Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA DC 10 002
Apply for RFA DC 10 002
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Accessible and Affordable Hearing Health Care (R21/R33)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.173 Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders.
- This funding opportunity was created on Feb 19, 2010 and posted on Feb 19, 2010.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Oct 8, 2010. (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 $150,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Private institutions of higher education State governments Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Small businesses Public and State controlled institutions of higher education For profit organizations other than small businesses Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.
- Other Eligible Applicants include the following Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government Faith based or Community based Organizations Hispanic serving Institutions Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized) Non domestic (non U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) Regional Organizations Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) U.S. Territory or Possession.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Accessible and Affordable Hearing Health Care (R21/R33) opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-DC-10-002) was a discretionary NIH grant program run through the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD). Its central aim was to push hearing health care toward being easier to access and less expensive, especially for people who need services but face practical barriers like cost, limited provider availability, geography, or system complexity. The announcement emphasized projects that are designed to improve real-world health care access and outcomes, not just generate basic knowledge, and it encouraged solutions that can realistically be delivered at scale and maintained over time.
This FOA used the Exploratory/Developmental Phased Innovation mechanism, specifically the R21/R33. In practical terms, that means applicants were expected to propose a staged project: an early exploratory/development phase (R21) that tests feasibility or develops the core innovation, followed by a second phase (R33) that expands or validates the approach once predefined goals are met. A key feature of this mechanism is that it is milestone-driven. Applicants had to include a separate statement explaining why the phased R21/R33 structure was necessary for the work and laying out clear, measurable milestones that would demonstrate readiness to move from the exploratory phase to the next stage. This framing signals that NIDCD wanted projects with concrete go/no-go decision points and a plan for progress that can be tracked objectively.
The types of activities supported could include research, infrastructure, or a combination of both, as long as the end goal was improved accessibility and affordability in hearing health care. The FOA explicitly sought new or innovative adaptations of approaches, meaning proposals could introduce entirely new ideas or modify existing service delivery models, technologies, or care pathways in ways that reduce cost and expand reach. The strongest alignment would come from projects that do not stop at concept development but also consider how the solution would be implemented for the populations who need it, including feasibility, cost constraints, and practical deployment.
Funding details were relatively focused. NIDCD set aside about $1 million in FY2011 and anticipated making about two awards per round. The listed award ceiling was $150,000 (as presented in the source data). There was no cost sharing or matching requirement. The program fell under CFDA 93.173 (Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders), and the funding instrument type was a grant under the health activity category.
Eligibility was broad and included many organization types across nonprofit, for-profit, academic, government, tribal, and community sectors. Eligible applicants included nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status, public and private institutions of higher education, small businesses and other for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), state governments, federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations, and additional categories such as faith-based or community-based organizations, historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, tribally controlled colleges and universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian serving institutions, U.S. territories or possessions, regional organizations, and even non-U.S. (foreign) entities. This wide eligibility aligns with the program focus on practical, deliverable solutions, since improvements in access and affordability can come from clinical researchers, engineers, public health groups, community organizations, and industry innovators.
Timing-wise, the FOA was posted on February 19, 2010, with an original and current closing date of October 8, 2010, and an archive date of November 8, 2010. The full announcement was available through the NIH Grants Guide at the provided link. For technical issues accessing or linking to the announcement, the contact listed was the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster (FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Accessible and Affordable Hearing Health Care (R21/R33) opportunity?
It was a discretionary NIH grant funding opportunity run through the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD). The program was titled "Accessible and Affordable Hearing Health Care (R21/R33)" and used Funding Opportunity Number (FON) RFA-DC-10-002.
What was the main goal of this funding opportunity?
The central aim was to move hearing health care toward being easier to access and less expensive, especially for people who need services but face real-world barriers such as cost, limited provider availability, geography, or system complexity.
What kinds of projects did NIDCD want to support under this FOA?
The announcement emphasized projects designed to improve real-world health care access and outcomes, not projects focused only on generating basic knowledge. It encouraged solutions that could realistically be delivered at scale and maintained over time.
What grant mechanism was used (R21/R33), and what does it mean in practice?
