health · HHS-NIH11

HEAL Initiative: Whole Joint Health Program (R61/R33 Clinical Trial Required)

National Institutes of Health · PAR-27-045

23 days left

Deadline

October 30, 2026

GRANTQUICK SUMMARYPlain-English Overview

HEAL Initiative Whole Joint Health Program. National Institutes of Health. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) plans to publish a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) that will support a phased mechanistic clinical research program focusing on understudied biological mechanisms that drive joint pain. The initiative responds to... Funding amounts not specified.

Who Should Apply

Independent school districts, Public universities/colleges, Other Native American Tribal Organizations, Other eligible entities, State governments (+10 more)

Who Should NOT Apply

Organizations not matching the eligible applicant types listed above

Key Requirements (Plain English)

•Other Eligible ApplicantsIndian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized);Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government;U

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Focus your proposal on clear outcomes, alignment with agency priorities, and demonstrate organizational capacity.

Competitiveness: Moderate to high — federal grants are always competitive

What This Grant Funds

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.

Attachments

PDF

PAR-27-045-Full-Announcement.html

Who Can Apply

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.

Eligible Applicant Types

Federally Recognized Tribal GovernmentsOther (see NOFO for details)City/Township GovernmentsSmall BusinessesCounty GovernmentsSpecial District GovernmentsPublic Colleges & UniversitiesFor-Profit OrganizationsOther Tribal OrganizationsPublic And Indian Housing Authorities501(c)(3) NonprofitsState GovernmentsPrivate Colleges & UniversitiesIndependent School DistrictsNonprofits without 501(c)(3)

Funding Details

Cost Sharing Required?: No
Funding Instrument: grant

Key Dates

Posted: September 28, 2026

Application Deadline: October 30, 2026 (23 days remaining)

Agency Contact

NCCIH Program Officer NCCIHDERFunding@nih.gov

NCCIHDERFunding@nih.gov

Ready to apply?

View the full NOFO and submit your application on Grants.gov

View on Grants.gov