National Resource Network for the Study of Human Auditory and Vestibular Disorders (U24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Supports a national laboratory network providing human inner and middle ear tissues for basic and clinical research to advance understanding and treatment of hearing and balance disorders.
Funder: National Institutes of Health
Due Dates: March 5, 2027 (Application) | November 1, 2027 (Application / Closing)
Funding Amounts: Up to $450,000 direct costs per year for up to 5 years; an additional $150,000 annually for one qualifying processing-lab subaward
Summary: Supports a national laboratory network providing human ear tissues, data, technical services, and instruction for auditory and vestibular research.
Key Information: Clinical trials are not allowed; awardees must share tissues and data within and beyond the Network.
Description
The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) supports laboratories participating in the National Human Ear Resource Network through U24 cooperative agreements. The Network serves as a national technological resource for basic and clinical studies using human inner and middle ear tissues, advancing knowledge and treatment of auditory and vestibular disorders.
Supported activities include procuring, preparing, and distributing human temporal bones and fresh surgical tissues; improving tissue preservation, processing, and visualization; sharing digitized images and associated donor information; and providing technical instruction. Laboratories may also propose hypothesis-driven work to improve tissue use, processing, or visualization. The program aims to expand access to these resources, strengthen collaboration between Network and non-Network laboratories, and help translate findings from animal studies to the human ear and clinical care.
