Current Limited Submissions

Slots: 1

Deadlines

Internal Deadline: Friday, June 9, 2023, 5pm PT

LOI: July 9, 2023

External Deadline: August 9, 2023

Award Information

Award Type: Grant

Estimated Number of Awards: 1

Anticipated Award Amount: $2,300,000

Who May Serve as PI: 

The PD/PI(s) of the EMRCDP-NS should possess the scientific expertise, demonstrated leadership capabilities, stature and administrative capabilities required to implement, coordinate and supervise a national, multidisciplinary research career development program for EM clinicians. The PD/PI(s), together with the NAC and, if applicable, co-directors, will be responsible for the selection and appointment of scholars to the EMRCDP-NS, and for the overall direction, management, administration, and evaluation of the program. The PD/PI(s) will be expected to monitor and assess the program and submit all documents and reports as required. The PD/PI(s) have responsibility for the day-to-day administration of the program and is responsible for appointing members of the NAC and using their recommendations to determine the appropriate allocation of funds. The PD/PI(s) are also responsible for informing all scholars, mentors and chairs of the goals of the program, and ensuring that policies designed to achieve these goals are followed. Any co-PD/PIs and co-directors should also have the qualifications necessary to guide an institutional training program for emergency medicine. It is highly recommended, although not required, that the program be led by a multi-PD/PI leadership arrangement, with individual PD/PIs responsible for critical roles required to achieve the comprehensive goals of the program. If the program does employ multiple PIs, applicants are strongly encouraged to recruit leadership team members from a variety of backgrounds,  who represent a wide range of perspectives, and who, as a group, must have expertise that reflects the range of interests of the discipline as a whole. In addition, if a multi-PI leadership team is used, it is recommended that at least one member of this team have expertise with the pediatric EM patient population.

Any PD/PI who has overseen an NIH institutional training program in the past (e.g., T32, K12, etc.) should have a strong outcome record from that program, which would include trainees and scholars achieving individual NIH funding, subsequent placement into positions that provide strong research support and the launching of a research program that includes rigorous experimental approaches to address a significant scientific question.

Link to Award: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-23-151.html

Process for Limited Submissions

PIs must submit their application as a Limited Submission through the Research Initiatives and Infrastructure (RII) Application Portal: https://rii.usc.edu/oor-portal/. Use the template provided here: RII Limited Submission Applicant Template

Materials to submit include:

• (1) Two-Page Proposal Summary (1” margins; single-spaced; standard font type, e.g. Arial, Helvetica, Times New Roman, or Georgia typeface; font size: 11 pt). Page limit includes references and illustrations. Pages that exceed the 2-page limit will be excluded from review. You must use the template linked above.
• (2) CV – (5 pages maximum)

Note: The portal requires information about the PIs in addition to department and contact information, including the 10-digit USC ID#, Gender, and Ethnicity. Please have this material prepared before beginning this application.

Purpose

Purpose and Background Information

The purpose of this notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) is to invite applications for an Emergency Medicine Research Career Development Program in Neurological Sciences (EMRCDP-NS). The EMRCDP-NS will support a national effort for mentored career development and training of junior emergency medicine (EM) faculty at institutions nationwide that support EM research. The goal of this program is to increase the cadre of EM investigators trained to lead and conduct research into neurological disorders, making use of their EM training and clinical experience. This research career development program should promote high quality, novel, creative research and innovative investigation by this cohort of individuals who possess unique clinical and research skills. As a result of training in this program, highly skilled EM physician-scientists should be prepared to develop a successful, independent, well-funded research program, which they will combine with their clinical career to advance the understanding and treatment of neurological disorders commonly treated in the Emergency Department (ED) setting. This NOFO will fund the administration and infrastructure of one, national EMRCDP-NS for 5 years. It uses the K12 Career Development mechanism, to be overseen by one or more PD/PIs and a national cohort of renowned basic and clinical investigators, to support the career development of EM-researchers at institutions around the country.

