Highlights of the Nih Pain Consortium 4 Th Annual Symposium on Advances in Pain Research Nih Natcher Conference Center Opening Remarks and Introduction of New Co-leaders Comments from New Co-leaders

Dr. Grady reviewed the history and goals of the Pain Consortium, which serves as the coordinating group for the 20 NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs) that fund pain research. These Institutes and Centers are investing a total of $279 million in pain research this year. Dr. Grady discussed two recent funding opportunities for pain research available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: NIH Challenge Grants and Grand Opportunity Grants. She also presented a list of all NIH funding opportunities currently available for pain research, and noted that a topic in pain, “Harnessing Our Understanding of Neural Plasticity to Elucidate the Transition from Acute to Chronic Pain,” has been included in the Blueprint Grand Challenge (a new initiative from the Neuroscience Blueprint). Legislation is currently pending on Capitol Hill to increase recognition of pain as a public health issue, promote better pain treatment, and accelerate pain research.