Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 11 268
Apply for PA 11 268
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Mechanistic Studies of Pain and Alcohol Dependence (R21)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.273 Alcohol Research Programs.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jul 20, 2011 and posted on Jul 20, 2011.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 7, 2014. (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: City or township governments Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) County governments Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) For profit organizations other than small businesses Small businesses Independent school districts Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Private institutions of higher education Special district governments Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) State governments Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.
- Other Eligible Applicants include the following Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions 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.
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Opportunity Summary:
The NIH funding opportunity titled "Mechanistic Studies of Pain and Alcohol Dependence (R21)" (Funding Opportunity Number PA-11-268) was designed to support exploratory, early-stage research that digs into the biological and behavioral mechanisms connecting pain and alcohol use, including alcohol dependence. The central idea behind the announcement is that chronic pain and problematic alcohol use frequently show up together in real-world settings, but the reasons for that overlap are not fully understood. Some people have patterns of heavy drinking or alcohol abuse that appear before chronic pain develops, while others begin escalating alcohol use after pain starts, sometimes progressing to dependence. This FOA aimed to fund studies that move beyond simply documenting that a relationship exists and instead explain how and why it happens.
A key scientific rationale in the announcement is that pain processing and the reinforcing, reward-related effects of alcohol rely on partially overlapping brain and nervous system circuitry. Because of that shared neurobiology, chronic pain might shift how people respond to alcohol, changing drinking patterns in ways that increase risk for dependence or addiction. The FOA also emphasizes the relationship running in the opposite direction: long-term alcohol exposure, intoxication, and alcohol dependence can themselves produce pain symptoms and may worsen pain caused by other conditions. In practice, this creates a potentially self-reinforcing cycle where pain influences alcohol use and alcohol use influences pain, making both harder to treat.
The objective of the FOA was to encourage mechanistic work focused on three broad areas: genetic mechanisms, pharmacological mechanisms, and learning-related mechanisms that underlie the link between a propensity to drink and pain responses. In other words, projects were expected to clarify causal pathways such as which genes or gene networks influence both pain sensitivity and alcohol-related behaviors, which neurochemical or receptor systems mediate interactions between alcohol and pain pathways, and how learning processes (for example, reinforcement, conditioning, or negative reinforcement through relief of discomfort) contribute to alcohol seeking or escalation in the context of pain. The emphasis on "mechanistic studies" signals that strong applications would typically test specific hypotheses about biological circuits, molecular targets, or behavioral processes rather than only describing correlations.
This opportunity used the R21 funding mechanism, which is commonly used by NIH for exploratory and developmental projects that can establish feasibility, generate preliminary mechanistic evidence, or open up new lines of investigation. The award ceiling listed for this FOA was $200,000, and the program did not require cost sharing or matching. The activity category was health, and it fell under CFDA 93.273 (Alcohol Research Programs), reflecting its alignment with federally supported alcohol research priorities.
Eligibility was broad and included many types of U.S. organizations and governments, such as public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (including 501(c)(3) organizations as well as certain nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status), small businesses and other for-profit entities (other than small businesses), and a range of local, county, state, special district, and tribal governments. The FOA also explicitly included additional eligible applicants such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, faith-based or community-based organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions. Importantly, foreign organizations and foreign institutions were eligible to apply, and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations could also be included, indicating NIH interest in supporting strong mechanistic science regardless of geographic location.
Administratively, the agency behind the announcement was the National Institutes of Health. The FOA was posted and created on July 20, 2011, with an original and current closing date of September 7, 2014, and it was archived on October 8, 2014. The full archived announcement was available through the NIH grants guide (link provided in the source material), and NIH Office of Extramural Research support contacts were listed for access or linking issues. Overall, this FOA targeted research that could explain the shared and bidirectional biology of pain and alcohol dependence, with the longer-term goal of enabling better prevention and treatment strategies for patients who experience both chronic pain and problematic alcohol use.
FAQs: Mechanistic Studies of Pain and Alcohol Dependence (R21) (PA-11-268)
What is the title and funding opportunity number for this NIH grant?
The opportunity is titled "Mechanistic Studies of Pain and Alcohol Dependence (R21)" and the Funding Opportunity Number is PA-11-268.
Which agency offered this funding opportunity?
The agency behind the announcement was the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
What type of research was this FOA designed to support?
