Restoring Joint Health and Function to Reduce Pain (RE-JOIN) 2.0

Key Facts

Status: Open

Posted date: January 22, 2026

Opportunity ID: 361186

Opportunity number: RFA-AR-26-006

Opportunity category: Discretionary

Agency name: National Institutes of Health

Agency code: HHS-NIH11

Award floor: $0

Award ceiling: $0

Cost sharing required: No

Funding Instrument Types
  • Cooperative Agreement
Category of Funding Activity
  • Health
Eligible Applicants
  • City or township governments
  • County governments
  • For-profit organizations other than small businesses
  • Independent school districts
  • Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
  • 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
  • Others
  • Private institutions of higher education
  • Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
  • Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
  • Small businesses
  • Special district governments
  • State governments
Tools
Categories (use these for quoted searches)
  • agency_code:hhs_nih11
  • category_of_funding_activity:health
  • cost_sharing_or_matching_requirement:false
  • eligible_applicants:city_or_township_governments
  • eligible_applicants:county_governments
  • eligible_applicants:for_profit_organizations_other_than_small_businesses
  • eligible_applicants:independent_school_districts
  • eligible_applicants:native_american_tribal_governments_federally_recognized
  • eligible_applicants:native_american_tribal_organizations_other_than_federally_recognized_tribal_governments
  • eligible_applicants:nonprofits_having_a_501_c_3_status_with_the_irs_other_than_institutions_of_higher_education
  • eligible_applicants:nonprofits_that_do_not_have_a_501_c_3_status_with_the_irs_other_than_institutions_of_higher_education
  • eligible_applicants:others
  • eligible_applicants:private_institutions_of_higher_education
  • eligible_applicants:public_and_state_controlled_institutions_of_higher_education
  • eligible_applicants:public_housing_authoritiesindian_housing_authorities
  • eligible_applicants:small_businesses
  • eligible_applicants:special_district_governments
  • eligible_applicants:state_governments
  • funding_instrument_type:cooperative_agreement
  • opportunity_category:discretionary
  • status:open
Description

The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), in conjunction with other NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs) as a part of the congressionally mandated NIH Helping to End Addiction Long Term (HEAL) initiative intends to publish a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to leverage and accelerate the progress achieved in the Restoring Joint Health and Function to Reduce Pain (RE-JOIN) Consortium.The NOFO aims to more fully refine and map the innervation of the different articular and peri-articular tissues that collectively form the joint (including bone, cartilage, synovium, joint capsule, ligament, tendon, fascia and muscle), by sensory neurons that mediate the sensation of pain.The NOFO seeks to expand initial and ongoing efforts by:Enhancing clinical pain phenotyping with multimodal profiling of new and expanded patient samples across life span and disease conditions (i.e., other musculoskeletal and/or rheumatic conditions associated with joint pain beyond knee and temporomandibular joint (TMJ)).Expanding to new preclinical and New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) in modeling joint disease.Preclinical testing of novel joint-targeted candidates identified in RE-JOIN 1.0.Focusing on peri-articular tissues in joint pain, such as vasculature, synovium, adipose, myofascial tissue, etc.Prioritizing secondary analysis of datasets and/or validation of methods and approaches in human samples.Improve data integration by developing/enhancing joint atlases that will enable integration of imaging and molecular datasets.Applications are not being solicited at this time. Notice is being provided to allow potential applicants sufficient time to develop meaningful multidisciplinary collaborations and responsive projects. Investigators with expertise and insights in neurobiology, pain science, data science, orthopedics, rheumatic disease, etc. are encouraged to consider applying for this NOFO.

Restoring Joint Health and Function to Reduce Pain (RE-JOIN) 2.0
The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), in conjunction with other NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs) as a part of the congressionally mandated NIH Helping to End Addiction Long Term (HEAL) initiative intends to publish a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to leverage and accelerate the progress achieved in the Restoring Joint Health and Function to Reduce Pain (RE-JOIN) Consortium.The NOFO aims to more fully refine and map the innervation of the different articular and peri-articular tissues that collectively form the joint (including bone, cartilage, synovium, joint capsule, ligament, tendon, fascia and muscle), by sensory neurons that mediate the sensation of pain.The NOFO seeks to expand initial and ongoing efforts by:Enhancing clinical pain phenotyping with multimodal profiling of new and expanded patient samples across life span and disease conditions (i.e., other musculoskeletal and/or rheumatic conditions associated with joint pain beyond knee and temporomandibular joint (TMJ)).Expanding to new preclinical and New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) in modeling joint disease.Preclinical testing of novel joint-targeted candidates identified in RE-JOIN 1.0.Focusing on peri-articular tissues in joint pain, such as vasculature, synovium, adipose, myofascial tissue, etc.Prioritizing secondary analysis of datasets and/or validation of methods and approaches in human samples.Improve data integration by developing/enhancing joint atlases that will enable integration of imaging and molecular datasets.Applications are not being solicited at this time. Notice is being provided to allow potential applicants sufficient time to develop meaningful multidisciplinary collaborations and responsive projects. Investigators with expertise and insights in neurobiology, pain science, data science, orthopedics, rheumatic disease, etc. are encouraged to consider applying for this NOFO.
Restoring Joint Health and Function to Reduce Pain (RE-JOIN) 2.0
Open
National Institutes of Health
Health
Cooperative Agreement
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
2026-01-22