Environmental Epidemiology

The Environmental Epidemiology Branch in NCI’s Epidemiology and Genomics Research Program promotes and supports epidemiologic research on modifiable risk factors and cancer in diverse populations to inform and advance the prevention and control of cancer.

Research areas include

  • chemical and physical agents
  • climate change
  • geospatial approaches in cancer control and population sciences
  • infectious agents and co-infections and cancer
  • lifestyle factors
  • social determinants
Learn More About

Program Directors

Investigators seeking grant funding for environmental epidemiology projects are encouraged to contact the scientific staff in the Environmental Epidemiology Branch (EEB) with questions.

EEB Program Directors

Featured Funding Opportunities

Notice of Special Interest: Basic Mechanisms of Cannabis and Cannabinoid Action in Cancer
NOT-CA-22-085
Expires May 8, 2027

Notice of Special Interest: Climate Change and Health
NOT-ES-22-006
Expires May 8, 2025

Epidemiologic Research on Emerging Risk Factors and Liver Cancer Susceptibility
PAR-22-083 R01 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed and PAR-22-084 R21 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed
Expires May 8, 2025

Cancer Epidemiology Cohorts: Building the Next Generation of Research Cohorts
PAR-22-161 (U01 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Expires March 1, 2025

Note: There was a pre-application webinar on April 27, 2022. View the recordingExternal Web Site Policy.

Exploratory Grants in Cancer Control
PAR-21-341 (R21 - Clinical Trial Optional)
Expires October 9, 2024

The Role of Work in Health Disparities in the U.S.
PAR-21-275 (R01 - Clinical Trials Optional)
Expires September 8, 2024

Notice of Special Interest: Early-life Factors and Cancer Development Later in Life
NOT-CA-21-074
Expires March 8, 2024

Addressing the Etiology of Health Disparities and Health Advantages Among Immigrant Populations
PAR-21-080 (R01 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed) and PAR-21-081 (R01 - Clinical Trial Optional)
Expires January 8, 2023

Co-infection and Cancer
PAR-20-061 (R21 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed) and PAR-20-062 (R01 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Expires January 8, 2023

View all FOAs related to cancer control research.

Interest Areas

Learn more about EEB’s interests in the following areas, relevant funding opportunity announcements, related EGRP events, and staff contacts.

Chemical and Physical Exposures

A growing number of chemical and physical agents have been classified as carcinogens by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences’ National Toxicology Program. EGRP is committed to supporting the study of these agents, their contribution and effects on cancer risk, and the advancement of methodological development to improve these efforts.

Early Life Exposures

EGRP aims to stimulate research focused on the role of early-life factors (maternal-paternal, in utero, birth and infancy, puberty, adolescence, and young adult years) in cancer development later in life.

Gene-Environment Research and Cancer Epidemiology

EGRP is interested in research that integrates biological data with epidemiological data from environmental exposure and germline genetic projects, and includes mechanistic follow-up designed to understand the biological processes involved in the interplay between environmental exposures and genes at the molecular, cellular, and/or organism level.

Geospatial Approaches

NCI is interested in research that integrates and analyzes geospatial data and/or spatial methodology across the cancer control continuum. Geospatial approaches include the use of location-based technologies such as geographic information systems (GIS), global positioning systems (GPS), other location-based technologies or may involve improved mapping techniques and applied spatial methodology.

Global Health and Cancer Epidemiology

EGRP supports NCI’s priorities in global health and collaborates with NCI’s Center for Global Health and NIH partners to support research for cancer control and prevention, globally.

Health Disparities

Staff in EGRP partner with others at NCI and NIH to foster research to better understand the causes of health disparities and develop interventions to reduce differences in the incidence, prevalence, mortality, and burden of cancer and related adverse health conditions that exist among specific population groups in the United States.

Infectious Agents

EGRP partners with others at NCI and NIH to foster investigator-initiated research to better understand the role of infectious agents in cancer.

Microbiome Research

Staff in EGRP partner with others at NCI and NIH to foster analysis of the microbiome and associated metabolites that may assist in the understanding of microbial exposures and their association with disease risk, incidence, progression, and treatment response.

Featured Resources

Environmental Epidemiology Webinar Series

The Environmental Epidemiology Webinar Series will highlight novel cancer research strategies and needs focused on the exposome and early life environmental exposures and events.

Infectious Agents and Cancer Epidemiology Research

Highlighting cutting-edge research and sharing scientific knowledge about technologies and methods that may enhance and facilitate infection-associated cancer epidemiology research.

Research in Understudied Populations and Cancer Disparities Webinar Series

Focusing on innovative cancer epidemiology research on groups in which there are limited data regarding cancer risks and outcomes that can inform cancer control policies and interventions.

Human Health Exposure Analysis Resource (HHEAR)

This NIH-supported resource aims to advance understanding of the influence of environment on human health over a lifetime. HHEAR provides researchers access to high-quality, exposure-assessment services including, state of the art laboratory analysis of biological and environmental samples, statistical analysis, and expert consultation on exposure analysis, study design, and data analysis and interpretation.

External Web Site Policy

Current Initiatives

Keep up to date about the current Environmental Epidemiology projects and initiatives ongoing at EGRP.

Breast Cancer and the Environment Research Program (BCERP)

BCERP supports a multidisciplinary network of scientists, clinicians, and community partners to examine the effects of environmental exposures that may predispose a woman to breast cancer throughout her life.

Cohorts for Environmental Exposures and Cancer Risk (CEECR)

NCI and NIEHS are supporting five cohorts and a coordinating center to conduct innovative research in new prospective cohorts that address knowledge gaps in cancer etiology and carcinogenesis processes with a focus on environmental exposures.

Metabolic Dysregulation and Cancer Risk Program: A Transdisciplinary Approach to Obesity-Associated Cancer Research

The Metabolic Dysregulation and Cancer Risk Program is a transdisciplinary research effort to enhance knowledge of the underlying mechanisms linking obesity, metabolic dysregulation, and increased cancer risk.

Past Initiatives

View information about the Environmental Epidemiology projects and initiatives at EGRP that have been completed.

Long Island Breast Cancer Study Project

The Long Island Breast Cancer Study Project (LIBCSP) was a multistudy effort to investigate whether environmental factors are responsible for breast cancer in Suffolk and Nassau counties, NY, as well as in Schoharie County, NY, and Tolland County, CT.

Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Breast Cancer Study

In 1992, the National Cancer Institute was joined by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to fund a study on factors that may contribute to the high breast cancer mortality rates in the northeastern and mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.
Last Updated: 06 Oct, 2022