Open Funding Opportunities

This notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) seeks to support research aimed at holistic understanding of inter-individual or between-person differences in human pain conditions, focusing  on ‘Whole Person Health’ and enhancing pain treatment and management strategies towards personalized pain medicine. The goal of this NOFO is to support studies that focus on the collection of clinical and/or preclinical data to enable evidence-based modeling and understanding of inter-individual differences and/or heterogeneity of pain occurring with use of pain therapy/management, or with conditions such as a second pain condition, a comorbid health condition, a comorbid mental health condition, or conditions of use / misuse of opioids, alcohol or other substances. Applicants are encouraged to develop and implement novel, multidisciplinary research approaches, and include investigators with complementary expertise to fulfill the project and program goals. Input from patients and caregivers on the goals of the project is highly encouraged. Rigorous data-driven and evidence-based research approaches supported under this NOFO are expected to provide better understanding of biological and/or biopsychosocial underpinnings of inter-individual differences, heterogeneity, and stratification of persons with lived pain experience, which would accelerate the development of evidence-based solutions toward precision pain medicine.

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) requires a Plan for Enhancing Diverse Perspectives (PEDP).

The purpose of this HEAL Initiative program is to: (1) support basic and mechanistic pain research from R15-eligible undergraduate-focused serving institutions, health professional schools or graduate schools; (2) promote integrated, interdisciplinary research partnerships between Principal Investigators (PIs) from R15-eligible institutions and investigators from U.S. domestic institutions; and (3) enhance the pain research environment at the R15-eligible institution for health professional students, undergraduate and/or graduate students through active engagement in pain research.

Applications in response to this notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) should include plans to accomplish these goals. Specifically, applications should include a rigorous plan for conducting basic and mechanistic pain research in the Research Strategy section of the application. In addition, a research partnership between the PI’s institution and at least one investigator from a separate U.S. domestic institution that provides resources and/or expertise that will enhance the proposed pain research program must be included in a separate Team Management Plan. The proposed partnership will be a sub-award agreement(s) with at least one partnering institution, which does not need to be R15-eligible. The budget of all sub-awards must not exceed one third of the total budget. Furthermore, applications must include a Facilities & Other Resources document that demonstrates active involvement of health professional students, undergraduate and/or graduate students from the R15-eligible institution(s) in the proposed pain research projects.

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) requires a Plan for Enhancing Diverse Perspectives (PEDP).

The application receipt dates are November 19, 2024; October 28, 2025; and October 27, 2026. View Frequently Asked Questions about this initiative.

The purpose of this NIH HEAL Initiative PainCare Clinician Training Program (PCTP): Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Awards (K08) (BESH) is to support the career development of individuals with clinical doctoral degrees to create a group of new and well-trained, independent investigators. This supervised career development program will provide independent NIH research support during the early-career phase to help awardees establish independent research programs in areas supported by the NIH HEAL Initiative’s Clinical Research in Pain Management program.

This Parent Announcement is for basic science experimental studies involving humans, referred to in NOT-OD-18-212 as “prospective basic science studies involving human participants.” These studies fall within the NIH definition of a clinical trial and also meet the definition of basic research. Types of studies that should be submitted under this NOFO include studies that prospectively assign human participants to conditions (i.e., experimentally manipulate independent variables) and that assess biomedical or behavioral outcomes in humans for the purpose of understanding the fundamental aspects of phenomena without specific application towards processes or products in mind. Applicants not planning an independent clinical trial or basic experimental study with humans, or proposing to gain research experience in a clinical trial or basic experimental study with humans led by another investigator, must apply to the 'Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed' companion NOFO.

The proposed project must be related to the programmatic interests of one or more of the participating NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs) based on their scientific missions.

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is designed specifically for applicants proposing to serve as the lead investigator of an independent clinical trial, a clinical trial feasibility study, or a separate ancillary study to an existing trial, as part of their research and career development. Applicants not planning an independent clinical trial or basic experimental study with humans, or proposing to gain research experience in a clinical trial basic experimental study with humans led by another investigator, must apply to the Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed companion NOFO.

The purpose of this NIH HEAL Initiative PainCare Clinician Training Program (PCTP): Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Awards (K08) (Clinical Trials Required) is to support the career development of individuals with clinical doctoral degrees to create a group of new and well-trained, independent investigators. This supervised career development program will provide independent NIH research support during the early-career phase to help recipients  establish independent research programs in areas supported by the NIH HEAL Initiative’s Clinical Research in Pain Management program.

