Hearing Health Care for Adults: Improving Access and Affordability (R21 Clinical Trial Optional) | PA 18 382

Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 18 382

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity titled "Hearing Health Care for Adults: Improving Access and Affordability (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)" (Funding Opportunity Number PA-18-382; CFDA 93.173) supports exploratory and developmental research focused on adult hearing health care. The main purpose is to build a stronger evidence base for how hearing services, technologies, and care delivery models can be made easier to access and more affordable, with the end goal of improving real-world health outcomes for adults. Because it uses the NIH R21 mechanism, the emphasis is on early-stage, high-potential projects that can test ideas, generate preliminary data, and open new lines of investigation rather than large, fully mature programs. Clinical trials are allowed but not required, which gives applicants flexibility to propose everything from observational and implementation research to pilot intervention studies, depending on what is most appropriate for the question being studied.

The program is aimed at problems that prevent adults from receiving effective hearing care, including barriers tied to cost, availability of services, and the practical challenges of navigating hearing evaluation, fitting, follow-up care, and ongoing support. The FOA is framed around improving both access and affordability, meaning proposals can reasonably focus on how hearing care is delivered in different settings, how people enter the system, what factors influence uptake and long-term use of hearing interventions, and how alternative service models might reduce cost or increase reach. The opportunity highlights that additional research is needed to strengthen the evidence base, which signals that NIH is looking for studies that can clarify what works, for whom, under what conditions, and why, especially in ways that can translate into better outcomes for adults.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S. organizations such as state, county, city or township governments; special district governments; and independent school districts, as well as public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education. It also includes federally recognized Native American tribal governments, tribal organizations that are not federally recognized, and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities. Both nonprofit organizations (with or without 501(c)(3) status) and for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), along with small businesses and other eligible entities, may apply. In addition, the FOA explicitly calls out a wide range of other eligible applicants, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions; Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI); Hispanic-serving Institutions; Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs); faith-based or community-based organizations; eligible federal agencies; regional organizations; U.S. territories or possessions; and non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations). That breadth suggests NIH is open to a variety of applicant types and partnerships, including those positioned to work directly with communities that face higher barriers to hearing care.

As a discretionary grant program in the health funding category, the FOA supports research that can inform policies, clinical practices, service delivery strategies, and community-based approaches that make adult hearing care more reachable and less financially burdensome. The listed award ceiling is $200,000, indicating a relatively modest budget consistent with an R21-style exploratory project. The original closing date shown in the source information is November 16, 2020, and the opportunity was created on January 9, 2018. Overall, the grant is designed to encourage practical, evidence-generating studies that can move the field toward more accessible and affordable hearing health care for adults, while allowing investigators to propose either non-trial research or carefully scoped clinical trial work where appropriate.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Hearing Health Care for Adults: Improving Access and Affordability (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.173.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2018-01-09.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-11-16. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $200,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.

Apply for PA 18 382

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