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Federal Forecasted GRANTS-GOV-361304

HEAL Initiative Whole Joint Health Program

National Institutes of Health (NIH) · Competitive grant · Science & Technology

At a glance

HEAL Initiative Whole Joint Health Program is a federal competitive grant from National Institutes of Health for the science & technology sector. Funding is up to $2K. Eligible applicants: Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized); Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments); Independent school districts; Public and State controlled institutions. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Apply via the official listing at www.grants.gov.

Amount
Up to $2K
Deadline
Rolling
Type
Competitive
Status
Forecasted

About this program

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 priorities identified in the 2023 HEAL Whole Joint Pain Workshop and supports the broader goals of the NIH Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) Initiative and the Make America Healthy Again vision by advancing safe, non-addictive, and prevention-oriented approaches to chronic pain.Joint pain affects nearly half of adults in the United States. Many current treatments provide incomplete or temporary relief, informed by clinical trials that focus on joint structures such as bone or cartilage in isolation, without addressing contributions from additional tissues comprising the “whole joint”. New advances in imaging, biomechanics, tissue-specific omics, electrophysiology, and digital health tools now allow for a more complete evaluation of the whole joint, including periarticular tissues such as muscle, adipose, ligaments, tendons, and fascia.The phased projects supported by this program will first identify and validate multi-tissue mechanisms underlying joint pain, then test non-pharmacological or multimodal interventions that directly target these mechanisms. Please note that while applications can specify the length of time for each of the following study phases, the total project length cannot exceed 5 years:Phase 1 (2 to 3 years): Projects will identify multisystem mechanisms that include signals from periarticular tissues (e.g., muscles, adipose, and connective tissues including ligaments, tendons, or fascia) and their potential interactions with articular tissues (e.g., bone, synovium, cartilage) or the peripheral nervous system that contribute to joint pain and pathophysiology. Studies may incorporate imaging, biomarker profiling, neuromuscular assessment, behavioral or environmental factors, and other multimodal approaches that meet or exceed NIH standards for rigor and reproducibility.Phase 2 (2 to 3 years): Successful phase 1 projects will receive additional funding to test the impact that non-pharmacological and/or multimodal interventions have on the identified multi-tissue mechanisms, to define how these interventions work to correct pathophysiology, aid healing, and resolve pain in the joint. Proposed interventions may include physical therapy, mind-body approaches, biomechanical strategies, or integrated multimodal treatments.This phased approach is intended to accelerate the development of safe, accessible, non-addictive strategies that improve function, mobility, and quality of life for people with chronic joint pain. It will generate high-quality mechanistic evidence that supports whole joint and whole person models of care and contributes to nationwide efforts to reduce chronic pain and opioid dependence using non-pharmacological interventions and multimodal therapies.

Who can apply

Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized); Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments); Independent school districts; Public and State controlled institutions of higher education; Small businesses; Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education; County governments; Special district governments; State governments; Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education; Private institutions of higher education; Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification); City or township governments; For profit organizations other than small businesses. Other Eligible ApplicantsIndian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized);Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government;U.S. Territory or Possession;Faith-based or Community-based Organizations;Regional Organizations;Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement and NOT-OD-25-155, are allowed.

How to apply

Apply through Grants.gov using funding opportunity number PAR-26-124. Register your organization (SAM.gov + Grants.gov) before the deadline, then submit the application package listed in the official notice.

Apply at official source