The involvement of EM physicians in cutting edge scientific research is critical, due to their unique access to, and experience with, patients entering the ED setting with a wide variety of neurological disorders. Research into, for example, seizures, head trauma, acute cognitive dysfunction, acute stroke, sensory loss, loss of consciousness, spinal cord injury, meningitis, addiction and many other neurological disorders can benefit greatly from the leadership and involvement of EM physicians. Moreover, treatments and cures for diseases across the age range, from pediatrics to neurological disorders associated with aging, will be more quickly discovered with the involvement of EM physicians. However, the cohort of EM physicians conducting NIH-funded research is small relative to the need. The dearth of EM clinician-scientists largely reflects the relative youth of emergency medicine as a field positioned to lead research programs. Moreover, junior EM faculty are often not equipped to make use of individual NIH research career development mechanisms, which require a level of research experience and skills that most EM residencies and fellowships don’t provide. Even with additional fellowship training, it is often difficult for an EM physician to have sufficient research training to obtain individual support from NIH career development awards, which are used to prepare clinician-scientists to launch an independently funded research program. The purpose of the EMRCDP-NS program is to support an immersive period of mentored research and career development following residency or fellowship, to provide a venue for networking, collaboration and support of junior EM researchers, and to facilitate the transition of EM physicians from mentored to independent research positions. Scholars must start support by the EMRCDP-NS in either their first or second faculty year.EM physicians may apply to the EMRCDP-NS program within the first two years of their first independent faculty position subsequent to completion of residency or fellowship. The selected scholars may receive up to 3 years of financial support, during which the EMRCDP-NS will provide them with the mentorship, career development guidance, research experience, and protected time for research necessary to initiate a vigorous, sustainable research program. In addition, the EMRCDP-NS will create a support and mentoring network whereby scholars will have the opportunity to interact with both junior and senior EM researchers, as well as clinician-scientists from other subspecialties. A successful outcome of the program will be that all EMRCDP-NS scholars obtain subsequent, individual major awards, such as an NIH K or R01-equivalent, to continue to grow their research project and career. The primary metric by which this program will be evaluated will be the transition of supported scholars to subsequent funding equivalent to an NIH K or R01 award. Because of the critical mentorship and community building component incorporated into the annual meeting and program activities, a secondary metric by which the EMRCDP-NS program will be evaluated will be the number of candidates to the program who do not receive scholar support but nonetheless go on to obtain NIH research funding to continue towards a robust dual career as clinician-scientists.

The EMRCDP-NS Program

The EMRCDP-NS K12 award provides five years of funding to the applicant organization to support a national research career development program. Although this K12 award is housed at the contact PD/PI’s institution, it is not intended to support scholars solely at that institution. The PD/PIs will solicit applications to the EMRCDP-NS program from eligible candidates at institutions from across the country, and selected scholars will proceed with their career development and research plan at their home institution, with a local mentor. The institution that houses this K12 is just one of these institutions from which a scholar might be selected. The leadership of the EMRCDP-NS consists of one or more PD/PIs and a committee of advisors (the National Advisory Committee, or NAC) selected by the PD/PIs to help guide the program. The PD/PIs may also choose to appoint program co-directors to help accomplish the goals of the program. The PD/PIs, together with the NAC and, if applicable, co-directors, will define the specifics of the application process, advise potential applicants, review candidate applications, provide feedback to the candidates on their applications, select candidates for appointment, monitor progress of each scholar, and ensure that program policies and requirements are followed. It is also expected that program leaders (i.e. PD/PIs or NAC members) will serve as secondary mentors for each scholar, working with the scholar, primary mentor and Chair to ensure success of the scholar’s development into an independently funded research investigator.

Annual EMRCDP-NS Meeting

The PD/PI(s) will organize an annual meeting for applicants, scholars, the NAC, and appropriate additional faculty. This meeting will serve as the venue for candidate interviews and selection, and also provide a forum for mentoring, career development activities, monitoring of scholar progress, and development of scientific networks among scholars, applicants and other researchers as well as other related purposes. As the primary goal of the EMRCDP-NS is to prepare scholars to transition to competitive, individual funding (such as an NIH K award), this meeting should include organized sessions to help scholars formulate and refine their projects, write a strong specific aims page intended to be used for their next grant submission, and otherwise help with creation of a clear, well-organized grant application. It is expected that, each year, all scholars will orally present their research projects to the entire cohort of attendees and will receive feedback to hone both their communication skills and project approach. This meeting should also include junior EM researchers not affiliated with the EMRCDP-NS program to broaden the scope of career development, mentorship and networking within the EM research community.

Although not required, there are many benefits to organizing this meeting at a small venue as a stand-alone event where participants will be immersed in the activities and social structure of this meeting without distraction. Funding provided by this award is designed to support a stand-alone meeting, which is strongly recommended.

