The NCAA CHOICES Alcohol Education Grants, which provide up to $30,000 in funding over a three-year period for campuswide alcohol abuse prevention that integrates student-athletes and athletics into the campus effort, have been increased to 15 new awards for those projects running September 2004-August 2007.

The grant call-for-proposal and guidelines was sent out to campuses in late September, and can be found on line at www.ncaa.org/health-safety.

The CHOICES program seeks to encourage NCAA institutions and conferences to implement and evaluate effective alcohol-education programs. Funded programs are designed to work toward the elimination of high-risk consumption of alcohol on college campuses by promoting low-risk choices.

The use of alcohol by college students who are under the legal drinking age and the heavy use of alcohol by students for whom alcohol is a legal substance continue to concern program administrators. Past projects have featured peer-education, media campaigns, community outreach and events offering alternatives to alcohol use. The following are common characteristics of CHOICES projects: They are campus-wide in focus, and are built around athletics events, activities and/or integrate student-athletes in the program implementation. All also emphasize, in some way, the choices students must make about alcohol use.

Proposals for the 2004 grants are due to the NCAA February 14. Awards will be made April 15. For more information, contact Mary Wilfert at 317/917-6319.