Improving Outcomes for Disorders of Human Communication (R21) | PA 17 140

Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 17 140

The Improving Outcomes for Disorders of Human Communication (R21) opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number PA 17-140) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) research grant run through the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD). It is focused on practical, real-world research that can measurably improve health outcomes for people affected by deafness and a wide range of communication disorders. Rather than emphasizing basic discovery science, the FOA centers on effectiveness research and health services research, meaning studies that test how well interventions, services, or care approaches work in typical settings and how healthcare delivery can be improved for patients.

The scientific scope aligns directly with NIDCD mission areas, covering hearing and balance as well as smell, taste, voice, speech, and language. In plain terms, projects should aim to produce evidence that can improve patient outcomes, inform clinical practice, strengthen service delivery, or reduce gaps in care for individuals with these conditions. This could include evaluating clinical programs, rehabilitation strategies, models of care, access barriers, quality of care, patient-centered outcomes, or implementation approaches that help effective interventions reach people who need them.

This is an R21 mechanism, which is NIH's exploratory and developmental research grant type. R21 awards are generally intended to support early-stage, high-impact, or innovative projects that may be too preliminary for a larger R01, including pilot studies, feasibility work, or the development and initial testing of new approaches in service delivery or effectiveness evaluation. The listed award ceiling is $200,000, indicating an upper limit on funding per award under this announcement as presented in the source information.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations and governmental entities. Eligible applicants include state, county, city/township, and 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; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; tribal organizations that are not federally recognized; nonprofits both with and without 501(c)(3) IRS status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education in those categories); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses. The FOA also highlights additional eligible applicant types such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs). It also explicitly includes faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions, reflecting an intent to attract applicants that can reach diverse communities and real-world care environments.

Foreign eligibility is restricted. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization. However, the FOA allows foreign components as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement, which typically means a U.S. applicant can include certain international elements in the research if they are well-justified, appropriately structured, and compliant with NIH policy, even though the primary applicant organization must remain eligible and domestically based.

Administratively, this is a discretionary grant in the health funding category, associated with CFDA number 93.173. The source details also show an original closing date of January 24, 2018, and a creation date of January 27, 2017, which places the timing of this particular listing in that period.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Improving Outcomes for Disorders of Human Communication (R21)" 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 2017-01-27.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-01-24. (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 $200,000.00 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.

Apply for PA 17 140

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