Assessing the value of a Small Grants Program for behavioral research in cancer control.

In 1999, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) issued the first Small Grants Program (SGP) for Behavioral Research in Cancer Control (R03) funding opportunity announcement for investigators new to behavioral cancer prevention and control research. We explored whether the SGP was successful in its goals to encourage new investigators from a variety of disciplines to apply their skills to and promote career development in behavioral cancer prevention and control research. A quasi-experimental design examined applicant characteristics and outcome data by award status. Propensity score matching was used to compare awardees and non-awardees with similar impact scores as a control for application quality. Awardees were more likely than non-awardees to pursue and receive subsequent funding from the NCI and publish their research. Tailored small grant programs create benefit for both promoting and retaining new investigators.