The objective of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to fund laboratories to create a collaborative network, NIDCD National Human Ear Resource Network, to serve as a national technological resource for auditory and vestibular researchers who use human inner and middle ear tissues for a range of basic and clinical studies. The Network will also serve as a nucleus for expanding the use of human temporal bones in the research community and to facilitate communication and collaboration between laboratories, both Network laboratories and non-Network laboratories, using human temporal bones. The Network laboratories will develop and provide technical services for procuring, preparing, sectioning and distributing high-quality human ear tissues; develop and disseminate techniques for improved tissue preservation and processing; and optimize methods for visualizing human middle and inner ear structures, including cellular and membranous components; upload digitized temporal bone images to NIDCD-approved databases for wide dissemination; provide opportunities for technical instruction in the special skills needed to prepare ear tissue for use from post-mortem human temporal bones; provide outreach to the scientific and clinical communities to promote the use of human temporal bones in their research and to facilitate the use of resources maintained and developed under this initiative. In addition, applications from individual laboratories may propose research to improve current techniques for the processing and use of human temporal bones. A cooperative agreement will coordinate interactions between the Network laboratories and the research community to maximize impact while avoiding duplicative efforts. This national resource will benefit a broad spectrum of research projects, including clinical and translational, by providing a critical link towards the translation of animal studies to the human ear and eventually the clinic, supporting the NIDCD mission to help prevent, detect, diagnose, and treat deafness and other communication disorders.

Deadlines:

• Letter of Intent Due Date(s): March 6, 2022

• Application Due Date: April 6, 2022

RFA-DC-23-002 Expiration Date April 7, 2022