NIH HEAL PAIN Cohort Program

NIH HEAL PAIN Cohort Program is sponsored by National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). Funds interdisciplinary postdoctoral training in clinical pain research.

Expired RFA-NS-24-015: HEAL Initiative Partnerships to Advance INterdisciplinary (PAIN) Training in Clinical Pain Research: The HEAL PAIN Cohort Program (T90/R90 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed) This notice has expired. Check the NIH Guide for active opportunities and notices. Department of Health and Human Services Part 1.

Overview Information Participating Organization(s) National Institutes of Health ( NIH ) Components of Participating Organizations National Institute of Neurological Disorders and National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism ( NIAAA ) National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases ( NIAMS ) Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development ( NICHD ) National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research ( NIDCR ) National Institute on Drug Abuse ( NIDA ) National Institute of Nursing Research ( NINR ) National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health ( NCCIH ) National Cancer Institute ( NCI ) Notice of Funding Opportunity Title HEAL Initiative Partnerships to Advance INterdisciplinary (PAIN) Training in Clinical Pain Research: The HEAL PAIN Cohort Program (T90/R90 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed) T90 / R90 Interdisciplinary Research Training Award/Interdisciplinary Regular Research Training Award October 26, 2022 - Reminder: FORMS-H Grant Application Forms & Instructions Must be Used for Due Dates On or After January 25, 2023 - New Grant Application Instructions Now Available.

See Notice NOT-OD-23-012 . August 8, 2022 - New NIH "FORMS-H" Grant Application Forms and Instructions Coming for Due Dates on or after January 25, 2023. See Notice NOT-OD-22-195 .

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) Number Companion Notice of Funding Opportunity Only one application per partnership is allowed. A partnership is defined as a collaboration between at least two different departments/colleges within one institution. See Section III.

3. Additional Information on Eligibility. Assistance Listing Number(s) 93.

853, 93. 279, 93. 866, 93.

213, 93. 273, 93. 865, 93.

395, 93. 398, 93. 121, 93.

846, 93. 361 Notice of Funding Opportunity Purpose To bolster the dwindling clinical pain research workforce, the NIH HEAL Initiative Partnership to Advance INterdisciplinary (PAIN) Training in Clinical Pain Research (the HEAL PAIN Cohort Program) will support interdisciplinary postdoctoral training to promote the next generation of independent clinical pain researchers.

The HEAL PAIN Cohort Program, will fund up to four T90/R90 institutional postdoctoral training programs in clinical pain research, and foster a cohort experience among programs at different institutions through the HEAL R24 Coordinating Center for National Pain Scientists. The T90/R90 mechanism is a Kirschstein-NRSA institutional training program designed to support interdisciplinary research.

The T90/R90 Trainees/Participants must be in a clinical program or demonstrate an interest in clinical pain research. Each T90/R90 program must propose a partnership between two or more departments/colleges within a single institution. T90/R90 training centers should identify at least two research focus areas that align with HEAL’s content areas.

Program mentors will be expected to provide training in clinical pain research and in one or more fields that have not traditionally been represented in pain research (e.g., engineering; social sciences; epidemiology; anthropology; biostatistics; computer sciences; demography; bioengineering; addiction medicine; public health; or mental health/behavioral health), with the aim of broadening the foci of clinical pain research training.

Appropriate Trainees/Participants include postdoctoral pain research fellows who either have a clinical degree or those who are interested in conducting clinical pain research. Open Date (Earliest Submission Date) Letter of Intent Due Date(s) Renewal / Resubmission / Revision (as allowed) All applications are due by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization.

Applicants are encouraged to apply early to allow adequate time to make any corrections to errors found in the application during the submission process by the due date. Required Application Instructions It is critical that applicants follow the Training (T) Instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide , except where instructed to do otherwise (in this NOFO or in a Notice from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts ).

