HEAL Initiative: Whole Joint Health Program (R61/R33 Clinical Trial Required)
National Institutes of Health · Oral Diseases and Disorders Research (93.121)
Posted 28 Sept 2026 · 30 days left
In plain terms
The NIH HEAL Initiative funds five-year clinical research programmes led by US organisations to identify and test non-pharmacologic treatments for joint pain. Applicants must be based in the United States and include nonprofits, universities, government bodies, and small businesses, with applications due by 30 October 2026.
A generated summary of the donor's text; the original wording is below.
Summary
The NIH Helping to End Addiction Long-term® (HEAL) Initiative is releasing this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to support a phased mechanistic clinical research program focusing on understudied biological mechanisms that drive joint pain. The phased projects supported by this program (of up to five years total in duration) will first identify and validate multi-tissue mechanisms underlying joint pain, then test non-pharmacologic or multimodal interventions that directly target these mechanisms. The initiative responds to priorities identified in the 2023 HEAL Whole Joint Pain Workshop and supports the broader goals of the NIH HEAL Initiative and the Make America Healthy Again vision by advancing safe, non-addictive, and prevention-oriented approaches to chronic pain.
Excerpt from the donor's page. The full text, annexes and forms are on the original call.
Who can apply
- ngo_cso
- academia_research
- private_company
- government
- community_based_org
Eligibility and conditions
Show the eligibility text from the source
Applicant types: Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized); Independent school districts; For profit organizations other than small businesses; Private institutions of higher education; Public and State controlled institutions of higher education; Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments); Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education; Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education; Special district governments; Small businesses; Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification); State governments; County governments; City or township governments
Refer to Section III. Eligibility Information in the NOFO for additional information on eligibility.Foreign Organizations/International CollaborationsNon-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) are not eligible to apply.Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply.Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are not allowed.