PURPOSE: Positively Uniting Researchers of Pain to Opine, Synthesize, and Engage

Research shows that diverse teams working together and capitalizing on innovative ideas and distinct perspectives outperform homogenous teams. The Interagency Pain Research Coordinating Committee (IPRCC) has determined that basic, translational, and clinical researchers do not regularly collaborate when developing grant applications; and that if pain management researchers across all disciplines were

to work together, it would enhance the innovation, relevance, and practical application of pain management research. Positively Uniting Researchers of Pain to Opine, Synthesize, and Engage (PURPOSE) will foster and support constructive and dynamic interprofessional communications and collaborations between pain research across the continuum of basic, translational, and clinical research.

PURPOSE utilizes an approach to interprofessional practice and education that has achieved a similar cultural transformation for a comparable multi-professional audience; the technological infrastructure to support it, including a customized, contemporary online and mobile networking, learning, and collaboration

space; and the interrelated program planning elements and systems to develop and implement these elements. PURPOSE will create, support, and continually refine an annual conference and online networking community, to support the careers and research of pain researchers from across the continuum of basic, translational, and clinical research, and who hail from diverse, multidisciplinary

backgrounds. To include and support a diverse network, PURPOSE has established and will continue to develop strategic outreach partnerships to recruit and support the unique needs of researchers from across the continuum of basic, translational, and clinical research, and researchers from historically under -

represented demographics, including women, Black, LatinX, and communities of color, LGBTQ and neuro - diverse researchers including researchers who identify as being on the autism spectrum. Training and development will include affective understanding as to the human impact of the problems to which researchers seek answers by involving patients with the lived-experience of daily high-impact chronic pain

in the direction, goals, and activities of the program overall.