-The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to stimulate research on discovering etiological and pathophysiological mechanisms underlying a set of chronic, comorbid conditions associated with temporomandibular joint and muscle disorders (TMJMDs).

TMJMDs are a complex collection

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of diseases involving one or more tissues of the TMJ and facial musculature.

Primary symptoms include chronic pain in facial muscles and limited and painful movement of the jaw.

In addition, these and other symptoms of TMJMD can occur together with other chronic illnesses such as fibromyalgia, atypical face pain, trigeminal neuralgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, multiple chemical sensitivity, irritable bowel syndrome, complex regional pain syndrome, migraine headache, speech hearing, swallowing, balance, smell, and taste disorders, and certain cardiovascular diseases.

This program announcement seeks research applications that use state-of-the-art, multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches to discover molecular, physiological, and behavioral mechanisms responsible for the overlapping symptoms manifested in the set of disorders that may co-exist with TMJMD.

These applications may have as their research focus the chronic, comorbid conditions themselves or TMJMDs, provided that the aims and goals of the project are to discover biological mechanisms linking the comorbidities.

While the overarching goal of this announcement is to arrive at a better understanding of potential mechanisms underlying TMJMDs as related to the variety of comorbidities associated with them, it is expected that no single research project will be able to accomplish this.

Applicants are, therefore, encouraged to focus their attention on a particular pathway and a specific disease that is comorbid with TMJMD.

- The R03 grant mechanism supports different types of projects including pilot and feasibility studies; secondary analysis of existing data; small, self-contained research projects; development of research methodology; and development of new research technology.

-The R03 is intended to support small research projects that can be carried out in a short period of time with limited resources.

The R03 is not renewable.

-The total amount to be awarded and the anticipated number of awards.

Awards issued under this FOA are contingent upon the availability of funds and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications.

-Budgets for direct costs of up to $50,000 per year and a project duration of up to two years may be requested for a maximum of $100,000 direct costs over a two-year project period.

-The types of mechanisms:
This FOA will utilize the Small Research Grant (R03) mechanism and runs in parallel with FOAs of identical scientific scope, PA-06-188 that solicits applications under the R01 grant mechanism and PA-06-268 that solicits applications under the R21 mechanism.

-Eligible organizations:
For-profit organizations; non-profit organizations; public or private institutions, such as universities, colleges, hospitals, and laboratories; units of State government; units of local government; eligible institutions of the Federal government; domestic institutions; foreign institutions; faith-based or community-based organizations; units of State Tribal government; and units of Local Tribal government.

-Eligible Project Director/Principal Investigators (PD/PIs):
Individuals with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research are invited to work with their institution to develop an application for support.

Individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups as well as individuals with disabilities are always encouraged to apply for NIH programs.

-Applicants may submit more than one application, provided each application is scientifically distinct.