Preceptors/Mentors

Although the identity of future mentors will not be known at the time of application, the mentors of successful scholar applicants to the EMRCDP-NS should fulfill some general requirements. Primary mentors must be tenure-track faculty (or equivalent) who have an established record of research productivity, competitive grant support and successful training of clinician scientists. A primary mentor should have a strong research program in a neuroscientific area directly relevant to the NINDS, NIDA or NIA mission. Just as in any mentored award, scholars should have a team of mentors when needed to cover the variety of expertise needed, such as technical, analytical and subject matter expertise. Mentors should have research expertise and experience relevant to the proposed research project and must be committed to providing strong mentorship to the scholar throughout the duration of the award and efforts to obtain subsequent funding. The primary mentor need not be an EM clinician or even a clinician-scientist. However, in such cases, all scholars should have a secondary mentor who is an accomplished EM researcher who has experience navigating a dual career as EM clinician and researcher. Members of the NAC may serve as secondary mentors that provide career guidance to scholars when an appropriate, local EM-researcher is not available.

Linkages of scholars to other departments, potentially through choice of mentors, should be encouraged, as they enhance career development and facilitate collaborative efforts. It is particularly encouraged that scholars develop interactions with neurologists, neurosurgeons, neuropathologists, neuroradiologists and/or other non-EM clinicians, as this can foster multidisciplinary research and the development of novel ideas and approaches. In addition, working with Ph.D. scientists can expand the scholar’s knowledge of specialized fields and technologies, as well as providing the perspective of a full-time research scientist. Although mentors must demonstrate a strong commitment to the EMRCDP-NS program and scholars, they cannot receive salary, fringe benefits or research support for this role on the K12 grant.

Candidates should be strongly encouraged to include researchers from diverse backgrounds, including individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, persons with disabilities, and women as mentors, as this provides a diverse perspective on their research approach and scientific thinking. Scholars should be encouraged to create a mentoring team that fulfills a wide variety of useful purposes, with thought as to the roles, commitment, and availability of each mentor.

Program Scholars

Scholars funded by the EMRCDP-NS K12 must be conducting research that falls within the NINDS, NIDA or NIA mission. All types of research, including basic, clinical and translational, are equally appropriate. Regardless of research type, it should be directly relevant to diseases or disorders of the nervous system and be potentially applicable to clinical practice. It is expected that this research will integrate with the scholar’s clinical activities and that their clinical and research activities will inform each other. The program should strive to support individuals whose research might have a significant impact on patients who enter the ED environment with neurological diseases or disorders.

As part of the recruitment effort, the EMRCDP-NS program should make every effort to broadly advertise the program. The program must actively recruit prospective individuals from diverse backgrounds, including individuals from groups underrepresented in Emergency Medicine.. The candidate selection process must include a written application (the format of an NIH K award is recommended) and interviews by the PD/PI and multiple members of the NAC. It is expected that, unless impossible due to an individual’s circumstance or in the interest of the health and safety of all involved, all applicant interviews will take place in-person at the annual meeting.

The EMRCDP-NS K12 will have funds committed to support up to three new scholars per year, in each of 5 years (15 different individuals for 3 years each). For each scholar, a five-year career development program consists of two phases.

Phase I

In Phase I, the scholar receives up to three years of financial support directly from the K12 award. During this phase, the scholar will embark on a focused career development program that will include research, skills development and educational activities, under the auspices of a mentor who has a strong record of research productivity and training. In conjunction with the mentor, the scholar will develop a research and career development plan suitable to launch an independent research career to investigate a clinically significant research topic. This plan, and scholar progress, will be reviewed annually by the EMRCDP-NS PD/PI and NAC. Provided they make appropriate progress during the first year, as judged by the PD/PI and NAC, scholars are renewed for a second year of EMRCDP-NS support. With appropriate progress made in year 2, scholars may be supported for a 3^rd year. It is strongly encouraged that scholars  apply for an NIH individual mentored K award no later than halfway through the 3^rd year of K12 support. This will accomplish two purposes. First, it will encourage scholars, together with their mentors, to create a focused research and training plan that will result in the progress needed to submit a competitive NIH K application on a specific timeline. Second, it will help scholars obtain individual funding before or shortly after phase I funding expires. Scholars are also encouraged to seek funding from non-NIH sources during and after phase I of the program.

