Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA AR 19 028
The HEAL Initiative: Back Pain Consortium (BACPAC) Research Program Technology Research Sites funding opportunity (RFA-AR-19-028) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) cooperative agreement meant to accelerate practical, non-addictive solutions for chronic pain as part of the broader HEAL (Helping to End Addiction Long-term) Initiative. The program is framed around the opioid crisis and focuses on urgent gaps in pain care across the lifespan, especially the need to better understand the biological drivers of chronic pain and to discover, develop, and test pain treatments that do not create addiction risk. In plain terms, NIH is looking to build and coordinate research capacity that can move promising pain-related technologies and approaches forward in a way that can produce faster and longer-lasting improvements than the usual pace of research.
This specific announcement supports “Technology Research Sites” within the Back Pain Consortium, which signals an emphasis on research infrastructure and capabilities that enable technology-centered studies in back pain. While the notice does not list every scientific aim in the excerpt you provided, the intent is consistent with BACPAC and HEAL goals: strengthen the pipeline for objective measurement tools, data capture and integration methods, and novel technology-enabled approaches that can improve understanding, diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of back pain and related chronic pain conditions. The “Clinical Trial Optional” label means applicants may propose clinical trials if they are appropriate to the technology being developed or evaluated, but a trial is not mandatory for every project.
The award mechanism is a cooperative agreement using the UH2/UH3 phased innovation structure. That structure is commonly used when NIH wants an early, milestone-driven phase (UH2) to establish feasibility, finalize protocols, stand up technology and operational workflows, and reduce risk, followed by a second phase (UH3) that expands into full implementation once predefined milestones are met. The cooperative agreement format also indicates substantial NIH involvement beyond typical grants, usually including coordination, shared governance, and active program stewardship to keep multiple sites aligned. In a consortium setting like BACPAC, that often translates into expectations around common data elements, harmonized procedures, shared platforms, and regular cross-site collaboration so that results can be compared and combined rather than staying siloed.
The opportunity sits within NIH’s broader funding activity area described as “Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services,” and it is associated with multiple CFDA numbers (93.242, 93.279, 93.307, 93.313, 93.361, 93.846, 93.853, 93.865, 93.866), reflecting the cross-institute and multi-program nature of HEAL-related work. The stated award ceiling in the source data is $400,000, which provides a rough upper bound for budgeting expectations under this specific listing (applicants would still need to follow the detailed budget instructions and any phase-specific limits in the full announcement text).
Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S. organizations and governments: state, county, city/township, and 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; Native American tribal organizations that are not federally recognized governments; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education when specified); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); small businesses; and an “Other” category. The listing also explicitly highlights additional eligible applicants 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, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, U.S. territories or possessions, and even non-U.S. (foreign) organizations. That breadth suggests NIH was aiming to attract a wide range of technical and clinical capabilities, diverse patient populations, and varied real-world settings where technology-enabled back pain research can be carried out and validated.
Administratively, this is a discretionary funding opportunity from NIH with an original closing date of March 20, 2019, and it was created on December 10, 2018. Even though the date is in the past, the summary is still useful for understanding how NIH structured BACPAC technology site funding and what kinds of organizations and capabilities were considered relevant. If you are looking for a current equivalent opportunity, the best practical next step would be to search NIH/Grants.gov for newer BACPAC or HEAL pain-related RFAs using keywords like “BACPAC,” “back pain consortium,” “technology research site,” and “UH2/UH3,” because NIH often reissues consortium programs in updated cycles with revised requirements and budgets.Apply for RFA AR 19 028
- The National Institutes of Health in the education, health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "HEAL Initiative: Back Pain Consortium (BACPAC) Research Program Technology Research Sites (UH2/UH3 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.242, 93.279, 93.307, 93.313, 93.361, 93.846, 93.853, 93.865, 93.866.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2018-12-10.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2019-03-20. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $400,000.00 in funding.
- 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.
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| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| HEAL Initiative: Back Pain Consortium (BACPAC) Research Program: Mechanistic Research Centers (U19 Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for RFA AR 19 026 Funding Number: RFA AR 19 026 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| HEAL Initiative: Back Pain Consortium (BACPAC) Research Program Data Integration, Algorithm Development and Operations Management Center (U24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA AR 19 027 Funding Number: RFA AR 19 027 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $3,600,000 |
| HEAL Initiative: Clinical Devices to Treat Pain (UH3 Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for RFA NS 19 018 Funding Number: RFA NS 19 018 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| HEAL Initiative: Pragmatic and Implementation Studies for the Management of Pain to Reduce Opioid Prescribing (PRISM) (UG3/UH3, Clinical Trials Optional) Apply for RFA AT 19 004 Funding Number: RFA AT 19 004 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| HEAL Initiative: Tissue Chips to Model Nociception, Addiction, and Overdose (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA TR 19 003 Funding Number: RFA TR 19 003 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| HEAL Initiative: Preventing Opioid Use Disorder in Older Adolescents and Young Adults (ages 1630) (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Required) Apply for RFA DA 19 035 Funding Number: RFA DA 19 035 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| HEAL Initiative: Behavioral Research to Improve MAT: Behavioral and Social Interventions to Improve Adherence to Medication Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorders (R61/R33 Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for RFA AT 19 006 Funding Number: RFA AT 19 006 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (Parent K01 - Independent Clinical Trial Required) Apply for PA 19 127 Funding Number: PA 19 127 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Mentored Quantitative Research Development Award (Parent K25 - Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for PA 19 124 Funding Number: PA 19 124 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (Parent K01 - Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for PA 19 126 Funding Number: PA 19 126 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| NIH Pathway to Independence Award (Parent K99/R00 - Independent Clinical Trial Required) Apply for PA 19 129 Funding Number: PA 19 129 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Research Enhancement Award Program (REAP) for Health Professional Schools and Graduate Schools (R15 Clinical Trial Required) Apply for PAR 19 135 Funding Number: PAR 19 135 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $300,000 |
| Accelerating the Pace of Child Health Research Using Existing Data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (R21-Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for PAR 19 163 Funding Number: PAR 19 163 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| HIV/AIDS Clinical Trials Networks Laboratory Centers (UM1 Clinical Trial Required) Apply for RFA AI 19 001 Funding Number: RFA AI 19 001 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| HIV Prevention Clinical Trials Network Leadership and Operations Center (UM1 Clinical Trial Required) Apply for RFA AI 19 005 Funding Number: RFA AI 19 005 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| HIV/AIDS Clinical Trials Networks Statistical and Data Management Centers (SDMC) (UM1 Clinical Trial Required) Apply for RFA AI 19 002 Funding Number: RFA AI 19 002 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| U.S.-South Africa Program for Collaborative Biomedical Research - Phase 2 (HIV/AIDS) (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for RFA AI 19 022 Funding Number: RFA AI 19 022 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $350,000 |
| U.S.-South Africa Program for Collaborative Biomedical Research - Phase 2 (HIV/AIDS) (U01 Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for RFA AI 19 023 Funding Number: RFA AI 19 023 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $250,000 |
| BRAIN Initiative: Tools to Facilitate High-Throughput Microconnectivity Analysis (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA MH 20 135 Funding Number: RFA MH 20 135 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| BRAIN Initiative: Secondary Analysis and Archiving of BRAIN Initiative Data (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA MH 20 120 Funding Number: RFA MH 20 120 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $300,000 |
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