A Holistic Approach to Study Non-Addictive Natural Products for Pain Management
Contract Overview
Solicitation details, issuing organization, response deadlines, documents, and interested companies for this government contract opportunity.
AI Contract Overview
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) is preparing to issue a Notice of Funding Opportunity aimed at supporting collaborative, interdisciplinary research focused on non-addictive natural products for chronic pain management. This initiative is part of the NIH Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) Initiative and seeks to promote safe, prevention-oriented strategies that address pain through a holistic, system-wide approach. Chronic pain, which significantly impacts millions of adults in the United States, has seen widespread use of natural products for relief, yet scientific understanding of these products lags behind public use. The research targeted by this funding aims to go beyond isolated molecular targets to investigate how natural products affect pain through coordinated biological pathways across multiple organ systems, including digestive, immune, vascular, musculoskeletal, lymphatic, metabolic, and nervous systems. Investigators are encouraged to explore dose optimization based on hormesis principles, where lower doses may yield beneficial effects and higher doses could be harmful or ineffective, and to determine the best timing for interventions aligned with the phases of pain and inflammation to maximize therapeutic outcomes. The focus is on rigorous mechanistic studies that will provide foundational insights, guiding future translational research and aiding the development of safe, evidence-based, non-addictive approaches for pain management. The funding opportunity emphasizes innovative, holistic science that integrates multiple biological systems to advance knowledge and improve treatments for chronic pain sufferers.
General Info
Agency
NAICS
Place of Performance
Not specifiedSet-Aside
Documents
(0)AI Contract Breakdown
Uniform Contract FormatNo contract breakdown available.
Cannot generate Contract Breakdown because no documents were found from this contract's source.
Timeline
Organization & Contact Information
Full Description
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) intends to publish a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to support collaborative interdisciplinary research that advances foundational understanding of non-addictive natural products for chronic pain management through a holistic, system-oriented approach. This initiative aligns with the NIH Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) Initiative by promoting safe, non-addictive, and prevention-oriented strategies for pain relief.
Chronic pain affects tens of millions of adults in the United States, contributing to disability, diminished quality of life, and significant healthcare costs. Despite widespread public use of natural products, such as botanicals, dietary supplements, and other naturally derived compounds for pain relief, scientific evidence has not kept pace with demand. Existing research often focuses on single molecular targets or isolated pathways, which fail to capture the complex, multisystem actions of these products.
The scope of natural products under this NOFO includes those commonly used by the public as well as those with emerging usage or therapeutic potential. Research is expected to take a holistic approach that examines how these products influence pain through coordinated biological pathways across the multiple organ systems, such as digestive, immune, vascular, musculoskeletal, lymphatic, metabolic/adipose tissues, and nervous system. Studies should also explore dose optimization based on the principle of hormesis, where low doses may elicit beneficial or adaptive effects while higher doses could be ineffective or harmful. In addition, investigators are encouraged to identify optimal intervention timing that aligns with the dynamic phases of pain and inflammation, thereby maximizing therapeutic outcomes and supporting physiological recovery.
This program emphasizes rigorous mechanistic studies that generate foundational insights to inform future translational research and guide the development of safe, evidence-based, non-addictive strategies for pain management.