HEAL Initiative: Restoring Joint Health and Function to Reduce Pain Consortium (RE-JOIN) (UC2 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | RFA AR 22 009

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA AR 22 009

The HEAL Initiative: Restoring Joint Health and Function to Reduce Pain Consortium (RE-JOIN) (UC2 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) cooperative agreement funding opportunity (RFA-AR-22-009) designed to build a coordinated, interdisciplinary research consortium focused on joint pain. Through this program, NIH aims to bring together teams with complementary expertise to work in a collaborative structure rather than as isolated projects, with NIH playing an active partnership role typical of cooperative agreements. The central scientific objective is to map and define how sensory neurons that transmit pain signals innervate the different tissues that make up joints. In practical terms, the consortium is meant to clarify what kinds of nerve fibers (neurites) are present in joint tissues, where they are located, and how those neural inputs relate to pain sensation arising from joints.

A core premise of the opportunity is that joint pain is not driven by a single tissue or a single type of nerve input; instead, joints are complex organs made up of multiple tissues (for example, cartilage, bone, synovium, ligaments, meniscus where applicable, and surrounding connective tissues), and each tissue may be innervated differently. By systematically characterizing the types and distribution patterns of neurites across these tissues, RE-JOIN seeks to provide a clearer picture of which sensory neuron subtypes are responsible for detecting damaging or inflammatory signals and converting them into pain. This kind of detailed "innervation atlas" is intended to become a foundation for identifying the specific receptors, signaling molecules, and biological mediators that activate particular pain-sensing neurons in joint contexts.

The translational payoff NIH is aiming for is target discovery for non-opioid pain therapeutics and interventions. Once the field can pinpoint which mediators (or their receptors) drive activation of defined pain-relevant sensory neurons in joint tissues, those mediators and receptors become more actionable targets for new strategies to reduce pain. In other words, the consortium is set up to move the science upstream of clinical trials: it supports the mechanistic and mapping work needed to nominate promising therapeutic targets and to better understand joint pain biology, rather than testing interventions in people. Consistent with that intent, the announcement explicitly indicates that a clinical trial is not allowed under this UC2 mechanism.

Administratively, the program sits within NIH and is categorized as discretionary funding with a cooperative agreement instrument type, meaning awardees should expect substantial scientific coordination and programmatic involvement. The funding activity category is health, and the opportunity is associated with multiple CFDA numbers (93.121, 93.213, 93.286, 93.846, 93.853, 93.866), reflecting NIH institute and program alignments that can support pain, musculoskeletal, neurological, and related research priorities under the broader HEAL (Helping to End Addiction Long-term) Initiative umbrella.

Eligibility is broad and intentionally inclusive across many organization types to encourage diverse participation and capabilities. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; tribal organizations that are not federally recognized; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The announcement also highlights additional eligible applicant categories such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions. On the international side, non-U.S. organizations and non-U.S. institutions are not eligible to apply as the primary applicant, but non-domestic components of U.S. organizations may participate, and foreign components (as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement) are allowed, which can enable specific collaborations or specialized contributions from abroad while keeping the applicant organization U.S.-based.

The opportunity was posted with an original closing date of April 11, 2022, and created on January 10, 2022. The source information provided does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, but the consortium framing and UC2 cooperative agreement structure signal that NIH is seeking coordinated, team-based projects that contribute to a shared set of consortium goals around joint innervation and pain mechanisms, ultimately accelerating the identification of novel biological targets for pain reduction.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "HEAL Initiative: Restoring Joint Health and Function to Reduce Pain Consortium (RE-JOIN) (UC2 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.121, 93.213, 93.286, 93.846, 93.853, 93.866.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2022-01-10.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-04-11. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: 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/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.

Apply for RFA AR 22 009

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