R34AA032472
Project Grant
Overview
Grant Description
A Feasibility and Acceptability Study of a Large Language Model-Based Conversational Agent for Brief Alcohol Intervention Among Emerging Adults - Project Summary/Abstract
Emerging adults (EAs; ages 18-29 years) have the highest rates of heavy drinking and lowest levels of treatment engagement of any age group.
The public health burden of EA alcohol use is immense, costing the U.S. economy billions of dollars each year.
Screening and brief interventions (SBIs) are effective at reducing alcohol consumption and problems among EAs and may help to address the treatment gap, yet widespread implementation remains limited due to resource constraints.
There is a critical need for innovative, scalable, and cost-effective strategies to increase SBI utilization among EAs engaged in hazardous or harmful drinking.
Digital technologies hold promise for addressing the SBI implementation gap given cost-effectiveness and widespread digital technology use among EAs.
While digital alcohol interventions have produced small but significant effects on reducing alcohol use and problems, their limited personalization and lack of adaptability may hinder engagement, and addressing this issue may increase the impact of digital efforts.
Generative artificial intelligence, namely large language model (LLM)-based conversational agents (e.g., ChatGPT), have the potential to revolutionize automated digital alcohol interventions by allowing for continuous, personalized, and adaptive engagement that is more consistent with a human interaction.
In this R34 proposal, we will develop, validate, and conduct an open trial of a LLM-based conversational agent (CA)-delivered brief intervention designed to reduce alcohol use and problems among EAs to establish preliminary feasibility and acceptability.
To develop the augmented LLM, we will use instruction fine-tuning to enhance conversational abilities within the context of brief interventions based on high-fidelity recordings of sessions from prior clinical trials and simulated patient-provider interactions.
A retrieval augmented generation system will be developed to ensure the model delivers accurate information.
The augmented LLM will be incorporated into a CA interface hosted on a web application.
To validate the CA’s capability for delivering brief alcohol interventions, we will enroll patient actors (clinical or counseling psychology PhD students) and assign them clinical vignettes depicting a diverse range of EAs engaged in patterns of drinking associated with alcohol use disorder.
Patient actors will engage in two randomly ordered online text-based brief intervention sessions for each vignette (one with the CA and one with a human clinician).
Blinded dialogues from sessions will be presented to experts and evaluated for treatment fidelity.
To maximize and measure initial feasibility and acceptability of the intervention, we will conduct semi-structured interviews (N=20) and an open trial (N=20) with EAs engaged in hazardous drinking.
Our primary hypothesis is that the intervention will be deemed feasible and acceptable.
We also hypothesize participants will report significant reductions in alcohol use and problems at 1-month follow-up.
The intervention developed in this study, if shown to be efficacious in future studies, could improve and increase utilization of alcohol SBIs among EAs, an objective outlined in NIAAA’s strategic plan.
Emerging adults (EAs; ages 18-29 years) have the highest rates of heavy drinking and lowest levels of treatment engagement of any age group.
The public health burden of EA alcohol use is immense, costing the U.S. economy billions of dollars each year.
Screening and brief interventions (SBIs) are effective at reducing alcohol consumption and problems among EAs and may help to address the treatment gap, yet widespread implementation remains limited due to resource constraints.
There is a critical need for innovative, scalable, and cost-effective strategies to increase SBI utilization among EAs engaged in hazardous or harmful drinking.
Digital technologies hold promise for addressing the SBI implementation gap given cost-effectiveness and widespread digital technology use among EAs.
While digital alcohol interventions have produced small but significant effects on reducing alcohol use and problems, their limited personalization and lack of adaptability may hinder engagement, and addressing this issue may increase the impact of digital efforts.
Generative artificial intelligence, namely large language model (LLM)-based conversational agents (e.g., ChatGPT), have the potential to revolutionize automated digital alcohol interventions by allowing for continuous, personalized, and adaptive engagement that is more consistent with a human interaction.
In this R34 proposal, we will develop, validate, and conduct an open trial of a LLM-based conversational agent (CA)-delivered brief intervention designed to reduce alcohol use and problems among EAs to establish preliminary feasibility and acceptability.