This FOA was designed to support exploratory, early-stage research that investigates the biological and behavioral mechanisms linking pain and alcohol use, including alcohol dependence.
What problem or gap in knowledge was this FOA trying to address?
The FOA targeted a real-world pattern where chronic pain and problematic alcohol use often occur together, but the reasons for that overlap are not fully understood. It aimed to move the field beyond simply documenting an association and toward explaining how and why the relationship happens.
What does "mechanistic" mean in the context of this opportunity?
"Mechanistic" emphasizes studies that test specific hypotheses about causal pathways, such as biological circuits, molecular targets, neurochemical systems, or behavioral processes that connect pain and alcohol-related behaviors, rather than studies that only describe correlations.
What is the central scientific rationale for linking pain and alcohol dependence?
A key rationale is that pain processing and the reinforcing, reward-related effects of alcohol rely on partially overlapping brain and nervous system circuitry. Because of this shared neurobiology, chronic pain may change responses to alcohol and alter drinking patterns in ways that increase risk for dependence or addiction.
Does the FOA consider the relationship between pain and alcohol use to be one-directional or two-directional?
It treats the relationship as bidirectional. Pain may influence alcohol use (for example, escalation after pain starts), and alcohol exposure, intoxication, or dependence may produce pain symptoms or worsen existing pain from other conditions.
How can alcohol use appear in relation to the development of chronic pain, according to the FOA?
The FOA notes that in some individuals heavy drinking or alcohol abuse appears before chronic pain develops, while in others alcohol use escalates after pain begins and may progress to dependence.
What kinds of mechanisms did the FOA encourage applicants to investigate?
The FOA encouraged mechanistic work in three broad areas: genetic mechanisms, pharmacological mechanisms, and learning-related mechanisms that underlie the link between a propensity to drink and pain responses.
What would a genetic mechanism focus on under this FOA?
Genetic mechanisms would focus on identifying which genes or gene networks influence both pain sensitivity and alcohol-related behaviors.
What would a pharmacological mechanism focus on under this FOA?
Pharmacological mechanisms would focus on neurochemical or receptor systems that mediate interactions between alcohol and pain pathways.
What would a learning-related mechanism focus on under this FOA?
Learning-related mechanisms would focus on how reinforcement, conditioning, or negative reinforcement (such as seeking relief of discomfort) contributes to alcohol seeking or escalation in the context of pain.
What funding mechanism did this opportunity use?
This opportunity used the NIH R21 mechanism, which is commonly used for exploratory and developmental projects that establish feasibility, generate preliminary mechanistic evidence, or open new research directions.
What was the award ceiling listed for this FOA?
The award ceiling listed for this FOA was $200,000.
Was cost sharing or matching required?
No. The FOA stated that the program did not require cost sharing or matching.
What was the activity category for this opportunity?
The activity category was health.
Which CFDA number was associated with this FOA and what program area did it reflect?
The FOA fell under CFDA 93.273 (Alcohol Research Programs), reflecting its alignment with federally supported alcohol research priorities.
What types of U.S. organizations were eligible to apply?
Eligibility included a broad set of U.S. entities, including public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (including 501(c)(3) organizations and certain nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status), small businesses, and other for-profit entities (other than small businesses).
Were government entities eligible to apply?
Yes. The FOA included eligibility for local, county, state, special district, and tribal governments.
Did the FOA explicitly include minority-serving and community-based institutions?
Yes. The FOA explicitly included Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, faith-based or community-based organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions.
Were foreign organizations or foreign institutions eligible to apply?
Yes. Foreign organizations and foreign institutions were eligible to apply.
Could a U.S. organization include non-U.S. components in its application?
Yes. The FOA indicated that non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations could be included.
When was this FOA posted and created?
The FOA was posted and created on July 20, 2011.
What was the closing date for this opportunity?
The original and current closing date listed for this FOA was September 7, 2014.
Is this funding opportunity still active?
No. The FOA was archived on October 8, 2014.
Where was the full archived announcement available?
The full archived announcement was available through the NIH grants guide (a link was provided in the source material).
Who was listed for support related to access or linking issues?
The announcement noted that NIH Office of Extramural Research support contacts were listed for access or linking issues.
What longer-term impact did the FOA aim to support?
By clarifying shared and bidirectional mechanisms between pain and alcohol dependence, the FOA aimed to enable better prevention and treatment strategies for patients experiencing both chronic pain and problematic alcohol use.
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