NIH HEAL Initiative PainCare Clinician Training Program (PCTP): Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Awards (K08 - Basic Experimental Studies with Humans (BESH) Required)

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Description

This opportunity, part of the NIH Helping End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) Initiative, provides mentored career development awards (K08) to clinician-scientists aiming to become independent investigators in pain management research. The program specifically supports basic experimental studies with humans (BESH) that meet the NIH definition of a clinical trial and basic research. The goal is to expand the workforce of well-trained, independent clinical pain researchers to advance the NIH HEAL Initiative’s mission.

Research areas may include, but are not limited to:

• Chronic, acute, or recurrent pain and the transition from acute to chronic pain
• Access to quality pain management (including social determinants of health)
• Biomarkers and chronic overlapping pain conditions
• Implementation science and non-opioid pain treatments
• Pain across the lifespan, pain education, prevention, and placebo analgesia

Applicants must propose to serve as the lead investigator of an independent BESH clinical trial, feasibility study, or ancillary study. Attendance at the annual PURPOSE Meeting for Pain Research is required.

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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.

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Funding Amount

• Salary: Up to $125,000 per year for the awardee (subject to NIH salary cap and effort requirements)
• 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 PURPOSE Annual Meeting (required)
• Indirect Costs: 8% of modified total direct costs
• Project Duration: Up to 5 years

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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
• Federal agencies

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, are allowed.

Eligible Individuals (PD/PI)

• Must have a clinical doctoral degree (e.g., MD, DO, DDS, DMD, OD, DC, PharmD, ND, DVM, or PhD in a clinical discipline)
• Must be a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national, or permanent resident by the time of award
• Must not have held or currently hold major NIH independent research awards (e.g., R01, P01, P50, or equivalent)
• Must 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 research

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Application Process

• Pre-Submission Consultation: Strongly encouraged to contact NIH scientific/research staff early to discuss program scope and appropriateness.
• Submission: Applications must be submitted electronically via NIH ASSIST, institutional system-to-system solutions, or Grants.gov Workspace.
• Required Registrations: SAM, eRA Commons, Grants.gov, and ORCID for PD/PI.
• Application Guide: Follow the NIH Career Development (K) Application Guide and all program-specific instructions in the NOFO.
• Reference Letters: Must be submitted directly through eRA Commons.
• Data Sharing: All HEAL-funded projects must comply with HEAL Public Access and Data Sharing Policy, including registration with the HEAL platform and use of HEAL-compliant data repositories.
• Review: Applications are peer-reviewed for scientific and technical merit, with additional review by NIH Advisory Councils.

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Additional Information

• BESH Requirement: Only applications proposing basic experimental studies with humans (BESH) that meet both the NIH clinical trial and basic research definitions are eligible.
• Annual PURPOSE Meeting: Attendance is required; budget for travel accordingly.
• Mentoring: Applicants must have a primary mentor (or team) with a strong record in clinical pain research and mentoring.
• Effort: Minimum 75% full-time professional effort required.
• Data Management: HEAL-specific data sharing and management requirements apply.
• Companion Opportunities: If not proposing an independent clinical trial/BESH, see companion NOFOs (e.g., PAR-24-217).

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External Links

• NIH HEAL PainCare K08-BESH Full Announcement
• NIH HEAL Initiative
• NIH Research Training and Career Development
• NIH BESH Policy
• NIH Application Guide (K Awards)
• PURPOSE Annual Meeting for Pain Research
• HEAL Data Sharing Policy
• Apply via Grants.gov

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Contact Information

For technical assistance with electronic submission, contact the eRA Service Desk or Grants.gov Support / 800-518-4726.

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