Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA DC 14 001
Apply for RFA DC 14 001
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NIDCD Research On 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 Apr 15, 2013 and posted on Apr 15, 2013.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 24, 2015. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Eligible applicants include: State governments Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities County governments City or township governments Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education For profit organizations other than small businesses Independent school districts Special district governments Private institutions of higher education Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Small businesses Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized).
- Other Eligible Applicants include the following Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs) 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) Regional Organizations Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) U.S. Territory or Possession Non domestic (non U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are not eligible to apply. Non domestic (non U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are eligible to apply. Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed.
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Opportunity Summary:
The National Institutes of Health (NIH), through the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), released a discretionary grant funding opportunity titled "NIDCD Research On Hearing Health Care (R21/R33)" under Funding Opportunity Number RFA-DC-14-001. It is designed to support research and related infrastructure efforts that make hearing health care (HHC) more accessible and more affordable, with a clear emphasis on real-world solutions that can be delivered to the people who need them. The overarching expectation is that proposed projects will improve healthcare access and patient outcomes by developing approaches that are effective, practical to implement, and cost-conscious rather than purely conceptual or laboratory-bound.
This opportunity uses the NIH Exploratory/Developmental Phased Innovation mechanism, which combines two linked stages: an R21 phase followed by an R33 phase. The R21 phase provides up to two years of support to enable early, preliminary, or developmental work. In practice, this first phase is meant to help teams establish feasibility, generate initial evidence, build or test key components, and resolve early technical or operational questions that must be answered before scaling. A central feature is that the FOA requires measurable R21 milestones, meaning applicants need to define concrete, trackable benchmarks that demonstrate whether the project is on pace and ready to move to the next phase. If those milestones are met and the project shows sufficient promise, the award can transition to the R33 phase, which can provide up to four additional years of expanded research and development support. Even though the two phases together could suggest up to six years, the FOA caps the total project period at no more than five years for any application submitted in response to this announcement.
The scope is intentionally broad within hearing health care, prioritizing work that leads to better delivery of services and improved outcomes. The FOA is explicitly open to outcomes research and health services research, signaling that NIDCD is not only interested in new devices or clinical techniques, but also in system-level improvements such as care models, delivery strategies, implementation approaches, and other methods that measurably expand access, reduce barriers, and improve the quality and value of hearing care. Projects should be oriented toward solutions that are deliverable at scale, affordable for patients and systems, and effective for diverse communities, rather than focusing narrowly on improvements that would be difficult to deploy or too expensive to sustain.
The Funding Activity Category is Health, and the associated CFDA number is 93.173 (Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders). The award does not require cost sharing or matching. The original posting date and creation date were April 15, 2013, and the original and final closing date listed for applications was February 24, 2015. The opportunity was later archived on March 27, 2015, which indicates it is no longer open for new submissions, though the archived materials can still be useful for understanding NIDCD priorities and how similar phased innovation grants are structured.
Eligibility is expansive and includes many types of domestic organizations and governmental entities. Eligible applicants include state, county, city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; and private institutions of higher education. The FOA also permits applications from nonprofits, including those with 501(c)(3) status and certain nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status (as specified in the announcement), as well as for-profit organizations (excluding small businesses in one category listing, while small businesses are also explicitly listed as eligible elsewhere in the eligibility list). Additional eligible applicants called out include faith-based and community-based organizations, certain minority-serving institutions (such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander-serving institutions), tribal organizations (including federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal entities), regional organizations, tribally controlled colleges and universities, eligible federal agencies, and U.S. territories or possessions. Non-U.S. (foreign) institutions are not eligible to apply as primary applicants, but non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations may participate, and foreign components are allowed as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, which typically means discrete project elements can be performed abroad when justified and compliant with NIH policy.
For reference and full requirements, NIH provided an official guide link to the complete announcement at grants.nih.gov (the RFA page titled RFA-DC-14-001). The contact listed for access or linking issues is the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster at FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): NIDCD Research On Hearing Health Care (R21/R33) - RFA-DC-14-001
1) What is this NIH/NIDCD funding opportunity?
This is a discretionary NIH grant funding opportunity released by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) titled "NIDCD Research On Hearing Health Care (R21/R33)" under Funding Opportunity Number (FON) RFA-DC-14-001. It is intended to support research and related infrastructure efforts that make hearing health care (HHC) more accessible and more affordable, with an emphasis on practical, real-world solutions that can be delivered to the people who need them.
2) What kinds of projects is NIDCD looking for under this FOA?
