Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 13 119
Apply for PA 13 119
- The National Institutes of Health in the education health income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Mechanisms, Models, Measurement, Management in Pain Research (R21)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.213 Research and Training in Complementary and Integrative Health 93.279 Drug Abuse and Addiction Research Programs 93.361 Nursing Research 93.393 Cancer Cause and Prevention Research 93.846 Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research 93.853 Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders 93.865 Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research 93.866 Aging Research.
- This funding opportunity was created on Apr 9, 2013 and posted on Feb 15, 2013.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 7, 2016. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $200,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) City or township governments Special district governments Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education For profit organizations other than small businesses Independent school districts Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Private institutions of higher education Small businesses State governments Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) County governments.
- Other Eligible Applicants include the following Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs) Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government Faith based or Community based Organizations Hispanic serving Institutions Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized) Non domestic (non U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) Regional Organizations Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) U.S. Territory or Possession Non domestic (non U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are eligible to apply. Non domestic (non U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are eligible to apply. Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed.
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Opportunity Summary:
Mechanisms, Models, Measurement, Management in Pain Research (R21) (Funding Opportunity Number PA-13-119) was a National Institutes of Health (NIH) discretionary grant opportunity designed to spark new, early-stage research ideas across the full spectrum of pain science. The FOA aimed to broadcast and coordinate pain-related priorities across multiple NIH Institutes and Centers, encouraging investigators to propose basic, clinical, and translational projects that align with the missions of those participating NIH components. The central message of the announcement is that, despite important progress in understanding pain pathways, pain remains highly individualized, difficult to treat, and still poorly explained in key areas, especially when it comes to why some people recover after an acute injury while others progress into chronic pain. The program explicitly called for advances ranging from molecular and cellular mechanisms to behavioral, social, and population-level influences, reflecting the view that meaningful breakthroughs in pain will require both micro-level biology and macro-level context.
The scientific scope emphasized four broad, interlocking themes suggested by the title: mechanisms, models, measurement, and management. Under mechanisms, the FOA encouraged work that clarifies how pain is initiated, amplified, maintained, and resolved, including the biological and physiological processes that differ between individuals. Under models, it sought improved experimental systems and approaches for studying pain, recognizing that better models are often the bottleneck for translating discoveries into real-world therapies. Under measurement, the announcement highlighted the need for stronger ways to quantify and characterize pain, acknowledging that pain is not only a sensory experience but also shaped by emotion, cognition, and social environment, and that current tools often fail to capture this complexity or predict outcomes. Under management, the FOA supported research that could inform prevention and treatment strategies, including translational and clinical studies that can move beyond describing pain to actually improving patient care. A particularly important gap identified in the description was the limited understanding of the transition from acute to chronic pain, which is one of the most consequential and costly aspects of pain medicine.
The FOA strongly encouraged interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary team science. That preference signals NIH interest in proposals that integrate expertise across areas such as neuroscience, pharmacology, psychology, nursing, rehabilitation, data science, behavioral and social sciences, and other relevant fields. The opportunity also explicitly encouraged applications from investigators who are underrepresented in biomedical research, including underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, women, and investigators with disabilities, reflecting a broader NIH priority to strengthen diversity and inclusion in the research workforce and to widen the range of perspectives brought to complex health problems like pain.
As an R21 mechanism, this opportunity was geared toward exploratory and developmental research, typically supporting earlier-stage, innovative concepts that may not yet have extensive preliminary data. The listed award ceiling was $200,000, and there was no cost sharing or matching requirement. The FOA was posted February 15, 2013, created April 9, 2013, and it closed May 7, 2016, with an archive date of June 7, 2016, meaning it is no longer open but remains relevant as a statement of NIH pain-research priorities during that period and as a model for similar NIH pain research solicitations.
Multiple NIH-related program areas were associated with this FOA through several CFDA numbers, reflecting broad participation across health domains tied to pain, including complementary and integrative health, drug abuse and addiction, nursing research, cancer causes and prevention, arthritis and musculoskeletal/skin diseases, neurosciences and neurological disorders, child health and human development, and aging research. That cross-cutting involvement underscores that pain research is not confined to one disease area; it affects cancer care, musculoskeletal conditions, neurological disorders, substance use and recovery, pediatrics, aging, and many other settings.
Eligibility was expansive. Applicants could include public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (including those with and without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses as well as small businesses), local and state governments, independent school districts, public housing authorities, special district governments, tribal governments and tribal organizations, and a range of mission-focused institutions such as HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, AANAPISIs, TCCUs, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, and faith-based or community-based organizations. Importantly, non-U.S. entities were also eligible, including foreign organizations and foreign institutions, and foreign components of U.S. organizations were allowed under NIH policy definitions. This broad eligibility aligns with the FOA goal of drawing in diverse perspectives and capabilities to tackle pain from many angles.
The sponsoring agency was NIH, and the FOA provided an additional information link to the full announcement on the NIH grants guide site (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-13-119.html). For technical issues accessing the announcement, the contact listed was the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster via FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV. Overall, the opportunity can be read as a targeted push to accelerate creative, cross-disciplinary pain research, with special emphasis on improving how pain is explained, modeled, measured, and ultimately prevented or managed, particularly for the critical and still-murky transition into chronic pain.
