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NIA’s Role in the NIH HEAL Initiative

Diverse people being active NIA is playing a major role in the NIH’s The Helping to End Addiction Long-termSM Initiative (HEAL), a trans-agency effort focused on improving prevention and treatment strategies for opioid misuse and addiction, and enhancing pain management. Launched in April 2018 with funding from Congress, the NIH HEAL InitiativeSM brings new hope for people, families, and communities affected by the national opioid public health crisis.

NIA-Supported HEAL Initiative Projects

NIA is managing the following HEAL research projects:

Assessing chronic pain using brain entropy mapping

Using large existing data, this project will examine temporal coherence of brain activity in chronic pain and will use it to build a deep learning model to predict chronic pain.

Using Secondary Analyses to Test Novel Pathways Linking Family Stress and Pain Incidence and Persistence Among African Americans

This study will use information from existing projects on aging health to test novel family-stress pathways to pain, and how these are potentiated by multiple types of structural disadvantage. This research is essential to inform the development of culturally-responsive, family-based pain self-management interventions for aging African Americans, and to ultimately ameliorate pain disparities for this minoritized group.

Tailored Non-Pharmacotherapy Services for Chronic Pain: Testing Scalable and Pragmatic Approaches

Through this multicenter comparative effectiveness trial, scientists are examining the effectiveness of a web-based cognitive-behavioral therapy for chronic pain program compared to a live, coach-led, virtual (telephone and/or video conference) program. Both intervention arms will be compared to usual care. The researchers are evaluating differences in participants’ pain severity and quality of life, and other goals include examining the cost and cost-effectiveness of the interventions. Learn more about this research project on the NIH HEAL website.

Subchondral Bone Cavities in Osteoarthritis Pain

This preclinical study is aimed at examining mechanisms of osteoarthritic disease progression in mice and the potential effects of a novel therapeutic that specifically targets a layer of bone in the knee joint.

Non-pharmacological Options in Postoperative Hospital-based and Rehabilitation Pain Management (NOHARM)

Designed to promote uptake of non-drug pain care approaches, this pragmatic clinical trial is focused on assessing the feasibility and effectiveness of an evidence-based, pain management intervention embedded in patients’ electronic health records. The intervention includes conversation guides and clinical decision support tools that consider a patient’s preferences for complementary health treatments for pain prior to their surgery.

Current NIA-Supported HEAL Funding Opportunities

NOFO Number

Title

Release Date

Expiration Date

RFA-NS-24-015

HEAL Initiative Partnerships to Advance INterdisciplinary (PAIN) Training in Clinical Pain Research: The HEAL PAIN Cohort Program (T90/R90 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

5/9/2023

9/27/2023

RFA-NS-21-016

HEAL Initiative: Planning Studies for Initial Analgesic Development Initial Translational Efforts [Small Molecules and Biologics] (R34 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

3/11/2021

10/11/2023

RFA-NS-22-052 HEAL Initiative: Team Research for Initial Translational Efforts in Non-addictive Analgesic Therapeutics Development [Small Molecules and Biologics] (U19 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) 4/22/2022 10/11/2023

RFA-NS-21-015

HEAL Initiative: Team Research for Initial Translational Efforts in Non-addictive Analgesic Therapeutics Development (U19 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

