The Paso del Norte Health Foundation seeks letters of intent (LOI) from eligible organizations to support the Health Foundation’s goals under the Smoke Free Initiative through nonpartisan, policy-relevant tobacco and nicotine research. Grants will fund policy research related to the Paso del Norte region within one or more of the following interest areas:

• Policy Analysis, Feasibility, and Decision Support will provide regional stakeholders with nonpartisan information to examine and potentially adopt new or modify existing tobacco, nicotine, or vaping public policy. Analysis must provide usable decision-making data relevant to the Paso del Norte region. For example, a researcher may investigate the feasibility of implementing progressive age-based purchase laws. The emphasis in this category is on studying and proposing public policies that can be realistically adopted.

• Policy Implementation is to describe how tobacco, nicotine, or vape policies are currently implemented in practice and recommend improving policy implementation. The effectiveness, impacts, benefits, and other consequences of current policy implementation are of interest. Factors affecting policy implementation or enforcement, such as the roles of local entities, political will, practical ability, enforcement priorities, and more, must be examined and reported. Research in this category must also address efforts to improve policy implementation. For example, a researcher may describe the current state of illegal product sales and recommend approaches to strengthen policy implementation; a researcher may also examine the enforcement of smoke-free ordinances in public parks and recommend ways to enhance their implementation.

• New or Modified Retail Policies encompass the forecasting or prediction of policy to reduce youth access, exposure, and product availability in the region, specifically related to retail outlets. For example, a researcher may examine the potential impact of revised vape store permitting requirements.

• Organizational and Clinical Policy work can be exciting and impactful. For example, a medical clinic or system may choose to analyze policy for patient cessation protocols and complementary therapy. Public housing may investigate potential improvements for its smoking or vaping policy; universities may expand or strengthen their policies, including stronger enforcement of existing clean indoor or outdoor air policies; or an entertainment or arts venue may enhance its policies. The emphasis in this category is on studying how an organization can adopt, modify, or better implement related policy.

Across all interest areas, proposed work must remain nonpartisan and must have identifiable utility for stakeholders in the Paso del Norte region. Advocacy by the researcher for policy is not expected, and lobbying will not be funded.

The proposed work should move beyond simple description and identify practical, actionable policy options or implementation considerations that can inform planning and decision-making within current legal and institutional constraints.

*Note: a separate LOI was simultaneously released seeking nonpartisan policy research and decision support related to THC in the Paso del Norte region.

The Health Foundation uses the LOI process to welcome ideas from interested applicants. After review, the Health Foundation will invite selected applicants to submit a full proposal.

Regional Tobacco and Nicotine Policy Context

Tobacco and nicotine products, including vaping products, continue to change rapidly. While a substantial body of research exists on the harms of these products, there remains a need for regionally grounded, policy-relevant research that helps translate evidence into practical options, implementation considerations, and decision support for local and regional stakeholders.

For technical questions about online submission, please contact Juanita Galaviz at jgalaviz@pdnhf.org. Please consult the Grantmaking Guidelines under the Grant Center.

Key Dates

May 26, 2026 - Letters of intent are due via the Health Foundation’s online application system.

June 16, 2026 - Invitations for full proposals will be announced. Invited applicants may be required to meet with the Program Officer before submitting a full proposal.

July 21, 2026 - Full proposals are due.

The projected funding cycle start date is October 1, 2026, but other dates may be proposed.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible applicants include universities, research institutions, nonprofit organizations, consulting firms, and other qualified agencies with demonstrated expertise relevant to this LOI and the capacity to produce clear, useful products for regional stakeholders.

Service Region

The Health Foundation operates in a unique binational environment, which stretches across two countries and three states. This region is home to 2.4 million people living in El Paso and Hudspeth Counties in far west Texas; Doña Ana, Luna, and Otero Counties in southern New Mexico; and the municipality of Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico.