Training the Next Generation of Researchers in HEAL
Overview
The Research Need
There is an urgent need for more research to establish best practices in pain and addiction research. However, there is a limited research workforce pipeline to meet NIH’s long-term goals for providing effective pain and addiction treatment. Several challenges make it hard for researchers to begin working in these fields. Strengthening system capacity by investing in training the next generation of researchers to do this work is essential to ensuring that Americans have access to safe and effective evidence-based treatments for pain and addiction.
About the Program
This program funds workforce and training grants to build capacity for conducting the wide range of projects within the NIH HEAL Initiative’s portfolio. These grants aim to increase the pain and addiction research workforce by supporting:
- Post-doctoral fellows
- Early career researchers who have trained within their respective fields or are transitioning into the pain and/or addiction fields
- Mid-career mentoring and/or research awards
- Researchers from diverse backgrounds
- Early and mid-career scientists receiving training in therapeutic development
HEAL has also established a network to connect all NIH-funded pain researchers (the Positively Uniting Researchers of Pain to Opine, Synthesize, & Engage, or PURPOSE network). HEAL is committed to helping train the next generation of pain and addiction researchers, not only to support research, but also to help improve the clinical care for people with lived experience with pain and addiction.
Program Details
To date, through the NIH HEAL Initiative, NIH has contributed $18.1 million for this program through 43 awards.
HEAL National K12 Clinical Pain Career Development Award (HEAL K12)
The HEAL K12 is requesting applications for a mentored career development program to focus on training and conducting clinical pain research. Learn more.