Full Text PA-97-087 HEARING AID IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM NIH GUIDE, Volume 26, Number 25, August 1, 1997 PA NUMBER: PA-97-087 P.T. Keywords: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders National Aeronautics and Space Administration PURPOSE The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) seek research grant applications from multidisciplinary teams to support research needed to transfer federally developed technology to hearing aids, including, but not limited to, the following areas: (1) novel algorithms for signal processing; (2) technologies applicable to hearing aid hardware; and (3) advanced microelectronics. Although not participating in the preliminary activities with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration that led to this Program Announcement, the National Institute on Aging (NIA) has a strong interest in the development of hearing aids that would significantly improve the quality of life of the many elderly persons who suffer from age-related hearing loss; NIA supports both basic and technology-related research in this area. HEALTHY PEOPLE 2000 The Public Health Service (PHS) is committed to achieving the health promotion and disease prevention objectives of "Healthy People 2000," a PHS-led national activity for setting priority areas. This PA, Hearing Aid Improvement Program, is related to the priority area of diabetes and chronic disabling conditions. Potential applicants may obtain a copy of "Healthy People 2000" (Full Report: Stock No. 017-001-00474-0 or Summary Report: Stock No. 017-001-00473-1) through the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402- 9325 (telephone 202-512-1800). ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS Applications may be submitted by domestic and foreign, for-profit and non-profit organizations, public and private, such as universities, colleges, hospitals, laboratories, units of state and local governments, and eligible agencies of the Federal government. Applications from minority individuals, women, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged. MECHANISM OF SUPPORT The mechanism of support will be the individual investigator-initiated research project grant (R01) award. The NIDCD/NASA are prepared to fund three to five awards in an amount not to exceed $1,000,000 total costs (direct and indirect costs) for FY 1998. Because the nature and scope of the research proposed in response to the PA may vary, it is anticipated that the size of the awards will vary. However, awards pursuant to this PA are contingent upon the availability of funds for this purpose. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES Background Hearing aids continue to be the management of choice for many people with sensorineural hearing loss. Although hearing aids allow for improved hearing function in many situations, they provide limited benefit in noisy and other adverse listening environments. Thus, user satisfaction remains low for these problematic conditions. However, progress in the miniaturization of circuits and transducers now allows a wide range of signal processing functions to be incorporated into very small devices, thereby alleviating some of the cosmetic concerns expressed by many hearing aid users. Various signal processing algorithms, technologies and microelectronics have been developed for security, military and space applications, yet many of these have not been applied to hearing aids. The NIDCD, NASA and the Department of Veterans Affairs agreed in 1995 to initiate a federal technology transfer program for hearing aids by developing partnerships among scientists, industry and Federal laboratories for commercialization of promising technologies for the benefit of individuals with hearing impairment. A search of Federal laboratories for acoustic and electronic technologies that might improve hearing aids was completed in September, 1996 utilizing a NASA contract with Research Triangle Institute (RTI). The identified technologies were reviewed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the most promising were selected for presentation by their developers at the NIDCD/NASA/VA Hearing Aid Improvement Conference: Facilitating Partnerships for Technology Transfer held on May 1 and 2, 1997 on the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland. Scientists, representatives of hearing aid and hearing aid component manufacturers, and individuals from Federal laboratories attended the conference. The purpose of the conference was to initiate the development of partnerships among scientists, hearing aid or hearing aid component manufacturers and Federal laboratories to carry out research that will lead to the commercialization of the promising technologies. This joint NIDCD/NASA Program Announcement is a solicitation for applications to support multidisciplinary collaborative research needed to transfer promising technologies into practical implementation of improvements in hearing aid performance. Objectives The goals and scope of this joint NIDCD/NASA Program Announcement include, but are not limited to: 1. Development, assessment, and implementation of technologies that have the potential to contribute to improved hearing aid performance and that constitute advances in signal processing or microelectronics. 2. Technology transfer support, in which academic/industrial teams work cooperatively with a Federal Laboratory and/or Federally funded grantee or contractor, to apply a Federally developed or funded technology to hearing aid improvement. Appropriate topics that will address the fundamental issues of hearing aid performance include, but are not limited to: 1. Innovative algorithms and approaches to acoustic signal processing, resulting in reduced background noise, increased speech intelligibility, and improved sound quality. 2. New technologies applicable to hearing aid hardware, such as improved microphones and remote control devices. 