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Basic and Early Translational Research Towards Novel Pain Therapeutics

The Eshelman Institute is partnering with the North Carolina Collaboratory to solicit projects from academic researchers across North Carolina for funding research and development that can advance the discovery and translation of therapeutics for opioid use disorders.

With this funding, provided through a generous appropriation of more than $2.6 million to the Collaboratory by the NC General Assembly, we are actively seeking research projects for the Opioid Abatement and Recovery Research Program 2022.

Research priority areas include:

  • Priority Area I: Neurobiology of pain and opioid use disorder
  • Priority Area II: Discovery, validation, and optimization of novel therapeutic targets for chronic pain or opioid use disorder
  • Priority Area III: Preclinical models and imaging
  • Priority Area IV: Early therapeutics development

Please see our Basic and Early Translational Research Towards Novel Pain Therapeutics Request for Proposal (RFP) for more information.

Pre-proposals are now closed. Applicants will receive updates shortly.


RFP Highlights:

  • Applications will only be accepted from institutions of higher education in North Carolina
  • All applicants must submit a pre-proposal as the first step in the application process
  • Select applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal
  • No cap on funding requests, however, please note we have limited funding available
  • Projects may not exceed 36 months in duration
  • Projects will be issued funding starting April 1, 2023
  • All proposal guidelines and requirements are listed in our RFP

Important Dates:

  • Pre-Proposal open: September 26, 2022
  • Pre-Proposal deadline: October 20, 2022
  • Full Proposal open: November 14, 2022 (only applicants selected through our pre-proposal process are authorized to submit a full proposal)
  • Full Proposal deadline: December 13, 2022
  • Pitch Day: February 2023 (date to be announced)
  • Award announcements: on or before March 7, 2023
  • Earliest project start date: April 1, 2023

If you have any questions regarding our RFP or pre-proposal, please email EshelmanInstitute@unc.edu