Opportunity Information: Apply for HRSA 17 059
Apply for HRSA 17 059
- The Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Universal Newborn Hearing Screening and Intervention Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.251.
- This funding opportunity was created on Aug 15, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Oct 14, 2016. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 59 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Opportunity Summary:
The Universal Newborn Hearing Screening and Intervention Program is a federal grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) (Funding Opportunity Number HRSA-17-059; CFDA 93.251). It supports states and territories in building or strengthening a statewide Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) system of care so that newborns and infants receive timely hearing screening, diagnostic evaluation, confirmed diagnosis, and early intervention (EI) services. The overall intent is not just to increase screening rates, but to make the full pathway work smoothly from birth through follow-up, with coordinated handoffs among hospitals, pediatric providers, audiology, EI, and family support organizations.
The program is organized around three major focus areas. First, it aims to increase engagement and knowledge among health professionals so pediatric primary care, hospitals, and related providers understand the EHDI system and actively help families move through it. Second, it seeks to improve access to early intervention services and promote language acquisition for infants who are deaf or hard of hearing, emphasizing timely referrals, care coordination, and connection to appropriate services. Third, it prioritizes meaningful family engagement by treating families as essential partners and leaders within the EHDI system, including incorporating family members directly into program activities and strengthening family-professional partnerships.
A key expectation is that recipients take a public health "systems alignment" approach. HRSA emphasizes that a strong EHDI program should not operate in isolation; instead, it should be integrated with other statewide public health and early childhood systems that already serve infants and families. Examples specifically named include Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Title V programs (including Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs, CYSHCN), newborn bloodspot screening programs, home visiting programs, WIC, Early Head Start, Family-to-Family Health Information Centers, and other relevant state services such as Medicaid. The goal is to reduce gaps in follow-up, improve coordination, and ensure families can navigate a connected network rather than a set of separate programs.
The stated program goal is to ensure that deaf or hard of hearing children are identified through newborn and infant hearing screening and then receive evaluation, diagnosis, and intervention that support optimal language, literacy, and social-emotional development. The opportunity uses clear, measurable objectives tied to the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH) recommended practice guidelines and the commonly referenced 1-3-6 timeline (screening by 1 month, diagnostic evaluation by 3 months, and enrollment in early intervention by 6 months). Over a three-year project period, funded entities are expected to improve performance compared to baseline levels drawn from the 2014 CDC EHDI Hearing Screening and Follow-up Survey (HSFS). Targets include increasing by 30 percent the number of infants receiving timely diagnosis, increasing by 25 percent the number receiving timely referral to EI, and increasing by 20 percent the number of identified deaf or hard of hearing infants who are actually enrolled in EI within recommended timelines.
Family partnership is not treated as optional. One of the explicit requirements is that all funded entities develop partnerships supported by a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with statewide family-based organizations or programs that provide support to parents and caregivers of deaf or hard of hearing infants. In other words, every awardee must formalize and sustain collaboration with family support organizations, reinforcing the idea that family leadership and peer support are core components of an effective EHDI system.
On the implementation side, recipients must establish and run a multidisciplinary program advisory committee that reflects the full EHDI ecosystem. This committee is meant to guide strategy and help identify mechanisms to meet project objectives. The required membership emphasizes broad representation: pediatric clinicians and specialists, nurses, audiologists, EI providers, and critically, parents/families of deaf or hard of hearing children and deaf or hard of hearing individuals themselves. At least 25 percent of the advisory group must be made up of parents/family members and/or deaf or hard of hearing individuals, ensuring that family and lived experience perspectives have real weight in decision-making. When applicable, the committee should include stakeholders from birthing facilities; IDEA Part C lead agencies; state AAP chapters; home visiting programs; Title V MCH/CYSHCN; LEND programs; schools for the Deaf; offices of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing; groups with expertise in diversity, health equity, and cultural competency; family organizations (such as Hands and Voices and Family Voices); WIC; Early Head Start; and Medicaid agencies.