Conformance to all requirements (both in the Application Guide and the NOFO) is required and strictly enforced. Applicants must read and follow all application instructions in the Application Guide as well as any program-specific instructions noted in Section IV. When the program-specific instructions deviate from those in the Application Guide, follow the program-specific instructions.

Applications that do not comply with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review. Part 1. Overview Information Part 2.

Full Text of Announcement Section I. Notice of Funding Opportunity Description Section II. Award Information Other Award Budget Information Section III.

Eligibility Information Section IV. Application and Submission Information Section V. Application Review Information Section VI.

Award Administration Information Section VII. Agency Contacts Section VIII. Other Information Part 2.

Full Text of Announcement Section I. Notice of Funding Opportunity Description The overall goal of the NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) program is to help ensure that a diverse pool of highly trained scientists is available in appropriate scientific disciplines to address the Nation's biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research needs.

In order to accomplish this goal, NRSA training programs are designed to train individuals to conduct research and to prepare for research careers. More information about NRSA programs may be found at the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) website.

Purpose and Background Information The NRSA program has been the primary means of supporting predoctoral and postdoctoral research training programs since enactment of the NRSA legislation in 1974.

Institutional NRSA programs allow the Training Program Director/Principal Investigator (Training PD/PI) to select trainees and develop an enhanced program of coursework, mentored research experiences, and technical and professional skills development appropriate for the appointed trainees that provides added value to already existing programs.

The grant offsets the cost of stipends, tuition and fees, and training related expenses, including health insurance, for the appointed trainees in accordance with the approved NIH support levels.

Funding Opportunity Description CT Required Optional This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) does not allow appointed Trainees to lead an independent clinical trial, but does allow them to obtain research experience in a clinical trial led by a mentor or co-mentor.

NIH strongly supports training towards a career in clinically relevant research and so gaining experience in clinical trials under the guidance of a mentor or co-mentor is encouraged. The NIH HEAL Initiative has invested significant resources in research programs aimed at identifying effective, non-opioid approaches for pain management.

To best leverage these investments, a large pool of highly-trained scientists, with diverse trainings and experiences, is needed. The NIH recognizes, however, that there is an early-stage clinical pain management workforce pipeline shortage which could affect the long-term goal of providing effective non-opioid options for the treatment of acute and chronic pain.

The Interagency Pain Research Coordinating Committee (IPRCC) has identified barriers to growth in the clinical pain research workforce, noting a limited pipeline of early career clinical pain researchers, challenges entering the field, and a high departure rate of senior investigators and mentors from the field.

The IPRCC also identified a need for early-stage researchers to receive structured research opportunities from experienced investigators within or outside of their home institutions to broaden mentorship foci.

HEAL has funded clinical pain workforce enhancement programs to provide time for mid-career and senior investigators to mentor early career trainees and support early career investigators who have not previously received NIH funding. There remains a need however, to establish a strong base of earlier stage postdoctoral fellows who would be eligible to apply to these programs and other HEAL grants in the future.

Building system capacity among the clinical pain research workforce is crucial to future scientific advances in this area and to achieve HEAL’s programmatic goals.

To this end, the NIH HEAL Initiative in partnership with stakeholders has identified several research priority areas that represent significant knowledge gaps in pain research (e.g., advancing health equity in the field of pain, bioinformatics, chronic overlapping pain conditions, and effective interventions for pain and co-morbidities).

Mentorship and training opportunities within these research priority areas will ensure that future generations of scientists are prepared to address HEAL’s programmatic goals. In addition, the pain management community has called for both broader adaptation of the biopsychosocial model in pain research and perspectives from fields that have not traditionally been involved in pain research.

Broadening current training will expand scientific rigor and spark innovative solutions to clinical pain management. Examples of fields that have not traditionally been involved in pain science include engineering, social sciences, epidemiology, anthropology, biostatistics, computer sciences, demography, bioengineering, addiction medicine, public health, and mental health/behavioral health.

