A Holistic Approach to Study Non-Addictive Natural Products for Pain Management
This grant supports interdisciplinary research to understand how non-addictive natural products manage chronic pain through holistic, multisystem approaches, aiming to develop safe, evidence-based pain relief strategies.
Funder: National Institutes of Health
Due Dates (Anticipated): May 2027 (Full application deadline, projected)
Funding Amounts: Not yet announced; award ceiling and floor to be determined in the official NOFO.
Summary: Supports interdisciplinary research on non-addictive natural products for chronic pain management using a holistic, system-oriented approach.
Key Information: This is a forecasted opportunity; details may change when the official NOFO is published.
Description
This forecasted funding opportunity from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), led by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), will support collaborative, interdisciplinary research to advance foundational understanding of non-addictive natural products for chronic pain management. The initiative is part of the NIH Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) Initiative, aiming to promote safe, non-addictive, and prevention-oriented pain relief strategies.
Research is expected to address the multisystem actions of natural products—including botanicals, dietary supplements, and other naturally derived compounds—by employing holistic, system-level approaches. Projects should examine how these products influence pain through coordinated biological pathways across multiple organ systems (e.g., digestive, immune, vascular, musculoskeletal, lymphatic, metabolic/adipose, and nervous systems). Emphasis is placed on dose optimization (e.g., hormesis principles) and identifying optimal intervention timing relative to pain and inflammation phases. Rigorous mechanistic studies are encouraged to inform future translational research and guide the development of safe, evidence-based, non-addictive pain management strategies.