This FOA used the Exploratory/Developmental Phased Innovation mechanism (R21/R33). Applicants were expected to propose a staged project with an initial exploratory/development phase (R21) followed by a second phase (R33) that expands or validates the approach after predefined goals are met.
What does "milestone-driven" mean for an R21/R33 application?
It means the project needed clear, measurable milestones with concrete go/no-go decision points. Applicants had to lay out objective milestones that demonstrate readiness to transition from the exploratory R21 phase into the R33 phase.
Was a special justification required for using the phased R21/R33 structure?
Yes. Applicants had to include a separate statement explaining why the phased R21/R33 structure was necessary for the work and describing the measurable milestones that would be used to determine whether the project could move forward to the second phase.
What kinds of activities were supported (research, infrastructure, or both)?
The FOA supported research, infrastructure, or a combination of both, as long as the end goal was improved accessibility and affordability in hearing health care.
Did the FOA encourage brand-new ideas only, or could it support adaptations of existing approaches?
It explicitly sought new or innovative adaptations of approaches. That could include entirely new ideas or modifications to existing service delivery models, technologies, or care pathways, as long as they reduce cost and expand reach.
What kinds of barriers was this program trying to address?
The FOA highlighted practical barriers such as cost, limited provider availability, geographic constraints, and complexity in the health care system that can prevent people from getting hearing health services.
How important was implementation and scalability to the FOA?
Implementation and scalability were strongly emphasized. The strongest alignment came from projects that considered how the solution would be deployed for the populations who need it, including feasibility, cost constraints, practical delivery, and long-term sustainability at scale.
How much funding was available through this opportunity?
NIDCD set aside about $1 million in FY2011 for this FOA and anticipated making about two awards per round.
What was the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The listed award ceiling was $150,000 (as presented in the source data).
Was cost sharing or matching required?
No. There was no cost sharing or matching requirement stated for this program.
What CFDA number applied to this funding opportunity?
The program fell under CFDA 93.173, titled "Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders."
What was the funding instrument type and activity category?
The funding instrument type was a grant, and the activity category was health.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was broad and included many organization types across nonprofit, for-profit, academic, government, tribal, and community sectors.
Are nonprofit organizations eligible (including those without 501(c)(3) status)?
Yes. Eligible applicants included nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status.
Are colleges and universities eligible?
Yes. Both public and private institutions of higher education were eligible, including specific categories such as HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, and tribally controlled colleges and universities (TCCUs).
Are businesses eligible to apply?
Yes. Small businesses and other for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) were eligible.
Are state governments eligible?
Yes. State governments were included among eligible applicants.
Are tribal governments and tribal organizations eligible?
Yes. Federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations were eligible.
Are faith-based or community-based organizations eligible?
Yes. The FOA included eligibility categories such as faith-based or community-based organizations.
Are U.S. territories or possessions eligible?
Yes. U.S. territories or possessions were listed among the eligible applicant categories.
Are regional organizations eligible?
Yes. Regional organizations were included in the eligibility list.
Could non-U.S. (foreign) entities apply?
Yes. The eligibility list included non-U.S. (foreign) entities.
When was the FOA posted?
The FOA was posted on February 19, 2010.
What was the application closing date?
The original and current closing date was October 8, 2010.
When was the opportunity archived?
The archive date was November 8, 2010.
Where could applicants find the full announcement?
The full announcement was available through the NIH Grants Guide at the provided link referenced in the opportunity description.
Who should be contacted for technical issues accessing or linking to the announcement?
For technical issues accessing or linking to the announcement, the contact listed was the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster at FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV.
What aspects would make a proposal strongly aligned with the FOA's intent?
Based on the announcement description, strong alignment would come from projects that (1) directly target accessibility and affordability in hearing health care, (2) focus on real-world access and outcomes, (3) propose innovations or innovative adaptations that can be delivered at scale, (4) include practical implementation considerations (feasibility, cost constraints, deployment), and (5) provide measurable milestones suitable for the phased R21-to-R33 structure.
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Previous opportunity: NIDCD Research on Accessible and Affordable Hearing Health Care (R24)
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