During each year of Phase I, in addition to conducting research and pursuing their research career development at their home institution, scholars will submit an annual progress report to the EMRCDP-NS PD/PI, will attend the EMRCDP-NS annual meeting, and will present their research in a public forum at the meeting. Scholars may engage in brief research activities at another institution if they are directly related to the purpose of the award. For research activities outside of their home institution that last longer than one month, scholars must obtain prior written approval from the K12 PD/PI. In addition, periods of leave from the program for greater than three months, for either professional or personal reasons, require prior written approval from the K12 PD/PI and the NINDS Director of Training and Workforce Development.

Phase II

In Phase II of the EMRCDP-NS program, the scholar begins to transition to independence. The scholar is expected to remain associated with the EMRCDP-NS program, but must be supported by funds not derived from the K12. As such, scholar selection should consider 1) the likelihood that the candidate will be competitive for individual funding by the end of the third year of the program and 2) the strength of the commitment by the applicant’s chair to support the candidate’s research success subsequent to EMRCDP-NS support. It is intended that the scholar will secure funds from an individual, mentored career development award, such as an NIH K08, K23 or equivalent. However, some scholars may be ready to obtain support under a large independent research grant, such as an NIH R01 or equivalent, or an independent career development award such as an NINDS K02. To this end, it is important that the scholar receive strong guidance and support from their local mentor, the EMRCDP-NS PD/PI, the NAC and the Chair of the scholar’s department, to provide the best possible opportunity for success. Because scholars might not receive competitive funding by the end of phase I, it is critical that the scholar’s Chair is committed to continuing to support the scholar towards their goal of successfully developing a funded research program (see below).

Scholars should continue to attend the annual EMRCDP-NS meeting and are encouraged to provide progress updates to, and present their research findings at, the EMRCDP-NS meetings during each year of the phase II period. This attendance at EMRCDP-NS meetings during phase II will help them with their own careers, will serve to facilitate their role as mentors to those who come behind them, and will serve to strengthen the network of EM researchers, ranging from those in the career development phase of their careers to more established faculty.

Phase I and II effort expectations

The EMRCDP-NS program requires that scholars commit 75% of full-time professional effort to research when funded by the K12 program (phase I). In phase II of the EMRCDP-NS program (years 4-5, when K12 funds are not used to support the scholars), candidates should be expected to devote a minimum of 50% of full-time professional effort, and ideally up to 75% of full-time professional effort, to research, towards the goal of achieving individual K or R01 funding. In the event that the candidate is making good progress during Phase I, makes appropriate efforts to obtain individual funding for the start of Phase II, but fails to do so by the end of phase I, an ability to continue to devote at least 50% effort to research is critical to the scholar’s continued progress towards success. Thus, it is expected that the Chair of the scholar’s home department will commit, in the initial application to the EMRCDP-NS program, to continuing to provide at least 50% protected time to the scholar during the entire Phase II period, even in the absence of external research funding. Because protected time for research is critical for a candidate’s success, the EMRCDP-NS is expected to obtain a description of the home department’s 5-year financial and non-financial commitment to the candidate’s research success in the candidate’s initial application to the program. This commitment would include discussion of resources available, ability of the scholar to continue to attend the EMRCDP-NS annual meeting for 5 years and the commitment of protected time both during Phase I and for research during the two years after conclusion of K12 support.

Institutional Environment and Commitment to the Program

The Chair of the scholar’s home department plays a critical role in the success of the EMRCDP-NS. The program will directly support relatively few scholars, with the goal that all of those supported will go on to successful, dual careers as clinical EM physicians and productive, well-funded researchers. In order to launch such a career, scholars need a period of outstanding training and mentoring as well as adequate protected time to successfully conduct high quality research and obtain independent funding. Consequently, a successful application to the EMRCDP-NS program must require that Chairs commit to provide the protected time for research as described above. This is critical to ensure that scholars have the time to devote to obtaining strong research funding to continue their research program. In addition, Chairs should make every effort to provide appropriate resources and support, in whatever form needed, to ensure success of the scholar, and should describe these resources and support in the scholar’s application to the program.

