Most important takeaways…
- URI's B-SMART study seeks 20 to 25 Rhode Island NPs and physicians.
- No alcohol level is safe; one daily drink raises cancer risk.
- Practicing NPs can join research without a doctorate using AUDIT-C.
Updated federal guidance now says no level of alcohol is safe, and even one drink a day can raise breast cancer risk. Yet many nurse practitioners still have not folded that message into routine screening conversations. Adult-gerontology NPs are often the clinicians asking about breast health, so the gap is practical, not theoretical.
The University of Rhode Island B-SMART study is recruiting 20 to 25 NPs and physicians for Zoom interviews about alcohol and breast cancer counseling. Recruiting NPs directly, not just physicians, signals that real-world practice insight matters more than research title.
Why URI's B-SMART Study Is Reaching Out to NPs
Why would a nursing research team recruit practicing nurse practitioners, not just physicians, to study alcohol and breast cancer risk? The answer sits squarely in the clinic, where adult-gerontology NPs often fill the breast care nurse role and have the very conversations about breast cancer screening that this research depends on.
A Working Group, Then a Study
The B-SMART study grew out of Patricia Cioe's work with a Brown University School of Public Health group focused on how to communicate alcohol risks to patients coming in for breast cancer screening.1 That origin matters: the questions were shaped by real screening visits, not just lab data. The University of Rhode Island College of Nursing is now leading the project through its own internal support, with no external funding tied to the work.1
Why NPs Are Part of the Picture
Women in breast cancer screening settings routinely see NPs for risk discussion, referrals, and follow-up. For adult-gerontology NPs, this is core practice and a clear place for advanced practice leadership roles. Researchers want to hear what NPs actually say about alcohol, what stops them from raising it, and what tools would make those conversations easier.
A Shift in the Evidence
The older idea that one drink a day for women was safe has been overtaken by U.S. Surgeon General reporting that no level of alcohol is safe and even one drink a day can raise cancer risk.1 NPs who manage screening conversations need support to translate that shift into practice. This is exactly the gap the B-SMART team wants to address.
What the Evidence Says About Alcohol and Breast Cancer Risk
The Guideline Shift: No Level Is Considered Safe
For years, many clinicians repeated the message that up to one drink per day for women was within safe limits. That framing has shifted. The U.S. Surgeon General's 2025 Advisory on Alcohol and Cancer Risk states that no level of alcohol is safe and that even one drink a day can increase cancer risk. This guideline shift is one of the current issues facing nurse practitioners; treat it as a relevant update for every breast cancer screening conversation, not an obscure research footnote.
Quantifying the Risk for One Drink a Day
Studies agree on direction, though exact magnitude varies. A 2024 meta-analysis put the relative risk of breast cancer at about 1.10 for one drink per day compared with none, and 1.04 for less than one drink per day.1 The National Cancer Institute lists relative risks of 1.04 for light drinking, 1.23 for moderate drinking, and 1.6 for heavy drinking.2 NIAAA materials often describe one drink per day as a 5 to 15 percent increase in breast cancer risk.3 For absolute risk, UK modeling estimates about 11 extra breast cancer cases per 1000 women per extra drink per day up to age 75.4 Relative risk shows the pattern; absolute risk shows the actual population burden.
Translating the Evidence Into Screening Conversations
A relative risk of 1.10 can alarm patients unnecessarily if they assume their personal risk jumps by 10 percentage points. It does not. NPs can use concrete numbers: NCI data show that among 100 women, about 17 who drink less than one drink per week develop an alcohol-related cancer, compared with 19 for one drink per day and 22 for two drinks per day.2 For breast cancer alone, alcohol accounts for roughly 16 percent of U.S. female cases, more than 44,000 cases per year.3 In clinic, name the resource, the U.S. Surgeon General's Advisory on Alcohol and Cancer Risk, and ask permission before discussing drinking patterns. That keeps the conversation patient-centered and evidence-based.
Related Articles
The Study Details: Who Can Participate and What to Expect
The conversation around alcohol counseling in routine breast cancer screening is shifting, and studies like this give practicing NPs a direct way to shape what that counseling looks like. The University of Rhode Island's B-SMART study is recruiting nurse practitioners and physicians in Rhode Island to examine knowledge, attitudes, and current practices related to alcohol use and breast cancer risk among women.