HEAL PAIN Cohort Program Description This NOFO seeks applications to establish a cohort of up to four T90/R90 institutional postdoctoral training programs across various institutions as part of this NIH HEAL Partnerships to Advance INterdisciplinary Training for Clinical Pain Research (the HEAL PAIN Cohort Program).

The NIH T90/R90 mechanism is a Kirschstein-NRSA institutional training program designed to support interdisciplinary research. This program is responsive to the IPRCC and needs assessment survey by providing protected research time and formal research training opportunities to clinical pain researchers at an early stage of their careers while broadening the foci of research mentorship.

Since the goal is to increase the clinical pain research workforce, the T90/R90 Trainees/Participants must be in a clinical program or demonstrate an interest in clinical pain research. Investment at an early career stage aligns with the NIH HEAL Initiative’s goals by facilitating the retention of junior investigators in clinical pain research.

Because limited opportunities exist for postdoctoral training in clinical pain research, the HEAL PAIN Cohort Program will play a critical role in meeting this programmatic goal. The HEAL PAIN Cohort Program will promote retention in the clinical pain workforce by providing a cohort experience among T90/R90 program Trainees/Participants.

A cohort refers here to a group of trainees/participants that enter together and remain together throughout the program’s duration. Other NIH Initiatives have used a cohort model citing evidence that it fosters a supportive group of talented peers and provides institutional support, ultimately enhancing the success of adult learners and promoting diversity and retention among candidates.

The cohort model will be enhanced through the existing NOFO, RFA-NS-22-060, HEAL R24 Coordinating Center for National Pain Scientists ( https://grants. nih. gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-NS-22-060.

html ; https://painresearchers. com/ ), which will provide high-quality training through webinars, networking opportunities, and other events tailored to the T90/R90 programs. However, each T90/R90 program will also be responsible for offering training opportunities to their Trainees/Participants locally at their institution.

HEAL PAIN Cohort Program Objective The goal of the HEAL PAIN Cohort Program is to expand and enhance the pool of early career stage investigators (either those who have participated in a clinical program or who demonstrate an interest in clinical pain research) who are sufficiently prepared and trained to launch and maintain successful careers addressing the nation’s scientific needs in clinical pain research.

In addition to providing protected research time and dedicated training, the program’s unique cohort approach aims to increase retention of these early career stage investigators in the clinical pain research workforce.

The cohort experience also will provide networking opportunities to build partnerships between investigators in fields that are both traditionally and not traditionally represented in the field of pain, with the goal of leading to future scientific collaborations.

Finally, the focus on broadening training foci to include fields outside of those traditionally represented in the field of pain as well as recruiting prospective Training PD/PIs, mentors, and Trainees/Participants from diverse backgrounds are expected to promote innovative solutions for pain management.

Program Structure: The T90/R90 mechanism is designed to build interdisciplinary partnerships to train the next generation of clinical pain scientists. Each T90/R90 application should propose a partnership between at least two departments or colleges within an institution and describe how this partnership bridges traditional and non-traditional pain fields to advance training in clinical pain research.

It is possible that one or more of the partnering departments or colleges may already be interdisciplinary in nature. However, it is still expected that there will be adequate representation of pain-focused researchers in one department and mentors from fields not traditional to pain research in the other department(s).

Institutions that do not currently have NIH funding for a pain-related institutional training program (e.g., T32) will be prioritized.

Applications should identify how the within-institution T90/R90 partnership will provide training for at least two of HEAL’s clinical pain research content areas (listed below in alphabetical order): (1) Advancing health equity in the field of pain (3) Chronic overlapping pain conditions (4) Effective interventions for pain and co-morbidities, such as substance use disorder, sleep, and major depression (5) Effects of social determinants of health on pain (6) Implementation science (7) Non-opioid pharmacological treatments for pain (8) Nonpharmacological interventions for pain (e.g., behavioral approaches, mind and body approaches, and/or other complementary and integrative health approaches) (9) Pain across the lifespan (10) Prevention of the transition from acute to chronic pain Training Scope: Each T90/R90 program is expected to provide mentorship that will prepare T90/R90 Trainees/Participants to launch and maintain productive careers in the clinical pain research workforce.