It is expected that the EMRCDP-NS program will make at least one in-person site visit to each scholar’s home department to discuss with the scholar, mentor(s), Chair and others involved in the scholar’s activities, the scholar’s progress, needs and any other relevant issues. It is recommended that this first site visit occur within 6-8 months of initial funding. All individuals associated with selected scholars must be willing to participate in this site visit, and commit to it in the application to the program. In addition, the leadership of the EMRCDP-NS may choose to schedule additional, regularly scheduled site visits, either virtual or in-person, as deemed appropriate to the success of the individual scholars or program.

Visit our Institutionally Limited Submission webpage for more updates and other announcements.

Slots: Only one application per partnership is allowed. A partnership is defined as a collaboration between at least two different departments/colleges within one institution

Deadlines

Internal Deadline: Friday, June 9, 2023

LOI: August 11, 2023

External Deadline: September 26, 2023

Award Information

Award Type: Grant

Estimated Number of Awards and Anticipated Amount: HEAL may fund up to 4 T90/R90 awards. HEAL intends to commit up to $673,000 (direct cost) for each T90/R90 award in fiscal year 2024. Future year amounts will depend on annual appropriations. HEAL intends to commit, for each award, up to $673,000 (direct costs) in FY2025; $673,000 (direct costs) in FY2026; $673,000 (direct costs) in FY2027; and $673,000 (direct costs) in FY2028.

Who May Serve as PI: 

Multi-PI team/Percent effort: Because the T90/R90 program is a collaborative effort, applicants are encouraged to use a team-science approach. Thus, it is permissible to propose a multiple Training PD(s)/PI(s) administrative/management model. HEAL will support up to 10% effort (1.2 calendar months of effort) for PD(s)/PI(s) which can be shared among MPIs. However, if a multi Training PD(s)/PI(s) administrative model is proposed, the Training PD(s)/PI(s) will need to split the % effort among themselves. For institutions/organizations proposing multiple Training PDs/PIs, visit the Multiple Program Director/Principal Investigator Policy and submission details in the Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) Component of the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide. The rationale for the percent effort is provided in the “Role of Assessment and Evaluation Team” portion of the NOFO

Training PD/PI Requirements: At least one Training PD(s)/PI(s) should be an established investigator(s) — either (1) a mid-career investigator, defined as being within 10 years of receiving his/her/their first R01 equivalent award (https://nexus.od.nih.gov/all/2017/06/16/nih-next-generation-researchers-initiative/), or (2) a later stage investigator — in the scientific area in which the application is targeted (clinical pain research) and capable of providing both administrative and scientific leadership to the development and implementation of the proposed program. Other Training PD(s)/PI(s) should have pain expertise or expertise in a partnering field that is not traditionally involved in pain research to broaden training foci and provide a unique/innovative perspective. If a multiple Training PD/PI leadership plan is implemented, it should delineate the role of each Training PD/PI in achieving the training program’s goals. Training PD(s)/PI(s) should have funding (e.g., NIH funding, federal funding, or other sources of funding) throughout the duration of the T90/R90 award.

Training PD/PI Roles/Responsibilities: The Training PD(s)/PI(s) will be responsible for the selection and appointment of Trainees/Participants to the approved research training and research education program, and for the overall direction, management, administration, and evaluation of the interdisciplinary program. Creation of a cohort experience is crucial to the success of this program. To support the cohort experience of these awards, the Training PD(s)/PI(s) are required to coordinate with the HEAL R24 Coordinating Center for National Pain Scientists and the other Training PD(s)/PI(s) who are awarded a T90/R90 grant as part of the HEAL PAIN Cohort Program. The Training PD(s)/PI(s) will be expected to monitor and assess the program and submit all documents and reports as required. The Training PD(s)/PI(s) will be responsible for the day-to-day administration of the program and determine the appropriate allotment of funds. The Training PD/PI(s) are responsible for identifying a team of mentors at his/her/their institution that should also mentor the Trainees/Participants and should help provide educational content for the HEAL PAIN Cohort Program.  For more information about mentors, please see the next section. The Training PD(s)/PI(s) can mentor Trainees/Participants and create webinar content to support the training experience. The content that is created by the T90/R90 program will be provided to the HEAL R24 Coordinating Center for National Pain Scientists in a timely manner so other postdoctoral fellows and pain researchers outside of the HEAL PAIN Cohort program can benefit from the content. The Training PD(s)/PI(s) are required to participate in organizing activities for the HEAL PAIN Cohort program at the Annual National Pain Scientist Career Development Program Meeting.

