Research Network to Promote Multidisciplinary Mechanistic and Translational Studies of Sickle Cell Disease Pain (U24, Clinical Trial Optional) | RFA AT 24 001

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA AT 24 001

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity RFA-AT-24-001 supports the creation of a Research Network focused on improving the scientific understanding and treatment relevance of pain in sickle cell disease (SCD). It is offered as a U24 cooperative agreement, meaning the award is designed for coordinated, collaborative work where NIH staff typically have substantial involvement in guiding or partnering on network activities. Clinical trials are optional under this announcement, so applicants may include clinical trial elements if they fit the network goals, but a clinical trial is not required.

The central aim is to bring together multidisciplinary teams to tackle SCD pain through mechanistic and translational research. In practice, the network is expected to build and refine research frameworks and develop or improve model systems that can be used by different disciplines to work on shared questions. Another major expectation is that the network will actively stimulate and manage interdisciplinary collaborations, including launching pilot projects that test new mechanistic hypotheses in high-priority areas relevant to SCD pain. A strong emphasis is also placed on developing novel technologies and methodologies to study pain as it manifests in organs commonly affected by SCD, which reflects the need for tools that better capture the disease-specific biology and the lived experience of pain.

Rather than operating like a single-lab research project, the network is intended to function as an organizing and enabling structure for the field. Applicants are encouraged to propose concrete activities that build community and accelerate discovery, such as convening meetings, workshops, and conferences; setting up research collaborations across institutions and disciplines; creating visiting scientist or exchange arrangements to transfer expertise; and offering training opportunities that help investigators enter or upskill within the SCD pain space. A key practical outcome of these activities is to identify gaps and opportunities that the network can address quickly through pilot projects. Those pilots are intended to generate preliminary data and proof-of-concept results that position investigators to compete for larger NIH awards later, including awards associated with the Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) Initiative.

The announcement also stresses sustainability and field-building beyond the pilot work itself. The network is expected to maintain impact through dissemination and outreach, for example by publishing research frameworks, state-of-the-science reviews, and best-practice documents that help standardize approaches, clarify priorities, and reduce barriers to entry for new teams. The idea is that the network should not only produce data, but also shape how SCD pain research is conducted across the community by sharing methods, conceptual models, and practical guidance.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations and governments: state, county, city/township, and special district governments; federally recognized tribal governments and certain tribal organizations; public and private institutions of higher education; independent school districts; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) as well as small businesses; and other eligible entities. The opportunity explicitly highlights additional eligible applicant categories such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), along with faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions. Foreign institutions (non-U.S. entities) are not eligible to apply, and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply. However, foreign components are allowed when they meet the NIH definition under the NIH Grants Policy Statement, which generally means discrete parts of a U.S.-led project may be performed abroad if well-justified and compliant.

Administratively, the opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding and falls under the health activity category (CFDA 93.213). The listed award ceiling is $600,000, and the original closing date shown is 2023-10-01. The overall thrust of the FOA is to create a coordinated hub that accelerates mechanistic insight and translational progress in SCD pain by organizing people, tools, pilot funding, and shared research directions, then pushing those outputs outward through publications and other community-facing dissemination so the broader SCD pain research ecosystem can grow and compete for larger-scale NIH support.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Research Network to Promote Multidisciplinary Mechanistic and Translational Studies of Sickle Cell Disease Pain (U24, Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.213.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-02-27.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-10-01. (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 $600,000.00 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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