Restoring Joint Health and Function to Reduce Pain (RE-JOIN) 2.0

The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is leading a new funding initiative under the NIH Helping to End Addiction Long-Term (HEAL) Initiative. This initiative, entitled "Restoring Joint Health and Function to Reduce Pain (RE-JOIN) 2.0", builds upon the progress and findings of the earlier RE-JOIN 1.0 program. The HEAL Initiative aims to improve understanding, treatment, and prevention of chronic pain and opioid misuse. The new RE-JOIN 2.0 program seeks to enhance fundamental knowledge about joint pain and its underlying mechanisms with the goal of identifying novel interventions. This funding opportunity is structured as a cooperative agreement, reflecting a collaborative relationship between the funded investigators and NIH program officials. RE-JOIN 2.0 emphasizes a multidisciplinary approach, inviting researchers in neurobiology, pain science, data science, orthopedics, and rheumatology to participate. The program will expand and deepen research efforts to map innervation in joint tissues and better understand the sensory neurons responsible for mediating pain. The scope includes joint components such as bone, cartilage, synovium, ligament, and muscle, with particular focus on peri-articular tissues such as vasculature, synovium, adipose, and fascia. Additionally, RE-JOIN 2.0 will support advanced clinical pain phenotyping through multimodal profiling of diverse patient samples across age groups and disease conditions. It encourages the development and use of new preclinical models and methodologies, including New Approach Methodologies (NAMs), and prioritizes secondary data analyses and human sample validation efforts. Another central goal is the improvement of data integration tools, including enhanced joint atlases that merge imaging and molecular data to facilitate holistic understanding of joint pain pathophysiology. The funding mechanism anticipates supporting up to eight awards, although the specific funding amounts and ceiling/floor values were not disclosed in the forecast. Importantly, there is no cost-sharing or matching requirement for this opportunity. Eligibility is broad and inclusive, encompassing tribal, state, local, nonprofit, academic, and private sector organizations. Notably, eligible applicants include federally recognized and non-federally recognized tribal governments and organizations, small and large for-profit entities, regional and faith-based organizations, public and private institutions of higher education, and some foreign institutions. Applications are not currently being accepted. The NOFO is expected to be published on October 1, 2026, with an application due date of December 1, 2026. Awards will be issued by September 1, 2027, at which point projects may begin. The program does not list any pre-application requirements such as letters of intent or concept papers. Interested applicants are encouraged to use the forecast period to develop meaningful, multidisciplinary collaborations to strengthen the competitiveness of their applications. Inquiries related to this funding opportunity can be directed via email to [email protected]. As a forecasted grant, applicants are advised to monitor Grants.gov and the NIH website for the official publication of the NOFO and any updates regarding eligibility or application requirements. This grant opportunity appears to be part of a recurring program cycle, suggesting future rounds may follow.