Link to Award: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-NS-24-015.html

Process for Limited Submissions

PIs must submit their application as a Limited Submission through the Research Initiatives and Infrastructure (RII) Application Portal: https://rii.usc.edu/oor-portal/. Use the template provided here: RII Limited Submission Applicant Template

Materials to submit include:

• (1) Two-Page Proposal Summary (1” margins; single-spaced; standard font type, e.g. Arial, Helvetica, Times New Roman, or Georgia typeface; font size: 11 pt). Page limit includes references and illustrations. Pages that exceed the 2-page limit will be excluded from review. You must use the template linked above.
• (2) CV – (5 pages maximum)

Note: The portal requires information about the PIs in addition to department and contact information, including the 10-digit USC ID#, Gender, and Ethnicity. Please have this material prepared before beginning this application.

Purpose

This NOFO seeks applications to establish a cohort of up to four T90/R90 institutional postdoctoral training programs across various institutions as part of this NIH HEAL Partnerships to Advance INterdisciplinary Training for Clinical Pain Research (the HEAL PAIN Cohort Program). The NIH T90/R90 mechanism is a Kirschstein-NRSA institutional training program designed to support interdisciplinary research. This program is responsive to the IPRCC and needs assessment survey by providing protected research time and formal research training opportunities to clinical pain researchers at an early stage of their careers while broadening the foci of research mentorship. Since the goal is to increase the clinical pain research workforce, the T90/R90 Trainees/Participants must be in a clinical program or demonstrate an interest in clinical pain research. Investment at an early career stage aligns with the NIH HEAL Initiative’s® goals by facilitating the retention of junior investigators in clinical pain research. Because limited opportunities exist for postdoctoral training in clinical pain research, the HEAL PAIN Cohort Program will play a critical role in meeting this programmatic goal.

The HEAL PAIN Cohort Program will promote retention in the clinical pain workforce by providing a cohort experience among T90/R90 program Trainees/Participants. A cohort refers here to a group of trainees/participants that enter together and remain together throughout the program’s duration. Other NIH Initiatives have used a cohort model citing evidence that it fosters a supportive group of talented peers and provides institutional support, ultimately enhancing the success of adult learners and promoting diversity and retention among candidates. The cohort model will be enhanced through the existing NOFO, RFA-NS-22-060, HEAL R24 Coordinating Center for National Pain Scientists (https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-NS-22-060.html ; https://painresearchers.com/ ), which will provide high-quality training through webinars, networking opportunities, and other events tailored to the T90/R90 programs.  However, each T90/R90 program will also be responsible for offering training opportunities to their Trainees/Participants locally at their institution. 

HEAL PAIN Cohort Program Objective

The goal of the HEAL PAIN Cohort Program is to expand and enhance the pool of early career stage investigators (either those who have participated in a clinical program or who demonstrate an interest in clinical pain research) who are sufficiently prepared and trained to launch and maintain successful careers addressing the nation’s scientific needs in clinical pain research. In addition to providing protected research time and dedicated training, the program’s unique cohort approach aims to increase retention of these early career stage investigators in the clinical pain research workforce. The cohort experience also will provide networking opportunities to build partnerships between investigators in fields that are both traditionally and not traditionally represented in the field of pain, with the goal of leading to future scientific collaborations. Finally, the focus on broadening training foci to include fields outside of those traditionally represented in the field of pain – as well as recruiting prospective Training PD/PIs, mentors, and Trainees/Participants from diverse backgrounds – are expected to promote innovative solutions for pain management.

HEAL PAIN Cohort Program

Program Structure: The T90/R90 mechanism is designed to build interdisciplinary partnerships to train the next generation of clinical pain scientists. Each T90/R90 application should propose a partnership between at least two departments or colleges within an institution and describe how this partnership bridges traditional and non-traditional pain fields to advance training in clinical pain research. It is possible that one or more of the partnering departments or colleges may already be interdisciplinary in nature.  However, it is still expected that there will be adequate representation of pain-focused researchers in one department and mentors from fields not traditional to pain research in the other department(s).

