Funding Opportunity Number: RFA-DC-25-005
Issuing agency: National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD).
Application deadline: October 1, 2026 at 5:00 PM local time of the applicant organization. No late applications will be accepted.
Funding: NIDCD planned $2 million in FY2027 for this initiative and its companion U01 announcement, subject to annual appropriations. The maximum funding per grant must be less than $500,000 in direct costs per year unless prior approval from NIDCD is obtained. Applicants requesting $500,000 or more in direct costs in any year must contact NIDCD staff in advance and follow NIH prior-acceptance policy. The maximum project period is five years. Cost sharing is not required.
Purpose: This R01 supports development of in vivo high-resolution structural and functional imaging technologies for the living human inner ear. Projects may improve existing imaging approaches or develop new techniques that visualize inner-ear structures with substantially greater structural or functional detail and accuracy.
Clinical-trial scope: Clinical trials are optional. When a clinical trial is proposed under this R01, it must fit the lower-risk scope described in the NOFO. Trials requiring FDA oversight, intended to formally establish efficacy, or posing higher risks to participants should be submitted under the companion U01 RFA-DC-25-003. The NOFO encourages multidisciplinary teams.
Eligibility: Eligible organizations include public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, small businesses and other for-profit organizations, state and local governments, Tribal governments and organizations, eligible federal agencies and U.S. territories, independent school districts, public and Indian housing authorities, faith-based and community-based organizations, regional organizations, and eligible foreign organizations as specified in the NOFO. Foreign components are allowed subject to current NIH policy, while current NIH restrictions on funded foreign subawards must be observed.
Submission: Applications are submitted through NIH ASSIST, Grants.gov Workspace, or an institutional system-to-system solution and tracked in eRA Commons. Active SAM/UEI, Grants.gov, and eRA Commons registrations are required.
Atlas assessment: Strong diagnostic-imaging, hearing, medical-device, and translational research fit. A credible lead applicant needs specialized inner-ear imaging science, engineering and quantitative-imaging expertise, access to appropriate human or translational research infrastructure, and a mature research program. Recommended posture: Partner-Led / Inner-Ear Imaging Research Team. Structural for-profit eligibility does not establish Dr. Miltie direct-prime readiness.
Atlas score: 93/100.