NIH Announces RFA for Chronic Pain Syndromes, Including CFS

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently announced a new, innovative funding announcement aimed at understanding the relationship between chronic pain syndromes—focusing on interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome (IC/PBS), chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS), fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The Multi-disciplinary Approach to the Study of Chronic Pelvic Pain (MAPP) Research Network will be funded for a total of $7.5 million per year for each of five years. This will include several Discovery Sites to be funded at $1,000,000 per year each, as well as a separately funded shared Data Coordinating Center and a separately funded shared Tissue Analysis and Technology Center.

Studies conducted by the MAPP Network will be carried out by basic, translational and clinical investigators who possess diverse but complementary expertise. Substantive collaboration among all investigators will be required. Experienced investigators, investigators new to the field and investigators with a broad range of expertise who may contribute substantially to the goals of this program are strongly encouraged to apply.

This Request for Applications (RFA) is a joint announcement of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH). Information about MAPP was presented at the September 17, 2007 Grantsmanship Workshop on CFS and was formally released by NIH on September 19, 2007. The complete RFA can be found at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-DK-07-003.html.

There will be an in-person information session at the NIH on November 5th, 2007.  Letters of intent are due on December 17, 2007. The receipt date for complete applications is January 9, 2008.  E-mail inquiries should be sent to either Chris Mullins (MullinsC@mail.nih.gov) or Lee Nyberg (NybergL@mail.nih.gov).