Institutions that do not currently have NIH funding for a pain-related institutional training program (e.g., T32) will be prioritized. Applications should identify how the within-institution T90/R90 partnership will provide training for at least two of HEAL’s clinical pain research content areas (listed below in alphabetical order):

(1) Advancing health equity in the field of pain

(2) Bioinformatics

(3) Chronic overlapping pain conditions

(4) Effective interventions for pain and co-morbidities, such as substance use disorder, sleep, and major depression

(5) Effects of social determinants of health on pain

(6) Implementation science

(7) Non-opioid pharmacological treatments for pain

(8) Nonpharmacological interventions for pain (e.g., behavioral approaches, mind and body approaches, and/or other complementary and integrative health approaches)

(9) Pain across the lifespan

(10) Prevention of the transition from acute to chronic pain

Training Scope: Each T90/R90 program is expected to provide mentorship that will prepare T90/R90 Trainees/Participants to launch and maintain productive careers in the clinical pain research workforce. Mentors are expected to provide training to T90/R90 Trainees/Participants both within the institution and across the broader HEAL PAIN Cohort Program, such as through webinars. The application should describe how:

(1) the biopsychosocial model of pain will be integrated into the training

(2) the program will use a team science approach by partnering with departments/colleges not traditionally incorporated in the pain field

(3) the program will create a culture to attract and retain a diverse pool of Trainees to expand scientific rigor and innovation

(4) training will be provided based on whole person health in a way that reduces stigma and bias

(5) Trainees/Participants will learn skills to thoughtfully engage and incorporate  individuals from all backgrounds, including individuals from NIH-designated populations that experience health disparities with lived experience of pain and comorbid conditions in the research process

(6) training will be provided in advanced statistics and research methods

(7) Trainees/Participants will be taught grantspersonship skills, which should include how to write a grant and create a budget

(8) Trainees/Participants will be prepared to successfully apply to tenure-track positions in academic settings

(9) the program will help coordinate monthly webinars related to HEAL priority areas (e.g., engaging people with lived experience of pain in research, pain co-morbidities, addiction, prevention of pain chronification, pain across the lifespan, non-pharmacological pain interventions, and bioinformatics) that will be posted on the HEAL R24 Coordinating Center for National Pain Scientists website

Cohort Experience: A critical component of the HEAL PAIN Cohort Program is the creation of a cohort experience among all of the T90/R90 programs at different institutions. This cohort experience will be facilitated through the HEAL R24 Coordinating Center for National Pain Scientists (R24; RFA-NS-22-060) and coordination of all the T90/R90 Training PD/PI(s). The cohort experience will be achieved through the following efforts:

• The Training PD(s)/PI(s) and mentors will:
  • Organize a session at the HEAL R24 Annual National Pain Scientists Career Development Program Meeting (see section below) for all pain T90/R90 Trainees, mentors, and Training PD/PIs
  • Coordinate monthly webinars created by the T90/R90 programs?
  • Organize cohort experiences among all of the funded T90/R90 Trainees across all of the funded T90/R90 institutions
  • Encourage the T90/R90 Trainees and mentors to participate in the HEAL R24 Coordinating Center for National Pain Scientists’ networking events
  • Host events for postdoctoral Trainees to meet with faculty at external institutions to promote their job search within research settings
• The HEAL R24 Coordinating Center for National Pain Scientists will:
  • Post the monthly webinars created by T90/R90 programs on the HEAL R24 Coordinating Center’s website to make them broadly available.
  • Organize events that encourage a cohort experience and collaboration throughout the year for T90/R90 programs (in the HEAL PAIN Cohort Program) and T32 pain trainees (outside of the HEAL PAIN Cohort Program) across institutions, such as networking events
  • Connect T90/R90 Trainees and T32 postdoctoral trainees to HEAL funded mentors and grants on the HEAL R24 Coordinating Center for National Pain Scientists’ online platform
  • Enhance communication between basic, translational, and clinical pain trainees
  • Host events for T90/R90, T32, and non-T32 postdoctoral fellows to meet with faculty at external institutions to promote their job search within research settings

Annual National Pain Scientists Career Development Program Meeting (R24)

