American Hearing Research Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The American Hearing Research Foundation supports research related to hearing and balance disorders.
IP TAKE: The AHRF supports reasearch in the disciplines of audiology and otolaryngology. This funder is accessible and approachable, but it’s grants are competitive. It funds both individual scientists and large, established organizations working towards it’s goals. It’s also approachable, so reach out if you have further questions, but note that it only funds individuals or groups conducting scientific research or public health. In it’s support for individuals, it supports MDs, PhDs and AUDs, which is important to note. Your work is more competitive if you already have the backing of a large, academic or medical institution that conducts work in this funder’s areas of interest.
PROFILE: Established in 1956, the American Hearing Research Foundation (AHRA) is a nonprofit foundation committed to ending hearing loss and inner ear balance disorders. It is based in Elmhurst, Illinois and funds research towards audiology, otolaryngology and related fields.
Grants for Science Research and Public Health
All of AHRA’s focus entirely on hearing as per it’s name. It makes grants via three separate grantmaking programs:
Bernard and Lottie Drazin Memorial Grants support residents working in the field of otolaryngology with $1,000 research grants. This grantmaking program is limited to residents who completed their studies at Chicago-area institutions including Loyola University, Northwestern University, Rosalind Franklin University, Rush University, the University of Illinois or the University of Chicago. Application consists of a “one- to two-page summary of the project including specific aims and methods” along with a budget summary and letter of recommendation from the study’s principal investigator. Applications are due in mid-August, with notification in November and grant payment in January.
AHRF Discovery Grants support basic and clinical research on “aspects of the auditory and vestibular systems including but not limited to genetics, neurotology, anatomy, auditory processing, molecular and cellular biology, therapeutic studies, and investigations of current or experimental devices (i.e., cochlear implants).” Current funding prioritizes studies concerning causes of sudden hearing loss and Meniere’s Disease. The foundation awards between six and ten grants a year in amounts of up to $50,000 to MDs, PhDs or AuDs in the early stages of their careers at universities or hospitals in the U.S. Applications are usually due in mid-August, with notification of awards issued in November and grants paid in their entirety in January. Recipients are required to submit progress reports in April and final reports the following January.
Birtman Grants are not awarded by the foundation every year, but are reserved for studies of “outstanding promise” identified by the foundation. The grant is usually awarded in the amount of $75,000, with application and reporting requirements identical to those of the AHRF Discovery Grant program.
Important Grant Details:
AHRF made about $300,000 in grants in a recent year. Grants are generally awarded in set amounts of $1,000, $50,000 or $75,000 for the foundation’s Drazin Memorial, Discovery and Birtman grants, respectively. With the exception of the Drazin program for residents affiliated with Chicago-area schools, grantmaking is national in scope; recent grants have gone to researchers at universities and institutes including Northwestern University, the University of North Carolina, James Madison University and Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami. For additional information about past grantmaking, see the foundation’s past recipients page or its recent tax filings.
This funder accepts applications for each of its grantmaking programs. While eligibility varies by program, applications are generally due in mid-August, with notification of awards sent out in November and grant payment in January. Grantseekers should review application guidelines carefully before submitting materials through the foundation’s online grant application portal. General inquiries may be submitted to the foundation via email or telephone at 630-617-5079.
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