Mentors are expected to provide training to T90/R90 Trainees/Participants both within the institution and across the broader HEAL PAIN Cohort Program, such as through webinars.

The application should describe how: (1) the biopsychosocial model of pain will be integrated into the training (2) the program will use a team science approach by partnering with departments/colleges not traditionally incorporated in the pain field (3) the program will create a culture to attract and retain a diverse pool of Trainees to expand scientific rigor and innovation (4) training will be provided based on whole person health in a way that reduces stigma and bias (5) Trainees/Participants will learn skills to thoughtfully engage and incorporate individuals from all backgrounds, including individuals from NIH-designated populations that experience health disparities with lived experience of pain and comorbid conditions in the research process (6) training will be provided in advanced statistics and research methods (7) Trainees/Participants will be taught grantspersonship skills, which should include how to write a grant and create a budget (8) Trainees/Participants will be prepared to successfully apply to tenure-track positions in academic settings (9) the program will help coordinate monthly webinars related to HEAL priority areas (e.g., engaging people with lived experience of pain in research, pain co-morbidities, addiction, prevention of pain chronification, pain across the lifespan, non-pharmacological pain interventions, and bioinformatics) that will be posted on the HEAL R24 Coordinating Center for National Pain Scientists website Cohort Experience: A critical component of the HEAL PAIN Cohort Program is the creation of a cohort experience among all of the T90/R90 programs at different institutions.

This cohort experience will be facilitated through the HEAL R24 Coordinating Center for National Pain Scientists (R24; RFA-NS-22-060 ) and coordination of all the T90/R90 Training PD/PI(s).

The cohort experience will be achieved through the following efforts: The Training PD(s)/PI(s) and mentors will: Organize a session at the HEAL R24 Annual National Pain Scientists Career Development Program Meeting (see section below) for all pain T90/R90 Trainees, mentors, and Training PD/PIs Coordinate monthly webinars created by the T90/R90 programs Organize cohort experiences among all of the funded T90/R90 Trainees across all of the funded T90/R90 institutions Encourage the T90/R90 Trainees and mentors to participate in the HEAL R24 Coordinating Center for National Pain Scientists' networking events Host events for postdoctoral Trainees to meet with faculty at external institutions to promote their job search within research settings The HEAL R24 Coordinating Center for National Pain Scientists will: Post the monthly webinars created by T90/R90 programs on the HEAL R24 Coordinating Center’s website to make them broadly available.

Organize events that encourage a cohort experience and collaboration throughout the year for T90/R90 programs (in the HEAL PAIN Cohort Program) and T32 pain trainees (outside of the HEAL PAIN Cohort Program) across institutions, such as networking events Connect T90/R90 Trainees and T32 postdoctoral trainees to HEAL funded mentors and grants on the HEAL R24 Coordinating Center for National Pain Scientists online platform Enhance communication between basic, translational, and clinical pain trainees Host events for T90/R90, T32, and non-T32 postdoctoral fellows to meet with faculty at external institutions to promote their job search within research settings Annual National Pain Scientists Career Development Program Meeting (R24) The HEAL R24 Coordinating Center for National Pain Scientists recipient will create a network of early-career pain scientists, pain trainees, and mentors (RFA-NS-22-060).

The HEAL R24 Coordinating Center for National Pain Scientists has named their program Positively Uniting Researchers of Pain to Opine, Synthesize, and Engage (PURPOSE) https://painresearchers. com/. The HEAL R24 Coordinating Center for National Pain Scientists will work to improve the collaboration between basic, translational, and clinical researchers, who do not regularly collaborate or work together.

One function of the HEAL R24 Coordinating Center for National Pain Scientists will be to organize an annual meeting for established scientists as well as early career pain investigators.