3. Implementation of low power consumption microelectronics appropriate for use in hearing aids. It is anticipated that multidisciplinary teams will be formed among scientists, hearing aid or hearing aid component manufacturers and Federal or Federally supported laboratories that developed the technology. Participation of hearing aid or hearing aid component manufacturers in these projects is essential to stimulate early assessment of commercial viability and to facilitate technology implementation. INCLUSION OF WOMEN AND MINORITIES IN RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN SUBJECTS It is the policy of the NIH that women and members of minority groups and their subpopulations must be included in all NIH supported biomedical and behavioral research projects involving human subjects, unless a clear and compelling rationale and justification is provided that inclusion is inappropriate with respect to the health of the subjects or the purpose of the research. This new policy results from the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 (Section 492B of Public Law 103-43) and supersedes and strengthens the previous policies (Concerning the Inclusion of Women in Study Populations, and Concerning the Inclusion of Minorities in Study Populations), which have been in effect since 1990. The new policy contains some provisions that are substantially different from the 1990 policies. All investigators proposing research involving human subjects should read the "NIH Guidelines for Inclusion of Women and Minorities as Subjects in Clinical Research," which have been published in the Federal Register of March 28, 1994 (FR 59 14508- 14513) and reprinted in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, Volume 23, Number 11, March 18, 1994. Investigators also may obtain copies of the policy from the program staff listed under INQUIRIES. Program staff may also provide additional relevant information concerning the policy. APPLICATION PROCEDURES The research grant application form PHS 398 (rev. 5/95) is to be used in applying for these grants. These forms are available at most institutional offices of sponsored research and may be obtained from the Division of Extramural Outreach and Information Resources, National Institutes of Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, MSC 7910, Bethesda, MD 20892-7910, telephone 301/710-0267, email: ASKNIH@odrockm1.od.nih.gov. Application kits may also be obtained electronically via the WWW at http://www.nih.gov/grants/phs398/phs398.html. The title and number of the program announcement must be typed in Section 2 on the face page of the application. The completed original and five legible copies must be sent or delivered to: DIVISION OF RESEARCH GRANTS NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH 6701 ROCKLEDGE DRIVE, ROOM 1040 - MSC 7710 BETHESDA, MD 20892-7710 BETHESDA, MD 20817 (express/courier service) Applications will be received on the standard NIH application receipt dates, with an initial application receipt date of October 1, 1997. The earliest date of award is July, 1998. If the application submitted in response to this program announcement is substantially similar to a grant application already submitted to the NIH for review, but not yet reviewed, the applicant will be asked to withdraw either the pending application or the new one. Simultaneous submission of identical applications will not be allowed, nor will essentially identical applications be reviewed by different review committees. Therefore, an application cannot be submitted in response to this announcement that is essentially identical to one that has already been reviewed. This does not preclude the submission of substantial revisions of applications already reviewed, but such applications must include an introduction addressing the previous critique. REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS Applications will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by an appropriate peer review group convened by the Division of Research Grants in accordance with NIH peer review procedures. As part of the initial merit review, all applications will receive a written critique and undergo a process in which only those applications deemed to have the highest scientific merit, generally the top half of applications under review, will be discussed, assigned a priority score, and receive a second level review by the National Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Advisory Council. The review criteria are: scientific, technical, or medical significance and originality of proposed research; appropriateness and adequacy of the experimental approach and methodology proposed to carry out the research; qualifications and research experience of the Principal Investigator and staff, particularly, but not exclusively, in the area of the proposed research; availability of the resources necessary to perform the research; appropriateness of the proposed budget and duration in relation to the proposed research; and adequacy of plans to include both genders and minorities and their subgroups as appropriate for the scientific goals of the research. Plans for the recruitment and retention of subjects will also be evaluated. AWARD CRITERIA Applications will compete for available funds with all other applications in response to this PA. The following will be considered in making funding decisions: quality of the proposed project as determined by peer review; availability of funds; and program priorities among research areas of the program announcement. INQUIRIES Written, telephone, and email inquiries concerning this PA are encouraged; the opportunity to clarify any issues or questions from potential applicants is welcome. Direct inquiries regarding scientific content to: Amy M. Donahue, Ph.D. Chief, Hearing and Balance/Vestibular Sciences Branch Division of Human Communication National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Executive Plaza South, Room 400-C 6120 Executive Boulevard MSC 7180 Bethesda, MD 20892-7180 Telephone: (301) 402-3458 FAX: (301) 402-6251 Email: Amy_Donahue@nih.gov Direct inquiries regarding fiscal matters to: Sharon Hunt Chief, Grants Management Branch National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders 6120 Executive Boulevard, Room 400-B, MSC 7180 Bethesda, MD 20892-7180 Telephone: (301) 402-0909 FAX: (301) 402-1758 Email: Sharon_Hunt@nih.gov AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance No. 93.173. Awards are made under authorization of the Public Health Service Act, Title IV, Part A (Public Law 78-410, as amended by Public Law 99-158, 42 USC 241 and 285) and administered under PHS grants policies and Federal Regulations 42 CFR 52 and 45 CFR Part 74. This program is not subject to intergovernmental review requirements of Executive Order 12372 or Health Systems Agency review. The PHS strongly encourages all grant and contract recipients to provide a smoke-free workplace and promote the non-use of all tobacco products. In addition, Public Law 103- 227, the Pro- Children Act of 1994, prohibits smoking in certain facilities (or in some cases, any portion of a facility) in which regular or routine education, library, day care, health care or early childhood development services are provided to children. This is consistent with the PHS mission to protect and advance the physical and mental health of the American people. .
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