Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA NS 23 007
The HEAL Initiative: Development of Therapies and Technologies Directed at Enhanced Pain Management (R41/R42 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) funding opportunity (RFA-NS-23-007) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant solicitation designed to accelerate practical, science-driven solutions that can reduce reliance on opioids and help address the broader opioid public health crisis. The central aim is to push forward new and improved approaches to pain management by supporting small businesses that are working in partnership with a research institution, with an emphasis on turning promising discoveries into tangible therapies, tools, and technologies that can improve how pain is treated and assessed.
This FOA is specifically oriented toward enhanced pain management innovations. That includes development of non-addictive pain medications, novel devices or device-based interventions intended to treat pain, and technologies that enable more objective measurement of pain. The emphasis on objective pain measurement reflects a major gap in the field: pain is often assessed using subjective self-report scales, which can be limited in certain populations and can complicate treatment decisions and evaluation of new interventions. By encouraging objective measurement approaches, NIH is signaling interest in tools that could improve diagnosis, monitoring, treatment selection, and outcome measurement across clinical and research settings, even though this particular FOA does not allow clinical trials.
In addition to therapies and measurement technologies, NIH highlights interest in new screening tools and models that are tailored specifically to pain and to the development pipeline for pain therapeutics. In practice, this can encompass improved assays, platforms, preclinical models, translational models, or other enabling technologies that make it easier to identify, validate, or optimize potential pain treatments. The intent is to strengthen the end-to-end pipeline for pain innovation, from early discovery and validation through the kinds of development work that position a product for later-stage testing and eventual commercialization.
The funding mechanism is the STTR program using the R41/R42 activity codes, which generally correspond to a phased approach to research and development. Phase I (R41) is typically aimed at feasibility and proof-of-concept work, while Phase II (R42) supports further development and refinement toward a commercially viable product. As an STTR program, it is designed for eligible U.S. small businesses collaborating with a nonprofit research institution (for example, a university or research hospital). The eligible applicant type listed is small businesses, reinforcing that this opportunity is meant to help small companies translate research into usable products and technologies rather than support purely academic research projects.
A key boundary condition is that clinical trials are not allowed under this FOA, as stated directly in the title. That means applicants should propose development activities that remain preclinical or otherwise fall short of NIH's definition of a clinical trial. Projects can still be highly translational and product-oriented, but they must be structured so that human-subject interventional studies that meet the NIH clinical trial definition are not part of the proposed work under this announcement. Applicants typically need to plan development milestones accordingly, focusing on lab validation, prototyping, optimization, performance testing, verification, and other readiness activities that build a strong foundation for subsequent clinical evaluation through a different mechanism or later funding pathway.
Eligibility and foreign involvement rules are also clearly defined. Non-U.S. entities (foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply. However, foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, may be allowed in some cases, meaning a U.S.-based applicant might be able to include limited foreign participation if it meets NIH policy requirements and is justified scientifically. In practical terms, the main applicant and core project leadership are expected to be U.S.-based and aligned with STTR eligibility requirements.
Administrative details from the source information include the sponsoring agency (NIH), the funding instrument type (grant), and the opportunity category (discretionary). The original closing date is listed as 2025-04-04. The opportunity is associated with multiple CFDA numbers (now commonly referred to through broader assistance listing structures), reflecting that multiple NIH Institutes or Centers may participate or that the scope aligns with several NIH program areas relevant to pain, neuroscience, substance use, and related health domains. The posting/creation date in the source data is 2022-09-15. The award ceiling and expected number of awards are not provided in the excerpt, which usually means applicants should consult the full FOA text for budget caps, project period limits, and any institute-specific guidance.
Overall, this FOA is best understood as a commercialization-oriented NIH HEAL Initiative solicitation for U.S. small businesses that can bring forward non-addictive pain treatment options, pain-related devices, objective pain assessment technologies, and enabling screening/modeling platforms that improve the development of pain therapies. It is explicitly structured for STTR-phase product development work that advances readiness without running a clinical trial under this announcement.Apply for RFA NS 23 007
- The National Institutes of Health in the education, health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "HEAL Initiative: Development of Therapies and Technologies Directed at Enhanced Pain Management (R41/R42 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.213, 93.233, 93.242, 93.273, 93.350, 93.351, 93.393, 93.395, 93.396, 93.837, 93.838, 93.839, 93.840, 93.846, 93.853, 93.859, 93.865, 93.866.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2022-09-15.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-04-04. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Eligible applicants include: Small businesses.
