HEAL Initiative: Whole Joint Health Program (R61/R33 Clinical Trial Required)

Updated Oct 20, 2026

Grant from the National Institutes of Health, open to small businesses. Closes Oct 30, 2026, 10 days left.

Opportunity number	PAR-27-045
Agency	National Institutes of Health
Funding type	Grant
Field	Health
Cost sharing or matching	Not required
Assistance listing	93.121, 93.213, 93.273, 93.286, 93.473, 93.846, 93.853, 93.866
Posted	Sep 28, 2026
Closes	Oct 30, 2026 (10 days left)
Add the deadline to	Google Calendar

Who can apply

State governments
County governments
City or township governments
Special district governments
Independent school districts
Public and state controlled institutions of higher education
Native American tribal governments (federally recognized)
Public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities
Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments)
Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status, other than institutions of higher education
Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status, other than institutions of higher education
Private institutions of higher education
For-profit organizations other than small businesses
Small businesses
Others (see the eligibility notes)

Refer to Section III. Eligibility Information in the NOFO for additional information on eligibility.Foreign Organizations/International CollaborationsNon-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) are not eligible to apply.Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply.Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are not allowed.

Description

The NIH Helping to End Addiction Long-term® (HEAL) Initiative is releasing this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to support a phased mechanistic clinical research program focusing on understudied biological mechanisms that drive joint pain. The phased projects supported by this program (of up to five years total in duration) will first identify and validate multi-tissue mechanisms underlying joint pain, then test non-pharmacologic or multimodal interventions that directly target these mechanisms.

The initiative responds to priorities identified in the 2023 HEAL Whole Joint Pain Workshop and supports the broader goals of the NIH HEAL Initiative and the Make America Healthy Again vision by advancing safe, non-addictive, and prevention-oriented approaches to chronic pain.

Full announcement and how to apply on Grants.gov

Health grants right now

There are 350 open federal grants in health that small businesses may apply for; 33 close within 30 days. The median award ceiling is $500,000. The agencies offering the most are National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - ERA and Centers for Disease Control - NCBDDD. Grants in this field stay open a median of 1031 days; this one is open for 32 days.

Who has won this program before

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center $443.7 million · from Jun 29, 2006
University Of Washington $83.6 million · from Mar 1, 1997
Regents Of The University Of California, SAN Francisco, The $82.5 million · from Mar 1, 1997
President And Fellows Of Harvard College $76.7 million · from Jul 1, 2004
University Of Alabama AT Birmingham $69.9 million · from Mar 30, 1988

The largest grants and cooperative agreements under assistance listing 93.121, 93.213, 93.273, 93.286, 93.473, 93.846, 93.853, 93.866 with payments since Oct 1, 2025, from USAspending.gov. Amounts are each award's total.