Another central required activity is the creation of a state-based learning community designed to increase knowledge, engagement, and practical participation in the EHDI system among pediatric health care professionals and families. HRSA defines a learning community as a structured group of adopters and stakeholders who learn together to support the adaptation and implementation of innovations. These learning communities can be virtual, which allows participation across regions and reduces travel barriers. Teams in the learning community are expected to include, at minimum, a pediatric primary care clinician, a practice- or community-based care coordinator, and a family member of a deaf or hard of hearing child. This team design reinforces the program's emphasis on shared responsibility: clinical care, coordination/navigation, and family perspective working together rather than in parallel.
The content of the learning community is intended to be practical and systems-oriented. It includes training on the current JCIH 1-3-6 recommendations and how to achieve them, education on significant risk factors for late-onset or early childhood hearing loss, and peer-to-peer learning opportunities, including connections to American Academy of Pediatrics chapter champions where applicable. It also emphasizes improving care coordination through the patient- and family-centered medical home model, particularly tracking and surveillance for infants who need screening, follow-up diagnostics, or EI enrollment. Recipients are also expected to collaborate with Title V CYSHCN programs on systems integration and family-centered care coordination. Finally, the learning community is expected to promote culturally competent, family-centered care, highlighting respectful partnerships between families and professionals and recognizing the importance of equity and effective communication across diverse communities.
In practical terms, this grant is aimed at reducing the common drop-offs that happen after a newborn fails or misses a screening, or after a referral is made but a family struggles to access diagnostic services or EI quickly. The program pushes states to strengthen the full pipeline: better professional training and engagement, stronger cross-program agreements and coordination, clearer referral pathways, improved follow-up, and deeper family partnership and leadership. The expected result is a more reliable statewide EHDI system where more infants meet recommended timelines for diagnosis and intervention, and families receive coordinated support that improves long-term developmental outcomes.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Universal Newborn Hearing Screening and Intervention Program?
It is a federal grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The program supports states and territories in building or strengthening a statewide Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) system of care so newborns and infants receive timely hearing screening, diagnostic evaluation, confirmed diagnosis, and early intervention (EI) services.
Who is the federal sponsor for this grant?
The sponsor is the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
What are the funding identifiers for this opportunity?
The Funding Opportunity Number is HRSA-17-059 and the CFDA number is 93.251.
What is the main purpose of the program?
The main purpose is to ensure deaf or hard of hearing children are identified through newborn and infant hearing screening and then receive evaluation, diagnosis, and intervention that support optimal language, literacy, and social-emotional development.
Is the program only about increasing newborn hearing screening rates?
No. The intent is not just to increase screening rates, but to make the full pathway work smoothly from birth through follow-up, with coordinated handoffs among hospitals, pediatric providers, audiology, early intervention, and family support organizations.
What does HRSA mean by a public health "systems alignment" approach?
It means the EHDI program should not operate in isolation. Recipients are expected to integrate EHDI with other statewide public health and early childhood systems so families experience a connected network rather than separate programs, helping reduce gaps in follow-up and improving coordination.
Which systems and programs are specifically named for alignment and integration?
Examples specifically named include Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Title V programs (including Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs, CYSHCN), newborn bloodspot screening programs, home visiting programs, WIC, Early Head Start, Family-to-Family Health Information Centers, and other relevant state services such as Medicaid.
What are the three major focus areas of the program?
The program is organized around three focus areas: (1) increasing engagement and knowledge among health professionals so providers understand the EHDI system and help families move through it; (2) improving access to early intervention services and promoting language acquisition through timely referrals, care coordination, and connection to services; and (3) prioritizing meaningful family engagement by treating families as essential partners and leaders in the EHDI system.
How does the program define success for infants and families?
Success is defined by timely progress through screening, diagnostic evaluation, confirmed diagnosis, and enrollment in early intervention, along with coordinated support that improves language, literacy, and social-emotional outcomes.
What guidelines and timelines does the opportunity emphasize?
The opportunity ties objectives to Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH) recommended practice guidelines and the commonly referenced 1-3-6 timeline: screening by 1 month, diagnostic evaluation by 3 months, and enrollment in early intervention by 6 months.
What performance improvements are expected over the project period?
Over a three-year project period, funded entities are expected to improve performance compared to baseline levels drawn from the 2014 CDC EHDI Hearing Screening and Follow-up Survey (HSFS).
What are the specific improvement targets mentioned?
