The American Otological Society Research Foundation was established to promote and sponsor investigator-initiated research and training in otology and related disciplines; to advance knowledge, education and clinical practice related to ear, hearing and balance disorders.
The American Otological Society Research Foundation repeatedly backs investigator-initiated work that sits between basic science, clinical study, and training in hearing and balance disorders. Its recent awards show a clear preference for projects that try to move findings toward practice: cellular reprogramming to regenerate primary auditory neurons at the University of Southern California, multisensory and deep-learning approaches for a next-generation listening device at the University of Washington, and studies of hair-cell biology at the University of Iowa. The foundation also supports research on vestibular migraine, cochlear-implant outcomes, and hearing preservation, which places ear, hearing, and balance questions at the center of its portfolio. Award sizes cluster around mid-five figures and reach into larger commitments for early-career research. In the recent grants list, the same thematic threads appear across several years, including repeated support for the University of Southern California project on auditory-neuron regeneration and repeated funding for the University of Washington listening-device work. That pattern suggests the foundation is comfortable returning to projects as they develop rather than limiting support to one-off awards. Training is also part of the model, with scholarship and fellowship programs alongside research grants.
A major topic area is auditory regeneration and ear-cell biology. The foundation gave $80,000 in 2025 to the University of Iowa for "LIFETIME OF THE TIP LINK IN LIVING HAIR CELLS," and it also supported "GENETIC REGULATION OF TMC PROTEINS IN HAIR CELLS" at Case Western Reserve University with $55,000 in 2023. Another strand centers on device and technology development for hearing support. It awarded $80,000 in 2024 and again in 2023 to the University of Washington for "USE OF MULTISENSORY INPUT AND DEEP LEARNING TECHNIQUES TO DEVELOP A NEXT GENERATION LISTENING DEVICE TO IMPROVE SPEECH PERCEPTION IN NOISE FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH HEARING LOSS." Vestibular and balance research is also visible. The Regents of the University of California (UCSF) received $55,000 in 2024 for "CHARACTERIZATION OF RESTING-STATE AND FUNCTIONAL CONNECTIVITY CHANGES IN VESTIBULAR MIGRAINE," and the University of Iowa received $44,000 in 2023 for proteomic work on vestibular schwannoma and meningioma.
$499K
$13.7M
$796K
$618K
Most grants fall between $30K and $65K, with a median of $44K.
25th Percentile
$30K
Median
$44K
75th Percentile
$65K
About 9% of grants go to recipients in CA.
DAVID FRIEDLAND
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Typical grants cluster at $30,000, $44,000, $55,000, $66,000, and $80,000, with a median of $44,000 and a p25/p75 range of $30,000 to $65,250. The foundation’s recent record includes repeated awards to the same projects and institutions across multiple years, especially at the University of Southern California and the University of Washington. That indicates some continuity in funding rather than purely isolated awards. The organization does not fund individuals directly, and it does not make program-related investments. Several active programs accept unsolicited applications, including research grants, fellowships, scholarships, and clinician-scientist awards.
Grantmaking is national and stays entirely within the United States in the recent grants list. California is the top state by grant count, with recipients in Los Angeles and San Francisco appearing multiple times. Seattle, Washington; Iowa City, Iowa; and Baltimore, Maryland also show up more than once, alongside awards in Boston, Tampa, and Coral Gables. Eight percent of grants went to recipients in Florida, which is the foundation’s headquarters state, but most awards land elsewhere.
It funds otology and neurotology research across basic, translational, and clinical work. Recent projects include auditory-neuron regeneration, multisensory listening devices, hair-cell biology, vestibular migraine, cochlear-implant outcomes, and hearing preservation after implantation.
The typical award sits in the mid-five figures: p25 is $30,000, median is $44,000, and p75 is $65,250. Recent grants also include awards at $5,000, $13,750, $30,000, $44,000, $55,000, $66,000, $65,000, and $80,000.
Yes. The University of Southern California’s auditory-neuron regeneration project appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025, and the University of Washington’s multisensory listening-device project appears in 2023 and 2024. That suggests repeat support for ongoing work.
Yes. Active programs marked as accepting unsolicited applications include the AOS Research Training Fellowship, the Multi-Centered Clinical Cooperative Seed Grant, the Clinician-Scientist Award, the Clinical Investigations Grant, the Research Grant, the Fellowship Grant, and the Otology & Neurotology Cochrane Scholarships.
