Outcomes in Children with Mild to Severe Hearing Loss (R01) | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Outcomes in Children with Mild to Severe Hearing Loss (R01) - PA-07-394

What is the PA-07-394 funding opportunity about?

PA-07-394 is an NIH funding opportunity from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) focused on improving what is known about how young children with mild to severe hearing loss develop over time. It supports research that helps explain and predict real-world outcomes such as communication skills, school-related achievement, and social development.

What is the main goal of the research supported by this announcement?

The central goal is to identify which factors most strongly shape developmental outcomes for young children with mild to severe hearing loss, and to clarify how those influences translate into measurable differences in communication growth, educational functioning, and social participation during early childhood.

What kind of outcomes does the FOA emphasize?

The announcement emphasizes real-world developmental results, specifically including communication skills, school-related achievement or educational functioning, and social development or social participation.

Does the FOA require multidisciplinary research?

Yes. The announcement specifically calls for multidisciplinary projects. Applications are expected to integrate expertise from multiple relevant fields rather than approaching child development through a single disciplinary lens.

Which disciplines are considered relevant for a multidisciplinary team under this FOA?

Examples named in the announcement include audiology, speech-language pathology, developmental psychology, pediatrics, education, and epidemiology, along with related disciplines that can contribute to understanding child development from multiple angles.

What broad categories of factors does the FOA want applicants to study?

The scientific focus is on how outcomes are influenced by three broad categories of variables: intervention factors, child factors, and family factors.

What are "intervention factors" in the context of this opportunity?

Intervention factors include variables such as the type, timing, intensity, and quality of services and supports a child receives. Examples include amplification and hearing technology use, early intervention services, speech and language therapy approaches, educational placement and supports, and communication modality choices.

What are "child factors" in the context of this opportunity?

Child factors may include the degree and configuration of hearing loss, age at identification, co-occurring developmental or medical conditions, cognitive and language profiles, and other individual differences that could affect learning and communication.

What are "family factors" in the context of this opportunity?

Family factors can include caregiver involvement, the communication environment at home, access to resources, socioeconomic context, and how families engage with intervention systems.

Is the FOA interested in how these factors interact with each other?

Yes. The overall intent is to identify how interacting influences across intervention, child, and family variables relate to measurable differences in developmental outcomes during early childhood.

What grant mechanism does this opportunity use?

This opportunity uses the NIH Research Project Grant (R01) mechanism, which supports discrete, hypothesis-driven or otherwise well-structured research projects.

Does the FOA set a fixed award size or a fixed project period?

No. Because the FOA anticipates a wide range of possible study designs and scopes, it does not set a single fixed award size or project period. Budget and duration are expected to vary depending on the needs of the proposed research and how those needs are justified by the applicant.

Are awards guaranteed, and how is funding determined?

Awards are not guaranteed. Funding decisions and the number of awards depend on the availability of funds and the number of high-quality, competitive applications received. Awards are made based on merit and program priorities, and total dollars and award count can change across receipt cycles.

Who is eligible to apply for PA-07-394?

Eligibility is broad and includes public and private institutions of higher education, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, state governments, small businesses, and a range of nonprofit and for-profit organizations. The announcement also includes nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status.

Are foreign institutions eligible to apply?

Yes. The announcement states that foreign institutions are eligible to apply, consistent with NIH policies.

Is there a cost sharing or matching requirement?

No. There is no cost sharing or matching requirement. Applicants are not required to contribute non-federal funds as a condition of the award.

What is the CFDA number associated with this program?

The program is listed under CFDA 93.173, titled "Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders."

When was this funding opportunity posted?

The opportunity was posted on July 11, 2007.

Did this FOA have a single due date or multiple receipt dates?

It used multiple receipt dates, meaning proposals could be submitted on recurring deadlines rather than a one-time due date.

Where were the official requirements and full announcement provided?

The full announcement and official requirements were provided through the NIH Grants Guide link associated with PA-07-394.

What does the archive date mean for this opportunity?

The provided record lists an archive date of August 5, 2010. The summary still describes what the FOA was designed to fund: rigorous, multidisciplinary research aimed at explaining and predicting outcomes in young children with mild to severe hearing loss and identifying intervention and family supports most likely to improve communication, educational progress, and social development.

What types of supports or services are explicitly mentioned as relevant to study?

Examples explicitly mentioned include amplification and hearing technology use, early intervention services, speech and language therapy approaches, educational placement and supports, and communication modality choices.

What population is the FOA focused on?

The FOA focuses on young children with mild to severe hearing loss and how their developmental outcomes change over time.