ForecastedOpportunity RFA-NS-25-031

HEAL Initiative: Pain Management Effectiveness Research Network: Clinical Trial Planning and Implementation Cooperative Agreement (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Required)

National Institutes of Health · Department of Health and Human Services

At a glance

HEAL Initiative: Pain Management Effectiveness Research Network: Clinical Trial Planning and Implementation Cooperative Agreement (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Required) is a forecasted federal cooperative agreement opportunity from the National Institutes of Health (Department of Health and Human Services). The agency's forecast estimates an application due date of January 5, 2026; forecast dates can change. Applicant types listed as eligible include state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, independent school districts and 10 more. Cost sharing is not required. It is funded under Assistance Listing 93.853 (Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders).

Summary assembled from the official notice's fields. The official notice governs.

Key facts

Aug 28, 2025Forecast posted
Oct 15, 2025 (est.)Full notice expected
Jan 5, 2026 (est.)Application deadline
Aug 31, 2026 (est.)Est. award date

Posted: Aug 28, 2025
Est. close date: Jan 5, 2026
Est. award date: Aug 31, 2026
Award floor: Not specified
Award ceiling: Not specified
Est. total funding: Not specified
Expected awards: Not specified
Cost sharing: Not required
Funding instrument: Cooperative Agreement
Opportunity category: Discretionary
Fiscal year: FY2026

Who can apply

State governments
County governments
City or township governments
Special district governments
Independent school districts
Public colleges & universities
Federally recognized tribal governments
Public & Indian housing authorities
Native American tribal organizations
501(c)(3) nonprofits
Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status
Private colleges & universities
For-profit organizations (not small businesses)
Small businesses
Others (see notice)

Additional information on eligibility (from the notice)

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;Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions).

Can your organization apply?

A quick check against the listed applicant types — other requirements in the notice still apply.

Based on the published notice. Review the official notice for complete eligibility requirements.

What it funds

Official synopsis as published by the agency, formatted for readability.

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), with the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), National Institute on Aging (NIA), National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) intends to publish a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to solicit applications for the conduct of large-scale, multisite clinical trials (CTs) that will inform clinicians about the efficacy or effectiveness of interventions or management strategies that reduce opioid use, improve functional outcomes and reduce pain across the continuum of acute to chronic pain associated with many types of diseases, conditions, or pain presenting as a disease itself. This NOFO will be a continuation of the HEAL Initiative Pain Management Effectiveness Research Network (ERN). The goal of this NOFO will be to expand the suite of evidence-based effective therapeutics to alleviate pain for multiple pain conditions to benefit patients and their families. Applications are not being solicited at this time. Notice is being provided to allow potential applicants sufficient time to develop meaningful collaborations and responsive projects. This NOFO will utilize the UG3/UH3 activity code. Investigators with expertise and insights into this area of performing effectiveness trials for pain management interventions are encouraged to begin to consider applying for this new NOFO. In addition, collaborative investigations combining expertise in testing existing pharmaceutical, repurposed therapeutics and/or existing devices will be encouraged, and these investigators should also begin considering applying for this application.

How to apply

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Read the full announcement (NOFO)Eligibility, evaluation criteria, page limits and required attachments are in the full notice on Grants.gov. Open ↗
Confirm eligibility and fitCheck your organization type above; no cost sharing is required.
Register (or renew) in SAM.gov and get a UEIFree. New registrations can take several weeks; registrations must be renewed every year. Open ↗
Set up Grants.gov accessCreate a Grants.gov account and make sure someone has the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) role. Open ↗
Watch for the full noticeThe agency estimates posting it around October 15, 2025. Save this grant to track changes.
Prepare narrative, budget and attachmentsFollow the notice's format exactly — page limits and required forms are common reasons applications are rejected.
Submit before January 5, 2026Submit a few days early and keep your Grants.gov confirmation and validation emails.

Assistance Listing

What is an ALN?

93.853Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological DisordersProgram →

Reported obligations under ALN 93.853

Historical data · not a prediction

FY24

$2.36B

FY25

$2.35B

FY26

— est.

Source: SAM.gov Assistance Listing 93.853. Program-wide totals, not awards from this specific opportunity.

Agency contact (as published)

Yolanda F. Vallejo, PhD
301-451-1751

Quick answers

Is this opportunity open for applications yet?

Not yet. It is a forecast — an agency's advance notice of an expected opportunity. The agency estimates posting the full notice around October 15, 2025. Forecast details and dates can change.

Who is eligible to apply for this opportunity?

The official notice lists these applicant types as eligible: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public colleges & universities, Federally recognized tribal governments, Public & Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations, 501(c)(3) nonprofits, Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status, Private colleges & universities and 3 more. Additional restrictions may apply; review the full notice.

How do I apply for this opportunity?

Applications are submitted through the official source, not through GrantsJunction. Open the official notice on Grants.gov (opportunity RFA-NS-25-031), and review the full announcement and application package. Organizations applying through Grants.gov generally need an active SAM.gov registration and a Grants.gov account, which can take several weeks to set up.

Matched on shared Assistance Listings, agency, categories and eligible applicant types.

ForecastedALN 93.121, 93.213…