Hearing Health Care for Adults: Improving Access and Affordability (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) | PA 18 438

Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 18 438

The grant opportunity titled "Hearing Health Care for Adults: Improving Access and Affordability (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)" is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) discretionary funding program that supports research aimed at improving how adults access and pay for hearing health care. The central goal is to build a stronger evidence base so that adult hearing health services can be delivered more effectively, more equitably, and at lower cost, ultimately leading to better outcomes for people with hearing loss. The announcement emphasizes that additional research is still needed in this area, and it encourages applicants to propose studies that can directly inform real-world improvements in hearing health care delivery, including approaches that make services more available and more affordable to adult populations.

This opportunity uses the NIH R01 mechanism, meaning it is intended for well-developed, hypothesis-driven or impact-driven research projects that can generate robust findings. The "Clinical Trial Optional" designation indicates that applicants may propose either studies that do not involve clinical trials or projects that do include a clinical trial, as long as the design matches the scientific aims and complies with NIH requirements for human subjects research. In practice, this creates flexibility for applicants to pursue a range of approaches, from observational research and implementation studies to intervention testing, depending on what is most appropriate for improving access, affordability, and outcomes in adult hearing care.

The funding opportunity number is PA 18 438, and it falls under the health funding activity category with CFDA number 93.173. It was created on January 8, 2018, and the original closing date listed in the source information is November 5, 2020. While the summary information does not provide an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, the R01 format typically supports projects with substantial scope, provided the budget and timeline are well-justified by the proposed work and aligned with NIH policies.

A wide range of organizations are eligible to apply, reflecting an intent to encourage participation from many sectors involved in health research and service delivery. Eligible applicants include 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. Tribal entities are broadly included, such as federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other Native American tribal organizations that are not federally recognized. The opportunity is also open to public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities, nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education), for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and small businesses.

In addition, the FOA explicitly highlights other eligible applicant types to underscore its openness to institutions and organizations that often serve communities disproportionately affected by barriers to health care access. These include 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), and U.S. territories or possessions. It also includes faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, and non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations). Taken together, this broad eligibility signals an interest in encouraging research that reflects diverse settings and populations, including rural, tribal, underserved, and geographically isolated communities where affordability and access challenges can be especially pronounced.

Overall, the FOA is focused on supporting research that can move adult hearing health care toward models that are easier to reach, less financially burdensome, and more likely to produce meaningful improvements in patient outcomes. The intent is not simply to study hearing loss as a clinical condition, but to strengthen evidence about the health care systems, delivery pathways, and practical interventions that determine whether adults can obtain hearing services and benefit from them.

• 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 (R01 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 2018-01-08.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-11-05. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• 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 18 438

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