The scope is broad within hearing health care, but the priority is work that improves delivery of services and patient outcomes in ways that are practical to implement, scalable, and cost-conscious. The FOA explicitly welcomes outcomes research and health services research, including system-level improvements such as care models, delivery strategies, and implementation approaches that measurably expand access, reduce barriers, and improve quality and value in hearing care.
3) What is the overall emphasis or expectation for proposed work?
The overarching expectation is that proposed projects will improve healthcare access and patient outcomes through approaches that are effective in real-world settings, feasible to implement, and affordable to sustain. The FOA emphasizes solutions that can be delivered at scale and that work for diverse communities, rather than purely conceptual or laboratory-bound ideas that would be difficult or too expensive to deploy.
4) What funding mechanism does this opportunity use?
This opportunity uses the NIH Exploratory/Developmental Phased Innovation mechanism, which links two stages: an R21 phase followed by an R33 phase.
5) How does the R21 phase work (duration and purpose)?
The R21 phase can provide up to two years of support. It is meant for early, preliminary, or developmental work such as establishing feasibility, generating initial evidence, building or testing key components, and resolving early technical or operational questions that must be addressed before scaling.
6) Are milestones required for the R21 phase?
Yes. A central feature of this FOA is that it requires measurable R21 milestones. Applicants need to define concrete, trackable benchmarks that can be used to assess whether the project is on pace and ready to transition to the next phase.
7) What happens if R21 milestones are met?
If the R21 milestones are met and the project shows sufficient promise, the award can transition to the R33 phase for expanded research and development support.
8) How long is the R33 phase?
The R33 phase can provide up to four additional years of support beyond the R21 phase, subject to successful progress and milestone achievement.
9) What is the maximum total project period allowed under this FOA?
Even though the two phases could suggest up to six years combined (2 years R21 + 4 years R33), this FOA caps the total project period at no more than five years for any application submitted under this announcement.
10) Does this opportunity require cost sharing or matching funds?
No. The FOA states that cost sharing or matching is not required.
11) What is the Funding Activity Category and CFDA number?
The Funding Activity Category is Health. The associated CFDA number is 93.173, titled "Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders."
12) Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is expansive and includes many domestic organizations and governmental entities. Eligible applicants include:
- State, county, city, or township governments
- Special district governments
- Independent school districts
- Public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities
- Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education
- Private institutions of higher education
- Nonprofits (including 501(c)(3) organizations and certain nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status as specified in the announcement)
- For-profit organizations (noting the FOA includes a category listing that excludes small businesses, while small businesses are also listed as eligible elsewhere in the eligibility list)
- Faith-based and community-based organizations
- Minority-serving institutions (including HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, and AANAPISIs)
- Tribal organizations (including federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal entities)
- Regional organizations
- Tribally controlled colleges and universities
- Eligible federal agencies
- U.S. territories or possessions
13) Are foreign (non-U.S.) institutions eligible to apply as the primary applicant?
No. Non-U.S. (foreign) institutions are not eligible to apply as primary applicants under this FOA.
14) Can foreign components participate in a project?
Yes, within limits described in the FOA and NIH policy. Non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations may participate, and foreign components are allowed as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement. This generally means discrete elements of the project can be performed abroad when justified and compliant with NIH policy.
15) Is this funding opportunity still open for applications?
No. The original and final closing date listed for applications was February 24, 2015. The opportunity was archived on March 27, 2015, indicating it is no longer open for new submissions.
16) Why is the FOA still useful if it is archived?
Although it is no longer open, the archived announcement can still be useful for understanding NIDCD priorities in hearing health care and for seeing how NIH phased innovation grants (R21/R33) are structured, including the milestone-based transition approach.
17) Where can applicants find the official full announcement and requirements?
NIH provided an official guide link to the complete announcement on grants.nih.gov, on the RFA page titled RFA-DC-14-001.
18) Who should be contacted for access or linking issues with the NIH posting?
The contact listed for access or linking issues is the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster at FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV.
19) What does "real-world solutions" mean in the context of this FOA?
Based on the FOA description, "real-world solutions" refers to approaches that are practical to implement outside of controlled laboratory settings, can be delivered to the people who need them, are scalable, and are cost-conscious, with measurable improvements in access and patient outcomes.
20) Does the FOA limit projects only to devices or clinical techniques?
No. The FOA explicitly signals interest beyond devices or clinical techniques by being open to outcomes research and health services research, including system-level improvements such as care models, delivery strategies, and implementation methods that improve access, reduce barriers, and improve quality and value.
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