The Helping to End Addiction Long-term^SM Initiative, or NIH HEAL Initiative^SM recently announced a funding opportunity for new studies that aim to develop, test, and implement interventions that mitigate bias, discrimination, socioeconomic, or environmental barriers to quality pain assessment, treatment, and management for populations that experience health disparities (HDPs) in the United States.

For the purposes of this funding opportunity, the NIH-designated U.S. health disparity populations definition includes: Blacks/African Americans, Hispanics/ Latinos, American Indians/Alaska Natives, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders, socioeconomically disadvantaged populations, underserved rural populations, and sexual and gender minorities.

The NIH HEAL Initiative supports research to improve treatment for opioid misuse and addiction and enhance pain management. This RFA calls for applications that “demonstrate an existing health disparity or health disparities in acute and/or chronic pain in the population of interest and outline a detailed plan for an evidence-based intervention to mitigate or eliminate the disparity(disparities) to improve pain and pain-related outcomes.”

Applications are due by 5pm on December 9, 2021.  Letters of intent are due 30 days prior (November 9, 2021).

This award will support a 1 to 2-year, milestone-driven planning phase (R61) with the possibility of an additional 4-year implementation phase (R33).

Read the full request for applications.

The Helping to End Addiction Long-term^SM Initiative, or NIH HEAL Initiative^SM, is an aggressive, trans-NIH effort to speed scientific solutions to stem the national opioid public health crisis. Launched in April 2018, the initiative is focused on improving prevention and treatment strategies for opioid misuse and addiction, and enhancing pain management. For more information, visit: https://heal.nih.gov.