This meeting will facilitate the creation of a network of pain research mentors and mentees as well as foster communication between scientists and clinicians of different disciplines, provide enhanced mentorship, leadership courses, and any additional trainings that might be helpful for early-career scientists.

T90/R90 Trainees/Participants, Training PD/PIs, and mentors will be required to attend the HEAL R24 Annual National Pain Scientist Career Development Meeting. The T90/R90 awards should provide financial support for all Trainees/Participants, Training PD/PI(s), and up to 5 mentors to attend this annual meeting. T90/R90 grant applicants can propose up to $1,500 for travel costs for those people attending the annual meeting.

The Training PD/PIs of all of the T90/R90 awards should schedule a workshop at the HEAL R24 Annual National Pain Scientists Career Development Program Meeting where the T90/R90 Trainees/Participants may be provided in-person trainings or mentoring experiences not already received, and/or Trainees can present the status of their research.

In addition, T90/R90 Trainees/Participants, Training PD/PIs, and mentors are strongly encouraged to participate in all other aspects of the HEAL R24 Coordinating Centers for National Pain Scientists program, including networking experiences and classes.

Additional HEAL Information This program is part of the NIH’s Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) Initiative to speed scientific solutions to the national opioid public health crisis. The NIH HEAL Initiative bolsters research across NIH to (1) improve treatment for opioid misuse and addiction and (2) enhance pain management. More information about the NIH HEAL Initiative is available at: https://heal.

nih. gov/ . In addition to broadening scientific inquiry, applicants should strive to promote diversity in their team development plan.

Research shows that diverse teams working together and capitalizing on innovative ideas and distinct perspectives outperform homogenous teams. Scientists and trainees from diverse backgrounds and life experiences bring different perspectives, creativity, and individual enterprise to address complex scientific problems.

There are many benefits that flow from a diverse NIH-supported scientific workforce, including: fostering scientific innovation, enhancing global competitiveness, contributing to robust learning environments, improving the quality of the research, advancing the likelihood that underserved or health disparity populations participate in, and benefit from health research, and enhancing public trust.

In spite of tremendous advancements in scientific research, information, educational and research opportunities are not equally available to all. NIH encourages institutions to diversify their student and faculty populations to enhance the participation of individuals from groups that are underrepresented in the medical, clinical, behavioral and social sciences.

Please refer to Notice of NIH's Interest in Diversity NOT-OD-20-031 for more details. The NIH HEAL Initiative encourages coordination and sharing between investigators. NIH HEAL Initiative recipients are expected to participate in Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) meetings, including an annual HEAL Investigators Meeting, as well as other activities.

NIH strongly supports training towards a career in clinically relevant research and so gaining experience in clinical trials under the guidance of a mentor or co-mentor is encouraged. This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) does not allow appointed scholars to lead an independent clinical trial, but does allow them to obtain research experience in a clinical trial led by a mentor or co-mentor.

NINDS Rigor and Transparency NINDS, as part of NIH, strives for rigor and transparency in all research it funds. For this reason, NINDS explicitly emphasizes the NIH application instructions related to rigor and transparency ( https://grants. nih.

gov/policy/reproducibility/guidance. htm ) and provides additional guidance to the scientific community ( https://www. ninds.

nih. gov/Funding/grant_policy ). For example, the biological rationale for the proposed experiments must be based on rigorous and robust supporting data, which means that data should be collected via methods that minimize the risk of bias and be reported in a transparent manner.

If previously published or preliminary studies do not meet these standards, applicants should address how the current study design addresses the deficiencies in rigor and transparency. Proposed experiments should likewise be designed in a manner that minimizes the risk of bias and ensures validity of experimental results.