The foundation gives nationally within the United States. California receives the most grants by count, and recent recipient cities include Los Angeles, Seattle, Iowa City, Baltimore, Boston, Tampa, Coral Gables, and San Francisco.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMERICAN OTOLOGICAL SOCIETY INC | ST PETERSBURG, FL | $100,000 | 2026 | ADVANCE AND PROMOTE MEDICAL AND SURGICAL OTOLOGY NEUROTOLOGY |
| UNIVERSITY OF IOWA | IOWA CITY, IA | $80,000 | 2026 | LIFETIME OF THE TIP LINK IN LIVING HAIR CELLS |
| UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN | ANN ARBOR, MI | $55,000 | 2026 | THE IMPACT OF SINGLE-SIDED DEAFNESS ON BEHAVIORAL COMPENSATION AND BINAURAL CUES DURING COMPLEX LOCALIZATION AND SPEECH-IN-NOISE TASKS |
| JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY | BALTIMORE, MD | $55,000 | 2026 | IDENTIFICATION OF BIOMARKERS IN HUMAN PLASMA FOR DIAGNOSIS OF VESTIBULAR MIGRAINE |
| UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY | LEXINGTON, KY | $44,000 | 2026 | MOLECULAR MECHANISMS REGULATING ACTIVATION OF MECHANO-ELECTRICAL TRANSDUCER CHANNELS IN MAMMALIAN AUDITORY HAIR CELLS |
| BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL | BOSTON, MA | $44,000 | 2026 | GENETIC MODELS OF SYNAPTOPATHY SUGGEST NOVEL THERAPEUTIC APPROACHES |
| UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA | CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA | $44,000 | 2026 | THE ROLE OF POST-TRANSLATIONAL MODIFICATIONS OF PCDH15 IN HAIR BUNDLE MORPHOGENESIS AND FUNCTION |
| INDIANA UNIVERSITY | BLOOMINGTON, IN | $44,000 | 2026 | ANYWAY YOU SPLICE IT: EXONIC SPLICE-ALTERING VARIANTS AND OTOF-RELATED HEARING LOSS |
| WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST LOUIS | ST LOUIS, MO | $33,000 | 2026 | REVEALING MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR DRIVERS OF CHOLESTEATOMA PATHOGENESIS IN CHILDREN USING SINGLE-CELL RNA SEQUENCING |
| UNIVERSITY OF IOWA | IOWA CITY, IA | $80,000 | 2025 | LIFETIME OF THE TIP LINK IN LIVING HAIR CELLS |
| UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA | LOS ANGELES, CA | $65,000 | 2025 | CELLULAR REPROGRAMMING OF PERIPHERAL GLIAL CELLS TO REGENERATE PRIMARY AUDITORY NEURONS |
| UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI | CORAL GABLES, FL | $55,000 | 2025 | DEVELOPING A NOVEL TREATMENT MODALITY FOR THE PRESERVATION OF RESIDUAL HEARING POST-COCHLEAR IMPLANTATION |
| UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA | TAMPA, FL | $55,000 | 2025 | DEVELOPMENT OF NON-INVASIVE IMAGING TECHNIQUES FOR ENDOCOCHLEAR POTENTIAL MEASUREMENTS |
| HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL | BOSTON, MA | $44,000 | 2025 | CELLULAR REPROGRAMMING OF PERIPHERAL GLIAL CELLS TO REGENERATE PRIMARY AUDITORY NEURONS |
| TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY | COLLEGE STATION, TX | $44,000 | 2025 | SUB-CELLULAR 3D VIBROMETRY FOR MEASURING COCHLEAR MECHANICS IN THE MOUSE ORGAN OF CORTI |
| UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES (UCLA) | LOS ANGELES, CA | $44,000 | 2025 | EXPLORING THE SYNAPTIC TRANSCRIPTOME OF VESTIBULAR HAIR CELLS |
| REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA (UCSF) | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $13,750 | 2025 | CHARACTERIZATION OF RESTING-STATE AND FUNCTIONAL CONNECTIVITY CHANGES IN VESTIBULAR MIGRAINE |
| UNIVERSITY OF IOWA CARVER COLLEGE OF MEDICINE | IOWA CITY, IA | $5,000 | 2025 | THE EFFECT OF ANGIOTENSIN RECEPTOR BLOCKADE USING LOSARTAN IN OTOPROTECTION AGAINST NOISE INDUCED HEARING LOSS |
| HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL | BOSTON, MA | $5,000 | 2025 | EXPANDING ACCESS: ADAPTING A NOVEL SCHOOL HEARING PROTOCOL TO SCALE ACROSS AMERICA |
| UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA | TUCSON, AZ | $5,000 | 2025 | THE EFFECT OF COCHLEAR IMPLANTATION (CI) ON DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS IN ADULTS |
| UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA | LOS ANGELES, CA | $80,000 | 2024 | CELLULAR REPROGRAMMING OF PERIPHERAL GLIAL CELLS TO REGENERATE PRIMARY AUDITORY NEURONS |
| UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON | SEATTLE, WA | $80,000 | 2024 | USE OF MULTISENSORY INPUT AND DEEP LEARNING TECHNIQUES TO DEVELOP A NEXT GENERATION LISTENING DEVICE TO IMPROVE SPEECH PERCEPTION IN NOISE FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH HEARING LOSS |
| HUGO MOSER RESEARCH INSTITUTE AT KENNEDY KREIGER | BALTIMORE, MD | $66,000 | 2024 | HEARING LOSS AND BALANCE ISSUES IN SICKLE CELL DISEASE |
| REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA (UCSF) | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $55,000 | 2024 | CHARACTERIZATION OF RESTING-STATE AND FUNCTIONAL CONNECTIVITY CHANGES IN VESTIBULAR MIGRAINE |
| UNIVERSITY OF UTAH | SALT LAKE CITY, UT | $44,000 | 2024 | THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF AUDITORY CUES TO NAVIGATION |
| UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND-ONE DISTRIBUTION (MS) | BALTIMORE, MD | $5,000 | 2024 | THE ROLE OF ATF SIGNALING IN PREVENTION OF NOISE-INDUCED HIDDEN HEARING LOSS |
| UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA | LOS ANGELES, CA | $80,000 | 2023 | CELLULAR REPROGRAMMING OF PERIPHERAL GLIAL CELLS TO REGENERATE PRIMARY AUDITORY NEURONS |
| UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON | SEATTLE, WA | $80,000 | 2023 | USE OF MULTISENSORY INPUT AND DEEP LEARNING TECHNIQUES TO DEVELOP A NEXT GENERATION LISTENING DEVICE TO IMPROVE SPEECH PERCEPTION IN NOISE FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH HEARING LOSS |
| CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY | CLEVELAND, OH | $55,000 | 2023 | GENETIC REGULATION OF TMC PROTEINS IN HAIR CELLS |
| UNIVERSITY OF IOWA | IOWA CITY, IA | $44,000 | 2023 | METABOLOMIC PROFILING OF HUMAN VESTIBULAR SCHWANNOMA AND MENINGIOMA BEFORE AND AFTER RADIATION THERAPY |
| UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA | LOS ANGELES, CA | $44,000 | 2023 | CHARACTERIZING NANOPARTICLE TRANSPORT FROM THE MIDDLE TO INNER EAR THROUGH THE ROUND WINDOW MEMBRANE |
| JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY | CHICAGO, IL | $30,000 | 2023 | IDENTIFICATION OF BIOMARKERS IN HUMAN PLASMA FOR DIAGNOSIS OF VESTIBULAR MIGRAINE |
| COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY | NEW YORK, NY | $30,000 | 2023 | MICRONEEDLE MEDIATED ASPIRATION OF PERILYMPH FOR SEQUENTIAL PROTEOMIC CHARACTERIZATION AFTER CORTICOSTEROID ADMINISTRATION |
AMERICAN OTOLOGICAL SOCIETY INC
$100,000ADVANCE AND PROMOTE MEDICAL AND SURGICAL OTOLOGY NEUROTOLOGY
UNIVERSITY OF IOWA
$80,000LIFETIME OF THE TIP LINK IN LIVING HAIR CELLS
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
$55,000THE IMPACT OF SINGLE-SIDED DEAFNESS ON BEHAVIORAL COMPENSATION AND BINAURAL CUES DURING COMPLEX LOCALIZATION AND SPEECH-IN-NOISE TASKS
JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
$55,000IDENTIFICATION OF BIOMARKERS IN HUMAN PLASMA FOR DIAGNOSIS OF VESTIBULAR MIGRAINE
UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY
$44,000MOLECULAR MECHANISMS REGULATING ACTIVATION OF MECHANO-ELECTRICAL TRANSDUCER CHANNELS IN MAMMALIAN AUDITORY HAIR CELLS
BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
GENETIC MODELS OF SYNAPTOPATHY SUGGEST NOVEL THERAPEUTIC APPROACHES
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
$44,000THE ROLE OF POST-TRANSLATIONAL MODIFICATIONS OF PCDH15 IN HAIR BUNDLE MORPHOGENESIS AND FUNCTION
INDIANA UNIVERSITY
$44,000ANYWAY YOU SPLICE IT: EXONIC SPLICE-ALTERING VARIANTS AND OTOF-RELATED HEARING LOSS
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST LOUIS
$33,000REVEALING MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR DRIVERS OF CHOLESTEATOMA PATHOGENESIS IN CHILDREN USING SINGLE-CELL RNA SEQUENCING
UNIVERSITY OF IOWA
$80,000LIFETIME OF THE TIP LINK IN LIVING HAIR CELLS
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
$65,000CELLULAR REPROGRAMMING OF PERIPHERAL GLIAL CELLS TO REGENERATE PRIMARY AUDITORY NEURONS
UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI
$55,000DEVELOPING A NOVEL TREATMENT MODALITY FOR THE PRESERVATION OF RESIDUAL HEARING POST-COCHLEAR IMPLANTATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
$55,000DEVELOPMENT OF NON-INVASIVE IMAGING TECHNIQUES FOR ENDOCOCHLEAR POTENTIAL MEASUREMENTS
HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL
$44,000CELLULAR REPROGRAMMING OF PERIPHERAL GLIAL CELLS TO REGENERATE PRIMARY AUDITORY NEURONS
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
$44,000SUB-CELLULAR 3D VIBROMETRY FOR MEASURING COCHLEAR MECHANICS IN THE MOUSE ORGAN OF CORTI
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES (UCLA)
$44,000EXPLORING THE SYNAPTIC TRANSCRIPTOME OF VESTIBULAR HAIR CELLS
REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA (UCSF)
$13,750CHARACTERIZATION OF RESTING-STATE AND FUNCTIONAL CONNECTIVITY CHANGES IN VESTIBULAR MIGRAINE
UNIVERSITY OF IOWA CARVER COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
$5,000THE EFFECT OF ANGIOTENSIN RECEPTOR BLOCKADE USING LOSARTAN IN OTOPROTECTION AGAINST NOISE INDUCED HEARING LOSS
HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL
$5,000EXPANDING ACCESS: ADAPTING A NOVEL SCHOOL HEARING PROTOCOL TO SCALE ACROSS AMERICA
UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
$5,000THE EFFECT OF COCHLEAR IMPLANTATION (CI) ON DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS IN ADULTS
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
$80,000CELLULAR REPROGRAMMING OF PERIPHERAL GLIAL CELLS TO REGENERATE PRIMARY AUDITORY NEURONS
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
$80,000USE OF MULTISENSORY INPUT AND DEEP LEARNING TECHNIQUES TO DEVELOP A NEXT GENERATION LISTENING DEVICE TO IMPROVE SPEECH PERCEPTION IN NOISE FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH HEARING LOSS
HUGO MOSER RESEARCH INSTITUTE AT KENNEDY KREIGER
$66,000HEARING LOSS AND BALANCE ISSUES IN SICKLE CELL DISEASE
REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA (UCSF)
$55,000CHARACTERIZATION OF RESTING-STATE AND FUNCTIONAL CONNECTIVITY CHANGES IN VESTIBULAR MIGRAINE
UNIVERSITY OF UTAH
$44,000THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF AUDITORY CUES TO NAVIGATION
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND-ONE DISTRIBUTION (MS)
$5,000THE ROLE OF ATF SIGNALING IN PREVENTION OF NOISE-INDUCED HIDDEN HEARING LOSS
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
$80,000CELLULAR REPROGRAMMING OF PERIPHERAL GLIAL CELLS TO REGENERATE PRIMARY AUDITORY NEURONS
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
$80,000USE OF MULTISENSORY INPUT AND DEEP LEARNING TECHNIQUES TO DEVELOP A NEXT GENERATION LISTENING DEVICE TO IMPROVE SPEECH PERCEPTION IN NOISE FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH HEARING LOSS
CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY
$55,000GENETIC REGULATION OF TMC PROTEINS IN HAIR CELLS
UNIVERSITY OF IOWA
$44,000METABOLOMIC PROFILING OF HUMAN VESTIBULAR SCHWANNOMA AND MENINGIOMA BEFORE AND AFTER RADIATION THERAPY
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
$44,000CHARACTERIZING NANOPARTICLE TRANSPORT FROM THE MIDDLE TO INNER EAR THROUGH THE ROUND WINDOW MEMBRANE
JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
$30,000IDENTIFICATION OF BIOMARKERS IN HUMAN PLASMA FOR DIAGNOSIS OF VESTIBULAR MIGRAINE
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
$30,000MICRONEEDLE MEDIATED ASPIRATION OF PERILYMPH FOR SEQUENTIAL PROTEOMIC CHARACTERIZATION AFTER CORTICOSTEROID ADMINISTRATION
Current and upcoming funding from American Otological Society Research Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Applicants should propose innovative, hypothesis-driven research relevant to hearing and balance disorders.
Deadline: Letter of Intent Deadline: November 1, 2026; invitations to submit a full application: first week of December 2026; full application deadline: January 31, 2027.
Who can apply: Applicants must describe how the proposed research will benefit understanding, diagnosis, or treatment of otological disorders. AOS is highly supportive of junior investigators.
Deadline: Letter of Intent deadline: November 1, 2026; invitations to submit full application: first week of December 2026; full application deadline: January 31, 2027.
Who can apply: Not specified in the provided content.
Deadline: Letter of Intent Deadline: November 1, 2026; invitations to submit a full application: first week of December 2026; full application deadline: January 31, 2027.
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