two years of research training after receiving their terminal degree before the award begins. Medical residents, individuals currently enrolled in degree programs, and established investigators are not eligible for the mentored mechanism. Applicants must certify authorization to work in the United States, and the institutional Signing Official must certify that employment is expected to continue for the entire grant period. Applications are submitted electronically through ProposalCentral at https://ProposalCentral.altum.com. The application includes a title page, applicant and institutional information, personnel information, application questions addressing significance to the American Lung Association mission and resubmission when applicable, general and technical project summaries, scientific and research categories, facilities and resources information, detailed budget and justification, other support, assurances, publications, and a research plan. Required research materials include a biographical sketch, Specific Aims of no more than one page, a Research Strategy of no more than six pages addressing Significance, Innovation, and Approach, and references of no more than five pages. A Department Head Statement on institutional letterhead is required for both independent and mentored applicants. Mentored applicants additionally require three recommendation letters, including one from the mentor, for a total of four letters when the separate Department Head Statement is included. Attachments must be uploaded as PDF files, and applications must satisfy the specified English-language, font, margin, file-size, and formatting requirements. Eligible applications undergo rigorous external peer review. Reviewers consider scientific rigor and feasibility, including study design, methods, analysis plans, and the likelihood that the project can be completed within the project period; relevance to the American Lung Association mission; the significance and importance of the research to lung health; innovation in concepts, approaches, and methodologies; potential impact and plans for dissemination and translation; the likelihood that the work will contribute to updates to existing policy or development of new policy; the applicant's qualifications and background; and the applicant's research environment. Applicants are encouraged, when applicable, to conduct hypothesis-driven research that can inform evidence-based clinical practice or policy in communities across the United States and may include plans for public dissemination and use of findings to promote policy and practical changes. Applications are accepted beginning August 5, 2026 and must be submitted by December 1, 2026 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. There is no separate letter of intent, concept paper, or other pre-application gating deadline stated in the guidelines. Applicants may submit only one American Lung Association Awards and Grant application per annual cycle, and an applicant may receive this grant only once. An unsuccessful application previously reviewed but not funded may be resubmitted only one additional time. Peer review occurs from January through April, outcome notifications are expected in June 2027, and the research term begins July 1, 2027. The fixed award period is July 1, 2027 through June 30, 2029. Questions concerning the electronic application process may be directed to pcsupport@altum.com, and ProposalCentral Customer Service is also available at 1-800-875-2562.

Emphasize scientific rigor and feasibility, mission relevance, significance to lung health, innovation, dissemination and translation, and the likelihood that findings will update existing policy or support development of new policy. Demonstrate strong applicant qualifications and an appropriate research environment. Clearly justify all budget requests and comply with salary, equipment, travel/publication, indirect-cost, and prohibited-cost rules. Enter complete active and pending Other Support directly in ProposalCentral and avoid budgetary duplication. Follow all page limits, PDF upload requirements, formatting rules, certification requirements, and validation steps to avoid administrative withdrawal.