HEAL is issuing this FOA in response to the declared public health emergency issued by the Secretary, HHS. Please see Determination that a Public Health Emergency Exists Nationwide as the Result of the Opioid Crisis as renewed in Renewal of the Determination that a Public Health Emergency Exists Nationwide as the Result of the Continued Consequences of the Opioid Crisis.

There is an urgent need for more research to establish best practices in the pain management field, however, there is a limited workforce pipeline of pain researchers to meet NIH’s long-term goals of providing effective non-opioid options for the treatment of pain conditions and better pain management overall. The Interagency Pain Research Coordinating Committee (IPRCC) has identified the workforce problem as a barrier for new pain research, and has identified factors that contributed to it, including challenging environments for clinicians to practice research and a high departure rate among senior investigators and mentors. The IPRCC also identified a need for more structured opportunities for early-stage investigators to learn from experienced investigators. The pain management field has further recognized that basic, translational, and clinical researchers do not regularly collaborate when developing grant applications. If pain management researchers across all disciplines were to work together, it would enhance the innovation, relevance, and practical application of pain management research.

To support the NIH HEAL Initiative’s response supporting new investigators, promoting multidisciplinary collaborations among pain researchers, and identifying innovative treatments to manage pain, this FOA invites applications for the Coordinating Center for National Pain Scientists (CCNPS). The CCNPS will be a central facilitator for integrating training and mentoring across a network of mentors and early-stage investigators funded by NIH (e.g., NIH trainees, NIH fellows, and Career Development Awardees). The main purpose of the CCNPS is to enhance the training experience of new pain researchers across the continuum of basic, translational, and clinical research and create a vast network of NIH-funded pain researchers to promote multidisciplinary collaborations in pain research. The CCNPS will create and run a coordination center to connect NIH-funded pain researchers with each other with the goal of enhancing the innovation, relevance, and practical application of pain management research, as well as increase communication among pain management researchers across all disciplines.

Deadlines:

• Letter of Intent Due Date(s): 30 days before application due date

• Application Due Date: July 15, 2022

RFA-NS-22-060 Expiration Date July 16, 2022