Research priorities

The Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program (TRDRP) funds research that spans social, behavioral and biomedical sciences and has the common objective of achieving positive health equity for all Californians. Despite having one of the lowest smoking rates in the country, smoking prevalence remains high among California populations that are also plagued by other negative effects of structural and social determinants of health.  A primary goal of TRDRP is to reduce the negative impact of tobacco use within these “tobacco priority populations”. To address this goal, applicants should focus on diseases that are causally linked to tobacco use and on studies that can discern and reduce tobacco-related health disparities. In addition, culturally-tailored research is needed on the behavioral effects of tobacco product use and effective cessation strategies, particularly for tobacco priority populations. Thirdly, it is imperative that research outcomes can be used to inform policymakers and the general public about the physical harm of tobacco product use and tobacco industry marketing practices.  Communicating evidence-based research helps inform the design of effective policy interventions.  TRDRP requires investigators to plan how they will disseminate their research findings by communicating with and engaging community members. These approaches are directly aligned with the TRDRP  Five Year Strategic Plan, the plan of the Tobacco Education and Research Oversite Committee (TEROC), Achieving Health Equity: Breaking the Commercial Tobacco Industry’s Cycle of Addiction, Death, and Environmental Degradation and the CA Endgame Initiative, which seeks to end the sale and use of all commercial tobacco products in the state. 

Note: Priority populations in California are those that use tobacco at higher rates, experience greater secondhand smoke exposure, are disproportionately targeted by the industry, and/or have higher rates of tobacco-related disease. These include racial and ethnic minority groups, sexual and gender groups, people of low socioeconomic status, rural residents, military personnel and veterans, workers not covered by smoke-free workplace laws, people with behavioral health conditions, people with disabilities, and school-age youth. Applicants may identify additional priority populations by applying the criteria above or using other disparity indicators. (Source: Tobacco Education and Research Oversight Committee. Achieving Health Equity: Breaking the Commercial Tobacco Industry’s Cycle of Addiction, Death, and Environmental Degradation, 2023-2024. Sacramento, CA: Tobacco Education and Research Oversight Committee. 2023.)