Behavioral Intervention Development Funding Opportunity

Behavioral Intervention Development Funding Opportunity

Cornell Translational Research Institute on Pain in Later Life (TRIPLL)

(Edward R. Roybal Center for Translational Research

in the Behavioral and Social Sciences of Aging)

Letter of Intent due: October 24, 2025

Final proposal due (if selected): January 5, 2026

Earliest start date, pending NIA review: August 1, 2026

The Translational Research Institute on Pain in Later Life (TRIPLL) announces a behavioral intervention development grant program, designed to support social and behavioral clinical trials that will test non-pharmacological pain and pain management interventions in later life. TRIPLL will award up to $200,000 direct costs per year for up to 2 years (pending NIA funding decisions and depending on the stage of the trial proposed).

TRIPLL sponsors clinical trials that apply the NIH Stage Model for Behavioral Intervention Development. TRIPLL is particularly interested in receiving applications to support Stage II-III clinical trials that engage older adults underrepresented in pain research, including those with cognitive impairments.  We will also consider applications of Stage IV trials and hybrid pragmatic trials, as well as applications requesting supplemental funding for already funded clinical trials that seek to increase sample size, add pain outcomes, or add new sites or populations of older adults. We encourage co-funding trials with other Roybal Centers. TRIPLL is funded by a 5-year grant from the National Institute on Aging (National Institutes of Health).

Examples of the types of projects that could be funded by TRIPLL include:

• A Stage II efficacy trial of a mobile health application to increase patient positive affect as a means to mitigate the impact of pain
• A Stage III multi-site effectiveness trial of a program that encourages physical activity, testing behavioral mechanisms such as increased self-efficacy for pain management
• A Stage III multi-site effectiveness trial that provides novel psychological therapy to shift beliefs about the causes of pain.
• A Stage II or III intervention directed at health care providers to increase referral of patients to non-pharmacological treatments and therapies to help manage pain.
• Stage IV testing of a public health/raising awareness intervention designed to increase physical activity among older office workers
• Conducting a pragmatic effectiveness–implementation hybrid trial of low-cost pain medication management strategies through Visiting Nurse Services

To compete successfully for funding, applicants must propose clinical trials based on the NIH Stage Model for Behavioral Intervention Development, hypothesize specific mechanisms of behavioral change that underlie intervention effects, and demonstrate potential for future funding and implementation. TRIPLL welcomes projects that partner with community agencies serving older adults.

PhD and MD level investigators from all US institutions are eligible to apply. Multidisciplinary teams are highly encouraged.

Letter of intent (LOI)

A letter of intent to apply for funding is required. The letter of intent is due October 24, 2025 to tripll@med.cornell.edu and submitted to the Roybal Coordinating Center. After processing by the Roybal Coordinating Center, letters of intent will be reviewed and ranked by TRIPLL investigators and advisory board members.

The letter of intent should include:

1. Face Page with: a) applicant information; b) center selected for primary funding; c) prior Roybal Center funding (if applicable); d) total estimated project budget; and e) proposed project duration
2. PI NIH Biosketch(es)
3. Project Details as specified in Roybal REDCap application
4. Accepted LOIs will be notified by November 17, 2025

Application process

If your LOI is accepted, you will be asked to submit the proposal to the Roybal Coordinating Center and to tripll@med.cornell.edu by January 15, 2026. TRIPLL’s Review Panel will meet in January-February 2026 to review/rank the final proposals and select the most meritorious applications.

The proposal materials should meet the requirements of the Roybal Coordinating Center

1. Face Page (Applicant Information, Selected P30 Center(s), Proposed Project Duration)
2. PI & Co-Is NIH Biosketches
3. Project Details (templates and instructions are here)
   1. Proposal Template Attachment
   2. Clinical Trials Attachment
   3. P30 Center Supplemental Questions Attachment
4. Detailed Budget & Budget Justification

A budget draft must be included. Allowable expenses include research-related costs, study staff salaries with fringe benefits, communications and supplies, respondent incentives, travel related to the research, data and resource sharing expenses, and equipment purchases less than $1500. Salary support for the Principal Investigator is permitted but must be thoroughly justified how such salary support is critical to performing the proposed research tasks. Additionally, if the investigator plans to work with a community agency (or agencies), it is encouraged that a fund for the collaborating agencies will be provided to cover expenses they may incur.

How will projects be selected for funding?

The TRIPLL review panel will evaluate grant proposals, respectively. Funding decisions will be announced on February 13, 2026. Reviewers will evaluate projects based on the timeliness of the proposed project, immediate relevance, and application to developing feasible non-pharmacological interventions appropriate for older people with chronic pain, scientific merit, the feasibility of completion in the time requested, probability of attracting outside funding, and qualifications and commitment of the investigator to the project. Proposal reviewers will examine an applicant’s record of scholarly productivity and proposal submission activity when making funding decisions.

If awarded a TRIPLL grant:

1. The project will be reviewed by the National Institute on Aging before funding is released.
2. Study documents required by NIA that TRIPLL will submit to them are due by March 1, 2026.
3. TRIPLL must submit the completed and TRIPLL reviewed documents to NIA no later than April 1, 2026. This deadline is firm and cannot be extended.
4. Study investigators are expected to make two presentations about study progress to the TRIPLL Executive Committee during the year, and investigators must meet at least quarterly with the TRIPLL investigators to report on the project’s progress.
5. Investigators may be asked to present their projects and project findings at online meetings convened by the Roybal Centers Coordinating Center.

Questions?
Email TRIPLL’s Program Manager, Patty Kim at pak2020@med.cornell.edu