NIA’s Role in the NIH HEAL Initiative
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 |
---|---|---|---|
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 |
|
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 |
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 |
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 |
Find All NIH HEAL Initiative Funding Opportunities.
Related Resources
- NIH Pain Consortium
- NIH Centers of Excellence in Pain Education
- NIH Pain Research Center
- NIH Acute to Chronic Pain Signatures program (A2CPS)
- Interagency Pain Research Coordinating Committee
- Federal Pain Research Strategy
- National Pain Strategy
- Interagency Pain Research Portfolio
- NIH-DOD-VA Pain Management Collaboratory
Contact US
To learn more about NIA’s participation in the HEAL Initiative, email Devon Oskvig, Ph.D. or email Basil Eldadah, M.D..