U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
What is the NIH HEAL Initiative?
The Helping to End Addiction Long-term® Initiative, or NIH HEAL Initiative®, is an aggressive, trans-agency effort to speed scientific solutions to stem the national opioid public health crisis. Almost every NIH Institute and Center is accelerating research to address this public health emergency from all angles.
The initiative is funding hundreds of projects nationwide. Researchers are taking a variety of approaches to tackle the opioid epidemic through:
- Understanding, managing, and treating pain
- Improving treatment for opioid misuse and addiction
Featured News
Offering buprenorphine medication to people with opioid use disorder in jail may reduce rearrest and reconviction
January 18, 2022
Offering medication therapy to people with opioid use disorder while they are in jail can significantly lower their risk of subsequent justice involvement, a study funded by the NIH HEAL Initiative® found. The study, which is part of the Justice Community Opioid Innovation Network (JCOIN) program, found buprenorphine treatment reduced risk of probation violation, reincarceration, and other court charges by one-third.
Read the News ReleaseLatest Research Spotlight
Latest Research Spotlight
A Living Pain Circuit
Tissue chip-based model screens potential pain medications faster
Read the SpotlightResearch Priorities
In 2018, NIH, in consultation with a broad range of stakeholders, identified a set of research priorities reflecting urgent unmet needs across the lifespan, areas of promising scientific opportunity, and concrete strategies capable of providing rapid and durable solutions to the opioid crisis.
Through evidence-based scientific research, the NIH HEAL Initiative will provide lasting, scientific solutions to the opioid crisis.
Funded Research Focus Areas
Funded Research Focus Areas
Through the initiative, NIH supports research to enhance pain management and improve treatment for opioid misuse and addiction. The initiative includes research focus areas led by 12 NIH ICs supporting hundreds of projects that reflect the full spectrum of research from basic science to implementation research.
Find information on funding for the initiative