DoD Hearing Restoration Focused Program Award | W81XWH 19 HRRP FRA

FAQs: DoD Hearing Restoration Focused Program Award (FY19 HRRP FRA)

What is the DoD Hearing Restoration Focused Program Award (FY19 HRRP FRA)?

The FY19 HRRP Focused Program Award is a Department of Defense (DoD) research funding opportunity administered through the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA). It is described as a science and technology research and development program focused on near-term, practical progress in hearing restoration and the broader problem of auditory dysfunction.

What is the main goal of this funding opportunity?

The program is oriented toward translation and real-world impact. It prioritizes work that can meaningfully speed up therapeutic outcomes and clinical impact rather than purely exploratory studies.

What kinds of research are considered responsive?

The opportunity is intended to support promising research that does at least one of the following:

• Accelerates drug discovery and therapeutic development specifically for hearing restoration.
• Accelerates advances in how auditory dysfunction is assessed, diagnosed, and treated.

Is the scope limited only to drug development for hearing restoration?

No. While drug discovery and therapeutic development for hearing restoration is explicitly included, the scope also covers research that improves assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of auditory dysfunction more broadly. The key theme is shortening the timeline from scientific insight to usable medical solutions.

Does the program emphasize basic science or translational work?

The emphasis is on translationally oriented efforts that move the field toward interventions and clinical impact, with a clear preference for work that speeds progress toward therapies or practical clinical advances rather than purely exploratory research.

Who or what populations must the research be relevant to?

A central requirement is relevance to DoD populations and mission needs. Proposed research must be applicable to active duty Service members, Veterans, military beneficiaries, and/or the American public.

Why is DoD relevance important for this opportunity?

The program reflects the real-world burden of hearing loss and auditory injury in military settings, including issues linked to noise exposure and other service-related factors, and aligns this need with broader public health impact.

What funding instrument types are available?

The opportunity offers both grants and cooperative agreements.

What is the difference between a grant and a cooperative agreement under this opportunity?

The summary indicates that cooperative agreements may involve closer collaboration or involvement from the funding agency than a standard grant. The exact level of coordination may depend on the project structure and what the program determines is appropriate.

Is this a discretionary funding opportunity?

Yes. The opportunity is categorized as discretionary.

What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?

The program is listed under CFDA 12.420.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning the competition is broadly open to applicants of any organizational type, subject to any additional eligibility details that may be specified in the full announcement.

What types of organizations are typically able to participate under an unrestricted eligibility listing?

Based on the description provided, unrestricted eligibility typically allows participation from universities, nonprofits, small businesses, large companies, and other research-performing entities. Final eligibility requirements would be confirmed in the full announcement.

Is collaboration required or encouraged?

Collaboration is actively encouraged. The program strongly favors multidisciplinary teams and partnerships.

What kinds of partnerships does the program favor?

The opportunity favors partnerships that may include academia, industry, military Services, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and other federal agencies, especially where the collaboration strengthens translational potential.

What is the advantage of proposing a multidisciplinary team?

The program description suggests multidisciplinary teams can improve translational readiness by combining basic science expertise, clinical insight, development experience, and access to relevant populations or operational context, supporting a realistic pathway toward deployment or clinical use.

What is the funding opportunity number?

The funding opportunity number is W81XWH 19 HRRP FRA.

When was this opportunity created?

The opportunity was created on May 14, 2019.

What was the original closing date?

The original closing date listed is November 14, 2019.

How many awards were anticipated?

The program anticipated making around 9 awards.

Is there a maximum award amount (award ceiling)?

The listed award ceiling is 0 in the provided source details. This typically indicates that a specific maximum dollar limit was not expressed in that summary field and would need to be confirmed in the full funding announcement or related program guidance.

What types of outcomes is the program trying to accelerate?

The program is trying to accelerate outcomes such as identification and validation of drug candidates, improved translational pathways for therapies, and better approaches and tools for detecting and managing hearing-related conditions, with the overall aim of shortening time to clinical or practical use.

What should applicants keep in mind when positioning a project for this program?

Based on the summary, a project is more aligned when it demonstrates (1) clear DoD population relevance, (2) near-term and practical impact on hearing restoration or auditory dysfunction care, and (3) an integrated approach that strengthens translation toward real-world application, including through collaboration when appropriate.