In Vivo High-Resolution Imaging for Inner Ear Visualization (R01 Clinical Trial optional) | RFA DC 24 004

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA DC 24 004

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is soliciting R01 grant applications under the funding opportunity announcement titled "In Vivo High-Resolution Imaging for Inner Ear Visualization (R01 Clinical Trial optional)" (RFA-DC-24-004; CFDA 93.173). The central goal is to push inner ear imaging beyond current clinical capabilities by supporting the development of imaging technologies that can capture substantially higher-resolution views of inner ear anatomy and physiology in living humans. The emphasis is on in vivo approaches that are suitable for real clinical environments, with an end vision of enabling detailed visualization of delicate inner ear structures in awake patients using non-invasive methods.

Projects are expected to either improve the resolution and performance of existing imaging modalities or introduce entirely new imaging approaches that make it possible to see inner ear structures with much greater detail and accuracy than is currently achievable. The opportunity explicitly values both structural imaging (fine anatomical detail) and functional imaging (information about biological activity or physiological processes), including the ability to visualize dynamic elements. In practical terms, the program is looking for technological advances that could allow clinicians and researchers to view features such as hair cells, otoliths, membranes, ionic environments, and vasculature with a level of clarity that would meaningfully change what can be measured or diagnosed in patients.

The announcement also encourages work on enabling components that would make high-resolution inner ear imaging feasible in vivo, such as new imaging probes or contrast agents that improve signal quality or specificity for particular tissues or processes. The intended outcome is not just incremental improvement, but technology development that clearly advances what can be visualized inside the inner ear, ideally translating into tools that could be deployed in a clinical setting without requiring invasive procedures.

A strong multi-disciplinary team approach is highlighted as important, reflecting the technical and translational complexity of the problem. Competitive applications will typically draw on complementary expertise such as otolaryngology and audiology, biomedical engineering, imaging physics, chemistry (for probes/contrast agents), computational imaging and image reconstruction, and clinical research methods. The FOA is designed to support efforts where each team member contributes distinct capabilities needed to create, validate, and realistically move the imaging technology toward use in people.

Human studies are allowed, and intermediate studies in animals are also allowed when they are clearly justified as part of the pathway to human application. However, the FOA restricts intermediate animal work to mammalian species (non-mammalian species are not allowed). If animal studies are proposed, the application needs to make a clear case for how the methods will translate to awake human imaging, or, if awake translation is not fully achievable, to clearly explain the limitations and what the approach can still contribute in anesthetized humans. In other words, animal work is acceptable only when it is tightly tied to the engineering and translational steps needed to reach human use.

Administrative details provided in the source include that this is a discretionary grant program using the NIH R01 mechanism, with clinical trials listed as optional. The original closing date is June 3, 2025. The listed award ceiling is $500,000. The opportunity was created on November 9, 2023. While the number of expected awards is not specified in the provided text, the FOA is structured to fund technology-focused projects that can credibly deliver substantial advances in inner ear visualization.

Eligibility is broad and includes a wide range of organization types: state, county, and local governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; nonprofit organizations (with or without 501(c)(3) status); public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) and small businesses; and federally recognized Native American tribal governments as well as other Native American tribal organizations. The FOA also explicitly notes additional eligible applicants such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, AANAPISI institutions, Hispanic-serving institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, U.S. territories or possessions, regional organizations, and non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations). This breadth signals a desire to attract technical innovation wherever it exists, including academic, clinical, industry, and cross-sector partnerships.

Overall, the grant opportunity is aimed at accelerating practical, clinic-relevant imaging breakthroughs for the inner ear by funding the development and refinement of tools that can non-invasively capture high-resolution structural and functional information in living humans, ideally in awake patients. The most responsive proposals will typically present a clear technical plan for achieving major resolution or capability gains, a realistic translational path to human use, and a team with the combined expertise to build, validate, and move the technology toward clinical deployment.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "In Vivo High-Resolution Imaging for Inner Ear Visualization (R01 Clinical Trial optional)" 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 2023-11-09.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-06-03. (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 $500,000.00 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.

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