Each of the HEAL PAIN Cohort Programs will need to train and provide career development activities which should equip trainees with the following skills required for careers in the research workforce: Technical (e.g., appropriate methods, approaches, technologies, and quantitative/qualitative/mixed-methods analyses and reasoning) Operational (e.g., independent knowledge acquisition, appropriate data management, robust and unbiased experimental design, safe laboratory conduct, proper interpretation of data, transparent reporting of all results, and sharing of data and materials) Professional (e.g., leadership, management, and teamwork) Communication (e.g., how to communicate results to professional organizations, fellow clinicians, and the general public; how to give job talks) See Section VIII.

Other Information for award authorities and regulations. Section II. Award Information Grant: A support mechanism providing money, property, or both to an eligible entity to carry out an approved project or activity.

Application Types Allowed The OER Glossary and the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide provide details on these application types. Only those application types listed here are allowed for this NOFO. Not Allowed: Only accepting applications that do not propose clinical trials.

Note: Appointed Trainees are permitted to obtain research experience in a clinical trial led by a mentor or co-mentor. Need help determining whether you are doing a clinical trial? Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards The number of awards is contingent upon NIH appropriations and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications.

HEAL may fund up to 4 T90/R90 awards. HEAL intends to commit up to $673,000 (direct cost) for each T90/R90 award in fiscal year 2024. Future year amounts will depend on annual appropriations.

HEAL intends to commit, for each award, up to $673,000 (direct costs) in FY2025; $673,000 (direct costs) in FY2026; $673,000 (direct costs) in FY2027; and $673,000 (direct costs) in FY2028. Application budgets are not limited, but need to reflect the actual needs of the proposed project.

Recipients are expected to be familiar with and comply with applicable cost policies and the NRSA Guidelines ( NIH Grants Policy Statement - Institutional Research Training Grants ).

Funds may be used only for those expenses that are directly related to and necessary for the research training and must be expended in conformance with OMB Cost Principles, the NIH Grants Policy Statement , and the NRSA regulations, policies, guidelines, and conditions set forth in this document. The maximum project period is 5 years for the T90/R90 awards.

Other Award Budget Information Stipends, Tuition, and Fees (T90) and Participant Costs (R90) Program-supported Trainees (T90) and Participants (R90) will be appointed to the program according to the guidance provided in Section III. Item 3. Additional Information on Eligibility.

Each HEAL T90/R90 grant will support up to 5 Trainees annually. However, the ratio of T90 Trainees to R90 Participants must be 4:1 or greater in any year of the award. T90 Trainees: Kirschstein NRSA awards provide stipends as a subsistence allowance to help defray living expenses during the research training experience.

Stipend levels, as well as amounts for tuition and fees and the institutional allowance are announced annually in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, and also are posted on the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) webpage . Trainees in the HEAL PAIN Cohort Program may receive funds to defray partial tuition and other education-related expenses .

For institutional training grants, an amount per postdoctoral Trainee equal to 60% of the actual tuition level at the application institution, up to $4,500 per year. R90 Participants: HEAL will provide costs for the Participants (R90) salary, partial tuition and other-education related expenses, and fees at a rate commensurate with recent levels allowable under the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA).

Applicants should calculate the Trainee (T90) and Participant (R90) budget according to the appropriate formula for stipends, tuition/fees, and other budgetary levels that are in effect at the time of award.

Trainee (T90) and Participant (R90) Travel Trainee (T90) and Participant (R90) travel to attend scientific meetings and workshops that the institution determines to be necessary for the individual’s research training experience are allowable Trainee/Participant expenses for postdoctoral fellows.

This FOA will allow Trainees/Participants to attend up to three national or international conferences or workshops (no more than $1,500 per trip) annually, and these costs should be included in the budget. For this to be an allowable cost, Trainees/Participants must have an active 12-month appointment to this training program at the time of actual travel.

Attendance at the annual National Pain Scientists Career Development Program Meeting is required for Trainees/Participants. The travel stipend for the annual National Pain Scientists Career Development Program meeting will be counted as one of the three conferences and workshops for which the Trainees/Participants can use travel stipends.

