This proposal is submitted in response to an RFA seeking qualified researchers who will be paired with Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) ready to implement alcohol prevention programs. The Principal Investigator would serve both a consulting and research role for the IHE. A collection of prominent college alcohol prevention researchers has come together to form the Alcohol Research Collaborative (ARC). While each individual researcher has broad research experience, each also possesses identifiable areas of unique expertise. Together these areas of expertise represent the fulfillment of a comprehensive approach to college alcohol abuse prevention. Proposed here is the behavioral alternative domain of a comprehensive approach. Behavioral alternatives are programmatic activities that offer students behavioral channels to either avoid alcohol use, or the harm associated with such use. The theoretical role of behavioral alternatives has not been explicated within the college alcohol prevention literature. When viewed within the rubric of a comprehensive plan, it becomes clear that behavioral alternatives can impact students beyond the effects of merely providing a channel for safer behaviors. Proposed is a set of program and evaluation activities that could be tailored for implementation at a paired IHE. Pilot and feasibility studies are also proposed. Working synergistically with these proposed activities are those activities separately proposed by the partner investigators of the ARC.