Targets include: increasing by 30 percent the number of infants receiving timely diagnosis, increasing by 25 percent the number receiving timely referral to early intervention, and increasing by 20 percent the number of identified deaf or hard of hearing infants who are enrolled in early intervention within recommended timelines.
What baseline data source is referenced for measuring improvement?
Baseline levels are drawn from the 2014 CDC EHDI Hearing Screening and Follow-up Survey (HSFS).
Who is this grant designed to support (at the system level)?
It supports states and territories in strengthening statewide EHDI systems of care, including the coordination among hospitals, pediatric primary care, audiology, early intervention, and family support organizations.
How is family engagement addressed in this program?
Family engagement is treated as a priority and an expectation. The program emphasizes families as essential partners and leaders, including incorporating family members into program activities and strengthening family-professional partnerships.
Are funded entities required to partner with family-based organizations?
Yes. All funded entities must develop partnerships supported by a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with statewide family-based organizations or programs that provide support to parents and caregivers of deaf or hard of hearing infants.
What is an MOU requirement in this context?
An MOU is a formal agreement that documents and supports sustained collaboration between the funded entity and statewide family-based organizations or programs that support parents and caregivers of deaf or hard of hearing infants.
What is the role of the multidisciplinary program advisory committee?
Recipients must establish and run a multidisciplinary program advisory committee to guide strategy and help identify mechanisms to meet project objectives, reflecting the full EHDI ecosystem.
Who must be represented on the advisory committee?
Required membership emphasizes broad representation, including pediatric clinicians and specialists, nurses, audiologists, early intervention providers, and critically, parents/families of deaf or hard of hearing children and deaf or hard of hearing individuals themselves.
Is there a minimum requirement for family and lived-experience representation on the advisory committee?
Yes. At least 25 percent of the advisory group must be made up of parents/family members and/or deaf or hard of hearing individuals.
What stakeholders are suggested for inclusion on the advisory committee when applicable?
When applicable, suggested stakeholders include representatives from birthing facilities; IDEA Part C lead agencies; state American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) chapters; home visiting programs; Title V MCH/CYSHCN; LEND programs; schools for the Deaf; offices of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing; groups with expertise in diversity, health equity, and cultural competency; family organizations (such as Hands and Voices and Family Voices); WIC; Early Head Start; and Medicaid agencies.
What is a state-based learning community in this grant?
It is a required, structured group of adopters and stakeholders who learn together to support adaptation and implementation of innovations that increase knowledge, engagement, and practical participation in the EHDI system among pediatric health care professionals and families.
Can the learning community be virtual?
Yes. HRSA notes learning communities can be virtual, allowing participation across regions and reducing travel barriers.
What is the minimum team composition expected for learning community participation?
Teams are expected to include, at minimum, a pediatric primary care clinician, a practice- or community-based care coordinator, and a family member of a deaf or hard of hearing child.
What kinds of topics and training are expected within the learning community?
Expected content includes training on current JCIH 1-3-6 recommendations and how to achieve them, education on significant risk factors for late-onset or early childhood hearing loss, and peer-to-peer learning opportunities (including connections to AAP chapter champions where applicable).
How does the program address care coordination?
It emphasizes improving care coordination through the patient- and family-centered medical home model, particularly tracking and surveillance for infants who need screening, follow-up diagnostics, or early intervention enrollment.
What collaborations are expected with Title V CYSHCN programs?
Recipients are expected to collaborate with Title V CYSHCN programs on systems integration and family-centered care coordination.
How does the grant address cultural competency and equity?
The learning community is expected to promote culturally competent, family-centered care by emphasizing respectful partnerships between families and professionals and recognizing the importance of equity and effective communication across diverse communities.
What common challenges in newborn hearing follow-up is this program trying to reduce?
The grant is aimed at reducing drop-offs after a newborn fails or misses a screening, or after a referral is made but a family struggles to access diagnostic services or early intervention quickly.
What types of system improvements does the opportunity push states to make?
It pushes states to strengthen the full pipeline through better professional training and engagement, stronger cross-program agreements and coordination, clearer referral pathways, improved follow-up, and deeper family partnership and leadership.
What is the expected overall result of implementing the program effectively?
The expected result is a more reliable statewide EHDI system where more infants meet recommended timelines for diagnosis and intervention, and families receive coordinated support that improves long-term developmental outcomes.
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