Eligibility and Recruitment
Eligibility is narrow and practical: you need to be a nurse practitioner or physician practicing in Rhode Island. The study team, Patricia Cioe and Erica Liebermann, is aiming for 20 to 25 participants total. The release does not specify how many spots are reserved for NPs versus physicians, so NP applicants may be considered as part of that combined pool. Recruitment was ongoing as of August 20, 2026. To volunteer or ask questions, contact the researchers at [email protected].
What Participation Involves
The University of Rhode Island describes participation as in-depth online interviews over Zoom, with a second Zoom conversation to explore perceptions of the alcohol-breast cancer link, what practitioners currently share with patients, barriers to those discussions, and ideas for tools or resources. If you are selected, be ready to reflect honestly on your current practice, not to deliver a perfect script. Participating can also reveal how updated alcohol-risk evidence is making its way into real clinical conversations.
Compensation and Continuing Education
The recruitment notice does not mention monetary compensation or continuing education credit. That does not mean neither is available, but do not assume either. Ask the study team directly when you reach out, especially if you need CE hours or your employer requires paid time for research activities.
The NP's Role in Research: More Than Just a Survey
Research roles for nurse practitioners span a spectrum, from sharing perspectives as a study participant to leading a protocol as principal investigator. The URI B-SMART study invites NPs into a participant role, but that experience can build toward deeper involvement. The four tiers below show how responsibilities, preparation, and time commitments differ.
| Role | Typical responsibilities | Entry skills and requirements | Time commitment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Principal investigator | Designs, implements, and analyzes the study; writes the protocol; oversees data collection and analysis; leads dissemination of findings. | Advanced training in research methods and statistical analysis beyond core NP education; functions as an independent nurse researcher. | Ongoing safety and ethical oversight across all trial phases: evaluation, initiation, subject selection, supervision, data review, and study close-out. |
| Co-investigator | Maintains ongoing collaboration with the PI on proposal, design, and protocol implementation; handles local implementation in multisite studies; participates in data collection. | Practice specialist or consultant expertise in advanced nursing practice; ability to disseminate evidence-based practice and research findings. | Sustained involvement during active protocol phases, with ongoing communication and local data collection responsibilities. |
| Sub-investigator or site collaborator | Assists the PI in conducting the trial; works with clinic staff and sponsor to ensure enrollment, consent, management, and safety of patients. | NP licensure; ability to work under PI oversight in states without full practice authority or when designated as a sub-investigator. | Primary responsibility for study coordination, recruitment, enrollment, data integrity, and regulatory compliance for the duration of the study. |
| Research nurse or participant advocate | Provides clinical care for research patients; educates patients about protocols; collects, enters, and analyzes data; administers investigational drugs; contributes to study design and dissemination. | Competence in clinical trial coordination, communication, and nursing leadership within an interdisciplinary research team. | Central ongoing role in maintaining informed consent, protocol integrity, and accurate data collection throughout the research. |
How to Start Building a Research Skill Set as a Practicing NP
Use a Validated Screening Tool During Routine Visits
Integrating alcohol risk questions into breast cancer screening conversations does not require a new workflow. The NIAAA's SBIRT framework offers a practical, evidence-based structure.1 Start with the AUDIT-C, a three-question validated screen, or the single alcohol screening question (SASQ) as a quick pre-screen. For a woman, a positive response indicating 4 or more drinks in a day (5 or more for men) signals the need for a brief intervention.1 That intervention can take just 3 to 5 minutes using motivational interviewing prompts: restate concern, address barriers, negotiate a goal like no heavy drinking days, and document for follow-up.3 The key step many NPs skip is explicitly connecting the result to breast cancer risk. The CDC5 and 2025 HHS advisory4 both identify alcohol as a dose-response risk factor for at least seven cancers, including breast cancer. Saying "Because you drink at this level, your breast cancer risk is higher, and cutting back can lower it" transforms screening into prevention.
