The National Institutes of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) with other NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs), intends to publish a new Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to solicit applications for multi-PI team-based, challenging, high impact projects to improve understanding of mechanisms of chronic pain in children and adolescents and to accelerate the development of age appropriate, patient/family centered prevention and therapeutic approaches. This research will seek to advance an integrated understanding of the biological, psychological, and social factors that contribute to pediatric chronic pain. NIH is interested in pain research in infants, children, and adolescents that includes those with intellectual and physical disabilities and/or those who experience health disparities (e.g., diverse race/ethnicity, sexual and gender minorities, socioeconomically disadvantaged, medically underserved communities, people with limited English proficiency). NIH encourages applicants to consider community-engaged research and interdisciplinary, collaborative applications to be developed in partnership with patient communities and/or community organizations where possible. The long-term goal is to develop improved knowledge of specific pediatric pain conditions as well as pain associated with diverse diseases/disorders, to improve understanding of pain in the context of child development and to facilitate the stratification of patients with specific pain conditions and co-morbidities to accelerate chronic pain prevention and therapeutic clinical trials. This Notice is being provided to allow potential applicants sufficient time to develop meaningful collaborations and responsive projects. The NOFO is expected to be published in May 2024 with an expected application due date in Fall 2024. This NOFO will utilize the UC2 Research Project Cooperative Agreements activity code. Details of the planned NOFO are provided below.