The HEAL R24 Coordinating Center for National Pain Scientists recipient will create a network of early-career pain scientists, pain trainees, and mentors (RFA-NS-22-060). The HEAL R24 Coordinating Center for National Pain Scientists has named their program “Positively Uniting Researchers of Pain to Opine, Synthesize, and Engage (PURPOSE)” https://painresearchers.com/. The HEAL R24 Coordinating Center for National Pain Scientists will work to improve the collaboration between basic, translational, and clinical researchers, who do not regularly collaborate or work together. One function of the HEAL R24 Coordinating Center for National Pain Scientists will be to organize an annual meeting for established scientists as well as early career pain investigators. This meeting will facilitate the creation of a network of pain research mentors and mentees as well as foster communication between scientists and clinicians of different disciplines, provide enhanced mentorship, leadership courses, and any additional trainings that might be helpful for early-career scientists. T90/R90 Trainees/Participants, Training PD/PIs, and mentors will be required to attend the HEAL R24 Annual National Pain Scientist Career Development Meeting. The T90/R90 awards should provide financial support for all Trainees/Participants, Training PD/PI(s), and up to 5 mentors to attend this annual meeting. T90/R90 grant applicants can propose up to $1,500 for travel costs for those people attending the annual meeting. The Training PD/PIs of all of the T90/R90 awards should schedule a workshop at the HEAL R24 Annual National Pain Scientists Career Development Program Meeting where the T90/R90 Trainees/Participants may be provided in-person trainings or mentoring experiences not already received, and/or Trainees can present the status of their research.

In addition, T90/R90 Trainees/Participants, Training PD/PIs, and mentors are strongly encouraged to participate in all other aspects of the HEAL R24 Coordinating Centers for National Pain Scientists program, including networking experiences and classes.

Additional HEAL Information

This program is part of the NIH’s Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) Initiative® to speed scientific solutions to the national opioid public health crisis. The NIH HEAL Initiative® bolsters research across NIH to (1) improve treatment for opioid misuse and addiction and (2) enhance pain management. More information about the NIH HEAL Initiative® is available at: https://heal.nih.gov/.

In addition to broadening scientific inquiry, applicants should strive to promote diversity in their team development plan. Research shows that diverse teams working together and capitalizing on innovative ideas and distinct perspectives outperform homogenous teams. Scientists and trainees from diverse backgrounds and life experiences bring different perspectives, creativity, and individual enterprise to address complex scientific problems. There are many benefits that flow from a diverse NIH-supported scientific workforce, including: fostering scientific innovation, enhancing global competitiveness, contributing to robust learning environments, improving the quality of the research, advancing the likelihood that underserved or health disparity populations participate in, and benefit from health research, and enhancing public trust. In spite of tremendous advancements in scientific research, information, educational and research opportunities are not equally available to all. NIH encourages institutions to diversify their student and faculty populations to enhance the participation of individuals from groups that are underrepresented in the medical, clinical, behavioral and social sciences. Please refer to Notice of NIH’s Interest in Diversity NOT-OD-20-031 for more details.

The NIH HEAL Initiative®encourages coordination and sharing between investigators. NIH HEAL Initiative® recipients are expected to participate in Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) meetings, including an annual HEAL Investigators Meeting, as well as other activities.

NIH strongly supports training towards a career in clinically relevant research and so gaining experience in clinical trials under the guidance of a mentor or co-mentor is encouraged. This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) does not allow appointed scholars to lead an independent clinical trial, but does allow them to obtain research experience in a clinical trial led by a mentor or co-mentor.

NINDS Rigor and Transparency

NINDS, as part of NIH, strives for rigor and transparency in all research it funds. For this reason, NINDS explicitly emphasizes the NIH application instructions related to rigor and transparency (https://grants.nih.gov/policy/reproducibility/guidance.htm) and provides additional guidance to the scientific community (https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Funding/grant_policy). For example, the biological rationale for the proposed experiments must be based on rigorous and robust supporting data, which means that data should be collected via methods that minimize the risk of bias and be reported in a transparent manner. If previously published or preliminary studies do not meet these standards, applicants should address how the current study design addresses the deficiencies in rigor and transparency. Proposed experiments should likewise be designed in a manner that minimizes the risk of bias and ensures validity of experimental results. Each of the HEAL PAIN Cohort Programs will need to train and provide career development activities which should equip trainees with the following skills required for careers in the research workforce:

• Technical (e.g., appropriate methods, approaches, technologies, and quantitative/qualitative/mixed-methods analyses and reasoning)
• Operational (e.g., independent knowledge acquisition, appropriate data management, robust and unbiased experimental design, safe laboratory conduct, proper interpretation of data, transparent reporting of all results, and sharing of data and materials)
• Professional (e.g., leadership, management, and teamwork)
• Communication (e.g., how to communicate results to professional organizations, fellow clinicians, and the general public; how to give job talks)

Visit our Institutionally Limited Submission webpage for more updates and other announcements.