Pursue CE and Training Without a Doctorate
Several trusted organizations offer practical, NP-friendly pathways. AANP's continuing education catalog regularly includes modules on substance use screening and preventive counseling, and an addiction NP certification study guide can help you go deeper if you want formal preparation. NIAAA provides free SBIRT pocket guides, online training, and patient handouts. AACN's Essentials competencies around population health and screening can guide your learning plan. Treat these as microlearning: complete one module per month during a lunch break or commute.
Start Small with a Research Committee
Joining a hospital or university research committee is one of the most accessible first steps. You will review protocols, learn IRB processes, and contribute a clinical perspective without needing a formal research role. Protect your time by committing to one hour per week, a boundary that supports preventing nurse practitioner burnout. Many committees meet virtually, and journal clubs count. Pair that hour with brief patient-level screening you already do, and you are building a research skill set while maintaining full-time practice.
No level of alcohol is safe, and even one drink a day can increase cancer risk.
Research Participation: Time, Compensation, and Career Payoff
NPs considering research often ask two practical questions: how much time will this take, and what is the financial return? The answer varies by role, but even small commitments can strengthen a CV and create nurse practitioner advancement opportunities toward investigator or faculty work.
Time commitments by role
- Interviews: One-on-one interviews such as the URI B-SMART study typically involve an initial Zoom session and a follow-up session of similar length.
- Surveys: Online surveys are usually short enough to complete asynchronously around clinical shifts.
- Focus groups: Paid focus groups are commonly scheduled in the evening or on weekends.
- Co-investigator roles: Site co-investigator or research collaborator positions may span several weeks to months, with modular tasks such as consent, data collection, or chart review spaced across a semester.
What participation can pay
For context, the latest federal data puts the national median annual wage for nurse practitioners at $126,260, with the middle half of earners between about $106,960 and $140,610.1 Research involvement often pays on top of clinical salary, though nurse practitioner fellowship salary structures vary and amounts can be modest.
- Hourly honoraria: $25 to $50 per hour is common through research collaboration platforms, with many projects setting a $100 minimum.2
- Project totals: A 19-hour project might pay $475 to $950, depending on the role and reviewer rate.2
- Stipends and premiums: Academic medical centers may offer site co-investigator stipends or premium pay for clinical research NP roles, though amounts vary by institution.
- Non-monetary value: Professional development credit, publication opportunities, and conference presentations frequently outweigh the immediate stipend.
For the URI B-SMART study specifically, compensation was not listed in the public announcement, so interested NPs should contact the research team directly to confirm whether an honorarium is available.
Career payoff beyond the stipend
Research participation is a documented on-ramp to clinical nurse educator, principal investigator, and nursing faculty roles. Serving as a site co-investigator, or even completing structured interviews, builds familiarity with protocols, IRB processes, and patient-facing risk communication. These experiences can satisfy continuing education expectations and make an NP a stronger candidate for leadership or academic tracks, where research fluency is increasingly expected.
Where to Find Other NP Research Opportunities Beyond URI
The B-SMART study is one entry point, but research-minded NPs have several national options to build skills, collect data, or pursue doctoral fellowships for nurse practitioners and other research funding.
Funding and data collection
- AANP grants: AANP members who are certified NPs can apply for up to $10,000 in funding for NP-led research.1 The 2026 cycle closed on March 18, so watch for the next funding window.
- AANP Communities: External investigators can collect data from up to three NP communities through AANP's panel.2 Submit an application in the spring cycle from January 1 to February 15 or the fall cycle from July 1 to August 15.
Engagement and national research networks
- PCORI Engagement Awards: These fund capacity building, convening, and dissemination, not original research. Projects can run up to two years with awards up to $300,000.3 The spring 2026 cycle has a letter of intent due March 30, 2026.
- PCORI advisory panels and ambassador program: Clinicians, including NPs, can influence PCORI priorities through nurse practitioner advocacy by applying to advisory panels from November through March.4 The Ambassador program uses a short interest form and training for peer review, advisory, and research partnership roles.5
- NIH and NINR: NIH Clinical Research Resources provide online tools and training.6 The National Institute of Nursing Research funds nursing science through standard NIH grant mechanisms.7