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is designed specifically for applicants proposing to serve as the lead investigator of an independent clinical trial, a clinical trial feasibility study, or a separate ancillary study to an existing trial, as part of their research and career development. Applicants not planning an independent clinical trial, or proposing to gain research experience in a clinical trial led by another investigator, must apply to a companion NOFO.

The intersection of the criminal-legal system and the community-based healthcare system is a critical target for addressing the overdose crisis. Given the recent evolution of both the epidemiology of the overdose crisis and public policies intended to support overdose prevention efforts, new research is needed to take effective interventions to scale in law enforcement, jails, courts, and community corrections. There is also a pressing need to rigorously test new and emerging models for effectively addressing the complex needs of individuals with substance use disorder (SUD) and/or high overdose risk in these settings. Of particular importance is the coordination of services between public health and public safety agencies, to ensure continuity of care for individuals as they transition between these systems.

To support research on effective interventions and implementation strategies for addressing SUD, overdose risk, and common co-occurring conditions in these populations and systems, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) intends to continue the Justice Community Overdose Innovation Network (JCOIN) – Phase II. The purpose of the network is to bring together a national consortium of investigators and practitioner partners to conduct an array of research and capacity building activities to improve the delivery of effective interventions for adults and youth, spanning the key points of the sequential intercept model (i.e., crisis intervention, emergency response, law enforcement diversion/deflection, pre-trial services, courts, jail, prison, re-entry services, probation, parole).

The structure of the network will include multiple research centers, working in collaboration with four complementary resource and support centers. This notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) seeks applications for JCOIN Phase II Clinical Research Hubs.

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) requires a Plan for Enhancing Diverse Perspectives (PEDP).

The intersection of the criminal-legal system and the community-based healthcare system is a critical target for addressing the overdose crisis. Given the recent evolution of both the epidemiology of the overdose crisis and public policies intended to support overdose prevention efforts, new research is needed to take effective interventions to scale in law enforcement, jails, courts, and community corrections. There is also a pressing need to rigorously test new and emerging models for effectively addressing the complex needs of individuals with substance use disorder (SUD) and/or high overdose risk in these settings. Of particular importance is the coordination of services between public health and public safety agencies, to ensure continuity of care for individuals as they transition between these systems.  

To support research on effective interventions and implementation strategies for addressing SUD, overdose risk, and common co-occurring conditions in these populations and systems, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) intends to continue the Justice Community Overdose Innovation Network (JCOIN) – Phase II. The purpose of the network is to bring together a national consortium of investigators and practitioner partners to conduct an array of research and capacity building activities to improve the delivery of effective interventions for adults and youth, spanning the key points of the sequential intercept model (i.e., crisis intervention, emergency response, law enforcement diversion/deflection, pre-trial services, courts, jail, prison, re-entry services, probation, parole).  

The structure of the network will include multiple research centers, working in collaboration with four complementary resource and support centers. This notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) seeks applications for JCOIN Phase II Innovation Hubs.  

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) requires a Plan for Enhancing Diverse Perspectives (PEDP).

This notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) aims to encourage research grant applications for initial translational efforts that will enable a drug discovery program for novel, non-opioid, and non-addictive treatments for pain. The program provides funding to develop and validate assays to support a distinct testing funnel and conduct screening efforts to identify and characterize potential therapeutic agents including small molecules, biologics, and natural products. Preliminary in vivo pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, and efficacy studies may also be supported. The goal of this NOFO is to advance projects to the point where they meet the entry criteria for the Pain Therapeutics Development Program or other later-stage translational programs.

Despite an evidence base of effective programs to prevent the initiation of substance use, misuse and disorder, a substantial research to practice gap exists. The goal of this initiative is to support projects that fill this research to practice gap, improving public health and responding to the opioid crisis by increasing knowledge pertaining to the delivery of prevention services. This notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) solicits applications to address understudied areas of opportunity that, if researched, could create the foundation needed to inform a prevention infrastructure for ongoing delivery and sustainment of interventions to prevent opioid and other substance misuse and use disorders. This NOFO invites projects for which preliminary or feasibility data is not available. This NOFO is a companion to RFA-DA-24-067 which solicits applications for which pilot data is available.

This notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) seeks to support research aimed at holistic understanding of inter-individual or between-person differences in human pain conditions, focusing  on ‘Whole Person Health’ and enhancing pain treatment and management strategies towards personalized pain medicine. The goal of this NOFO is to support studies that focus on the collection of clinical and/or preclinical data to enable evidence-based modeling and understanding of inter-individual differences and/or heterogeneity of pain occurring with use of pain therapy/management, or with conditions such as a second pain condition, a comorbid health condition, a comorbid mental health condition, or conditions of use / misuse of opioids, alcohol or other substances.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hereby notify Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) (PD(s)/PI(s)) whose research is supported by specific types of research grants (activity codes listed above) that funds are available for administrative supplements to enhance the diversity of the research workforce by recruiting, mentoring, and supporting high school, undergraduate and graduate/clinical students, postbaccalaureate and post Masters individuals, postdoctoral researchers (including health professionals), and eligible investigators from diverse backgrounds, including those from groups that have been shown to be underrepresented in health-related research. This supplement opportunity is also available to support PD(s)/PI(s) of research grants who are or become disabled and need additional support to accommodate their disability in order to continue to work on the research project. The activities proposed in the supplement application must fall within the scope of the parent grant, and simultaneously advance the objectives of the parent grant and support the research training and professional development of the supplement candidate.

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is designed specifically for applicants proposing research that does not involve leading an independent clinical trial, a clinical trial feasibility study, or an ancillary clinical trial. Applicants to this NOFO are permitted to propose research experience in a clinical trial led by a mentor or co-mentor.

The purpose of this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is to facilitate the transition of previously funded SBIR and STTR Phase II and Phase IIB projects in pain management to the commercialization stage by providing additional assistance for private partnering activities through the Commercialization Readiness Pilot (CRP) program. Specifically, this NOFO supports the addition of entrepreneurial expertise into small business leadership teams along with supporting partnering activities to aid in commercialization through private third-party funding or partnership with industry.

Clinical trials are not accepted under this NOFO.

The purpose of the NIH HEAL Initiative® Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00) program is to support a cohort of new and well-trained independent investigators conducting Pain and/or SUD research, in order to increase the independent investigator workforce in research areas supported by the NIH HEAL Initiative®. This program is designed to facilitate a timely transition of eligible postdoctoral researchers from their mentored, postdoctoral research positions to independent, tenure-track or equivalent faculty positions. The program will provide independent NIH research support during this transition to help awardees establish independent research programs in areas supported by the NIH HEAL Initiative®.

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is designed specifically for candidates proposing research that does not involve leading an independent clinical trial, a clinical trial feasibility study, an ancillary study to a clinical trial, or an independent Basic Experimental Studies with Humans (BESH). Applicants to this NOFO are permitted to propose research experience in a clinical trial led by a mentor or co-mentor. Those proposing an independent BESH as lead investigator, should apply to the companion NOFO (RFA-NS-22-023).

The purpose of the NIH HEAL Initiative® Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00) program is to support a cohort of new and well-trained independent investigators conducting Pain and/or SUD research, in order to increase the independent investigator workforce in research areas supported by the NIH HEAL Initiative®. This program is designed to facilitate a timely transition of eligible postdoctoral researchers from their mentored, postdoctoral research positions to independent, tenure-track or equivalent faculty positions. The program will provide independent NIH research support during this transition to help awardees establish independent research programs in areas supported by the NIH HEAL Initiative®.

This Notice of Funding Opportunity is for basic science experimental studies involving humans, referred to in NOT-OD-18-212 as “prospective basic science studies involving human participants.” These studies fall within the NIH definition of a clinical trial and also meet the definition of basic research. Types of studies that should be submitted under this NOFO include studies that prospectively assign human participants to conditions (i.e., experimentally manipulate independent variables) and that assess biomedical or behavioral outcomes in humans for the purpose of understanding the fundamental aspects of phenomena without specific application towards processes or products in mind. Applicants not planning an independent clinical trial or basic experimental study with humans, or proposing to gain research experience in a clinical trial or basic experimental study with humans led by another investigator, must apply to the 'Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed' companion NOFO.

The proposed project must be related to the programmatic interests of one or more of the participating NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs) based on their scientific missions.