Travel Training PD/PI(s) and Mentors: The Training PD/PI(s) and up to five mentors are required to attend the annual National Pain Scientists Career Development Program Meeting (RFA-NS-22-060), and these costs should be included in the budget. Up to $1,500 can be spent on travel for each person required to attend the annual meeting.

Training Related Expenses (T90) and Other Program Related Expenses (R90) T90 and R90 Component: HEAL will provide funds to help defray other research training expenses, such as health insurance, staff salaries, consultant costs, equipment, research supplies, and faculty/staff travel directly related to the research training program.

The most recent levels of training-related expenses are announced annually in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, and also are posted on the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) webpage . Training PD/PI(s) : The Training PD/PI(s) can request up to 10% (i.e., up to 1.

2 calendar months) protected time to run the T90/R90 program. The Training PD/PI(s) is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the program, mentoring Trainees/Participants, creating curriculum content and presenting webinars, and determining the appropriate allotment of funds. If there is more than 1 Training PD/PI leading the T90/R90 application, they can split the 10% protected time (i.e., up to 1.

2 calendar months). Mentor(s) : Since the mentors in the T90/R90 program will be asked to mentor the Trainees/Participants, as well as create curriculum content and content for webinars, each mentor can ask for up to 10% protected time (i.e., up to 1. 2 calendar months) for their effort within the T90/R90 training grant.

However, each T90/R90 grant cannot request more than 50% protected time for all of their mentors (i.e., 6 calendar months). If, for example, there are 7 mentors within the T90/R90 program, they will have to split the 50% effort across all 7 mentors, with no one mentor claiming more than 10% effort (i.e., 1. 2 calendar months).

Each mentor, at a minimum, is required to commit 5% effort on this training grant. The Training PD/PI(s) have a separate percent effort that should not be included in the 50%. Assessment and Evaluation Team: The program must select either an individual or a team to complete an evaluation of the T90/R90 program annually.

Identified Training PD(s)/PI(s) and mentors cannot be part of The Assessment and Evaluation Team. The Assessment and Evaluation Team can request up to 10% protected time (i.e., up to 1. 2 calendar months) to conduct the roles and responsibilities outlined in this FOA.

These funds are separate from the funds that can cover the T90/R90 Training PD(s)/PI(s), mentors, and Trainees. If there is more than 1 team member on the Assessment and Evaluation Team, they can split the 10% protected time (i.e., up to 1. 2 calendar months).

If there is more than one member of the Assessment and Evaluation team, the team members are required to commit a minimum of 2% effort on this training grant.

Administrative Staff : The T90/R90 grants can request up to 3 calendar months (25% salary) for an administrative staff member who can help the Training PD/PI(s) manage the running of the T90/R90 mechanism and help coordinate with the HEAL R24 Coordinating Center for National Pain Scientists (RFA-NS-22-060).

These funds are separate from the funds that can cover the T90/R90 Training PD(s)/PI(s), mentors, Trainees/Participants, and the Assessment and Evaluation Team member(s).

Indirect Costs (also known as Facilities & Administrative [F&A] Costs) are reimbursed at 8% of modified total direct costs (exclusive of tuition and fees, consortium costs in excess of $25,000, and expenditures for equipment), rather than on the basis of a negotiated rate agreement. NIH grants policies as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement will apply to the applications submitted and awards made from this NOFO. Section III.

Eligibility Information Higher Education Institutions Public/State Controlled Institutions of Higher Education Private Institutions of Higher Education The following types of Higher Education Institutions are always encouraged to apply for NIH support as Public or Private Institutions of Higher Education: Hispanic-serving Institutions Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs) Nonprofits Other Than Institutions of Higher Education Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education) Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education) Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Federally Recognized) Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized) U.S. Territory or Possession Native American Tribal Organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Faith-based or Community-based Organizations Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government U.S. Territory or Possession The sponsoring institution must assure support for the proposed program.

Appropriate institutional commitment to the program includes the provision of adequate staff, facilities,