DoW Hearing Restoration Focused Research Award
This award funds preclinical and/or clinical research to accelerate drug discovery and therapeutic development for hearing restoration after military-relevant auditory system injury, aligned to FY26 HRRP focus areas.
⚑ Cannot be used for clinical trials · Tinnitus research excluded · Vestibular research excluded · May include a Partnering PI Option at Funding Level 2 with two PIs (Initiating PI and Partnering PI)
Unit fits — one characterization, each unit's own rules
| Physical Sciences & Engineering (demo) | 55 good | technical depth: minor; funds applied research |
| IPPRA | 45 partial | portfolio topics: public_health, national_security_defense; social/behavioral work is none; funds applied research; biomedical core — IPPRA health lane is communication/crisis/policy (capped); capped at 45 (limited social-science role) |
| Tom Love Innovation Hub | 30 weak | funds applied research; deep-tech content |
Description
Summary: The fiscal year 2026 (FY26) Hearing Restoration Research Program (HRRP) Focused Research Award (FRA) supports promising research that accelerates drug discovery and therapeutic development for hearing restoration after military-relevant auditory system injury. The FRA may be used to support preclinical studies and/or clinical research. Research must align with at least one of the FY26 HRRP Focus Areas. The FRA cannot be used to support clinical trials, tinnitus research or vestibular research.
Distinctive Features:
• The FRA offers two Funding Levels to support research at different stages and the exploration/development of ideas of different maturity levels.
• Funding Level 2 includes a Partnering Principal Investigator (PI) Option (PPIO) for two PIs, an Initiating PI and a Partnering PI.
• Scored peer review criteria include Research Idea/Rationale, Research Strategy and Feasibility, Impact, and Personnel.
• Programmatic review criteria include adherence to the intent of the FRA, contribution to the HRRP portfolio, relative impact, and relevance to military health.
Apply
View on Grants.gov → CONTACT: Ebony S Simmons Grantor <help@eBRAP.org>
Proposal brief SEE AN EXAMPLE →
A one-page internal memo: fit assessment, submission requirements, document scaffold, and next steps dated back from the deadline — tailored to your project idea if you add one.
Proposal shell · Department of Defense (BAA-style) conventions SEE A DOD EXAMPLE →
Funder-faithful document skeletons — Department of Defense (BAA-style)'s document set with section headings, page limits, reviewer guidance, and writing prompts; add a project idea to get [DRAFT] starter bullets. Download as .md for Word or Overleaf.