To develop the augmented LLM, we will use instruction fine-tuning to enhance conversational abilities within the context of brief interventions based on high-fidelity recordings of sessions from prior clinical trials and simulated patient-provider interactions.
A retrieval augmented generation system will be developed to ensure the model delivers accurate information.
The augmented LLM will be incorporated into a CA interface hosted on a web application.
To validate the CA’s capability for delivering brief alcohol interventions, we will enroll patient actors (clinical or counseling psychology PhD students) and assign them clinical vignettes depicting a diverse range of EAs engaged in patterns of drinking associated with alcohol use disorder.
Patient actors will engage in two randomly ordered online text-based brief intervention sessions for each vignette (one with the CA and one with a human clinician).
Blinded dialogues from sessions will be presented to experts and evaluated for treatment fidelity.
To maximize and measure initial feasibility and acceptability of the intervention, we will conduct semi-structured interviews (N=20) and an open trial (N=20) with EAs engaged in hazardous drinking.
Our primary hypothesis is that the intervention will be deemed feasible and acceptable.
We also hypothesize participants will report significant reductions in alcohol use and problems at 1-month follow-up.
The intervention developed in this study, if shown to be efficacious in future studies, could improve and increase utilization of alcohol SBIs among EAs, an objective outlined in NIAAA’s strategic plan.
Awardee
Funding Goals
TO DEVELOP A SOUND FUNDAMENTAL KNOWLEDGE BASE WHICH CAN BE APPLIED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF IMPROVED METHODS OF TREATMENT AND MORE EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES FOR PREVENTING ALCOHOLISM AND ALCOHOL-RELATED PROBLEMS. THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON ALCOHOL ABUSE AND ALCOHOLISM (NIAAA) SUPPORTS RESEARCH IN A BROAD RANGE OF DISCIPLINES AND SUBJECT AREAS RELATED TO BIOMEDICAL AND GENETIC FACTORS, PSYCHOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS, ALCOHOL-RELATED PROBLEMS AND MEDICAL DISORDERS, HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH, AND PREVENTION AND TREATMENT RESEARCH. SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR) PROGRAM: TO INCREASE PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIONS DERIVED FROM FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, TO INCREASE SMALL BUSINESS PARTICIPATION IN FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND TO FOSTER AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION OF SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS IN TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION. SMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER (STTR) PROGRAM: TO STIMULATE AND FOSTER SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER THROUGH COOPERATIVE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CARRIED OUT BETWEEN SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, TO INCREASE PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIONS DERIVED FROM FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND TO FOSTER AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION OF SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS IN TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION.
Grant Program (CFDA)
Awarding / Funding Agency
Place of Performance
Massachusetts
United States
Geographic Scope
State-Wide
The General Hospital Corporation was awarded
Project Grant R34AA032472
worth $735,930
from National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism in September 2025 with work to be completed primarily in Massachusetts United States.
The grant
has a duration of 3 years and
was awarded through assistance program 93.273 Alcohol Research Programs.
The Project Grant was awarded through grant opportunity Pilot and Feasibility Studies in Preparation for Substance Use Prevention Trials (R34 Clinical Trial Optional).
Status
(Ongoing)
Last Modified 9/26/25
Period of Performance
9/23/25
Start Date
8/31/28
End Date
Funding Split
$735.9K
Federal Obligation
$0.0
Non-Federal Obligation
$735.9K
Total Obligated
Activity Timeline
Additional Detail
Award ID FAIN
R34AA032472
SAI Number
R34AA032472-4271917124
Award ID URI
SAI UNAVAILABLE
Awardee Classifications
Nonprofit With 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other Than An Institution Of Higher Education)
Awarding Office
75N500 NIH National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Funding Office
75N500 NIH National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Awardee UEI
FLJ7DQKLL226
Awardee CAGE
0ULU5
Performance District
MA-90
Senators
Edward Markey
Elizabeth Warren
Elizabeth Warren
Modified: 9/26/25