FAQs: Mechanisms, Models, Measurement, Management in Pain Research (R21) (PA-13-119)
What is the PA-13-119 funding opportunity?
PA-13-119, titled "Mechanisms, Models, Measurement, Management in Pain Research (R21)," was a National Institutes of Health (NIH) discretionary grant opportunity designed to spark new, early-stage research ideas across the full spectrum of pain science, including basic, clinical, and translational research.
Which agency sponsored this opportunity?
The sponsoring agency was the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
What grant mechanism did this opportunity use?
This opportunity used the NIH R21 mechanism, which is intended for exploratory and developmental research, typically supporting innovative concepts that may not yet have extensive preliminary data.
What was the main purpose of the FOA?
The FOA aimed to broadcast and coordinate pain-related priorities across multiple NIH Institutes and Centers, encouraging investigators to propose projects aligned with the missions of participating NIH components and to accelerate creative, cross-disciplinary pain research.
What core scientific themes were emphasized?
The FOA emphasized four interlocking themes reflected in the title: mechanisms, models, measurement, and management.
What kinds of research topics were included under "mechanisms"?
Under mechanisms, the FOA encouraged research clarifying how pain is initiated, amplified, maintained, and resolved, including biological and physiological processes that differ between individuals.
What did the FOA mean by "models" in pain research?
Under models, the FOA sought improved experimental systems and approaches for studying pain, recognizing that better models can be a major bottleneck for translating discoveries into real-world therapies.
What did the FOA highlight under "measurement"?
Under measurement, the FOA highlighted the need for stronger ways to quantify and characterize pain, recognizing that pain is shaped not only by sensory signals but also by emotion, cognition, and social environment, and that existing tools often fail to capture this complexity or predict outcomes.
What did the FOA include under "management"?
Under management, the FOA supported research that could inform prevention and treatment strategies, including translational and clinical studies aimed at improving patient care (moving beyond describing pain to improving outcomes).
Did the FOA call out any specific gap or high-priority challenge in pain science?
Yes. A particularly important gap identified was the limited understanding of the transition from acute to chronic pain, including why some people recover after acute injury while others develop chronic pain.
Was interdisciplinary or team-based research encouraged?
Yes. The FOA strongly encouraged interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary team science and signaled interest in proposals integrating expertise across relevant fields.
What disciplines did NIH indicate could be relevant for proposed teams?
The FOA signaled relevance for areas such as neuroscience, pharmacology, psychology, nursing, rehabilitation, data science, and behavioral and social sciences, among others related to pain research.
Did the FOA encourage applications from underrepresented investigators?
Yes. The FOA explicitly encouraged applications from investigators underrepresented in biomedical research, including underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, women, and investigators with disabilities.
What was the maximum award amount listed?
The listed award ceiling was $200,000.
Was cost sharing or matching required?
No. The FOA stated there was no cost sharing or matching requirement.
Is PA-13-119 still open for applications?
No. The FOA closed on May 7, 2016, and has an archive date of June 7, 2016.
When was the FOA posted and created?
The FOA was posted February 15, 2013, and created April 9, 2013.
What is the value of this FOA now that it is archived?
Although it is no longer open, it remains relevant as a statement of NIH pain-research priorities during that period and as a model for similar NIH pain research solicitations.
Which NIH program areas were associated with this FOA?
Multiple NIH-related program areas were associated via several CFDA numbers, reflecting broad participation across domains tied to pain, including complementary and integrative health, drug abuse and addiction, nursing research, cancer causes and prevention, arthritis and musculoskeletal/skin diseases, neurosciences and neurological disorders, child health and human development, and aging research.
What does the involvement of multiple NIH areas imply about pain research?
It underscores that pain research is cross-cutting and not confined to one disease area, affecting settings such as cancer care, musculoskeletal conditions, neurological disorders, substance use and recovery, pediatrics, and aging.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was expansive and included many organization types across academia, nonprofits, industry, government, and specialized institutions, as described in the FOA summary.
Were U.S. colleges and universities eligible?
Yes. Both public and private institutions of higher education were eligible.
Were nonprofit organizations eligible?
Yes. Nonprofits were eligible, including those with and without 501(c)(3) status.
Were for-profit organizations eligible?
Yes. For-profit organizations were eligible, including small businesses and other-than-small businesses.
Were government entities eligible?
Yes. Eligible applicants included local and state governments, independent school districts, public housing authorities, special district governments, tribal governments, and tribal organizations.
Were minority-serving and mission-focused institutions eligible?
Yes. The FOA included institutions such as HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, AANAPISIs, TCCUs, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, and faith-based or community-based organizations.
Were non-U.S. entities eligible to apply?
Yes. Non-U.S. entities were eligible, including foreign organizations and foreign institutions, and foreign components of U.S. organizations were allowed under NIH policy definitions.
Where could applicants find the full FOA text?
The FOA provided a link to the full announcement on the NIH Grants Guide website: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-13-119.html
Who was the contact for technical issues accessing the announcement?
For technical issues accessing the announcement, the contact listed was the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster at FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV.
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