APS’ Sharon S. Keller Chronic Pain Research Program to award $150,000 for eligible members

The American Pain Society (APS) announced today it is accepting applications for research grants from the newly established Sharon S. Keller Chronic Pain Research Program. The Keller Grant was established by private investor David Keller in memory of his wife who died in 2011 after 25 years of battling cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic musculoskeletal pain and the side effects of pain medications. Additional contributions to the Program have come from more than 35 people who loved and admired Sharon. The program will award $150,000 in up to four, two-year research grants for eligible APS members.

"With current and anticipated future stagnation in federal government funding for pain research, it is very gratifying to see private individuals like David Keller step forward to embrace the cause and contribute new resources for pain research grants," said APS President Roger Fillingim, PhD. "The Keller Grant will fund projects undertaken by APS members that have a high likelihood of leading to new treatments and increased or expanded access to treatment options for people with chronic pain. APS is deeply grateful to David Keller for his generosity and we look forward to working with him."

"It has been my deep conviction for some time that had Sharon been presented with information about detrimental side effects of her prescribed medications, along with information about alternative choices for chronic pain management, she might have been able to prolong her life while still being able to manage her pain," said David Keller. "I am very excited about the beneficial pain research that will be funded through APS by the Sharon Keller Chronic Pain Research Program."

To be eligible for a Keller Grant, applicants must be members in good standing of APS, be within six years of completing a doctoral degree, and have not been awarded a major National Institutes of Health or foundation grant for pain research.

Proposed research projects should investigate non-invasive interventions with favorable side effect profiles to improve chronic pain management. Projects should be designed to provide novel information regarding treatment efficacy or the mechanisms thereof. Areas of inquiry that will be considered for to the grant program include, but are not limited to:
•Physical treatments for pain (e.g. manual therapy, rehabilitation, brain stimulation)
•Psychological treatments for pain (e.g. cognitive-behavioral interventions, neurofeedback)
•Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM, e.g. acupuncture, massage therapy)
•Coordinated care, including combinations of the above approaches
•Community based interventions and psycho-educational programs that improve access to pain management, especially to underprivileged.