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| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| HEAL Initiative: Prevention and Management of Chronic Pain in Rural Populations (UG3/UH3, Clinical Trials Required) Apply for RFA NR 23 001 Funding Number: RFA NR 23 001 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| BRAIN Initiative: Theories, Models and Methods for Analysis of Complex Data from the Brain (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA DA 23 039 Funding Number: RFA DA 23 039 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $250,000 |
| INvestigation of Co-occurring conditions across the Lifespan to Understand Down syndromE (INCLUDE) Clinical Research Short Course (R25 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for PAR 22 195 Funding Number: PAR 22 195 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| BRAIN Initiative Cell Atlas Network (BICAN): Coordinating Unit for Biostatistics, Informatics, and Engagement (CUBIE) (U24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA MH 22 291 Funding Number: RFA MH 22 291 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| BRAIN Initiative Cell Atlas Network (BICAN): Comprehensive Center on Human and Non-human Primate Brain Cell Atlases (UM1 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA MH 22 290 Funding Number: RFA MH 22 290 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| BRAIN Initiative Cell Atlas Network (BICAN): Specialized Collaboratory on Human, Non-human Primate, and Mouse Brain Cell Atlases (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA MH 22 292 Funding Number: RFA MH 22 292 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| BRAIN Initiative: Brain-Behavior Quantification and Synchronization Transformative and Integrative Models of Behavior at the Organismal Level (R34 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA DA 23 030 Funding Number: RFA DA 23 030 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $450,000 |
| Development of Animal Models and Related Biological Materials for Down Syndrome Research (R24 Clinical Trials Not-Allowed) Apply for PAR 22 247 Funding Number: PAR 22 247 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| HEAL Initiative Integrated Basic and Clinical Team-based Research in Pain(RM1 Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for RFA NS 22 069 Funding Number: RFA NS 22 069 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Research on Community Level Interventions for Firearm and Related Violence, Injury and Mortality Prevention (CLIF-VP) (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Required) Apply for PAR 23 066 Funding Number: PAR 23 066 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| HEAL Initiative Advanced Postdoctoral-to-Independent Career Transition Award in PAIN and SUD Research (Independent Basic Experimental Studies with Humans Required) Apply for RFA NS 22 023 Funding Number: RFA NS 22 023 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| HEAL Initiative Advanced Postdoctoral-to-Independent Career Transition Award in PAIN and SUD Research (K99/R00 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA NS 22 022 Funding Number: RFA NS 22 022 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| HEAL Initiative Advanced Postdoctoral-to-Independent Career Transition Award in PAIN and SUD Research to Promote Diversity (K99/R00 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA NS 22 025 Funding Number: RFA NS 22 025 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| HEAL Initiative Advanced Postdoctoral-to-Independent Career Transition Award in PAIN and SUD Research to Promote Diversity (K99/R00 Independent Basic Experimental Studies with Humans Required) Apply for RFA NS 22 024 Funding Number: RFA NS 22 024 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| BRAIN Initiative: Brain Behavior Quantification and Synchronization (R61/R33 Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for RFA MH 23 335 Funding Number: RFA MH 23 335 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Small Research Grants for Analyses of Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research Data (R03 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for PAR 23 075 Funding Number: PAR 23 075 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| BRAIN Initiative: Transformative Brain Non-invasive Imaging Technology Development (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA EB 22 003 Funding Number: RFA EB 22 003 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $300,000 |
| HEAL Initiative: Discovery of Biomarkers and Biomarker Signatures to Facilitate Clinical Trials for Pain Therapeutics (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for RFA NS 24 018 Funding Number: RFA NS 24 018 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Translational Research in Maternal and Pediatric Pharmacology and Therapeutics (R21 Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for PAR 23 131 Funding Number: PAR 23 131 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $225,000 |
| Understanding Chronic Conditions Understudied Among Women (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for RFA OD 23 014 Funding Number: RFA OD 23 014 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $350,000 |
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