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Since 2018, the Helping to End Addiction Long-term® Initiative (NIH HEAL Initiative®) has supported research that is making progress on many fronts toward the ultimate goal: accelerating scientific solutions to address the national overdose crisis, including opioid and stimulant use disorders as well as improve the management of acute and chronic pain.

In 2024, HEAL – jointly led by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) – issued a Request for Information, to gather feedback from the public and external community partners on HEAL’s strategic directions. By 2025, after incorporating this input and focusing on their respective research portfolios and priorities, both institutes developed rigorous plans to advance HEAL’s scientific vision. NIDA released its HEAL Opioid Use Disorder and Overdose Strategic Plan, while NINDS finalized its HEAL Strategic Pain Research Priorities. Together, these efforts will guide future research investments under the NIH HEAL Initiative.