3/11/2021

10/11/2023

RFA-NS-21-029 HEAL Initiative: Planning Studies for Initial Analgesic Development [Small Molecules and Biologics] (R61 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) 6/8/2021 10/11/2023
RFA-AT-24-003 HEAL Initiative: Toward Developing Quantitative Imaging and Other Relevant Biomarkers of Myofascial Tissues for Clinical Pain Management (R61/R33, Clinical Trial Required) 6/9/2023 10/19/2023
RFA-NS-24-018 HEAL Initiative: Discovery of Biomarkers and Biomarker Signatures to Facilitate Clinical Trials for Pain Therapeutics (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Optional) 2/16/2023 10/24/2023
RFA-HD-24-011 HEAL Initiative: HEAL KIDS (Knowledge, Innovation and Discovery Studies) Pain: Acute Pain Clinical Trials Program (U01 Clinical Trial Required) 8/18/2023 11/21/2023
RFA-HD-24-012 HEAL Initiative: HEAL KIDS (Knowledge, Innovation and Discovery Studies) Pain Program Resource and Data Center (U24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) 8/18/2023 11/21/2023
RFA-AA-23-005 HEAL Initiative: Developing an Evidence Base for Co-Occurring OUD-AUD Interventions (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) 9/11/2023 12/15/2023
RFA-AA-23-006 HEAL Initiative: Developing an Evidence Base for Co-Occurring OUD-AUD Interventions (R34 Clinical Trial Optional) 9/11/2023 12/15/2023

RFA-NS-21-010
HEAL Initiative: Non-addictive Analgesic Therapeutics Development [Small Molecules and Biologics] to Treat Pain (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Optional) 9/16/2020 1/8/2024
NOT-NS-22-087 Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Encourage Eligible NIH HEAL Initiative Awardees to Apply for Administrative Supplements to Support Career Enhancement Related to Clinical Research on Pain 6/1/2022 2/16/2024
RFA-NS-22-070 HEAL Initiative: Development and Validation of Non-Rodent Mammalian Models of Pain (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) 9/9/2022 3/7/2024
RFA-NS-22-069 HEAL Initiative Integrated Basic and Clinical Team-based Research in Pain (RM1 Clinical Trial Optional) 11/4/2022 3/12/2024
RFA-DA-23-054 HEAL Initiative: Translating Research to Practice to End the Overdose Crisis (R33 Clinical Trial Optional) 8/3/2022 3/21/2024

NOT-NS-20-107

HEAL Research Supplements to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research

10/19/2020

5/16/2024

RFA-NS-22-034 HEAL Initiative: Discovery and Validation of Novel Targets for Safe and Effective Pain Treatment (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) 1/7/2022 12/7/2024
RFA-NS-24-021 HEAL Initiative: Understanding Individual Differences in Human Pain Conditions (R01 - Clinical Trial Optional) 8/11/2023 2/7/2025
RFA-NS-22-022 HEAL Initiative Advanced Postdoctoral-to-Independent Career Transition Award in PAIN and SUD Research (K99/R00 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed) 12/15/2022 3/12/2025
RFA-NS-22-023 HEAL Initiative Advanced Postdoctoral-to-Independent Career Transition Award in PAIN and SUD Research (Independent Basic Experimental Studies with Humans Required) 12/15/2022 3/12/2025
RFA-NS-22-024 HEAL Initiative Advanced Postdoctoral-to-Independent Career Transition Award in PAIN and SUD Research to Promote Diversity (K99/R00 Independent Basic Experimental Studies with Humans Required) 12/15/2022 3/12/2025
RFA-NS-23-007 HEAL Initiative: Development of Therapies and Technologies Directed at Enhanced Pain Management (R41/R42 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) 9/15/2022 4/5/2025
RFA-NS-23-003 HEAL Initiative: Interdisciplinary Team Science to Uncover the Mechanisms of Pain Relief by Medical Devices (RM1 Clinical Trial Optional) 8/1/2022 6/10/2025
RFA-NS-23-028

HEAL Initiative: Interdisciplinary Team Science to Uncover the Mechanisms of Pain Relief by Medical Devices (RM1 Clinical Trial Optional)

4/27/2023 6/10/2025
RFA-EB-22-002 HEAL Initiative: Translational Development of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Devices (R18 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) 8/23/2022 6/18/2025
NOT-NS-22-095

HEAL Initiative Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Development and Validation of Pain-Related Models and Endpoints to Facilitate Non-Addictive Analgesic Discovery

7/14/2022 6/25/2025

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