Project Summary The T90/R90 HEAL PAIN Cohort Program (PAIN Cohort) is a multi-institutional collaborative initiative aiming to address critical challenges in pain research. The program focuses on promoting team science, training and development, and interdisciplinary collaboration. With the participation of four institutions, four Principal Investigators (PIs), 20 trainees, 20 mentors, and a team of 4-20 evaluators annually, the PAIN Cohort is a comprehensive effort to advance the field of pain research.

The HEAL R24 Coordinating Center for National Pain Scientists, known as Positively Uniting Researchers of Pain to Opine, Synthesize, and Engage (PURPOSE), is dedicated to collaborating with the recipients of HEAL Initiative Partnerships to Advance Interdisciplinary (PAIN) Training in Clinical Pain Research awards. Our objective is to establish a multifaceted, collaborative training initiative for postdoctoral clinical pain researchers across multiple sites. This educational experience and cohort development will be intricately woven into the existing online PURPOSE Network for pain researchers and supplemented by the annual in-person PURPOSE Annual Meeting. The PURPOSE initiative will closely cooperate with site Principal Investigators, mentors, trainees, evaluators, and established T32 programs to align and amplify training endeavors across the program. This approach will establish an integrated and supportive professional development network for the PAIN Cohort trainees, with the overarching goal of fostering their continued engagement and retention within the clinical pain research workforce.