Funder: National Institutes of Health
Due Dates: June 12, 2025 (New) | July 12, 2025 (Renewal/Resubmission/Revision) | October 12, 2025 (New) | November 12, 2025 (Renewal/Resubmission/Revision) | February 12, 2026 (New) | March 12, 2026 (Renewal/Resubmission/Revision) | June 12, 2026 (New) | July 12, 2026 (Renewal/Resubmission/Revision) | October 12, 2026 (New) | November 12, 2026 (Renewal/Resubmission/Revision) | February 12, 2027 (New) | March 12, 2027 (Renewal/Resubmission/Revision) | June 12, 2027 (New) | July 12, 2027 (Renewal/Resubmission/Revision)
Funding Amounts: Up to $125,000/year salary plus $50,000/year research development costs; project period up to 5 years; indirect costs at 8% MTDC.
Summary: Supports early-career clinician-scientists in establishing independent research programs in pain management under the NIH HEAL Initiative; clinical trials not allowed.
Key Information: Requires 75% effort; applicants must have a clinical doctoral degree; attendance at annual HEAL PURPOSE meeting is required.
Description
This opportunity supports the career development of early-career clinician-scientists aiming to become independent investigators in pain management research, as part of the NIH Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) Initiative. The program provides mentored research and salary support to facilitate the transition to research independence in areas relevant to clinical pain management. Clinical trials led by the applicant are not allowed under this mechanism, but research experience within a mentor-led clinical trial is permitted.
The program is designed to address the critical need for a robust clinical pain research workforce and to advance innovative, evidence-based approaches to pain management. Awardees are expected to participate in the annual HEAL PURPOSE Meeting for Pain Research and are encouraged to engage with the broader HEAL research community.
Due Dates
- New Applications: June 12, 2025 | October 12, 2025 | February 12, 2026 | June 12, 2026 | October 12, 2026 | February 12, 2027 | June 12, 2027
- Renewal/Resubmission/Revision: July 12, 2025 | November 12, 2025 | March 12, 2026 | July 12, 2026 | November 12, 2026 | March 12, 2027 | July 12, 2027
All applications are due by 5:00 PM local time of the applicant organization.
Funding Amount
- Salary: Up to $125,000 per year for the awardee.
- Research Development Costs: Up to $50,000 per year for research-related expenses (e.g., supplies, tuition, travel, technical personnel).
- Travel: Up to $2,000 per year for attendance at the annual PURPOSE Meeting.
- Indirect Costs: 8% of modified total direct costs.
- Project Period: Up to 5 years.
The number of awards is contingent on NIH appropriations and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications.
Eligibility
Eligible Organizations
- Public and private institutions of higher education
- Nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status)
- For-profit organizations (including small businesses)
- State, county, city, township, and special district governments
- Native American tribal governments and organizations
- Independent school districts
- Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
- Faith-based and community-based organizations
- Regional organizations
- U.S. territories and possessions
- Eligible agencies of the federal government
Note: Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply. Foreign components, as defined by NIH policy, are allowed.
Eligible Individuals
- Must have a clinical doctoral degree (e.g., MD, DO, DDS, DMD, OD, DC, PharmD, ND, DVM, or PhD in a clinical discipline such as clinical psychology, nursing, clinical genetics, speech-language pathology, audiology, or rehabilitation).
- Must be a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national, or permanent resident by the time of award.
- Must not have served as PD/PI on major NIH research or career development awards (e.g., R01, P01, P50, K08, K23, K99/R00, etc.).
- Must have a full-time appointment and commit a minimum of 75% full-time professional effort to the award.
- Must identify a qualified mentor (or mentoring team) with expertise in clinical pain management research.
Application Process
- Submission: Applications must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov, NIH ASSIST, or institutional system-to-system solutions.
- Instructions: Follow the NIH Career Development (K) Application Guide and the specific instructions in the funding announcement.
- Reference Letters: Required and must be submitted directly through eRA Commons.
- Pre-Submission Consultation: Strongly encouraged to contact NIH program staff to discuss eligibility and fit.
- Required Registrations: Applicant organizations must be registered in SAM, Grants.gov, and eRA Commons; PD/PI must have an eRA Commons account and ORCID iD.
Additional Information
- Clinical Trials: Applications proposing independent clinical trials are not allowed. Applicants may propose research experience in a mentor-led clinical trial.
- Effort Requirement: Minimum 75% full-time professional effort (9 person-months) must be devoted to the award.
- Annual Meeting: Attendance at the HEAL PURPOSE Annual Meeting is required; budget for travel accordingly.
- Data Sharing: All HEAL-funded projects must comply with HEAL Public Access and Data Sharing Policy, including registration and data submission to HEAL-compliant repositories.
- Mentorship: A strong, well-documented mentorship plan is required, with mentors demonstrating relevant expertise and a track record in clinical pain research.
- Institutional Commitment: The institution must provide evidence of commitment to the candidate’s career development and research independence.
External Links
Contact Information
For specific scientific or grants management questions, refer to the detailed contact list in the funding announcement.