Advancing Hearing and Balance Research Using Auditory and Vestibular Organoids (R01-Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAS 24 058

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAS 24 058

The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), within the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is soliciting R01 research grant applications under PAS-24-058 titled "Advancing Hearing and Balance Research Using Auditory and Vestibular Organoids (R01-Clinical Trial Not Allowed)." The central goal is to accelerate progress in hearing and balance science by strengthening human auditory and vestibular organoids as dependable model systems. The initiative is focused less on using organoids as a routine assay and more on advancing the organoid platforms themselves: how they are built, how faithfully they represent human inner ear biology, and how consistently they can be reproduced across experiments, batches, and laboratories.

A key emphasis is on the development, characterization, and especially the reproducibility and reliability of human organoids that model sensory systems relevant to hearing and balance. NIDCD is looking for projects that improve the stability, longevity, and overall robustness of these organoid models, since variability and limited survivability are common barriers that slow down meaningful biological discovery and translation. Applications are expected to push innovative and reproducible methodologies or technologies that make these organoids more standardized, more durable over time, and more useful for sustained experimentation.

The opportunity encourages applicants to create or refine tools and approaches that support long-term organoid health and expansion. In practical terms, that can include new ways to deliver genes, proteins, small molecules, or synthetic materials into organoids, or enabling technologies that improve maturation, structural organization, survival, and consistent performance. The underlying theme is that organoids need to be not only achievable to generate, but also scalable, stable, and reliable enough to serve as a long-term model for hearing and balance research.

Beyond engineering or improving the culture systems, NIDCD expects rigorous characterization that demonstrates the organoids mimic and recapitulate relevant native biological functions. In other words, it is not enough to produce organoid-like structures; applicants should show convincing functional and biological correspondence to the human auditory or vestibular systems they are intended to model. Projects that directly tackle current technical barriers, reduce known failure points, and measurably improve reproducibility and stability are specifically encouraged. Proposals that introduce truly breakthrough approaches and enabling technologies using human auditory or vestibular organoids are highlighted as particularly responsive to the intent of the initiative.

Animal organoid work is permitted, but only in a limited and clearly defined way. Studies focused solely on animal auditory or vestibular organoids are not considered responsive to this funding opportunity. Animal organoids can be included only when they are paired with integrated companion studies involving human organoids, such as comparative experiments or designs where animal work meaningfully supports interpretation, validation, or method development in a human organoid context. The program is explicitly centered on advancing human organoid platforms, so proposals need to make that priority unmistakable.

Administratively, this is an NIH discretionary grant opportunity using the R01 mechanism, and clinical trials are not allowed under this announcement. The CFDA number associated with the program is 93.173. The original closing date listed is May 7, 2024, and the award ceiling shown in the provided source data is $499,999. The opportunity was created on October 25, 2023. While the expected number of awards is not specified in the provided listing, the scope suggests a competitive research program oriented toward method and platform development rather than small pilot studies.

Eligibility is broad across many U.S.-based organizational types. Eligible applicants include state, county, and local governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; other Native American tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); small businesses; and other eligible entities. The announcement also explicitly notes additional eligible categories such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI), Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, Indian/Native American tribal governments other than federally recognized, and U.S. territories or possessions.

At the same time, the policy on foreign involvement is restrictive for direct applications. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations) are not eligible to apply, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply. However, foreign components, as defined under the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed, meaning a U.S. applicant organization can include certain foreign elements in the project if they meet NIH definitions and requirements for foreign components.

Overall, PAS-24-058 is aimed at making human auditory and vestibular organoids more scientifically trustworthy and broadly usable by improving how they are generated, maintained, manipulated, and validated. Strong applications will read like platform-advancement projects: they will identify the concrete reasons current organoid models fall short (for example, batch variability, incomplete maturation, limited lifespan, or inconsistent functional readouts), propose credible and innovative solutions, and include convincing characterization plans that tie the improved organoids back to real human hearing and balance biology.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Advancing Hearing and Balance Research Using Auditory and Vestibular Organoids (R01-Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" 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 2023-10-25.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-05-07. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $499,999.00 in funding.
• 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.

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