HEAL Initiative: Non-addictive Analgesic Therapeutics Development [Small Molecules and Biologics] to Treat Pain (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Optional)
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) · NIH Institute/Center · RFA-NS-27-007
Source: Grants.gov · View original posting ↗
- AwardWhat a single award can be worth — the funder's published per-award amount or floor–ceiling range.
- $11M total
- DeadlineFinal application due date.
- Feb 20, 2029
- Letter of intentDue date for the letter of intent (a short pre-application some funders require or request before the full proposal).
- —
- MechanismNIH activity code — the grant type (R01 research project, R21 exploratory, K series career development, F series fellowship, …).
- UG3
- DurationMaximum project period for a single award.
- —
- Expected awardsHow many awards the funder anticipates making under this opportunity.
- 3
- Funding cycleHow often the program accepts applications (annual, multiple cycles per year, rolling, or one-time).
- One-time
- Open dateWhen applications open (or opened).
- Jun 16, 2026
- Total fundingThe overall pool the funder expects to commit across ALL awards under this opportunity — not what one project receives.
- $11M total
- Clinical trialWhether proposed projects must, may, or must not include a clinical trial.
- Optional / allowed
Research areas
Auto-classified from the title and description (keyword-based) — may be imperfect.
Description
The purpose of this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is to support the preclinical optimization and development of safe, effective, and non-addictive small molecule and biologic therapeutics for the treatment of pain. The goal of the program is to accelerate the advancement of promising early-stage therapeutic candidates and facilitate their readiness for Phase II clinical trials. Applicants must have a promising small molecule or biologic lead candidate for optimization, a strong biological rationale for the proposed approach, and established assays to guide the optimization process. The scope of the program includes lead optimization, early-stage development activities, IND-enabling studies, development of pharmacodynamic and/or target engagement biomarkers, preparation and submission of an Investigational New Drug (IND) application, and Phase I clinical testing. This is a milestone-driven, phased cooperative agreement program that involves active participation by NIH program staff in project planning and ongoing monitoring of research progress.